of mountains of Which Lombock peak, eight thousand feet
high, is the culminating point, formed a fit background
to a view scarcely to he surpassed either in human interest
or picturesque beauty.
Along the first part of our road we passed hundreds of
women carrying rice, fruit, and vegetables to market; and
further on an almost uninterrupted line of horses laden
with rice in bags or in the ear, on their way to the port of
Ampanam. At every few miles along the road, seated
under shady trees or slight sheds, were sellers of sugarcane,
palm-wine, cooked rice, salted eggs, and fried plantains,
with a few other native delicacies. At these stalls
a hearty meal may be made for a penny, but we contented
ourselves with drinking some sweet palm-wine, a most
delicious beverage in the heat of the day. After having
travelled about twenty miles we reached a higher and drier
region, where, water being scarce, cultivation was confined
to the little flats bordering the streams. Here the country
was as beautiful as before, but of a different character § consisting
of undulating downs of short turf interspersed with
fine clumps of trees and bushes, sometimes the woodland,
sometimes the open ground predominating. We only
passed through one small patch of true forest, where we
were shaded by lofty trees and saw around us a dark and
dense vegetation, highly agreeable after the heat and glare
of the open country.
At length, about an hour after noon, we reached our
destination—the village of Coupang, situated nearly in the
centre of the island—and entered the outer court of a
house belonging to one of the chiefs with whom my friend
Mr. Eoss had a slight acquaintance. Here we were requested
to seat ourselves under an open shed with a raised
floor of bamboo, a place used to receive visitors and hold
audiences. Turning our horses to graze on the luxuriant
grass of the courtyard, we waited till the great man s Malay
interpreter appeared, who inquired our. business and informed
us that the Pumbuckle (chief) was at the Kajah s
house, but would soon be back. As we had not yet breakfasted,
we begged he would get us something to eat, which
he promised to do as soon as possible. It was however
about two hours before anything appeared, when a small
tray was brought containing two saucers of rice, four small
fried fish, and a few vegetables. Having made as good a
breakfast as we could, we strolled about the village, and
returning, amused ourselves by conversation with a number
of men and boys who gathered round u s ; and by exchanging
glances and smiles with a number of women and girls O O
who peeped at us through half-opened doors and other
crevices. Two little boys named Mousa and Isa (Moses
and Jesus) were great friends with us, and an impudent
little rascal called Kachang (a bean) made us all laugh by
his mimicry and antics.
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