CHAPTER XV. 



THE PADANG PLATEAU. 



As I had seen only a small portion of the Pa- 

 dangsche Bovenlanden, or Padang plateau, I again 

 set off for the interior, following the same route that 

 I had taken before, namely, north, over low lands 

 to the left of the Barizan chain. As the governor's 

 " American " had not arrived from Saboga, he kindly 

 borrowed for me a " bendy," that is, a small, heavy, 

 two-wheeled chaise. He gave me an order allowing 

 me to use two horses if I pleased ; and, by the time 

 I had travelled twenty miles, I was glad to avail my- 

 self of the privilege. A bamboo was fastened across 

 the thills and allowed to project four or five feet on 

 one side, and the additional horse was then placed 

 beside the other, the usual mode of driving tandem 

 in this country. To complete the odd style of har- 

 nessing these half tamed steeds, the natives arranged 

 the reins so that I was obliged to hold two in the 

 left hand and but one in the right. The result was, 

 that the outer horse was as loose as those harnessed 

 in a similar manner in Russia, and altogether be- 

 yond my control. Whenever we came to a slight 

 descent, he would always spring into a full gallop, 

 and the one in the thills would follow his example. 



