164 A MALAY NATTTCH. 



The invitation came at 2 a. in., and we at once responded 

 to it. 



Our temporary lodging had been the upper story of the 

 Captain China's house, a not-too clean loft, gained by means 

 of an almost perpendicular ladder, and furnished for the most 

 part with the accessories of Chinese Processions, and a plen- 

 tiful supply of musquitoes. 



•It was not therefore matter of regret to leave this, even 

 at 2 a. m., for the Bandahara's Balei, a spacious Hall, the 

 Entrance side of which was open and approached by steps, 

 whilst the opposite side led through one small door into the 

 ' penetralia ' of the Bandahara's private dwelling. 



The nautchhad been going on since 10 p. m. There were 

 assembled about 200 spectators, all or nearly all of them 

 men, — -squatting on the floor, on a higher or lower level ac- 

 cording to their rank. We were accommodated with chairs 

 and there was one also placed for the Bandahara. 



When we entered, we saw seated on a large carpet in the 

 middle of the Hall, four girls, two of them about 18 and 

 two about 11 years old, alL beautifully dressed in silk and 

 cloth of gold. 



On their heads they each wore a large and carious but very 

 pretty ornament, made principally of gold — a sort of square 

 flower garden where all the flowers were gold, but 61 delicate 

 workmanship, trembling and glittering with every movement 

 of the wearer. 



Their hair, cut in a perfect oval round their foreheads, was 

 very becomingly dressed behind, the head dress being tied 

 on with silver and golden cords. 



The bodies of their dresses were made of tight fitting silk, 

 the neck, bosom and arms bare, whilst a white baud round the 

 neck came down in front in the form of a V joining the body 

 of the dress in the centre, and there fastened by a golden 

 flower. 



Round their waists they had belts, fastened with very large 

 and curiously worked " pin ding " or buckles, so large that 

 they reached quite across the waist. The dress was a skirt 

 of cloth of gold, (not at all like the Sarong) reaching to the 

 ancles, and the dancers wore also a scarf of the same ma- 

 terial fastened in its centre to the waist buckle, and hanging 

 down on each side to the hem of the skirts. 



