Frank Athelstane Swettenham

“ On their heads they each wore a large and curious but very pretty ornament, made principally of gold—a sort of square flower garden where all the flowers were gold, but of delicate workmanship, trembling and glittering with every movement of the wearer. ”

“ During it's performance, the dancers sat leaning forward and hiding their faces as I have described, but when it concluded, and without any break, the music changed into the regular time for dancing, the four girls dropped their fans, raised their hands in the act of "Sambah" or homage, and then began the nautch by swaying their bodies and slowly waving their arms and hands in the most graceful movements, making much and effective use all the while of the scarf hanging from their belts. ”

“ Gradually raising themselves from a sitting to a kneeling posture, acting in perfect accord in every motion, then rising to their feet, they began a series of figures hardly to be exceeded in grace and difficulty, considering that the movements are essentially slow, the arms hands and body being the real performers whilst the feet are scarcely noticed and for half the time not visible. ”