176 A NATUSALIST'S WANDERINGS 



the confines of their territory, my hosts of Sukau took farewell, 

 and I was welcomed by the chiefs of the neighbouring mar- 

 gas, who conducted me to Tandjong-djati, the village where 

 I purposed to spend some time. If I was the day before 

 inclined somewhat to levity at the general appearance of the 

 procession that greeted me, I felt embarrassed the other way 

 on meeting these chiefs of the Ranau district. Sedate-looking 

 men of middle age they were, dressed in neat black official 

 coats, spotlessly clean collars, white starched trousers with a 

 sarong girt about their loins, patent leather boots, and on their 

 heads the imposing official cap, which I saw then for the first 

 time, mitre-like in shape, covered with cloth of gold, while each 

 carried in his hand a gold-topped stick bearing the arms of his 

 Majesty of Holland, the insigna of his office. They looked 

 such aristocratic personages and so faultlessly attired that I 

 felt that I ought to descend from my horse and bow myself 

 to the ground in return for the profound salaam with which 

 they received me. 



After the usual festivities given on the visit of a white man, 

 in which the dancing of the maidens, attired in their best 

 attire and jewels, is always a conspicuous feature, I settled 

 into possession of my new home with a light and hopeful 

 heart, for it was situated in a district considered to be one 

 of the prettiest in Sumatra, by the margin of the lake 

 looking out on the cone of the Siminimg ; but the very 

 night of my arrival, whether by accident or by design is 

 doubtful, some poisonous drug was placed in one or other 

 dish of my evening meal, which induced profuse internal 

 haemorrhage that nearly proved fatal to me. Happily a strong 

 emetic rid me of the noxious ingredient, and a few days of 

 care restored me to my normal condition ; but it is not a 

 very pleasant reminiscence of the place. 



The Eanau Lake lies 1700 feet above the sea level at the 

 foot of the now quiescent — if ever within historical times active 

 — volcano of the Siminung. From its shape, which is that of 

 two irregular circles run together, it appears to occupy the 

 site of an old crater. In the centre it is of extreme depth. 

 At various points round the margin nearest the Siminung, hot 

 springs of 127° F. of temperature bubble up, and warm the 

 greater portion of the western end from 7° to 10° higher than 



