AFTER DINNER TOASTS. 155 



and in " a neat speech" in Malay, proposed the 

 health of the Resident, and himself led the "hip, 

 hip, hurrah!" with which it was received; this 

 being returned by the Resident, the Sultan then 

 proposed Capt. Blackwood and the English officers 

 with similar honours, to which Captain Blackwood 

 returned thanks through the Resident, and proposed 

 the health and prosperity of the Sultan's family, and 

 on the cheers for this toast subsiding, we broke up 

 from table. We then strolled about the hall, smok- 

 ing cigars, and the Sultan, in the few words of 

 English he knew, pressed on our acceptance "a 

 glass of grog" before we retired for the night. 



All the time these very English proceedings were 

 going on in the main body of the hall, at the far 

 end of it was progressing the Javanese dramatic 

 representation : the clang of the gamelang and 

 strong voice of the reciter filled up the pauses in 

 our conversation, our laughter, or our cheers, and 

 attentive rows of people were squatted along the 

 sides of the hall, with their eyes riveted on the 

 screen, and apparently absorbed in the interest of 

 the piece. When we retired for the night the 

 Sultan was preparing to take his place before the 

 screen, and whenever we woke in the night we could 

 hear the sound of the gamelang uninterruptedly. 



Dec, 11.— At daylight this morning, on coming 

 out of my bed-room, I found the drama of last 

 night just finished, the lamp was fading, and the 

 people were just beginning to take down the screen. 



