192 TRAVELS IN THE EAST IXDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



take seats with us was not small. Our bill of fare 

 was sufficient to satisfy tlie most fastidious epicure : 

 for substantial diet the neighboring forests had fur- 

 nished us with an abundance of venison and the meat 

 of the wild boar, and the adjoining bays had yielded 

 several kinds of nice fish. All was prepared in an 

 unexceptional manner, and the rich display of pine- 

 apples, mangostins, dukus, and several kinds of bana- 

 nas was finer than many a European prince could set 

 before his guests. The process of demolishing had 

 fully begun, when the dark beauties, who had been 

 dancing before the house, came in, and ranged them- 

 selves round the table. My fii'st impression was, that 

 they had come in to see how Europeans eat, and I only 

 refi^ained from hinting to that effect to the Resident 

 on my right, because he had already smiled to see 

 my surprise at our novel reception, and besides, I was 

 anxious not to appear to be wholly ignorant of their 

 odd customs. Soon they began to sing, and this, I 

 thought to myself, is probably what is meant by a 

 sumptuous banquet in the East, and, if so, it well de- 

 serves the name. As the song continued, one after 

 another took out a handkerchief of spotless white, 

 and folding it into a triangular form, began to fan the 

 gentleman in front of her. This is indeed Eastern 

 luxury, I said to myself, and while I was wondering 

 what would come next, the damsel behind the Resident 

 reached forward and gave him a loud kiss on his cheek. 

 " That was intended as an appetizer I presume ? " 

 JSfatuurlijh, "Of course," he replied, and I leaned 

 back in my chair to give way to a hearty laugh, which 

 I had been trying for a long time to restrain, when 



