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

174 THE JIALAY ARCHIPELAGO. [chap.after a cup of tea, he would walk round his premises, andgenerally stroll down to Mamajam, to i^ay me a visit and lookafter his farm.This consisted of a coffee plantation and an orchard of fruittrees, a dozen horses and a score of cattle, with a small villageof Timorese slaves and Macassar servants. One family lookedafter the cattle and supplied the house with milk, bringing mealso a large glassful every morning, one of ray greatest luxuries.Others had charge of the horses, which were brought in everyafternoon and fed with cut grass. Others had to cut grass fortheir master s horses at Macassar— not a very easy task in thedry season, when all the country looks like baked mud ; or inthe rainy season, when miles in every direction are flooded.How they managed it was a mystery to me, but they knowgrass must be had, and they get it. One lame woman hadcharge of a flock of ducks. Twice a day she took them out tofeed in the marshy places, let them waddle and gobble for anhour or two, and then drove them back and shut them uj) in asmall dark shed to digest their meal, whence they gave forthoccasionally a melancholy quack. Every night a watch wasset, principally for the sake of the horses, the people of Goa,only two miles ofi", being notorious thieves, and horses offeringthe easiest and most valuable spoil. This enabled me to sleepin security, although many people in Macassar thought i wasrunning a great risk, living alone in such a solitary place andwith such bad neighbours.My house was surrounded by a kind of straggling hedge ofroses, jessamines, and other flowers, and every morning one ofthe women gathered a basketful of the blossoms for Mr.Mesman's family. I generally took a couple for my ownbreakfast table, and the supply never failed duidng my stay,and I suppose never does. Almost every Sunday Mr. LI. madea shooting excursion with his eldest son, a lad of fifteen, and Igenerally accompanied him ; for though the Dutch are Protestants,they do not observe Sunday in the rigid mannerpractised in England and English colonies. The Governor ofthe place has his jDublic reception every Sunday evening, whencard-playing is the regular amusement.On December 13th I went on board a prau bound for theAru Islands, a journey which will be described in the latterpart of this work.On my return, after a seven months' absence, I visitedanotlier district to the north of j\Iacassar, which will form thesubject of the next chapter.