of Poulaho, another by Feenou, and the third,
which did not belong to the chorus, by Mareewagee himself, at the
entrance of his hut.

The last dance had forty men, and two drums, as a chorus. It consisted
of sixty men, who had not danced before, disposed in three rows, having
twenty-four in front. But, before they began, we were entertained with a
pretty long preliminary harangue, in which the whole body made responses
to a single person who spoke. They recited sentences (perhaps verses)
alternately with the chorus, and made many motions with the _pagge_, in
a very brisk mode, which were all applauded with _mareeai!_ and
_fufogge!_ words expressing two different degrees of praise. They
divided into two bodies, with their backs to each other; formed again,
shifted their ranks, as in the other dances; divided and retreated,
making room for two champions, who exercised their clubs as before; and
after them two others; the dancers, all the time, reciting slowly in
turn with the chorus; after which they advanced and finished.

These dances, if they can properly be called so, lasted from eleven till
near three o'clock; and though they were, doubtless, intended,
particularly, either in honour of us, or to shew a specimen of their
dexterity, vast numbers of their own people attended as spectators.
Their numbers could not be computed exactly, on account of the
inequality of the ground; but, by reckoning the inner circle, and the
number in depth, which was between twenty and thirty in many places, we
supposed that there must be near four thousand. At the same time, there
were round the trading place at the tent, and straggling about, at least
as many more; and some of us computed, that, aft this time, there were
no less than ten or twelve thousand people in our neighbourhood; that
is, within the compass of a quarter of a mile; drawn together, for the
most part, by mere curiosity.

It is with regret I mention, that we could not understand what was
spoken, while we were able to see what was acted, in these amusements.
This, doubtless, would have afforded us much information, as to the
genius and customs of these people. It was observable, that, though the
spectators always approved of the various motions, when well made, a
great share of the pleasure they received seemed to arise from the
sentimental part, or what the performers delivered in their speeches.
However, the mere acting part, independently of the sentences repeated,