A COLD Reception. 175 



rice in bags or in the ear, on their way to the port of Ampa- 

 nam. At every few miles along the road, seated under shady 

 trees or slight sheds, were sellers of sugar-cane, palm-wine, 

 cooked rice, salted eggs, and fried plantains, with a few other 

 native delicacies. At these stalls a hearty meal may be made 

 for a penny, but we contented ourselves with drinking some 

 sweet palm-wine, a most delicious beverage in the heat of the 

 day. After having travelled about twenty miles, we reached a 

 higher and drier region, where, Avater being scarce, cultivation 

 was confined to the little flats bordering the streams. Here the 

 country was as beautiful as before, but of a different character ; 

 consisting of undulating downs of short turf intersj^ersed with 

 fine clumps of trees and bushes, sometimes the woodland, 

 sometimes the open ground predominating. We only passed 

 through one small patch of true forest, where we were shaded 

 by lofty trees, and saw around us a dark and dense vegetation, 

 highly agreeable after the heat and glare of the open country. 

 At length, about an hour after noon, we reached our des- 

 tination — the village of Coupang, situated nearly in the cen- 

 tre of the island — and entered the outer court of a house be- 

 longing to one of the chiefs, with whom my friend Mr. Ross 

 had a slight acquaintance. Here we were requested to seat 

 ourselves under an open shed with a raised floor of bamboo, 

 a place used to receive visitors and hold audiences. Turning 

 our horses to graze on the luxuriant grass of the court-yard, 

 we waited till the great man's Malay interpreter appeared, 

 who inquired our business, and informed us that the pum- 

 buckle (chief) was at the Rajah's house, but would soon be 

 back. As we had not yet breakfasted, we begged he would 

 get us something to eat, which he promised to do as soon as 

 possible. It was however about two hours before any thing 

 appeared, when a small tray was brought, containing two 

 saucers of rice, four small fried fish, and a few vegetables. 

 Having made as good a breakfast as we could, we strolled 

 about the village, and returning, amused ourselves by conver- 

 sation with a number of men and boys who gathered round 

 us, and by exchanging glances and smiles with a number of 

 women and girls who peeped at us through half-opened doors 

 and other crevices. Two little boys named Mousa and Isa 

 (Moses and Jesus) were great friends with us, and an impu- 



