184 A NATURALIST'S WANDERINGS 



A short intercourse with the Pangeran served to show that 

 he was a native far superior in intelligence and ability to 

 most of the chiefs about him. Though dressed no better 

 than the ordinary native, and preferring his sandals — whose 

 possession is always a mark of superiority — carried behind him 

 to wearing them, he had even more than usual of the easy 

 dignified politeness and gentlemanly bearing of the higher 

 Malays. Yet wheii, a few yards from the river bank, below a 

 shade of trees, we suddenly came on a neat carriage evidently 

 waiting for some one, so little was I prepared for his reply to 

 my surprised query, " Whose is the carriage ? " that it almost 

 ' took away my breath ' when he quietly but not without a 

 little pride, said, " It is mine." The carriage was drawn by a 

 pair of well-kept black ponies, furnished with every European 

 appurtenance. It certainly was incongruous, one felt, this 

 spanking pair, with bright silver harness, whirling through 

 villages of poor-looking cottages without one refined taste to 

 match this specimen of high civilisation in their midst. Every 

 village we passed through poured, out its inhabitants to seethe 

 bright equipage, which, though housed quite near, was evidently 

 a by no means common apparition. The women stared with 

 open mouth, and the children, in all the clothing nature had 

 given them, raced us for a long way, shouting with all their 

 might. It was evident that the Pangeran, satisfied with the 

 honour of having purchased such a possession, was not much 

 given to indulging himself in the use of it, if one may judge 

 by the undaunted way, utterly regardless of dynamical 

 principles, in which he took the most rectangular pieces of a 

 road never made for a carriage. Perhaps I may misjudge 

 him, and he may have so accurately known these principles as 

 to be able to drive within an inch or so of the centre of gravity 

 without dislodging it. He never eased up to a corner ; even 

 a double right-angled " hook " was described with wonderful 

 precision, if not with the utmost comfort. Holes or no holes, 

 logs or no logs in the way, he never drew rein till Ave halted 

 for good at the door of the Pasanggrahan, a rest-house which 

 he himself had erected on the right bank of the river for the 

 benefit of officials visiting the district. 



From the verandah of the house the scene, which could be 

 leisurely watched as I comfortably rested, was one of great 



