104 TRAVELS IN THE EAST INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



driven away their rivals tlie Portuguese, had con- 

 quered the natives of Macassar, and fully established 

 their authority over all this part of the island. Op- 

 posite the fort is the "Societeit," or Club-House — 

 for every place of any considerable size in the Neth- 

 erlands India has one or two of these pleasant 

 resorts, where newspapers and periodicals are re- 

 ceived, and all the social Europeans gather in the 

 cool evenings to enjoy a " pijt " — a small glass of 

 gin with bitters — or " a potje van bier," in just the 

 way that Irving pictures the happy moments of Rip 

 van Winkle. Any member may introduce a stranger, 

 who is at once considered one of the fraternity ; and 

 I formed many pleasant acquaintances and passed 

 many pleasant hours in this way. Beyond the club- 

 house, on a street beautifully shaded with tamarind- 

 trees, are the hotel and residence of the governor. I 

 called on him, for, as I was travelling under the 

 patronage of the government, it was expected that 

 I should present myself before the highest official 

 of each place that I might chance to visit, and thus 

 express my sense of the kindness of the government 

 toward me ; and, at the same time, do what the 

 etiquette of the land required. The governor here 

 most kindly offered me post-horses free, if I would 

 stop and travel in the territory under his immediate 

 command. After the heat of the day was passed, 

 two of my merchant-friends gave me a ride through 

 the town, and a mile or two out into the adjoining 

 country, to visit the tombs of the native princes who 

 ruled that region before the arrival of Europeans. 

 These tombs had, originally, been enclosed in a 



