ork. He holds his
broad Sword in one Hand, and his Lance in the other, and traverses
his Ground, leaping from one side of the Ring to the other; and in
a menacing posture and look, bids defiance to the Enemy, whom his
Fancy frames to him; for there is nothing but Air to oppose him. Then
he stamps and shakes his Head, and grinning with his Teeth, makes
many ruful Faces. Then he throws his Lance, and nimbly snatches out
his Cresset, with which he hacks and hews the Air like a Mad-man,
often shrieking. At last, being almost tired with motion, he flies
to the middle of the Ring, where he seems to have his Enemy at his
Mercy, and with two or three blows cuts on the Ground as if he was
cutting off his Enemy's Head. By this time he is all of a Sweat, and
withdraws triumphantly out of the Ring, and presently another enters
with the like shrieks and gesture. Thus they continue combating their
imaginary Enemy all the rest of the Day: towards the conclusion of
which the richest Men act, and at last the General, and then the Sultan
concludes this Ceremony: He and the General with some other great Men,
are in Armor, but the rest have none. After this the Sultan returns
home, accompanied with abundance of People who wait on him there till
they are dismist. But at the time when we were there, there was an
after-game to be played; for the General's Son being then Circumcised,
the Sultan intended to give him a second visit in the Night, so they
all waited to attend him thither. The General also provided to meet
him in the best manner, and therefore desired Captain Swan with his
Men to attend him. Accordingly Captain Swan ordered us to get our
Guns, and wait at the General's House till further Orders. So about
40 of us waited till Eight a Clock in the Evening. When the General
with Captain Swan, and about 1000 Men, went to meet the Sultan, with
abundance of Torches that made it as light as Day. The manner of the
march was thus: First of all there was a Pageant, and upon it two
dancing Women gorgeously apparelled, with Coronets on their Heads,
full of glittering Spangles, and Pendants of the same, hanging down
over their Breast and Shoulders. These are Women bred up purposely for
dancing: Their Feet and Legs are but little imployed, except sometimes
to turn round very gently; but their Hands, Arms, Head and Body are in
continual motion, especially their Arms, which they turn and twist so
strangely, that you would think them to be made with