OF LA PF.ROUSE. 327 



ing, that he thought it flrange that thofe people 

 fliould think of protecting themfelves in this 

 manner from tlie rain, while they faw us cx- 

 pofed to the inclemency of the weather ; but 

 what fiirprifcd him greatly wa.^, that not one of 

 us would make ufe of the um.br lias, which 

 we prevailed on him to reftore to thofe to whom 

 they belonged. 



7\t length we reached the village of Poron, 

 where we were 'eceived by the chiefs who has 

 the title of Dcman. He is principally-charged 

 with fixing the tafk-work of the natives. 



The fpace which we had juft traverfed from 

 Sourabaya is a vaft plain, where rice is the 

 principal culture. Already were the fields 

 covered with from two to three decimeters of 

 water, confined by the earth dikes with which 

 they were furrounded. 



Befoie we arrived at the village of Souda- 

 Kari we had remarked feme large plantations of 

 indigo. In the lOandof Java it is commonly 

 the Chinefe who prepare this com.modity, 

 their knowledge in the arts being much more 

 cxtenfive than that of the natives. 



We had alfo fcen cultivated in fevcral fields 

 the viciuus cnvimiuiis ; from its {^kl^Xs, the Java- 

 ncle extract an oil for burning. 



There were Hkewife p'rowin^r in this fine 

 Y 4 plain. 



