212 Voyage of the Novara. 



asking a native for a light for his cigar, he must now say 

 " Sono/' instead of '' Api," as hitherto, always supposing 

 that he is a smoker, a qualification which rarely fails to 

 ap2)ertain to the inhabitants of the Dutch East Indies. 



Here, in a wooden building open on all sides, and com- 

 manding an exquisite panoramic view, we partook of a 

 dejeuner a la fourcliette^ prepared quite in the European style, 

 after which, amidst a drenching thunder-plump, we pursued 

 our course to Tjipannas, which lies about 1000 feet below 

 the level of the pass. 



At every village we passed, the authorities, as is the 

 custom of the country, provided us with an escort. Thus we 

 almost constantly had some 20 or 30 persons riding behind 

 our carriages. The poor people had indued themselves in 

 their best apparel, and looked very pretty in their varied 

 fantastic attire. Even the rain, which still continued to 

 descend in torrents, did not prevent them from following us, 

 in order to do justice to the requirements of Javanese etiquette. 

 So too, every one whom we met on the road assumed a 

 respectful attitude, resting on the knees in a half-kneeling 

 position, and cowering down in the road with folded hands, 

 till our vehicle had rolled by. All the villages we saw had 

 a very neat, clean, cheerful appearance. The houses of the 

 Javanese (with the exception of those of the native au- 

 thorities) are as a rule built entirely of bamboo, part being 

 of wicker-work, part of the cane placed either side by side, 

 or above each other, the whole roofed in with palm-leaves, or 



