Moore's travels. 
^09 
bark of trees, with a tuft of fine straw on the 
" top of it. This is a thing invented by the men 
** to keep their wives in awe, who are so ignorant 
" (or at least are obh'ged to pretend to be so) as 
" to take it for a wild man.'* The sound, indeed, 
is said to be so dismal, that only the most posi- 
tive assurance to the contrary could make any one 
suspect that it issued from a human voice. When- 
ever any dissension takes place within the do- 
mestic circle, this umpire is speedily called in, 
pronounces and executes sentence almost invari- 
ably against the weaker party. During the day, 
the coat is hung on a long pole, in order to be 
ready whenever its services are required. Youths 
are initiated into this society at the age of sixteen, 
but bound by the most dreadful oaths never to 
divulge its arcana to any female. It seems, that 
about the year I727 the wife of the king of Jagra, 
being endowed with more than the usual curiosity 
of her sex, wrested from her husband this fatal 
secret. The fact having transpired, a council of 
the men was immediately held, to consider in 
what manner it would henceforth be possible to 
keep their wives in subjection. A signal example 
was judged indispensable ; and the fact being 
proved, both the king and queen were put to 
death, as a warning to all who should ever again 
seek or allow others to pry into so awful a mys- 
tery. 
VOL. I. o 
