280 LOMBOCK. [chap. xii. 



length of each day's journey beforehand according to the 

 nature of the road, and chose pleasant places by the banks 

 of clear streams and in the neighbourhood of shady trees, 

 where they built sheds and huts of bamboo well thatched 

 with the leaves of palm-trees, in which the Eajah and his 

 attendants might eat and sleep at the close of each day. 



And when all was ready, the princes and priests and 

 chief men came again to the Eajah, to tell him what had 

 been done and to ask him when he would go up the 

 mountain. And he fixed a day, and ordered every man 

 of rank and authority to accompany him, to do honour 

 to the great spirit who had bid him undertake the journey, 

 and to show how willingly they obeyed his commands. 

 And then there was much preparation throughout the 

 whole island. The best cattle were killed and the meat 

 salted and sun-dried ; and abundance of red peppers 

 and sweet potatoes were gathered; and the tall pinang- 

 trees were climbed for the spicy betel nut, the sirih-leaf 

 was tied up in bundles, and every man filled his tobacco 

 pouch and lime box to the brim, so that he might not want 

 any of the materials for chewing the refreshing betel during 

 the journey. And the stores of provisions were sent on 

 a clay in advance. And on the day before that appointed 

 for starting, all the chiefs both great and small came to 

 Mataram, the abode of the king, with their horses and 

 their servants, and .the bearers of their sirih boxes, and 



