172 



WMBOCK. 



[cuAr. xr. 



veined -with white metal worked into the iron, and they 

 are kept very carefully. Every man without exception 

 carries a kris, stuck behind into the large w£iist-clotli 

 which aU wear, and it is generally the most valuable 

 piece of property he possesses, 



A few days afterwards our long-talked-of excursion to 

 Hnnong Ran took place. Our party was increased by tiie 

 f^aptain and supercargo of a Ilaniburg ship loading with 

 rice for Cldna. We were mounted on a very miscellaneous 

 lot of Lomboek ponies^ which we had some difficulty iu 

 supplying with the necesfiary saddles^ &;c. ; und most of 

 had to patch up our girths, bridles, or stirrup-leathers, jis 

 best we could. AVe passed through Mataram, where we 

 were joined by our friend Gu8ti Gadioca, mou)ited on a 

 liaudsome black horse, and riding as all the native^ dc*. 

 without f=adille or stirrups, using only a handsome saddle- 

 cloth and very ornamental bridle. About three miles 

 further, along pleasant byways, brought us to the place. 

 We entered thi*ougb a rather haiulsonie bnck gateway 

 supported by hideous Hindoo deitiejf^ in stone. Within was 

 an enclosure with two square hsb-ponds and some line trees ; 

 then another gatcM-ay thi'ough wliioh we entered inU* a 

 park. On the riglit was a brick house, built soniewhflt in 

 the Hindoo stjde, and placed on a liigh termce or platforni ; 

 on the left, a lar^e fish-i)(>nd, supplied by a little rivulet 

 which entered it ovit of the month of a gigantic crocodik- 

 wt'll executed in brick and stone. The edges of the pond 

 woT-e bricked, and in the centre rose a fantastic and jiictu- 

 ri'scpie pavilion omaniented with grotesque slalues. The 

 pond was well stocked with fine tisli, winch come every 

 morning to be fed at the sound of a wooden gong which 

 is Inmg near for the purpose. On striking it a number of 

 lish immediately came out of the masses of weed with 

 which the pond abom]ds,and followed us along the margin 

 expectin;f; footl At the same time some deer came out of 

 an adjacent wood, which, from being seldom shot at and 

 regnlai'ly fed, are almost tama Tlie jungle and %vood8 

 which surronnded the park appearing to abound in birds, 

 I went to s^hodt a few, and was rewarded by getting several 

 epeciraens of the fine new kingfisher, Halcyon fulgidus, 

 and the curious and handsome ground tlirush, Zoothera 



