JUNE.] RESIDENCE AT LATTAKOO* 
At one o'clockj the women advanced towards our 
square in the same manner as before, moving slowly 
along, holding rods in their hands, dancing and making 
a great noise. On arriving they formed themselves 
into a circle, and after singing and dancing for some 
time, the girls came and were received into the ring, 
and in the course of two hours we understood a 
ceremony was performed, at which none but females 
were allowed to be present. When all was over, the 
women formed themselves into a solid body with 
the girls in the middle of them. Then a rope made 
of skin was tied round the whole company, and they 
danced in a solid mass, those at one end pulling 
those at the other to the side of the court, after 
which the others prevailed, and dragged them by 
main force to the other, dancing the whole time 
with tumultuous noise* Upon a signal given, the 
whole fled, and were instantly out of sight. All this 
time the men sat conversing together, apparently 
unconcerned about what was going forward. 
During the evening our waggons were surrounded 
by a multitude of persons whose noise was equal to 
that of the busiest inn in London ; during which time 
we had an interesting conversation with Munaneets, 
the king's uncle, and Kotcha, one of the principal 
men. We asked Munaneets if he would like instruc- 
tion ; he referred the question to Kotcha for an answer. 
He said, I do not like to tell my thoughts on it at 
present" — perhaps meaning till the arrival of the king. 
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