POUNDING OF RICE. 



411 



sailor. Surprised at this, his master asked him 

 what was his reason, whether he had any complaint 

 to make, or was in any way dissatisfied ? '* No," he 

 said, " he had nothing to complain of, but ho was 

 tired of seeing the Colonel's face every day." 



As we sat after dinner I heard a continued sound 

 of resonant thumping, like the beating of tomtoms 

 at a distance, and at length inquired what it could 

 be, when I found it was merely the everlasting 

 beating of rice in the rice-troughs, in order to sepa- 

 rate the grain from the husk, at all the native 

 houses in the neighbourhood. The thumping seemed 

 to assume a regular measure, and I understood that 

 it was capable of being turned to account, as a 

 means of transmitting intelligence. There is a 

 peculiar measure which is universally known as a 

 signal of alarm, and in times of commotion, if once 

 set a going, would be taken up in every direction, 

 and spread over the whole country with the greatest 

 possible rapidity. 



As 1 understood we should only remain in Soura- 

 baya a few days, I wished to go across to Madura, 

 but found that I could not be permitted even to land 

 on the Madura shore, although our vessel lay within 

 a mile and a half of it. In order to be allowed to 

 land there, it was necessary first to get an invita- 

 tion from the Sultan of Bankalang, and then to get 

 permission from the Resident of Sourabaya to accept 

 it. As, however, I heard of some caves in lime- 

 stone, at a place called Grissck, about eight miles 



