SAMARANG. 231 



the sun is low, and the aveniie shady, they mostly 

 dispense with their head covering. Even the 

 coachman lowers his glaced bowl-shaped topi and lets 

 it waddle round his neck, whilst the attendant out- 

 runners seldom encumber themselves with any part 

 of attire that can be dispensed with. Some of the 

 would-be aristocrats make their coachman pile an 

 immense shiny chimney-joot hat, with silver band on 

 the top of a brown handkerchief, folded turban fashion. 

 The genuine Javanees wear a very extraordinary sort 

 of high cap with broad brim, but entirely open behind, 

 to admit their chignon, or knot, in which they tie their 

 hair, — both men and women alike. In the evening 

 I was invited to witness the performance of Chinese 

 dancing girls ; they were quite young, and grotesquely 

 dressed, at the commencement wearing masks, which 

 they soon put aside on account of the heat ; they 

 moved, or rather contorted their bodies in not very 

 elegant manner, without stirring from the spot, and 

 were accompanied by quite a regiment of gongs. 

 The whole thing was far from lively. At Batavia I 

 had seen Malay children dance, an infinitely prettier 

 sight. 



The Chinese quarter at Samarang is worth a visit, 

 owing to its beautiful gardens sloping down to the 

 water's edge, and the quaint pavilions, supported by 



