COLUMBO. 575 
First was a dance of children in a circle, making antic gestures, and 
striking little pieces of wood together: they were accompanied by 
a man playing on a tom-tom, to the blows of which they kept very 
good time with the voice. Next appeared a mask with horns, and other 
hideous accompaniments, who, the Maha Moodeliar informed me, 
was the Devil. Two still more hideous figures afterwards appeared, 
who were meant for his father and mother. These danced slowly, 
and sung to the same music, and threw about resin, which they set 
fire to with torches. The Devil's wife appeared, which I should 
conceive included the whole family party : a figure, however, came 
forward on stilts, with a Dutch coat on, and a Venetian mask; what 
he had to do there I could not learn, unless he was meant as an 
emblem of the Dutch being greater than the Devil, or thai he was 
fit company for him, with either of which explanations I shall be 
satisfied. It now began to rain so heavily, that, as the actors were 
in the open air, we were obliged to give up this play. However, the 
Malabars attempted one of theirs in the verandah. We had only 
time to see a figure of a woman carrying her husband on her back, 
her head, and his legs, thighs, and rump, being artificial. This figure 
danced about till the water came in and put an end to the exhibition- 
Two days afterwards we attempted it again, when the Governor 
had unfortunately invited several ladies, who were pleased to fancy 
themselves so shocked by the appearance of some apparently naked 
savages, that we were obliged to prevent them from finishing a 
dance, which from the beginning I thought would have turned out 
good. We Were next presented with a mask of princes and princesses 
hunting. A bear and stags came in with them, and were by no 
means ill imitated. The rain, however, again poured down in tor- 
VOL. I, N N 
