62 MOUNTAIN INFLUENCES. 



principally of some tough lean fowls and some half 

 cold potatoes. At this altitude, potatoes, peas, and 

 other European vegetables flourish in abundance, 

 and are of excellent quality. The people, with 

 much the same colour and cast of features, were a 

 taller race than those of the plains ; their manners 

 also were more free and familiar, and although per- 

 fectly civil and willing to oblige, they had a greater 

 air of independence than we had observed anywhere 

 below. From this it appears that mountains even 

 in Java exercise their usual influence on their in- 

 habitants, and give a taste of freedom even to the 

 servile Javanese. 



The Bukkel, or head man of the village, took a 

 great liking to some cherry brandy, of which we had 

 brought a bottle with us, and by no means required 

 any encouragement to take his share of it, or to 

 pass it round to his attendants, who equally ap- 

 proved of it. A little before eight o'clock the coolies 

 arrived with our baggage to our great satisfaction. 

 They were fine stalwart willing fellows, and did not 

 seem much knocked up with their long and heavily 

 laden march up the mountain. I also got my baro- 

 meter, and from observations made that night and 

 the next morning, I calculate Lodo Ombo to be 6,413 

 feet above the sea. 



