m TIMOR. 



441 



in the bappmesa of gathering these familiar forms of flowers, as 

 well as the event of the day to which I had been looking for- 

 ward, the seeing of the state and bearing of a native potentate. 



At last at an elevation of 4500 feet we found in a pretty- 

 circular grassy plateau in the hollow of the mountain tops the 

 royal enclosure. The house of the Leorei, a small edifice 

 stiinding alone, had little to distinguish it from the commonest 

 Timorese dwelLiug except perhaps the presence of an armed 

 guard housed near it in a little shed, near which stood the 

 " guarda," erected for the accommodation of high personages 

 passing through the kingdom, and therefore assi^ed to us. 

 This was a miserable edifice raised on poles but not floored except 

 where a ruugh bamboo platform was erected for baggage and 

 another for sleeping on. It could not have been less comfort- 

 able or much move filthy ; dogs and pigs had evidently matle 

 it their lair, and during our stay they strayed through it at 

 all hours of the day and night while the rain penetrated the 

 roof everywhere, and rushed through below the house £i3 a 

 considerable stream. 



Soon after our arrival I sent my corporal to inform the 

 Eajah of my presence in his " guarda,'* " on the service of the 

 Government," and to request him to come to me and hear 

 the reason of my visit to his kingdom. He sent back his 

 salutation, with the reply that as it was late he would visit me 

 on the morro^v and arrange for the necessary supplies of our 

 table and for horses for our further progress; meantime, he 

 begged to send us six eggs and two wax tapers, hoping we 

 should make an endeavour to do with these till the morning, 

 and to say that he had ordered a Cabo of the Reno to take over 

 ttt once and be responsible for the safety of our baggage that 

 the Eajah of Jlotael's men had brought. This official having 

 received over not only every article of our baggage down to 

 the most insignificant striip but ourselves also, placed a guard 

 to attend on us and protect it. It was very amusing to 

 listen to the acceptance on the one side and discharge of 

 obligation on tfie other — three bundles of paper, two straps, 

 two teapots, three g(ms, four boxes, two soldit-rs of I^iUy, one 

 Englishman, who has two eyes, a nose, hair on his face, two 

 arms, all safe and complete ! Had I come by any accident, or 

 lost any prominent feature of my face, or it any of my baggiige 



