Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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. Ross 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 Rajah'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 any-
thing 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 us; and by exchanging glances and smiles with a number of
women and girls 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.
At length, about four o'clock, the Pumbuckle made his appearance, and we informed him
of our desire to stay with him a few days, to shoot birds and see the country. At this he
seemed somewhat disturbed, and asked if we had brought a letter from the Anak Agong
(Son of Heaven), which is the title of the Rajah of Lombock. This we had not done, thinking
it quite unnecessary; and he then abruptly told us that he must go and speak to his Rajah, to
see if we could stay. Hours passed away, night came, and he did not return. I began to think
we were suspected of some evil designs, for the Pumbuckle was evidently afraid of getting
himself into trouble. He is a Sassak prince, and, though a supporter of the present Rajah, is
related to some of the heads of a conspiracy which was quelled a few years since.
About five o'clock a pack-horse bearing my guns and clothes arrived, with my men Ali
and Manuel, who had come on foot. The sun set, and it soon became dark, and we got rather
hungry as we sat wearily under the shed and no one came. Still hour after hour we waited,
till about nine o'clock, the Pumbuckle, the Rajah, some priests, and a number of their fol-
lowers arrived and took their seats around us. We shook hands, and for some minutes there
was a dead silence. Then the Rajah asked what we wanted; to which Mr. Ross replied by en-
deavouring to make them understand who we were, and why we had come, and that we had
no sinister intentions whatever; and that we had not brought a letter from the 'Anak Agong,'
merely because we had thought it quite unnecessary. A long conversation in the Bali lan-
guage then took place, and questions were asked about my guns, and what powder I had,
