Anothermoststrikingfeatureoftheperformancewasexhibitedbyascoreofoldmenwhosatcross-leggedinthelittlepulpits，whichencircledthetrunksoftheimmensetreesgrowinginthemiddleoftheenclosure。Thesevenerablegentlemen，whoIpresumewerethepriests，keptupanuninterruptedmonotonouschant，whichwasnearlydrownedintheroarofdrums。Intherighthandtheyheldafinely-wovengrassfan，withaheavyblackwoodenhandle，curiouslychased:thesefanstheykeptincontinualmotion。
Butnoattentionwhateverseemedtobepaidtothedrummersortotheoldpriests，theindividualswhocomposedthevastcrowdpresentbeingentirelytakenupinchattingandlaughingwithoneanother，smoking，drinkingarva，andeating。Foralltheobservationitattracted，orthegooditachieved，thewholesavageorchestramight，withgreatadvantagetoitsownmembersandthecompanyingeneral，haveceasedtheprodigiousuproartheyweremaking。
InvainIquestionedKory-Koryandothersofthenatives，astothemeaningofthestrangethingsthatweregoingon；alltheirexplanationswereconveyedinsuchamassofoutlandishgibberishandgesticulationthatIgaveuptheattemptindespair。Allthatdaythedrumsresounded，thepriestschanted，andthemultitudefeastedandroaredtillsunset，whenthethrongdispersed，andtheTabooGroveswereagainabandonedtoquietandrepose。Thenextdaythesamescenewasrepeateduntilnight，whenthissingularfestivalterminated。
ALTHOUGHIhadbeenbaffledinmyattemptstolearntheoriginoftheFeastofCalabashes，yetitseemedveryplaintomethatitwasprincipally，ifnotwholly，ofareligiouscharacter。
Yet，notwithstandingallIobservedonthisoccasion，Iamfreetoconfessmyalmostentireinabilitytogratifyanycuriositythatmaybefeltwithregardtothetheologyofthevalley。Idoubtwhethertheinhabitantsthemselvescoulddoso。Theyareeithertoolazyortoosensibletoworrythemselvesaboutabstractpointsofreligiousbelief。WhileIwasamongthem，theyneverheldanysynodsorcouncilstosettletheprinciplesoftheirfaithbyagitatingthem。Anunboundedlibertyofconscienceseemedtoprevail。Thosewhopleasedtodosowereallowedtoreposeimplicitfaithinanill-favouredgod，withalargebottle-nose，andfatshapelessarmscrosseduponhisbreast；whilstothersworshippedanimagewhich，havingnolikenesseitherinheavenoronearth，couldhardlybecalledanidol。Astheislandersalwaysmaintainedadiscreetreservewithregardtomyownpeculiarviewsonreligion，Ithoughtitwouldbeexcessivelyill-bredinmetopryintotheirs。