e set in a
row on a Table in the General's House, where for seven or eight Days
together before the Circumcision day, they were struck each with a
little Stick, for the biggest part of the Day making a great noise,
and they ceased that Morning. So these dancing Women sung themselves,
and danced to their own Musick. After this the General's Women, and
the Sultan's Sons, and his Nieces danced. Two of the Sultan's Nieces
were about 18 or 19 Years Old, the other two were three or four Years
Younger. These Young Ladies were very richly drest, with loose garments
of Silk, and small Coronets on their Heads. They were much fairer
than any Women that I did ever see there, and very well featured;
and their Noses, tho' but small, yet higher than the other Womens,
and very well proportioned. When the Ladies had very well diverted
themselves and the Company with dancing, the General caused us to fire
some Sky-rockets, that were made by his and Captain Swan's Order,
purposely for this Nights Solemnity; and after that the Sultan and
his retinue went away with a few Attendants, and we all broke up,
and thus ended this Days Solemnity: but the Boys being sore with
their Amputation, went straddling for a fortnight after.

They are not, as I said before, very curious or strict in observing
any Days, or Times of particular Devotions, except it be Ramdam [i.e.,
Ramadan] time, as we call it. The Ramdam time was then in August,
as I take it, for it was shortly after our arrival here. In this
time they Fast all Day and about seven a Clock in the Evening, they
spend near an Hour in Prayer. Towards the latter end of their Prayer,
they loudly invoke their Prophet, for about a quarter of an Hour,
both old and young bawling out very strangely, as if they intended
to fright him out of his sleepiness or neglect of them. After their
Prayer is ended, they spend some time in Feasting before they take
their repose. Thus they do every Day for a whole Month at least;
for sometimes 'tis two or three Days longer before the Ramdam ends:
For it begins at the New Moon, and lasts till they see the next New
Moon, which sometimes in thick hazy Weather is not till three or four
Days after the Change, as it happen'd while I was at Achin, where
they continued the Ramdam till the New Moon's appearance. The next
Day after they have seen the New Moon, the Guns are all discharged
about Noon, and then the time ends.

A main part of their Religion consists in washing ofte