BAT A VI A. 
other parts of the body that are not covered with clothing, 
with a composition of cocoa nut oil and sandal wood dust, 
as a preventive against a too copious perspiration, and the 
biting of mosquitoes and other annoying insects. 
They are remarkably temperate in their diet, but neither 
their temperance nor their moderate labour seem to have the 
effect of promoting longevity. Females usually marry at ten 
or twelve years of age, till which time they go nearly naked, 
wearing only a belt round their loins, with a broad metal 
plate in front, of an oval or circular form, and sometimes 
shaped like a heart ; and this is the only imperfect covering 
of what decency requires to be concealed. Sometimes they 
wear rings or bracelets round the ^vnst, chains about the 
neck, and chaplets of flowers in the hair. When a girl is 
espoused, she is clad ia a loose flowing robe, variously orna- 
mented according to the circumstances of her parents, her 
hair is more than usually decorated with flowers, and 
smoothed with a profusion of paste and cocoa nut oil. In 
this dress she rides about the town oi" village, mounted on 
horseback and, as emblematic of her chastity, the animal is 
always a white one, when such is to be had ; and she is ac- 
companied by all the friends, the relations and the slaves 
of both families, and a band of music. But this is often her 
last public exhibition ; for, if she marries into a family of 
condition, she is then shut up for the remainder of her 
life. 
The diet of the Javanese forms a great contrast with that 
of the Dutch. A considerable part of it consists in rice, 
