Taking a Census. 187 



of yellow "wood were changed for ivory, and those of ivory 

 were changed for gold, and diamonds and emeralds sj^arkled on 

 many of them ; and he knew very well Avhich way the tribute- 

 rice went. But as he could not prove it he kept silence, and 

 resolved in his own heart some day to have a census taken, so 

 that he might know the number of his people, and not be 

 cheated out of more rice than was just and reasonable. 



But the difficulty was how to get this census. He could 

 not go himself into every village and every house, and count 

 all the people ; and if he ordei-ed it to be done by the regular 

 officers they would quickly understand what it was for, and 

 the census would be sure to agree exactly with the quantity 

 of rice he got last year. It was evident therefore that, to an- 

 swer his purjjose, no one must suspect why the census was 

 taken ; and to make sure of this, no one must know that there 

 was any census taken at all. This was a very hard problem ; 

 and the Rajah thought and thought, as hard as a Malay Rajah 

 can be expected to think, but could not solve it ; and so he 

 was very unhappy, and did nothing but smoke and chew betel 

 with his favorite wife, and eat scarcely any thing ; and even 

 when he went to the cock-fight did not seem to care whether 

 his best birds won or lost. For several days he remained in this 

 sad state, and all the court were afraid some evil eye had be- 

 witched the Rajah ; and an unfortunate Irish captain who had 

 come in for a cargo of rice and who squinted dreadfully, was 

 very nearly being krissed, but being first brought to the royal 

 presence, was graciously ordered to go on board and remain 

 there while his ship staid in the port. 



One morning, however, after about a week's continuance 

 of this unaccountable melancholy, a welcome change took 

 place, for the Rajah sent to call together all the chiefs and 

 priests and princes who were then in Mataram, his capital 

 city ; and when they were all assembled in anxious expecta- 

 tion, he thus addressed them : 



" For many days my heart has been very sick, and I knew 

 not why, but now the trouble is cleared away, for I have had 

 a dream. Last night the spirit of the ' Gunong Agong ' — the 

 great fire-mountain — appeared to me, and told me that I must 

 go up to the top of the mountain. All of you may come with 

 me to near the top, but then I must go up alone, and the 



