Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
An hour after, his son came to visit Mr. Carter accompanied by about a hundred follow-
ers, who all sat on the ground while he came into the open shed where Manuel was skinning
birds. After some time he went into the house, had a bed arranged to sleep a little, then
drank some wine, and after an hour or two had dinner brought him from the Gusti's house,
which he ate with eight of the principal priests and princes. He pronounced a blessing over
the rice and commenced eating first, after which the rest fell to. They rolled up balls of rice
in their hands, dipped them in the gravy and swallowed them rapidly, with little pieces of
meat and fowl cooked in a variety of ways. A boy fanned the young Rajah while eating. He
was a youth of about fifteen, and had already three wives. All wore the kris, or Malay
crooked dagger, on the beauty and value of which they greatly pride themselves. A compan-
ion of the Rajah's had one with a golden handle, in which were set twenty-eight diamonds
and several other jewels. He said it had cost him 700
l
. The sheaths are of ornamental wood
and ivory, often covered on one side with gold. The blades are beautifully veined with white
metal worked into the iron, and they are kept very carefully. Every man without exception
carries a kris, stuck behind into the large waist-cloth which all wear, and it is generally the
most valuable piece of property he possesses.
A few days afterwards our long-talked-of excursion to Gunong Sari took place. Our party
was increased by the captain and supercargo of a Hamburg ship loading with rice for China.
We were mounted on a very miscellaneous lot of Lombock ponies, which we had some dif-
ficulty in supplying with the necessary saddles, &c.; and most of us had to patch up our
girths, bridles, or stirrup-leathers, as best we could. We passed through Mataram, where we
were joined by our friend Gusti Gadioca, mounted on a handsome black horse, and riding as
all the natives do, without saddle or stirrups, using only a handsome saddle-cloth and very
ornamental bridle. About three miles further, along pleasant byways, brought us to the
place. We entered through a rather handsome brick gateway supported by hideous Hindoo
deities in stone. Within was an enclosure with two square fish-ponds and some fine trees;
then another gateway through which we entered into a park. On the right was a brick house,
built somewhat in the Hindoo style, and placed on a high terrace or platform; on the left a
large fish-pond, supplied by a little rivulet which entered it out of the mouth of a gigantic
crocodile well executed in brick and stone. The edges of the pond were bricked, and in the
centre rose a fantastic and picturesque pavilion ornamented with grotesque statues. The
pond was well stocked with fine fish, which come every morning to be fed at the sound of a
wooden gong which is hung near for the purpose. On striking it a number of fish immedi-
ately came out of the masses of weed with which the pond abounds, and followed us along
the margin expecting food. At the same time some deer came out of an adjacent wood,
