296

PUBLIC FESTIVALS

“ which Feenow got ready for our entertain-“ ment began. As a prelude to them, a band“ of music, or chorus of eighteen men, seated“ themselves before us, in the centre of the“ circle composed by the numerous spectators,“ the area of which was to be the scene of the“ exhibitions. Four or five of this band had" pieces of large bamboo, from three to five or“ six feet long, each managed by one man, who“ held it nearly in a vertical position, the upper“ end open, but the other end closed by one“ of the joints. With this close end the per-“ formers kept constantly striking the ground,“ though slowly, thus producing different notes“ according to the different lengths of the in-“ struments, but all of them of the hollow or“ base sort; to counteract which a person kept“ striking quickly, and with two sticks, a piece“ of the same substance, split and laid along“ the ground, and by that means furnishing a“ tone as acute as those produced by the others“ were grave. The rest of the band, as well as“ those who performed upon the bamboos, sung“ a slow and soft air, which so much tempered“ the harsher notes of the above instruments,“ that no by-stander, however accustomed to“ hear the most perfect and varied modulations“ of sweet sounds, could avoid confessing the'f vast power and pleasing effect of this harmony.