DANCING. 
223 
All the time she is dancing, the bridegroom 
continues a shuffling pas seul just behind her, 
holding in his hands wine and a glass, which he 
offers to each partner as he retires, without ceas- 
ing to move in time with the dancers. Coteries 
of natives of the humblest class, servants of the 
household and dependents of the bride s father, 
leap and bob around the skirts of the line of the 
“country dance," and sing improvised verses 
in laudation of the bride and bridegroom, or in 
reference to any noticeable person present, their 
sallies being received with shouts of applause. 
Europeans took little part in the dancing this 
evening, contenting themselves with looking on, 
since the occasion was really for the humbler 
class, who were later to partake of a special feast, 
already spread in an adjoining apartment. 
The Amboinese are passionately fond of danc- 
ing, and arc as graceful as they are expert in all 
European figures. The rich native women and 
many half-castes were present in their handsomest 
sarongs and daintiest kabias, with white stock- 
ings and gold-heeled “ slops,” and it quite fas- 
cinated us to watch how cleverly they could 
circle the room without once dropping the 
shoe, which grasps the foot only by the points 
of the toes. Any one trying this for the first 
