THE DUTCH RESIDENT. 237 



gates in a carriage, and four of these were each followed 

 by a picket of lancers, their occupants glittering with 

 diamonds. 



I must now, however, make for the Eesidency, the 

 appointed hour of ten o'clock being at hand, here the 

 same difficulty unexpectedly presented itself as had 

 already occurred at Batavia. All the gentlemen, who 

 were thus assembled, were decked out in strict evenincf 

 costume, and I was expected to appear in the same. 

 Here, however, the Besident kindly came to my rescue, 

 and made me put on an old suit of his, which might 

 easily have held a pair of my taille. I felt that every- 

 body must laugh at the ridiculous figure I cut, which 

 was by no means a pleasant idea ; however, there was 

 nothing for it but to put a bold face on it and join the 

 formidable procession of officers and Dutch residents. 

 The great man himself, who in fact rules the Emperor 

 completely, drove to the palace in state. Just before 

 starting, an escort arrived, headed by the Court 

 Minister in a carriage, from which he had to alight 

 at the outer gate, although Europeans drove up to the 

 verandah steps. Such is the humiliating etiquette 

 imposed upon natives by the Dutch Government. 

 Equally strict is that within the precincts of the 

 Kraton, which, not even the dalem, or reception hall, 

 the minister or any other native, excepting the 



