As we approached, all these men, including the priests, rose and bowed to us with the greatest courtesy, at the same time placing the two fingers across the lips in salutation.

Then soft-footed attendants advanced from between the pillars, bearing seats, which were placed in a line in front of the thrones.

We three sat down, Alphonse and Umslopogaas standing behind us.

Scarcely had we done so when there came a blare of trumpets from some passage to the right, and a similar blare from the left.

Next a man with a long white wand of ivory appeared just in front of the right-hand throne, and cried out something in a loud voice, ending with the word _Nyleptha_, repeated three times; and another man, similarly attired, called out a similar sentence before the other throne, but ending with the word _Sorais_, also repeated thrice.