CHAT, y.] 



DTAK GAMES. 



67 



The " Oran*? Kara " or ricli mm, as tlie cliief of the trihR 

 is called, now came in with several of the older men ; and 

 t he " bitchara " or talk commenced, about getting a boat and 

 men to take me on the next morning. As I could not 

 understand a word of their langnage, which is vmy diffe- 

 rent from Malay, I took no part in the proceedinjGrs, but wavS 

 I'epresented by niy boy Biijon, who translated to me most 

 of what was said. A Chinese trader was in the house, 

 and he, too, wanted men the next day ; bnt on his hinting 

 this to the Orang Kaya, he was sternly told that a white 

 man's business was now being discussed, and lie must wait 

 another day before his could be thought about 



After the "bitchara" was over and the old chiefs gone, 

 1 risked the young men to play or dance, or amuse them- 

 selves in their accustomed way ; and after some httle hesi- 

 tation they agreed to do so. They first had a trial of 

 strength, two boys sitting opposite each other, foot being 

 placed against foot, and a stout stick gmsped by both their 

 hands. Each then tried to throw himself back, so as to 

 raise his adversarj^ uji from the ground, either by main 

 strength or by a sudden effort. Then one of tlie men 

 wmdci try his strength against two or three of the boys ; 

 and afterwar<ls they each grasped their own ankle with a 

 hand, and while one stood as firm as he could, the othei 

 swung himself round on one h\?, so as to strike the other's 

 free leg, and try to overthrow him. When these games had 

 been played all round with varying success, we had a 

 novel kind of concert. Some placed a leg across the knee, 

 and struck the fingers shai-ply on the ankle, others beat 

 their arms against their sides Uke a cock when he is going 

 to crow, thus making a gi'eat variety of clapping sounds, 

 while another with his hand under his armpit produced a 

 deep trumpet note ; and, as they all kept time very well, 

 the eifect was by no means nnpleasing. This seemed quite 

 a favourite amusement with them, and they kept it up 

 with much spirit 



The next morning we started in a boat about thirty feet 

 long, and only twenty-eight inches wide. The stream here 

 suddenly changes its character. Hitherto, though swift, it 

 had been deep and smooth, and confined by steep banks. 

 Now it rushed and rippled over a pebbly, sandy, or rocky 



