trees, among
which were habitations of the people. Under the shadow of these
magnificent trees the spectators were assembled, and testified their
happiness by their noisy mirth and animated gestures. When we arrived, the
king had not made his appearance on the course; but his absence was fully
compensated by the pleasure we derived from watching the anxious and
animated countenances of the multitude, and in passing our opinions on the
taste of the women in the choice and adjustment of their fanciful and
many-coloured dresses. The chief's wives and younger children sat near us
in a group by themselves; and were distinguished from their companions by
their superior dress. Manchester cloths of inferior quality, but of the
most showy patterns, and dresses made of common English bed-furniture,
were fastened round the waist of several sooty maidens, who, for the sake
of fluttering a short hour in the gaze of their countrymen, had sacrificed
in clothes the earnings of a twelve-month's labour. All the women had
ornamented their necks with strings of beads, and their wrists with
bracelets of various patterns, some made of glass beads, some of brass,
others of copper; and some again of a mixture of both metals: their ancles
also were adorned with different sorts of rings, of neat workmanship.

"The distant sound of drums gave notice of the king's approach, and every
eye was immediately directed to the quarter from whence he was expected.
The cavalcade shortly appeared, and four horsemen first drew up in front
of the chief's house, which was near the centre of the course, and close
to the spot where his wives and children and ourselves were sitting.
Several men bearing on their heads an immense quantity of arrows in huge
quivers of leopard's skin came next, followed by two persons who, by their
extraordinary antics and gestures, we concluded to be buffoons. These two
last were employed in throwing sticks into the air as they went on, and
adroitly catching them in falling, besides performing many whimsical and
ridiculous feats. Behind these, and immediately preceding the king, a
group of little boys, nearly naked came dancing merrily along, flourishing
cows' tails over their heads in all directions. The king rode onwards,
followed by a number of fine-looking men, on handsome steeds; and the
motley cavalcade all drew up in front of his house, where they awaited his
further orders without dismounting. This we thought was the proper ti