MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



519 



maining- in Java, (for tlie Bediii, 

 though di-^sceadaiits of the fugi- 

 tives uf P:ij;i.i iran, scarcely nici it 

 notice in t:.is res] act), I proceed 

 to mention some of tlie leading 

 observations which I made in Bali. 

 The notices regarding; the preva- 

 lence of Hinduism in Bali, and of 

 the nature of tlie government and 

 country, have hitherto been so 

 scanty, that, on such interesting 

 giound I may be pardoned for 

 entering into some detail, with- 

 out wliich it is impossible to con- 

 vey a just notion of the subject. 



The islar.d of Bali ia at present 

 divided under seven separate au- 

 thorities, each independent of the 

 other; and, of tliis heptarchy, 

 the state of Klongkong is acknow- 

 ledged to be the most ancient ; its 

 princes tracing their descent from 

 the princes of Java, and having 

 once possessed autlwrity over the 

 whole island. Among the regalia 

 of this state are reported to be 

 still preseived the creese of Ma- 

 japaiiit, and the celebrated gong 

 named Dentur Kadaton ; and, al- 

 thougli th.e other governments do 

 not at th.e piesent day admit of 

 any interference on the part of 

 this state, they still evince a 

 marked respect and courtesy to 

 that family, as tlie As;d llajah 

 Bali, (the stock from which they 

 sprung). 



Tiie population is roughly esti- 

 mated by the jmmbor of mule in- 

 habitants whose teetli have been 

 filed, an<l whose services each 

 prince can connnand, and who 

 amount to upward of 200,000. 

 The female ]X)puiation is under- 

 slood rather to exceed the male ; 

 aid, as it may be consideied that 

 only the active ami able bodied 

 men aie indudttd in the abov« 



list, an aveiage of four to a fa- 

 mily may be fairly taken, giving 

 a total population for the Avhcle 

 island exceeding eight hundred 

 thousand souls. 



The form of government, in- 

 stitutions and prevailing habits, 

 are represented to be the same 

 throughout the island ; and the 

 fnllovving sketch of B'lUuig may 

 afford a just notion of the 

 whole. 



The government is despotic, 

 and vested in the prince alone, 

 who is assisted in all affairs re- 

 lating to the internal administra- 

 tion of the country, by a head Per- 

 bakal, (immediately under ofl[icer3 

 of this name, aie placed the heads 

 of villages), and by a Radin 'I'u- 

 mung-guug, who conducts the 

 details of a more general nature, 

 of commerce and foreign inter- 

 course. The constitution of each 

 village is the same ; the head or 

 chief is termed Perbakal, and the 

 assistant. Kalian Tempek. These 

 officers are invariably selected 

 from among the people of tire 

 tillage; the son, however, ge- 

 nerally succeeding tlie father, if 

 competent to perform the duties. 

 Under the head Perbakal, who 

 has the designation of Perbakal 

 Rajah, are several infeiinr Per- 

 bakals for general duties and 

 communications with th.e villages ; 

 and under the Raciin Tiunun'gung 

 a, similar estaljlishment, bearing 

 the rank and designation of Ka- 

 lian Tempek. Among the heads 

 of villages are many whose fami- 

 lies have formerly distinguisiied 

 themselves in the wars of Bali, 

 and who are teruied (JusH. The 

 command of the military 19 nt 

 present vested in a chief of the 

 Bramsuii tast, and wbo seems to 



