.MTA0OA.Njk5NTY

chaunt. The dance began. The leader of the women, with terrapin shells partly filled with pebbles strapped around the calf of her leg, and giving a measured tinkle as she went, was followed in a slow movement of mingled march and dance, by the others, single file, round a fire. The first singer continued his music about three quarters of an hour; -- he then withdrew and the women rested till the second singer took the former's place, and so alternately danced and rested till the entire seven had performed their parts. This done, all retired to rest. Before sunrise next morning, the priest gathered all the people, -- men, women and children, -- into a convocation house, prepared expressly for the occasion. It may be proper here to explain, in order to prevent confusion, that, besides this extra structure which we call a convocation house, there was a house, -- as already mentioned, -- set apart exclusively for sacrifice, into which no one might enter but the priest himself, and his right hand men. But to return to the convocation house, into which the people were all gathered before sunrise. -- The priest seated them in rows, with their faces towards the east. Opening a crack in the wall, on the eastern side, about a foot long, -- and