CHAP, Xlt.] 



TJKINQ A CENSUS. 



179 



Afiong' — the great fire mountain— appearecl to me, and 

 toltl me tiiat I must go up to the tup of the mountain. 

 All of you may come with me to near the top, but then 

 I must go up alone, and the great spirit will again appear 

 to me and will tell me what is of great importance to me 

 and to you and to all the people of the island Now go 

 all of you and make this known through tlie island, and 

 let every village furuish men to make clear a road for us 

 to go through the forest and up the great mountaim" 



80 the news was spread over the whole island that the 

 Itijah must go to meet the great spirit on the top of the 

 mountain ; and every village sent forth its men, and they 

 clearedaway the jmigle and made bridges over the mountain 

 streams and smoothed the rongli places for the Rajah's 

 passage. And when they came to the steep and craggy 

 rocks of the mountain, they sought out the best paths, 

 sometimes along tlie bed of a torrent, sometimes along 

 narrow ledges of the black rocks ; in one place cutting down 

 a tall tree so as to bridge across a chasm, in another con- 

 structing ladders to mount the smooth face of a precipice. 

 The chiefs who superintended the work fixed upon the 

 length of each day's journey beforehand according to the 

 nature of tlie road, and chose pleasant places by the banks 

 of clear streams and in the neigldwurhood of shady trees, 

 where they built sheds and huts of bamboo well thatched 

 with the leaves of palm-trees, in which the Rajah and his 

 attendants might- eat and sleep at the close of each day. 



And when ail was ready, the princes and priests and 

 chief men came again to the Eajah, to tell him what had 

 been done and to ask him when he would go up the 

 mountaiiL And he fixed a day, and ordered every man 

 of rank and authority to accompany him, to do honour 

 to the great spirit who had bid him undertake the journey, 

 and to show how wdlingly they obeyed his commands. 

 And then there was nmch preparation throughout the 

 whole island. The best cattle were killed and the meat 

 salted and sun-dried ; and abundance of red peppers 

 and sweet potatoes were gathered; and the tall pinang- 

 trees were climbed for the spicy betel nut, the sirih-leaf 

 was tied up in bundles, and every man filled his tobacco 

 pouch and lime box to the brim, so that he might not want 



