411 



the transverse ranges in whicli the M^rapi and the 

 Sago rise. This appears to he iiaturally as fruitful a 

 region as the Menangkaban country proper^ and 

 was undoubtedly included within the limits of 

 that empire dm^ing its most flemishing period. This 

 valley is generally very poorly cultivated, on account 

 of the small nmnbei"s of its^iopulation. By the way- 

 side were a number of coffee-gardens. The trees 

 were well filled with fruit, but they had been great- 

 ly neglected, and the tall graas was rapidly choMng 

 them. 



A few miles fai-ther on I came to Lnbu Sik^ping, 

 where we were to rest UEtil the next day. A native 

 qpsieTier^ or '* overseer " was stationed here to receive 

 the coffee from the adjoining plantations. He had 

 not heard of our coming, and was quite sm'prised to 

 see a stranger here in such a remote spot among the 

 moimtains, and not the less so when I informed him 

 that the inspector was just behind me, and that I 

 only chanced to be in advance because, from what I 

 had heard of the road in the gorge, I had no fancy to 

 ride thi-ough it in a wide carriage. He received us, 

 however, like all the other officials, in the most polite 

 manner, and was evidently glad that something had 

 occurred to break up the dull routine of such a life of 

 exile. It was market-day here, and, as soon as I met 

 some of the natives retm-ning to their homes, I saw 

 that they were a different people from those of the 

 Menangkaban country, and the overseer told me that 

 they are not natives of this pai-ticular region, but 

 belong to the wild tribe of Lubus, which I should 

 see farther up the valley, and that it is for this reason 



