BEAUTIFCTL DRITES. 



387 



of fortune. It is scarcely neoessaiy to add that I did 

 not fail to avail myself of such a generous offer. In 

 tlie evenings, wlien it Ijccame cool, the governor vras 

 accustomed to ride through the city, and occasionally 

 out a short distance into the country. Oui' roads 

 were Uflually shaded with tall trees, frequently with 

 palms, and to fly along beneath them in a nice car- 

 riage, drawn by a span of £eet ponies, was a royal 

 pleasure, and one never to be forgotten. One pleas- 

 ant day we drove out a few miles to a large gai'den 

 where the governor formerly resided. The palace 

 had been taken down, but a fine garden and a richly- 

 furnished 1>athing-house yet remain. The road out 

 from Padang to this place led through a series of low 

 rioedands, and just then the yoimg blades were six 

 or eight inches high^ and waved channingly in the 

 morning breeze. The road, for a long distance, was 

 perfectly straight and bordered by lai'ge shade-trees. 

 It was one of the finest avenues I ever saw. Here I 

 was reminded of the region from which I had so 

 lately come, the Spice Islands, by a small clove-tree, 

 well filled with fruit. Much attention was formerly 

 given here to the culture of the clove, but for some 

 years raising coffee has proved the most profitable 

 mode of employing native labor. There were also 

 some fine animals in various pai-ts of the garden, 

 among which was a paii* of the spotted deer^ Axis 

 rmmlata. Thus several days glided by, and the 

 time for me to go up into the interior and meet 

 the inspector came almost before I was aware 

 of it. 



February 21«^, 1866. — At 8 jLM. we started irom 



