HALT AT KEDIMANGAN. 55 



the mountains. The road led first of all through a 

 flat country, but twisted about a good deal, appa- 

 rently to avoid the brooks and water-courses, which 

 were numerous and rapid. We shortly began to 

 rise onto some low undulations, from the tops of 

 which we got gradually more and more extensive 

 views over the plain. The road was almost always 

 a broad expanse of beautiful green turf, with just a 

 cart-track in the middle, and noble trees growing 

 on each side, bordered sometimes by fences and 

 cultivated ground, sometimes by patches of un- 

 touched forest. After riding about a couple of hours 

 we came on a troop of horses and men, standing 

 and lying under the shade of a spreading tree that 

 stood out in the centre of the road. This was the 

 Dumang, or head man of the village of Kandangan, 

 come to meet us with fresh horses and attendants. 

 About three miles beyond this we came to his 

 house, at a place called Kedimangan, where, leading 

 us into the court-yard, we found the usual table 

 spread in the pandopo, with fruit and cakes, and 

 servitors walking about with basins and water 

 to dip our hands and face, and then immediately 

 handing us tea ; and, as if all this were not enough, 

 as soon as we seemed to have had sufficient fruit, 

 they cleared the table and covered it again with 

 twelve or fifteen different dishes of poultry and 

 meats and rice, in curries, pilaus, and soups, ex- 

 quisitely cooked, and smoking hot. We found, 

 indeed, the good Rongo of Lamajang had taken the 



