and sleep at the close of each day.
And when all was ready, the princes and priests and chief men came again
to the Rajah, to tell him what had been done and to ask him when he
would go up the mountain. And he fixed a day, and ordered every man of
rank and authority to accompany him, to do honour to the great spirit
who had bid him undertake the journey, and to show how willingly they
obeyed his commands. And then there was much preparation throughout
the whole island. The best cattle were killed and the meat salted
and sun-dried; and abundance of red peppers and sweet potatoes were
gathered; and the tall pinang-trees were climbed for the spicy betel
nut, the sirih-leaf was tied up in bundles, and every man filled his
tobacco pouch and lime box to the brim, so that he might not want any of
the materials for chewing the refreshing betel during the journey.
The stores of provisions were sent on a day in advance. And on the day
before that appointed for starting, all the chiefs both great and small
came to Mataram, the abode of the king, with their horses and their
servants, and the bearers of their sirih boxes, and their sleeping-mats,
and their provisions. And they encamped under the tall Waringin-trees
that border all the roads about Mataram, and with blazing fires frighted
away the ghouls and evil spirits that nightly haunt the gloomy avenues.
In the morning a great procession was formed to conduct the Rajah to the
mountain. And the royal princes and relations of the Rajah mounted
their black horses whose tails swept the ground; they used no saddle or
stirrups, but sat upon a cloth of gay colours; the bits were of silver
and the bridles of many-coloured cords. The less important people were
on small strong horses of various colours, well suited to a mountain
journey; and all (even the Rajah) were bare-legged to above the knee,
wearing only the gay coloured cotton waist-cloth, a silk or cotton
jacket, and a large handkerchief tastefully folded around the head.
Everyone was attended by one or two servants bearing his sirih and betel
boxes, who were also mounted on ponies; and great numbers more had gone
on in advance or waited to bring up the rear. The men in authority
were numbered by hundreds and their followers by thousands, and all the
island wondered what great thing would come of it.
For the first two days they went along good roads and through many
villages which were swept clean, and where bright cloths were hung out
at the windows; and all the people, when the Rajah came, squatted down
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