. Java and her neighbours; a traveller's notes in Java Celebes, the Moluccas and Sumatra . nd there is a certain quality of sweetness aboutit that comes as a surprise and delight. Withthe performers of the gamelang came an oldwoman with a book of music, and two or threeyounger assistants, whose purpose, as we soondiscovered, was to sing or intone in hoarse, raspingvoices, which quite spoiled the instrumentalmusic, for us at least. While we were awaiting the arrival of thedancers, our guide suddenly whispered in awedand reverential tones Tuan Sultan and pointedto a dignified old gentleman in na
. Java and her neighbours; a traveller's notes in Java Celebes, the Moluccas and Sumatra . nd there is a certain quality of sweetness aboutit that comes as a surprise and delight. Withthe performers of the gamelang came an oldwoman with a book of music, and two or threeyounger assistants, whose purpose, as we soondiscovered, was to sing or intone in hoarse, raspingvoices, which quite spoiled the instrumentalmusic, for us at least. While we were awaiting the arrival of thedancers, our guide suddenly whispered in awedand reverential tones Tuan Sultan and pointedto a dignified old gentleman in native dress who wascrossing the farther comer of the court. TheSultan of Djokjakarta is a fine-looking man, tallfor a Javanese, and with a pleasant but weak is said to be a wise ruler (which probablymeans that he makes no attempt to interfere withthe rule of the Dutch Resident), and to be belovedby his family and all others with whom he isbrought in contact. His one great vice is cock-fighting, and he is said to have always on handand ready for the main at least a hundred DJOKJAKARTA 237 each attended by a trainer who is held responsi-ble for the perfect condition of his charge. Asort of quail is the bird used in Java for this cruelsport. At last the royal and noble dancers put inan appearance, in charge of several elderly butsprightly teachers. Some of them were merechildren, giggling and tittering among themselvesat the sight of the strange-looking foreigners anddancing energetically whenever they saw theirteachers eyes turning in their direction. Other,older girls and yoimg women preserved a solemndecorum and serious mien throughout, givingevery appearance of being quite wrapped up intheir work. Nearly all were very slender, ac-cording to our western notions, and rather in-clined to angularity, the result, in part at least,of costiime and training. The costume itself dif-fered slightly, if at all, from that in general useamong the native women of the higher cl
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