418 THE RESIDENT OF SOURABAYA. 



which to me was a great recommendation. We 

 paid for this house, partly furnished, fifty rupees 

 silver a month, or about £3. 10s. On the first 

 Sunday evening, we went to pay our respects to the 

 Resident. It is the universal custom among the 

 Dutch in the East, for the Resident or other prin- 

 cipal authority to be, as we say, " at home " on a 

 Sunday evening. There is no regular entertain- 

 ment ; but card-parties are formed, or parties for 

 conversation, and wine and refreshments handed 

 about. The present Resident of Sourabaya, Mr. 

 Pietermatz, received us with great kindness ; and 

 during the whole of our stay in Java, did everything 

 in his power to render it interesting and agreeable 

 to us. Captain Blackwood wished to see something 

 of the interior, and as I was equally desirous of 

 doing so, we set about making arrangements for it. 

 This we found a matter of some difficulty, as the 

 interior is usually shut up against foreigners. Mr. 

 Pietermatz at once gave us permission to go any- 

 where we pleased within his own residency ; but 

 beyond that his power did not extend. We had, 

 therefore, to chalk out a route by the advice of 

 some friends, and then to send applications to the 

 different Residents for leave to pass through their 

 districts, and to receive answers before we could set 

 out on our journey. This required about ten days' 

 delay. 



The customs' regulations are rather strict ; and in 

 order to land my baggage, and especially my gun, I 



