Volume II Part 17 (1/2)
Our host now took us to see the village, and then conducted us to the house ere to occupy during our sojourn at Pritie, which was a large homely-built edifice erected for the Resident's use when he visits this neighbourhood We spent the dusk of the evening in pigeon-shooting, but did not meet with much success; for the birds perched for the most part on the sue
Many of these giants of the forest ht of at least two hundred feet They forrand elee trunks rose by the side of the limpid water of the stream that intersects the vale of Pritie Between their tophs, to the north, the amphitheatre of hills which I have mentioned lifted up their indistinct for, towards the heavens, that soon began to glisten with a multitude of faint stars
EVENING REPAST
By the tiot within doors, after our unsuccessful stroll, ere quite tired, and well prepared to enjoy our dinner The dignified air assu off, and the ostentatious liberality hich he proffered the goodly viands sent by the cohly An account of our fare astronomic reader, ill thus be enabled to deterer to the distant shores of Timor First came tea and coffee; then, in the course of an hour, followed fowls, cooked in all sorts of ways, with a proportion of rice The good things were brought in by a train of do, headed by a paunchy, elderly reatly reminded us of Caleb Balderston If there was a word said by any of the lookers-on--for aze at the lions--he was out in a ht the offender to account In short, by his officious attention he afforded us reatly contributed to our proper enjoyinal ones--a few threads of cotton drawn through a roll of bees' wax
Dinner being over, we retired to pass as cold a night as we had felt for so only a few coarse ed to get up and walk about for the purpose of wareon-shooting; the birds were large and wild, yet we et a few
THE HILLS IN A MIST
This excursion gave us an opportunity of beholding the mountains of Tis in the woody plain we could perceive their sides, clothed in grey lih the clear air, and just touched by the rays of thesun Here and there the slopes of the hills were dih the vapour, which in other places, however, rolled along in thickthe uplands froe and valley was filled with heavy volu, allowed the trees to be faintly discovered There is nothing s and precipices ih the darkness of night, unwilling to depart, lingers still fondly around thelooht Within the tropics the contrast thus afforded has a startling effect; but the influence of the sun is not long to be resisted; the ins to disperse; valley after valley opens its depths to the view; the outline of each rocky peak becoainst the deep blue sky, and presently the whole scene appears before you clear and bright, with every line sharply drawn, every patch of colour properly discri forests
Whilst I was gazing at this picture, the report of a fowling piece behindI was surprised to see the old co likewise, and with him no less a person than Caleb Balderston, as we had christened his faithful domestic In their company we returned to Pritie
MUSTER OF THE PARTY
Soon after breakfast our party began to -condenize the nale in 1827 The powder they used was of the coarsest kind, carried in se, and fitted in a case of skin, so like our cartouch boxes As a substitute for balls they used BOLTS OF STONE, froe knife or chopper, stuck in his belt I was much struck with the simple contrivance they had for shoes: a piece of the fan palether and tied under the foot The nu--forup the panel-work of doors, and a variety of others I could mention
It was late before we could ot away, commandant and all I was much pleased with the respect everyone paid him, especially as he was one of thosethe village we halted in a shady spot, near a streaavethe features of the Malay and Timoree, for some of both were in attendance The Malay has a much more open countenance than the Ti a more aquiline nose
THE SHOOTING ARRANGEMENTS
When they all arrived I counted fifty arrey hairs proclaih there was a keenness in their eyes that revealed that the principle of vitality was strong within theour of youth was perceptible;bushy hair and ever restless eye It was a picturesque sight to behold fifty such fine fellows scattered about in sroups in the deep shade of these solitudes
All the necessary arrangeht us to a rather large plain, where I and my companions were stationed, about a hundred yards asunder, whilst the rest of the party forame in our direction
Unfortunately those on the left coht, in which latter direction the only three deer in the circle ran from the noise, instead of towards us Two of them were shot, and by the stone bolts aboveto say, the sa raised that this was purposely contrived; so that after all ere obliged to leave without a single shot Each deer, the largest of which, a doe, hed a hundred pounds, was shot STANDING, for the natives have a peculiar cry, which arrests the aniress for a moment, while they fire
THE JAVANESE COMMANDANT
The deer were all brought up to the coed our acceptance of them We thanked him, and took the two smallest By the ti up, ready to be put into the boats The persons who had shot theain very little injured; the hole they make is enormous We rewarded these people; but to the coations At length we thought of giving hilad to receive I afterwards learnt the history of this excellent old Javanese, and was surprised and grieved to hear that a person so universally esteemed had been banished fro political offence His property was sold to purchase his freedom, and the proceeds were entrusted to the captain of a shi+p, who ran off with the whole, thus at once ruining a ood friend the colad to hear, on my second visit to Tih without any prospect of an alleviation to his condition
Wishi+ng hiret By dark we had crossed Babao Bay, and reached the shi+p at half-past eight It , the valley of Pritie is situated ihest over the northern shore of Babao Bay A sle point, close to the ard, enerally to be seen hauled up At high tide a boat can get in; but, as we have already said, there is a long mud flat at loater
THE TIMOREES
The Ti very industrious; the small portion of land they cultivate is turned up in the following ht fence is placed round the part required for the purposes of agriculture and a drove of bullocks is driven furiously backwards and forwards over it; which verycorn in some parts of South America
The Rajahs of the western portion of Ti; and their installation I arand affair Nearly all the Tiue, apparently easy to be acquired; but there were few of the Coepang people that spoke the native language Soular: if a woman, for example, dies in childbirth, she is buried on the spot where she breathes her last
DUTCH SETTLEMENT IN NEW GUINEA
During our stay at Coepang I met the doctor of the Dutch settleave me a very poor account of the inhabitants The Dutch settlers, he says, can scarcely venture out of the fort; as the natives have bows and arrows, as well as muskets, hich they are excellent e for birds of paradise, tortoise-shell and birds-nests, from vessels froo
When a vessel arrives on the coast they flock down from the interior to trade, which cannot be done without an interpreter It is even then attended with great risk, owing to the extreme treachery of the natives
Knives, stained blue, and cotton goods are in great request; but, although they of aware of the superiority of Europeans, they will not on any account allow them to live in their country The inhabitants, however, are better disposed on the shores of Great Bay, a deep indentation on the north-east side of the island, where great quantities of nutles arrived fro lost all her anchors, and been nearly wrecked in a south-east gale near Halfway Island She was commanded by the saiven the first infor the survivors of the crew of the Charles Eaton
ISLAND OF ROTTEE
The next afternoon eighed, and the followingdeep, close in near Tykale Inlet, on the south-west side of Rottee, for observations, and for the purpose of better deter the position of Pulo Douw, and the other islands in its neighbourhood