TOUR FSOM SOTTRABAYA, THROUGH KEDIRI, &C. 83 
ments on other parts. The usual goggle eyed gorgon’s heads 
are seen., in a very perfect state, over each entrance of the 
doorway, which respectively tace north and south. On the 
south side of this building may still be traced, amongst 
the underwood, the foundations of walls, as it were of 
enclosures or courts, but whether they conducted to a 
temple or to a great man's dwelling, it is now impossible to 
say. Such an object, however appears far more likely, than 
that this, or other similar gopuras, formed the chief en¬ 
trances into the ancient town of Majapahit, as they could 
only admit the passage of men on foot, and that not en¬ 
cumbered with burdens. They probably served for state 
entrances, on occasions of ceremony, to the abodes of Princes. 
The tradition of the country favors this opinion, as it is 
related that at the taking of Majapahit by the Mahomedan 
rebels, this gateway had just been completed as an appro ch 
to a palace that was about to be built for the crown prince 
Raden Gugur. Before the crown prince fled for ever from 
the destruction which was ravaging the capital of his fore¬ 
fathers, and so cutting off from him the prospect of the 
succession to the crown, he threw himself down in this 
gateway, and pronounced the following malediction on the 
spot— 1 ‘‘Accursed be the spot, on which thy foundation rests, 
and le,t the feet which tread on this ground be as wandering 
and fugitive as mine ! Thy name shall be Rajang Ratu (dis¬ 
appointment of the Prince) and the prospects of might and 
greatness of every one who shall vouchsafe thee a glance, 
shall be thwarted, the same as mine. Damned art 
thou ! and every one who approaches thee, shall be as 
unfortunate as I am."—Tijdschriffc voor Neerland’s Indie 
1st year 2 vol. p. 285. A very pretty little piece of elocution 
for a disappointed prince, and about as harmless a demons¬ 
tration as he could well make in defence of the regal rights, 
which were just slipping from him. At least so any one 
would think but a Javanese. They however, are of a different 
opinion, and believe that the Raden’s malediction was valid 
and remains still virulent. No Javanese, having any pre¬ 
tentions or ambition to rise to rank or station, would like 
to run the risk of exposing himself to its effect, as they are 
said to quote many instances of its still existing power. 
Raffles somewhere relates, that when he visited Majapahit 
in 1815, he was warned that he would soon lose the govern¬ 
ment, and Java reverted to the Dutch in the course of the 
next year j the superstition no doubt was confirmed by the 
coincidence, tho* it does not appear that he visited this 
K 
