Javanese Fete. — What Dancing is among Orientat Nations. 261 



native prince. The stiff, troublesome formalities of the 

 Dutcli were outdone by those of the Javanese : nay, so 

 great is the observance of etiquette by these people, that even 

 the nearest relatives of the house are fain to take up their 

 place in the verandah or colonnade which runs round the 

 house, but do not dare venture into the saloon itself. In 

 this latter, besides the Regent and his consort, there were 

 only the European guests invited, while the people tlnronged 

 tlie doors and windows as spectators of what was going 

 on. The fete began with some very monotonous, infinitely 

 tedious dances executed by the Bayaderes. In the choreo- 

 graphic art, despite the important part which dancing plays 

 in their religious worship, the Javanese, like all the other 

 populations of Asia, lag far behind the natives of the north. 

 True, the dance with them has a widely different meaning, 

 compared with that which we attach to it, who waltz and 

 polka away in joyous, frolicsome mood, whereas the Asiatics, 

 tiie Malay and the Hindoo, also dance during seasons of 

 grief and anguish ; with them dancing is nothing but a mode 

 of expressing their feelings, whether these be grave or gay, 

 joyous or sad. And so deeply is this custom implantea 

 among the colom*ed races, that we have ourselves seen in 

 Costa Rica Indian jjarents, who had been converted to 

 Christianity, dancing before the dead body of their child, 

 which was about beino^ committed to consecrated earth.* 



* Die Republic Costa Rica, in Central-America, mit besonderer Beriicksichtigung 

 der Naturverhaltnisse, und dor frage dor deutsichen Answanderung uud Colonisation. 



