Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and whether I used shot or bullets; also what the birds were for, and how I preserved them,
and what was done with them in England. Each of my answers and explanations was fol-
lowed by a low and serious conversation which we could not understand, but the purport of
which we could guess. They were evidently quite puzzled, and did not believe a word we
had told them. They then inquired if we were really English, and not Dutch; and although
we strongly asserted our nationality, they did not seem to believe us.
After about an hour, however, they brought us some supper (which was the same as the
breakfast, but without the fish), and after it some very weak coffee and pumpkins boiled
with sugar. Having discussed this, a second conference took place; questions were again
asked, and the answers again commented on. Between whiles lighter topics were discussed.
My spectacles (concave glasses) were tried in succession by three or four old men, who
could not make out why they could not see through them, and the fact no doubt was another
item of suspicion against me. My beard, too, was the subject of some admiration, and many
questions were asked about personal peculiarities which it is not the custom to allude to in
European society. At length, about one in the morning, the whole party rose to depart, and,
after conversing some time at the gate, all went away. We now begged the interpreter, who
with a few boys and men remained about us, to show us a place to sleep in, at which he
seemed very much surprised, saying he thought we were very well accommodated where we
were. It was quite chilly, and we were very thinly clad and had brought no blankets, but all
we could get after another hour's talk was a native mat and pillow, and a few old curtains to
hang round three sides of the open shed and protect us a little from the cold breeze. We
passed the rest of the night very uncomfortably, and determined to return in the morning and
not submit any longer to such shabby treatment.
We rose at daybreak, but it was near an hour before the interpreter made his appearance.
We then asked to have some coffee and to see the Pumbuckle, as we wanted a horse for Ali,
who was lame, and wished to bid him adieu. The man looked puzzled at such unheard-of
demands and vanished into the inner court, locking the door behind him and leaving us
again to our meditations. An hour passed and no one came, so I ordered the horses to be
saddled and the pack-horse to be loaded, and prepared to start. Just then the interpreter came
up on horseback, and looked aghast at our preparations. 'Where is the Pumbuckle?' we
asked. 'Gone to the Rajah's,' said he. 'We are going,' said I. 'Oh! pray don't,' said he; 'wait
a little; they are having a consultation, and some priests are coming to see you, and a chief is
going off to Mataram to ask the permission of the Anak Agong for you to stay.' This settled
the matter. More talk, more delay, and another eight or ten hours' consultation were not to
be endured; so we started at once, the poor interpreter almost weeping at our obstinacy and
