rain falls in Lombock. And soon after the krisses were made it was the time of
the rice harvest, and the chiefs of districts and of villages brought their tax to the
Rajah according to the number of heads in their villages. And to those that
wanted but little of the full amount, the Rajah said nothing; but when those came
who brought only half or a fourth part of what was strictly due, he said to them
mildly, "The needles which you sent from your village were many more than
came from such-a-one's village, yet your tribute is less than his; go back and see
who it is that has not paid the tax." And the next year the produce of the tax
increased greatly, for they feared that the Rajah might justly kill those who a
second time kept back the right tribute. And so the Rajah became very rich, and
increased the number of his soldiers, and gave golden jewels to his wives, and
bought fine black horses from the white-skinned Hollanders, and made great
feasts when his children were born or were married; and none of the Rajahs or
Sultans among the Malays were so great or powerful as the Rajah of Lombock.
And the twelve sacred krisses had great virtue. And, when any sickness
appeared in a village one of them was sent for; and sometimes the sickness went
away, and then the sacred kris was taken back again with great Honour, and the
head men of the village came to tell the Rajah of its miraculous power, and to
thank him. And sometimes the sickness would not go away; and then everybody
was convinced that there had been a mistake in the number of needles sent from
that village, and therefore the sacred kris had no effect, and had to be taken back
again by the head men with heavy hearts, but still, with all honour—for was not
the fault their own?