the
dance, and running round the whole of the performers, sing out in
a loud voice, using some expressions in one particular tone of
voice which we could not understand: he would then join the
dance, in which it was observed that certain parties alternately
led forward to the front, and there exhibited with their utmost
skill and agility, all the various motions which, with them,
seemed to constitute the principal beauties of dancing: one of
the most striking was, that of placing their feet very wide
apart, and by an extraordinary exertion of the muscles of the
thighs and legs, moving the knees in a trembling and very
surprizing manner, such as none of us could imitate; which seemed
to show that it required much practice to arrive at any degree of
perfection in this singular motion.

There appeared a good deal of variety in their different
dances; in one of which they paired themselves, and frequently
danced back to back; they then changed suddenly and faced each
other: sometimes all the performers sat down on the ground with
their feet under them, and at a particular word, or order, they
all raised themselves up: this motion they performed without any
assistance from the hands; now they ran back in direct rows, then
advanced in the same order; again they would form a circle, with
some distinguished person in the center, and sometimes the whole
of the performers would appear with a green bough in their hands,
which they held up in a conspicuous manner.

In all the different figures which they performed, I observed
that they generally finished by certain numbers of their
principal dancers advancing to the front, and going through that
favourite part of the dance, the quivering motion of the knees;
whenever this was done, the whole company faced to the front and
went through the same motions; but it was noticed that some were
more frequently in the front than others, and those, I concluded,
were such as had great confidence in their own skill in the
execution of this very difficult part of the performance, and no
doubt were vain enough to outshine in their ability the rest of
the company.

On the whole, this exhibition was well worth seeing; and this
was the first opportunity that had offered for us to see any
thing of the kind, since we had been in the country. Their music
consisted of two sticks of very hard wood, one of which the
musician held upon his breast, in the manner of a violin, and
struck it with the ot