Symhols and Proverbs on the Affiliation Seal. 1 99 



In close array the ranks of heroes stand, 

 Obedient to the master-mind's command. 



One tie unites the old and the young brethren ; in order of 

 battle old and young are intermingled. Each man stands 

 ready to obey the smallest signal of his immediate com- 

 mander. As the swollen mountain torrent spreads itself over 

 the level ground, innumerable bands of these pour forth 

 on all sides : 



Mingle brown, and white, and red. 

 And strike till ev'ry foe lie dead. 



The by-laws of this secret society are so strict that there is 

 hardly an example on record of a member incurring a denunci- 

 ation, or being guilty of treason. In consequence of the cloud 

 of mystery which envelopes these societies, they are the more 

 dangerous, because unassailable by the government. And 

 accordingly, all precautions hitherto taken for suppressing 

 these secret societies of the Chinese population have proved 

 unavailing. Secret societies however are anything but for- 

 bidden under Dutch rule in Java, — on the contrary, it is 

 rather hon ton to belong to some one of ihe lodges of free- 

 masonry existent out there. 



Before setting out on our excursion into the interior of 

 Java, we had an opportunity of being present at the festivi- 

 ties which it is customary to get up on the occasion of the 

 reception of an embassy from one of the native jmnces. On 

 the present occasion it was the ministers of the Kings of the 



