The Malay archipelago : the land of the orang-utan ... - Wallace Online

CUSTOMSXI.] LOMBOCK :OF THE PEOPLE. 131the bottom of which was stuck upright a pole about three feetlong, kept in its place by a few sticks tied across the top withrattans. The bottom of the pole has an iron ring, and a hole inwhich four-cornered borers of hardened iron can be fitted. Thebarrel to be bored is buried upright in the ground, the borer isinserted into it, the top of the stick or vei'tical shaft is held bya cross-piece of bamboo with a hole in it, and the basket isfilled with stones to get the required weight. Two boys turnthe bamboo round. Tlie barrels are made in pieces of abouteighteen inches long, which are first bored small, and thenwelded together upon a straight iron rod. The whole barrel isthen worked with borers of gradually increasing size, and inthree days the boring is finished. Tiie whole matter was explainedin such a straightforward manner that I have no doubtthe process described to me was that actually used ; although,when examining one of the handsome, well-finished, and serviceableguns, it was very hard to realize the fact, that they had i-^been made from first to last with tools hardly sufficient for anEnglish blacksmith to make a horse-shoe.The day after we returned from our excursion, the Rajahcame to Ampanam to a feast given by Gusti Gadioca, whoresides there ;and soon after his arrival we went to have anaudience. We found him in a large courtyard sitting on a matunder a shady tree ; and all his followers, to the number of threeor four hundred, squatting on the ground in a large circle roundhim. He wore a sarong or Malay petticoat and a green jacket.He was a man about thirty-five years of age, and of a pleasingcountenance, with some appearance of intellect combined withindecision. We bowed, and took our seats on the ground nearsome chiefs we were acquainted with, for while the Eajah sitsno one can stand or sit higher. He fii-st inquired who I was,and what I was doing in Lombock, and then requested to seesome of my birds. I accordingly sent for one of my boxes ofbird-skins and one of insects, which he examined carefully, andseemed much surpi'ised that they could be so well preserved.We then had a little conversation about Eui'ope and the Russianwar, in which all natives take an interest. Having heard muchof a country-seat of the Rajah's called Gunong Sari, I took theopportunity to ask permission to visit it and shoot a few birdsthere, which he immediately granted. I then thanked him andwe took our leave.An hour after, his son came to visit Mr. Cai'ter accompaniedby about a hundred followers, who all sat on the ground whilehe came into the open shed whei^e Manuel was skinning birds.After some time he went into the house, had a bed arranged tosleep a little, then drank some wine, and after an hour or twohad dinner brought him from the Gusti's house, which he atewith eight of tlie principal priests and princes. He pronounceda blessing over the rice and commenced eating first, after whichthe rest fell to. Thev rolled up balls of rice in their hands,K 2