Celebrated Travels and Travellers, Part 3.: The Great Explorers of the Nineteenth CenturyVerne, Jules
History
Celebrated Travels and Travellers, Part 3.: The Great Explorers of the Nineteenth Century
Verne, Jules
Discoveries in geography; Explorers; Voyages and travels
To go to Surabaya without paying a visit to the Sultan of Madura, whose
reputation for hospitality had crossed the seas, would have been as
impossible as it is to visit Paris without going to see Versailles and
Trianon. After a comfortable lunch on shore, therefore, the staff of
the two vessels set out in open carriages and four; but the roads were
so bad and the horses so worn out that they would many a time have
stuck in the mud if men stationed at the dangerous places had not
energetically shoved at the wheels. At last they arrived at Bankalan,
and the carriages drew up in the third court of the palace at the foot
of a staircase, at the top of which the hereditary prince and the prime
minister awaited the arrival of the travellers. Prince Adden Engrate
belonged to the most illustrious family of the Indian Archipelago. He
wore the undress uniform of a Java chief, consisting of a long flowered
petticoat of Indian make, scarcely allowing the Chinese slippers to be
seen, a white vest with gold buttons, and a small skirted waistcoat of
brown cloth, with diamond buttons. A handkerchief was tied about his
head, on which he wore a visor-cap, his ease and dignity of bearing
alone saving him from looking like the grotesque figure of a carnival
amazon. The palace or "kraton" consisted of a series of buildings with
galleries, kept delightfully cool by awnings and curtains, whilst
lustres, tasty European furniture, pretty hangings, glass and crystal
ornaments decorated the vast halls and rooms. A suite of private
apartments, with no opening to the court, but with a view of the
gardens, is reserved for the "Ratu" (sovereign) and the harem.
The reception was cordial, and the repast, served in European style,
was delicious. "The conversation," says Bougainville, "was conducted in
English, and many toasts were proposed, the prince drinking our healths
in tea poured from a bottle, and to which he helped himself as if it
had been Madeira. Being head of the church as well as of the state, he
strictly obeys the precepts of the Koran, never drinking wine, and
spending a great part of his time at the mosque; but he is not the less
sociable, and his talk bears no trace of the austerity to be expected
in that of one who leads so regular a life. This life is not, however,
all spent in prayer, and the scenes witnessed by us would give a very
false impression if we did not know that great latitude is allowed on
this point to the followers of the prophet."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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