182 LOMBOCK. 



ing to be fed at the sound of a wooden gong which is hung 

 near for the purpose. On striking it, a number of fish imme- 

 diately came out of the masses of weed with which the pond 

 abounds, and followed us along the margin expecting food. 

 At the same time some deer came out of an adjacent wood, 

 which, from being seldom shot at and regularly fed, are almost 

 tame. The jungle and woods which surrounded the park ap- 

 pearing to abound in birds, I went to shoot a few, and was 

 rewarded by getting several specimens of the fine new king- 

 fisher (Halcyon fulgidus), and the curious and handsome 

 ground-thrush (Zoothera andromeda). The former belies its 

 name by not frequenting water or feeding on fish. It lives 

 constantly in low damp thickets, picking up ground insects, 

 centipedes, and small mollusca. Altogether I was much 

 pleased with my visit to this place, and it gave me a higher 

 opinion than I had before entertained of the taste of these 

 people, although the style of the buildings and of the sculpture 

 is very much inferior to those of the magnificent ruins in Java. 

 I must now say a few words about the character, manners, and 

 customs of these interesting people. 



The aborigines of Lombock are termed Sassaks. They 

 are a Malay race, hardly differing in appearance from the peo- 

 ple of Malacca or Borneo, They are Mohammedans, and form 

 the bulk of the population. The ruling classes, on the other 

 hand, are natives of the adjacent island of BaH, and are of the 

 Brahmmical religion. The government is an absolute mon- 

 archy, but it seeins to be conducted with more wisdom and 

 moderation than is usual in Malay countries. The father of 

 the present Rajah conquered the island, and the people seem 

 now quite reconciled to their new rulers, who do not interfere 

 with their religion, and probably do not tax them any heavier 

 than did the native chiefs they have supplanted. The laws 

 now in force in Lombock are very severe. Theft is punished 

 by death. Mr. Carter informed me that a man once stole a 

 metal coffee-pot from his house. He Avas caught, the pot re- 

 stored, and the man brought to Mr. Carter to punish as he 

 thought fit. All the natives recommended Mr. Carter to have 

 him " krissed " on the spot ; " for ij. you don't," said they, " he 

 will rob you again." Mr. Carter, however, let him off, with a 

 warning that if he ever came inside his premises again he 



