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

HOWXIT.] LOMBOCK :THE RAJAH TOOK THE CENSUS. 139of palm-trees, which, dripping with the evening dew, gleamedprettily with the many twinkling lights. And few went tosleep that night till the morning hours, for every house held aknot of eager talkers, and much betel-nut was consumed, andendless were the conjectures what would come of it.On the second day they left the last village behind them andentered the wild country that surrounds tlie great mountain,and rested in the huts that had been prepared for them on thebanks of a stream of cold and sparkling water. And theRajah's hunters, armed with long and heavy guns, went insearch of deer and wild bulls in the surrounding woods, andbrought home the meat of both in the early morning, and sentit on in advance to prepare the mid-day meal. On the thirdday they advanced as far as horses could go, and encamped atthe foot of high rocks, among wliicli narrow pathways onlycould be found to i-each the mountain-top. And on the fourthmorning when the Eajah set out, he was accompanied only bya small party of priests and princes with their immediateattendants ; and they toiled wearily up the rugged way, andsometimes were carried by their servants, till they passed upabove the great trees, and then among the thorny bushes, andabove them again on to the black and burnt rock of the highestpart of the mountain.And when they were near the summit the Rajah orderedthem all to halt, while he alone went to meet the great spiriton the very peak of the mountain. So he went on with twoboys only who carried his sirili and betel, and soon reached thetop of the mountain among great rocks, on the edge of thegreat gulf whence issue forth continually smoke and vapour.And the Rajah asked for sirih, and told the boys to sit downunder a rock and look down the mountain, and not to move tillhe returned to them. And as they were tired, and the sun waswarm and pleasant, and the rock sheltered them from the coldwind, the boys fell asleep. And the Rajah went a little way onunder another rock ; and he was tired, and the sun was warmand pleasant, and he too fell asleep.And those who were waiting for the Rajah thought him along time on the top of the mountain, and thought the greatspirit must have much to say, or might jDerhaps want to keephim on the mountain always, or perhaps he had missed his wayin coming down again. And they were debating whether theyshould go and search for him, when they saw him coming downwith the two boys. And when he met them he looked verygrave, but said nothing ; and then all descended togethei-, andthe procession returned as it had come ; and the Rajah went tohis palace and the chiefs to their villages, and the people totheir houses, to tell their wives and children all that hadhappened, and to wonder yet again what would come of it.And three days afterwards the Rajah summoned the priestsand the princes and the chief men of Mataram, to hear what