Painting*
In some of the interior,; and in particular inithe Stinda districts, the, inhabitants
still perform on a rude instrument of bdmbu,. called the dngklung,
of wbiqhió representation is givèn iin one. of the plates* TMs ^instrument is
formed frifefivs or, more tubes mf, bdmbu,' cut a t .the. end after the . manner of
the barrels' of an .organ."' .These, <which are of -graduated lengthy from, about
twenty' to. eight' inches, afe .placed in a frame, in such a manner as to m°Y6 to
a certain extent from their position and to vibrate on the fraipfe bgingishaken.
A tro^pj.of .from ten to fifty mountaineers, each with an dngklung, and
accompanied;by one or two others with a small drum played with the open
hand,, alwaysperfbrm ypon this instrument on occasions pf .-festivity in the
Sunda districts. 1 he upper part of -the instrument» - and the parties them-
selves,-, arg. generally decorated, with common feathers, and the performers,
in their appearance and, action, .are frequently as grotesque, and wild as can
be imagined* • .Thereis something* however, so extremely simple, and at the
same typdigwy, .in-thfi sound produced by the rattling of these^bcmbu tubes,
that I confess ; I have uevcr heard the" without pleasure. The
Javans say. the first music, of which they have an idea was produced by the
accidental admission of the air into ~a.-bdmbu tube, which was left- hanging
on a tree» and that the dngkiung was the first improvement upon This Eolian
music. .With regard to the music of the gdmelon, “ that, V* -say they, “ was
.** procured from heaven, and we havé a long story about it;’’
A wind instrument, of the nature' of a flute,' but in length jsotöé feet,
with a proportionate diameter, is sometimes introduced in. the, gdmelans;
but this is not usual in'Java, though-in ü d ö it is;general.
The tremdngsa is a stringed instrument, not very unlike a guitar fsee
plate), which is occasionally found in the Sunda districts : it as: by mo means
general. - I, recollect to have once heard an old; blind bard at €>hidnj‘wr play
upon this instrument, reciting at the same time traditions , respecting
Pqjqjdrani and the ancient history of the country, which had probably mever
been committed to writing.
The Javans have made no progress in drawing or painting j. nor are there
any traces to be found ©f their having, at any former period their history,
attained any .proficiency in this art. They are not, however,, ignorant of
proportions or perspective, nor are they insensible to the beauty and effect
of the productions of other nations.* Their eye is correct and their hand
steady,
* We can hardly suppose them to have been as ignorant of the art of design as their neighbours
on Borneo, at the period of their being first visited by Europeans. The following story
steady, and if ^jmred; to sbe^nnyparticulaBjoh^ct, they produce a very'
fair resemblance of tBe-origipaJ.^^They are imitative^ and thoughjgenius in
tins, artrmay(nqdhav^et appeared-'among them, there is.'.rea/son-fe bèlieye
that, with^duç encouragement, T^eyvwpuld no.t>erfqundlesu^ihgenious than
a simdfr. .civdrkatiom They have « that
the, art of painting, w as$Ji^<^'^c , among them, -and a
seem
entitled do* mùeh'Cre^w /
The Javans, do^not tippearjq,^ssess,any-pequöar^^ in Arithmetic,
h Æew arithmetical calculations. ,T b e y ^ d n ^ Q y h < ^ ^ e without putting
down! thçtfigugeSjin,writing. ' In this process theyar,e/slo^,(.Jbut(generally
çqrrect.-_, The,, comm,on people,t frorn an- eptiçe ignorance 'Of^arithrngtic
opto, assfefet^r,memory, sometimes use grains of péri 'or.tsmalf:)tohé?fpn
these-.qepasiqns.f. j
; i, /The Lmany vast,and màgnificq^remains ^edifices; found at Jhûf
different parts pf, Java, j bear witness; fejgk.Jçgree,' qf 'perfection ,’in
which archi^l^fejand. scnlptur^wç^eJat S j , ppriod-practised .in t^at island.
But whether t]ie nattes' themselyps/designed these, edifices,and'their orna-‘
ments,: pppirly worked undqE.Ædçeitiqn. o^inge^oppjartists from-otS^.'
countries,, ;is a iquérfian - çonqec|ed ,with their history, which 'v^shdlj/at
prqsent forbear/h^Mgnirg in|o.^ s>
The arf,,of sculpture jisj.enfij4y,lóst to the natives^ .The/ojdyimodem
buildiqgs thpy pqpess^.^any^ehdeotural importance^ -
palaces of the chiefs, ^Mch hare rfready^en^desteribed.Tf/.
‘ .T -k i |he present day W e mo p r e ^ n ^ / t o ;astronorny";a K Astroaoi#
science.^ The seasons Me determined by reference to a system-ho Jogger1
perfectly understood, either in Tits prin.dple-.jpr application j -hutrffbm the
Hindu terms-still-in ushfor the days of the.'week^&brand from thé sim ila rité '/ m — Mm m
is translatechffbm a note m Joao de Barros, é Xtecade, .Book I., Chitpi 17. <? v ie c ó Lbrtenco
“ Drejo Cam and ..Gonzala Veltoza,, were sent to .the King^of Borneo on a treaty’^ '
« commerce. Among their presents was f e i iP tapestry- relenting the m'arriage of
« Henry VIII of England and Catherine, Princess ofArragom WÈingVeWed them well
» but an delivering the presents, the'piebt bf'tapestry wSs dilplàÿed; with the 'figufes-aif large
« as life. This to the King was matter ef alarm and* sT^pf;»^-' fifctte'mkgiriëdî that the
“ figures fifust & enchanted,.and that^e.PqrtuguesdT.wished/to ]in'tro<&ce; themhumteVTis
I roof to deprive h jm pf his ^kingdom H | life., Ue^eremthW tapestryrto .öé'iimediateiv
V removed, and that ^Bartugue«, should immediately depS^bdidnot'chuse to have
any taore kmgs beside himself in the dotefey-; and all attempts, to-pacify him were fruit-- 1
less. —dhii fepaîtlj '