ole were taken out, to the number of fifteen; among them appeared
Ca-ru-ey, a youth of about sixteen or seventeen years of age, and a young
man, a stranger to us, of about twenty-three.

The number being collected that were to undergo the operation, they were
seated at the upper end of the Yoo-lahng, each holding down the head; his
hands clasped, and his legs crossed under him. In this position, awkward
and painful as it must have been, we understood they were to remain all
night; and, in short, that until the ceremony was concluded, they were
neither to look up nor take any refreshment whatsoever.

The carrahdis now began some of their mystical rites. One of them
suddenly fell upon the ground, and throwing himself into a variety of
attitudes, accompanied with every gesticulation that could be extorted by
pain, appeared to be at length delivered of a bone, which was to be used
in the ensuing ceremony. He was during this apparently painful process
encircled by a crowd of natives, who danced around him, singing
vociferously, while one or more beat him on the back until the bone was
produced, and he was thereby freed from his pain.

He had no sooner risen from the ground exhausted, drooping, and bathed in
sweat, than another threw himself down with similar gesticulations, who
went through the same ceremonies, and ended also with the production of a
bone, with which he had taken care to provide himself, and to conceal it
in a girdle which he wore.

We were told, that by these mummeries (for they were in fact nothing else)
the boys were assured that the ensuing operation would be attended with
scarcely any pain, and that the more these carrahdis suffered, the less
would be felt by them.

It being now perfectly dark, we quitted the place, with an invitation to
return early in the morning, and a promise of much entertainment from the
ensuing ceremony. We left the boys sitting silent, and in the position
before described, in which we were told they were to remain until morning.

On repairing to the place soon after daylight, we found the natives
sleeping in small detached parties; and it was not until the sun had
shown himself that any of them began to stir. We observed that the people
from the north shore slept by themselves, and the boys, though we heard
they were not to be moved, were lying also by themselves at some little
distance from the Yoo-lahng. Towards this, soon after sunrise, the
carrahdis and their party adva