and their right
hands open, with which they frequently struck the left fore-arm so as to
produce a quick smart sound: This was a general challenge to the
combatants whom they were to engage, or any other person present: After
these followed others in the same manner, and then a particular
challenge was given, by which each man singled out his antagonist: This
was done by joining the finger ends of both hands, and bringing them to
the breast, at the same time moving the elbows up and down with a quick
motion: If the person to whom this was addressed accepted the challenge,
he repeated the signs, and immediately each put himself into an attitude
to engage: The next minute they closed; but, except in first seizing
each other, it was a mere contest of strength: Each endeavoured to lay
hold of the other, first by the thigh, and if that failed by the hand,
the hair, the cloth, or elsewhere as he could: When, this was done they
grappled, without the least dexterity or skill, till one of them, by
having a more advantageous hold, or greater muscular force, threw the
other on his back. When the contest was over, the old men gave their
plaudit to the victor in a few words, which they repeated together in a
kind of tone: His conquest was also generally celebrated by three
huzzas. The entertainment was then suspended for a few minutes, after
which another couple of wrestlers came forward and engaged in the same
manner: If it happened that neither was thrown, after the contest had
continued about a minute, they parted, either by consent or the
intervention of their friends, and in this case each slapped his arm, as
a challenge; to a new engagement, either with the same antagonist or
some other. While the wrestlers were engaged, another party of men
performed a dance, which lasted also about a minute; but neither of
these parties took the least notice of each other, their attention being
wholly fixed on what they were doing. We observed with pleasure, that
the conqueror never exulted over the vanquished, and that the vanquished
never repined at the success of the conqueror; the whole contest was
carried on with perfect good-will and good-humour, though in the
presence of at least five hundred spectators, of whom some were women.
The number of women indeed was comparatively small, none but those of
rank were present, and we had reason to believe that they would not have
been spectators of this exercise but in compliment to us.

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