Some females, evidently the ladies of his family, were seated on piles of sheepskins, and were plying their distaffs; while an aged man was seated on the end of the dais with a harp of quaint form on his knee; his fingers touched a last chord as Archie entered, and he had evidently been playing while the ladies worked.

Near him on the dais was a fire composed of wood embers, which were replenished from time to time with fresh glowing pieces of charcoal taken from the fire at the other end of the room, so that the occupants of the dais should not be annoyed by the smoke arising close to them.
The chief was a fine looking man about fifty years old.

He was clad in a loose fitting tunic of soft dark green cloth, confined at the waist by a broad leathern band with silver clasp and ornaments, and reaching to his knees.

His arms were bare; on his feet he wore sandals, and a heavy sword rested against the wall near his hand.
The ladies wore dresses of similar material and of somewhat similar fashion, but reaching to the feet.

They wore gold armlets; and the chief's wife had a light band of gold round her head.