RIDING ALONG THE EDGE OF A PRECinCE. 41 9 



seemed to hang in the air, and then the road widened. 

 I drew a long breath of relief, and then bounded out 

 over the wheel on to the solid ground, before I could 

 fiilly satisfy myself that, thanks to a kind Providence 

 and the force of gravitation, I was really safe. 



The inspector said that he had travelled many 

 thousand miles in Java, in all manners of ways, and 

 through all manners of dangers, but was never so 

 frightened before, and that he would not go back 

 that way in a cari'iage for ten thousand guilders. If 

 we had only known what we were coming to, we 

 could have got out and walked, but it was already too 

 late when we saw the danger. I determined to ride 

 no farther in the caniage that day, and made our guide 

 exchange places with me, and give me his horse. This 

 dangerous place the natives call Kabawjatu, " where- 

 the-buffaloes-fall." Only a short time before, a Malay 

 was driving a single buffalo to market along this 

 way, when he shied a little, went off headlong, and 

 was dashed in pieces on the rocks beneath. 



A short distance beyond this place we changed 

 horses, at a little settlement of the Lubus. Their 

 houses are scattered over the mountain-side, and not 

 gathered into one place. They are ten or fifteen feet 

 long, and eight or ten wide, and perched on high 

 poles. The walls are made of bamboo, and the roofs 

 are thatched ^vith straw, like all that we have seen 

 since leaving Lulm Sikcping, instead of atap, which 

 is used ]>y all the natives farther south. The officials 

 liere informed me thiit these people eat bananas, and 

 prol)ably most fruits, maize, dogs, monkeys, and even 

 snahes, but never rice ; and this is the more strange 



