CEMETERY OF GKESIK. 139 



It was a very common-looking kriss, with a waved 

 or damasked blade, and plain wooden handle and 

 sheath. It had, however, a long history attached 

 to it, which the two old Mahomedan priests who 

 shewed it to us seemed very eager to explain, but 

 which I did not rightly understand.* 



A crowd of people had now gathered about us, 

 among whom, as we were going away, the Resident 

 ordered handfuls of copper coin to be thrown, appa- 

 rently in compliance with a well-known custom, as 

 the people seemed all waiting for the scramble that 

 ensued. We then drove down to the cemetery of 

 Gresik, just on the outskirts of the town, and found 

 it a very interesting place. It consisted of a num- 

 ber of court-yards, separated by thick and massive 

 brick walls. Some of the tombs were covered by 

 simple monumental slabs, but others were in build- 



Surakerta. Sultan, the second title in dignity, was given to the 

 prince of Yugyakerta, when the native dominions were divided 

 by the influence of the Dutch. Panambahan, "object of obei- 

 sance," is the third title in dignity ; it is the one given to the 

 native prince of Sumenap, in the island of Madura. 



* The Javanese not only prize those krisses which have re- 

 mained long in their families, and descended from their ances- 

 tors, but also esteem their value greatly enhanced by their being 

 instrumental in any noted deed, or the death of any celebrated 

 or important personage. This gives us another analogy between 

 their customs and those of the Polynesians. See Mariner's Tonga 

 Islands, vol. i. p. 135 ; also vol. ii. p. 68, where he mentions 

 the high estimation in which the dagger that killed Captain Cook 

 was held at the Sandwich Islands. 



