A VOYAGE TO 
248 
1777. very light. With thefe inflruments they made many and 
i, 1 various flaurifhes, each of which was accompanied with a 
different attitude of the body, or a different movement. At 
firif, the performers ranged themfelves in three lines; and, 
by various evolutions, each man changed his ftation in fuch 
a manner, that thofe who had been in the rear, came into 
the front. Nor did they remain long in the fame pofition; 
but thefe changes were made by pretty quick tranfitions. 
At one time they extended themfelves in one line; they, 
then, formed into a femicircle; and, laftly, into two fquare 
columns. While this lafl movement was executing, one of 
them advanced, and performed an antic dance before me; 
with which the whole ended. 
The mufical inflruments confided of two drums, or 
rather two hollow logs of wood, from w r hich fome varied 
notes were produced, by beating on them with two fticks. 
It did not, however, appear to me, that the dancers were 
much aflided or directed by thefe founds, but by a chorus 
of vocal mufic, in which all the performers joined at the 
fame time. Their long was not deflitute of pleafing me¬ 
lody ; and all their correfponding motions were executed 
with fo much fkill, that the numerous body of dancers 
feemed to a6t, as if they were one great machine* It 
was the opinion of every one of us, that fuch a perform¬ 
ance would have met with univerfal applaufe on a Eu¬ 
ropean theatre ; and it fo far exceeded any attempt we had 
made to entertain them, that they feemed to pique them¬ 
felves upon the fuperiority they had over us. As to our 
mufical inflruments, they held none of them in the lead: 
efleem, except the drum; and even that they did not 
think equal to their own. Our French horns, in particu¬ 
lar, feemed to be held in great contempt; for neither here, 
nor 
