140 TOMB OF MULANA IBRAHIM. 



ings like chapels, either single sarcophagi or family 

 groups in more spacious buildings, with separate 

 and handsomely ornamented masses of masonry. On 

 these were inscriptions, either in the Javanese or 

 Arabic character. 



In one compartment was a block of black marble, 

 with an Arabic inscription to the memory of Mu- 

 lana Ibrahim, one of the early Mahomedan mis- 

 sionaries, who died and was buried here in the Javan 

 year 1334 (a.d. 1408). I was curious to know 

 where this marble came from, as there was no other 

 stone of that kind, and the importation of such a 

 block from a distance must have been at no trifling 

 expense ; but nobody could give me any information. 

 Is there any black marble on the coasts of India, 

 Arabia, or Egypt ? Its importation even thence, 

 and there is certainly no nearer source for it, unless 

 perhaps in China, argues no inconsiderable zeal and 

 power on the part of the disciples of Mulana. In 

 another court-yard was the freshly-made grave of 

 the Regent, who died three days ago. A plot of 

 recently strewed earth was covered with white 

 sweetly-scented flowers, just fading, and some men 

 were at work with a wooden frame over it, appa- 

 rently the model of the tomb about to be erected. 

 Many of the walls and gateways of the court-yard 

 appeared to be of much greater antiquity than the 

 tombs ; they were of carved stone, and seemed 

 crumbling with age. Gresik, indeed, was formerly 

 an important place, and is mentioned in the oldest 



