166 



LOMBOCR. 



queated to seat oarselves under an open shed with a raised 

 iioor of bamboo, a place used to receive visitors and liold 

 audiences. Turning our horses to ^jraze on the luxuriant 

 grass of the courtyard, we waited till the great man's Malay 

 interpreter appeared, who inquired our business and in- 

 formed us that the Pumbiickle (cliief) was at the Rajah's 

 house, hut would soon l>e buck. As we had not yet break- 

 i'asted, we beg^ed he would get us something to eat, which 

 lie promised to do as soon as possible. It wan however 

 about two liours before anything appeared, when a small 

 tmy was brought containing two saucers of rice, four small 

 i'ried fish, and a fe^v vegetables. Having made aa good a 

 breakfast as we conld, we strolled about the village, and 

 returning, amused ourselves by converiatiou with a number 

 of raeu and boys wlio gathei'ed round us ; and by exehang- 

 itjg glances and smiles with a number of women and girls 

 who peeped at us through half-opened doors and other 

 crevices. Two little boys named ilousa and Isa (Mose-s 

 and Jesus) were great friends with us, and an imjiudent 

 little rascal called Kachaug [a bean) made us all laugh by 

 his mimicry and antics. 



At length, about four o'clock, the Pumbuc-kle made his 

 appearance, and we informed him of our desire to stay 

 with him a few days, to shoot birds and &ce the country. 

 At this he seemed somewhat disturbed, and asked if we 

 had brought a letter from the Anak Agong (Son of Heaven), 

 which is the title of the Itajah of Lomboclc This wg had 

 not done, thinking it quite unnecessary ; and he then 

 ubniptly told us that he must go and speak to his Kajah, 

 to see if we covdd stay. Hours passed away, night came, 

 and he did not return. I began to thiidt we were suspected 

 of some evil designs, for the rumbuckle was evidently 

 afraid of getting himself into trouble. He is a Sassak 

 j>rince, and, though a supporter of the present Bajab, is 

 I'elated to some of the heads of a eonspuuey which was 

 quelled a few years since. 



About five o'clock a pack-horse bearing my guns and 

 clothes arrived, with my men Ali and Manuel, who had 

 come on foot The sun set, and it soon became dark, and 

 we got rather hungry as we sat weardy under the shed 

 and no one came. Still hour after houi' we waited, till 



