A BALL. 121 



partner, but must immediately lead her to 

 her seat, where there is ranged a most for- 

 midable phalanx. When you are engaged 

 to dance, on the music commencing, you go 

 and take your place in the dance, and when 

 the whole line of men is formed, the young 

 ladies rise and go to them. This prevents 

 any one going unfairly above another, as no 

 man will allow any intruder to come above 

 him, since he acts for the lady ; and no one 

 is allowed to sit down until the dance is 

 finished : this is quite proper, but very fa- 

 tiguing, as sometimes a country-dance will 

 last an hour. The music plays generally with 

 correctness as to time, but the execution is 

 bad, and the collection of airs very small. 



The majority of the women are by no 

 means handsome; they certainly have fine 

 eyes and dark hair, — but neither features, 

 complexion, nor figure are good when com- 

 pared with those of Europeans. Some few 



