They also wore turbans, while the lower orders only had little caps on
their heads. The watering-place was some little way up the river, and
while the mates proceeded there with the boats, I landed at the village
or town. I had not proceeded far when I was given to understand that a
chief or some person of consequence wished to see me, for the purpose, I
supposed, of trading. His habitation was pointed out to me on the
summit of some high ground at a distance from the river. It appeared to
be far larger than the houses of the village. Without hesitation I set
off, followed by Jack, and accompanied by several of my first
acquaintance, towards it. I now more than ever regretted having lost
O'Carroll, for understanding as he did the languages of the people of
the Archipelago, he would greatly have facilitated our proceedings.

The house or palace of the great man was surrounded, as are all the
island habitations of every degree which I saw in Java, with gardens.
We entered on the north side into a large square court, on either side
of which were rows of Indian fig-trees, with two large fig-trees nearly
in the centre. Passing through this we found ourselves in a smaller
court, surrounded by pillars, and covered in by a light roof. Here most
of my companions remained, but I was conducted up a flight of steps to a
handsome terrace in front of a building of considerable size, in the
centre of which was a spacious hall, the roof richly painted with red
and gold. This hall of audience was on the top of the hill; steps from
it led down to other houses which composed the dwelling of the chief and
his family.

As I looked down from the terrace, I could see the tops of the houses of
the poorer class of people, which surrounded the palace of the chief.
They were all in the midst of gardens, and had walls round them. I
found, indeed, that I was in the centre of a town, or large village,
though in coming along I had scarcely seen any habitations, so
completely shut in were they by trees and shrubs. I had thus an example
of the fertility of Java, and of the industry of its inhabitants. With
regard to the habitations of the barbarians whose lands I visited, I
must observe that, though there were exceptions to the rule, they were
generally far superior in respect to the wants of the occupants than are
the dwellings of a large number of the poorer classes in Scotland, and
especially in Ireland, and in some districts even in E