An Answer was presently return’d him in the same Strain, and thus they went on warbling their Thoughts to one another for a considerable Time. Their Conversation began with an _Adagio_, which I cannot but say had a good deal of Harmony in it, but it soon slid into Discords which were very grating to the Ear. The Conference ended with an harmonious and delightful _Præsto_. Upon hearing this last our Men were exceedingly pleas’d, since it was a Token, as they told me, that the Price of their Cargo was agreed upon. I was afterward inform’d, that the slow Musick in the Beginning was only a Prelude to the Discourse, and was employ’d in mutual Compliments on both Sides: But that when we heard the Discords they were disputing about the Price of our Commodities, and that the _Præsto_ in the Conclusion signify’d that the Business was happily determin’d. Accordingly a little while after we unloaded the Ship. The Commodity for which there is the greatest Demand in this Country is Rosin, with which the Inhabitants rub their Bows, which are their Instruments of Speech. Such as are convicted of any great Crime in this Country, are generally sentenc’d by the Judge to be depriv’d of their Bows; and a perpetual Privation of the Bow is equal to capital Punishment amongst us. As I understood there was to be a final Hearing of a Law-Suit in a neighbouring Court of Justice, while I staid there, my Curiosity prompted me to hear some of their musical Law-Proceedings. The Council, instead of making a Speech, mov’d their Bows, and play’d each of them a Kind of Tune. So long as the Pleadings lasted, I could distinguish nothing but dissonant and jarring Sounds; for all the Eloquence of the Bar consists in the Loudness of their Notes, and the quick Motion of their Hands. After the Hearing was over, the Judge rising slowly from the Bench, and taking up his Bow, gave the Court an _Adagio_, which is the same Thing as pronouncing Sentence. For as soon as he had made an End, the Executioners advanc’d directly to the Criminal, to take away his Bow. The Boys in this Country resemble that Kind of Instrument, which in our Parts of the World we call a _Kitt_. They are never suffer’d to handle a Bow till they are three Years old. Upon their Entrance into their fourth Year they are sent to School to learn their Gamut, from Masters appointed for that Purpose, as Children in _Europe_ are, to learn their Alphabet. They are kept under the Discipline of the Ferula till they are able to play thoroughly in Tune, and to give their Instruments a clear and distinct Expression. We were very much molested by these Boys during our Stay there, as they were perpetually teazing us with their scraping. Our Interpreter, who had a very good Hand himself, and perfectly understood the Language, told us, that the only Meaning of this Musick was to beg a little Rosin of us. They begg’d in a whining Tone of the _Adagio_ Kind, but as soon as ever they had got what they wanted, they run into the _Allegro_,