h I had ever beheld began to climb into the
open space from the town beneath. I do not know if I have made it
sufficiently clear that the square, on the crest of the isolated hill
above the sea, was occupied only by public buildings, such as the temple,
the house of the chief, and a large edifice used as a kind of town hall,
so to speak. The natives in general lived in much smaller houses, many
of them little better than huts, and divided by extremely narrow and
filthy streets, on the slopes, and along the shores of the bay.

It was from these houses and from all the country round that the
procession, with persons who fell into its ranks as they came, was now
making its way. Almost all the parties concerned were young, boys and
girls, or very young men and women, and though their dress was much
scantier and less decent than what our ideas of delicacy require, it must
be admitted that the general aspect of the procession was far from
unpleasing. The clothes and wraps which the men and women wore were of
various gay colours, and were, in most cases, embroidered quite skilfully
with representations of flowers, fruits, wild beasts, and individuals of
grotesque appearance. Every one was crowned with either flowers or
feathers.

But, most remarkable of all, there was scarcely a person in this large
gathering who did not bring or lead some wild bird or beast. The girls
carried young wild doves, young rooks, or the nestlings of such small
fowls as sparrows and finches. It was a pretty sight to see these poor
uninstructed young women, flushed with the exertion of climbing, and
merry, flocking into the square, each with her pet (as I supposed, but
the tender mercies of the heathen are cruel) half hidden in the folds of
her gown. Of the young men, some carried hawks, some chained eagles,
some young vultures. Many were struggling, too, with wild stags and wild
goats, which they compelled with the utmost difficulty to march in the
ranks of the procession. A number of young persons merely bore in their
hands such fruits as were in season, obviously fine specimens, of which
they had reason to be proud.

Others, again, were carrying little young bears, all woolly, comfortable-
looking creatures, while the parent bears, adult bears at any rate, were
brought along, chained, in the rear. My guards, or adorers, or whatever
the young men who looked after me really were, led me forward, and made
signs to me that I was to bring u