ied in his chair, surrounded with pages and footmen, having
near his person an officer who carries a large fan in the shape
of a hand-fire-screen.

He is followed by guards, some armed with maces, and others with
long-handled sabres; after whom come several ensigns and
cornets, with a great number of domestics on horseback, every
one bearing some necessary belonging to the Mandarin: as for
example, a particular Tartarian cap, if the weather should
oblige him to change the one he has on.

From the above, it may appear, what scope or range a composer
may have for the exhibition of processions and pageantry of
other nations, as well as of the Chinese; in all which, nothing
is more recommendable than adhering, in the representation, as
much as the limitations of the theatre will admit, to the truth
of things, as they actually pass in the countries where the
scene is laid: which is but, in saying other words, in this, as
in every other imitative branch, strike to nature as close as
possible.

In AFRICA.

The spirit of dancing prevails, almost beyond imagination, among
both men and women, in most parts of Africa. It is even more
than instinct, it is a rage, in some countries of that part of
the globe.

Upon the Gold-coast especially, the inhabitants are so
passionately fond of it, that in the midst of their hardest
labor, if they hear a person sing, or any musical instrument
plaid, they cannot refrain from dancing.

There are even well attested stories of some Negroes flinging
themselves at the feet of an European playing on a fiddle,
entreating him to desist, unless he had a mind to tire them to
death; it being impossible for them to cease dancing, while he
continued playing. Such is the irresistible passion for dancing
among them.

With such an innate fondness for this art, one would imagine
that children taken from this country, so strong-made and so
well-limbed as they generally are, and so finely disposed by
nature, might, if duly instructed, go great lengths towards
perfection in the art. But I do not remember to have heard that
the experiment was ever made upon any of them, by some master
capable of giving them such an improvement, as one would suppose
them susceptible of.

Upon the Gold-coast, there long existed and probably still
exists a custom, for the greater part of the inhabitants of a
town or village to assemble together, most evenings of the year,
at the market-place to dance, sing, an