I Found A
Great Crowd Surrounding A Party Who Were Dancing, By The Light Of Some
Large Fires, To The Music Of Four Drums, Which Were Beat With Great
Exactness And Uniformity.
The dances, however, consisted more in wanton
gestures than in muscular exertion or graceful attitudes.
The ladies vied
with each other in displaying the most voluptuous movements imaginable.
December 25th. About two o'clock in the morning a number of horsemen came
into the town, and having awakened my landlord, talked to him for some
time in the Serawoolli tongue; after which they dismounted, and came to
the Bentang, on which I had made my bed. One of them thinking that I was
asleep, attempted to steal the musket that lay by me on the mat; but
finding that he could not effect his purpose undiscovered, he desisted:
and the strangers sat down by me till daylight.
I could now easily perceive, by the countenance of my interpreter,
Johnson, that something very unpleasant was in agitation. I was likewise
surprised to see Madiboo and the blacksmith so soon returned. On
inquiring the reason, Madiboo informed me that as they were dancing at
Dramanet, ten horsemen, belonging to Batcheri, king of the country, with
his second son at their head, had arrived there, inquiring if the white
man had passed: and on being told that I was at Joag, they rode off
without stopping. Madiboo added, that on hearing this, he and the
blacksmith hastened back to give me notice of their coming.
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