216 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



hands, and then four Indians in the same costume, but 

 with crowns of thorns on their heads, dragging a long 

 low carriage or bier filled with pine-leaves, and having 

 a naked scull laid on the top at one end. 



Next, and in striking contrast with this emblem of 

 mortality, advanced an angel in the attitude of an opera- 

 dancer, borne on the shoulders of six men, dressed in 

 flounced purple satin, with lace at the bottom, gauze 

 wings, and a cloud of gauze over her head, holding in 

 her right hand a pair of silver pincers, and in her left a 

 small wooden cross, and having a train of white muslin 

 ten yards long, supported by a pretty little girl fanci- 

 fully dressed. Then another procession of Indians with 

 lighted candles ; then a group of devils in horrible mas- 

 querade. Then another angel, still more like an opera- 

 dancer, dressed in azure blue satin, with rich lace wings, 

 and clouds, and fluttering ribands, holding in her right 

 hand a ladder, and in her left a silver hammer ; her 

 train supported as before ; and we could not help see- 

 ing that she wore black velvet smallclothes. Then an- 

 other angel, dressed in yellow, holding in her right hand 

 a small wooden cross, and in the other I could not tell 

 what. 



The next in order was a beautiful little girl about ten 

 years old, armed cap-a-pie, with breastplate and helmet 

 of silver, also called the centurion, who moved along in 

 a slow and graceful dance, keeping time to the music, 

 turning round, stopping, resting on her sword, and wa- 

 ving on a party worthy of such a chief, being twelve 

 beautiful children fancifully dressed, intended to repre- 

 sent the twelve apostles ; one of them carrying in his 

 arms a silver cock, to signify that he was the represent- 

 ative of St. Peter. The next was the great object of 

 veneration, the figure of the Christ crucified, on a bier, 



