150 sultan's private band. 



apartments with an alacrity resembling that of an 

 old landlady doing the honours of her establishment. 

 Behind the principal hall was a brick building, 

 in the chief room of which was a large kind of 

 throne, or seat of justice, or something of the kind, 

 overshadowed by a canopy, with several pillars in 

 front, and one or two cushioned seats, and other 

 things which were covered with coloured hangings 

 and draperies. The room being very dimly lighted, 

 I could not make out its exact form, but was in- 

 formed that it was the place where the royal 

 marriages were celebrated and other important cere- 

 monies performed. On each side of this room were 

 two spacious and handsomely furnished bed-rooms, 

 while on one side of the court-yard, which surrounds 

 the hall, were other buildings containing more bed- 

 rooms, so that we were all very well accommodated. 

 On returning to the hall at five o'clock, I found 

 the Sultan amusing himself by playing on the two- 

 stringed fiddle, and leading a small but very finely 

 toned and highly ornamented gamelang, played by 

 picked musicians. His fiddle, though it still had a 

 cocoa-nut covered with parchment for the sounding 

 board, was adorned with ivory, gold, and jewels ; 

 and though nothing could render pleasing the harsh 

 and squeaking tones of the instrument, he seemed 

 to play with considerable taste and skill, and was 

 accompanied by the band with much delicacy. I sat 

 down by him, and they played one or two tunes of a 

 slow, plaintive, and very pleasing character, the air 



