3 66 ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY [October, 



The ceremony then began. The armed party advanced from their 

 end of the Yoo-lahng, with a fong or rather a fhout peculiar to the 

 occafion, clattering their fhields and fpears, and raifing a duft with 

 their feet that nearly obfcured the obje&s around them. On reaching 

 the children one of the party ftepped from the crowd, and feizing 

 his vicTirn returned with him to his party, who received him with a 

 fhout louder than ufual, placing him in the midft, where he feemed 

 defended by a grove of fpears from any attempts that his friends might 

 make to refcue him. In this manner the whole were taken out, to the 

 number of fifteen ; thefe were feated at the upper end of the Yoo- 

 lahng, each holding down the head ; his hands clafped, and his legs 

 crofTed under him. In this pofition, aukward and painful as it muft 

 have been, it was faid they were to remain all night; and, until the 

 ceremony was concluded, they were neither to look up nor take any 

 refrefhment whatfoever. 



The Carrahdis now began fome of their myftical rites. One of 

 them fuddenly fell upon the ground, and, throwing himfelf into a 

 variety of attitudes, accompanied with every gefticulation that could 

 be extorted by pain, appeared to be at length delivered of a bone, 

 which was to be ufed in the enfuing ceremony. He was during this 

 apparently painful procefs encircled by a crowd of natives, who 

 danced around him, finging vociferoufly, while one or more beat 

 him on the back until the bone was produced, and he was thereby 

 freed from his pain. 



He had no fooner rifen from the ground exhaufted, drooping, and 

 bathed in fweat, than another went through the fame ceremonies, and 

 ended alfo with the production of a bone, with which he had pru- 

 dently provided himfelf, and concealed it in a girdle that he wore. 

 By thefe mummeries the boys were allured that the enfuing operation 

 would be attended with little pain, and that the more thefe Carrahdis 

 fuffered, the lefs would be felt by them. 



It being now perfedly dark, the Author quitted the place, with an 

 invitation to return early in the morning. 



On 



