and that we had no sinister intentions whatever; and that we had not brought a
letter from the "Anak Agong," merely because we had thought it quite
unnecessary. A long conversation in the Bali language then took place, and
questions were asked about my guns, and what powder I had, and whether I used
shot or bullets; also what the birds were for, and how I preserved them, and what
was done with them in England. Each of my answers and explanations was
followed by a low and serious conversation which we could not understand, but
the purport of which we could guess. They were evidently quite puzzled, and did
not believe a word we had told them. They then inquired if we were really
English, and not Dutch; and although we strongly asserted our nationality, they
did not seem to believe us.
After about an hour, however, they brought us some supper (which was the
same as the breakfast, but without the fish), and after it some very weak coffee
and pumpkins boiled with sugar. Having discussed this, a second conference
took place; questions were again asked, and the answers again commented on.
Between whiles lighter topics were discussed. My spectacles (concave glasses)
were tried in succession by three or four old men, who could not make out why
they could not see through them, and the fact no doubt was another item of
suspicion against me. My beard, too, was the subject of some admiration, and
many questions were asked about personal peculiarities which it is not the
custom to allude to in European society. At length, about one in the morning, the
whole party rose to depart, and, after conversing some time at the gate, all went
away. We now begged the interpreter, who with a few boys and men remained
about us, to show us a place to sleep in, at which he seemed very much
surprised, saying he thought we were very well accommodated where we were.
It was quite chilly, and we were very thinly clad and had brought no blankets,
but all we could get after another hour's talk was a native mat and pillow, and a
few old curtains to hang round three sides of the open shed and protect us a little
from the cold breeze. We passed the rest of the night very uncomfortably, and
determined to return in the morning and not submit any longer to such shabby
treatment.
We rose at daybreak, but it was near an hour before the interpreter made his
appearance. We then asked to have some coffee and to see the Pumbuckle, as we
wanted a horse for Ali, who was lame, and wished to bid him adieu. The man
looked puzzled at such unheard-of demands and vanished into the inner court,
locking the door behind him and leaving us again to our meditations. An hour
passed and no one came, so I ordered the horses to be saddled and the pack-
horse to be loaded, and prepared to start. Just then the interpreter came up on