heightening or imitating the
natural charms, but merely as matter of fashion; making fantastic spots
with the finger on the forehead, temples, and cheeks, of white, red,
yellow, and other hues. A brass salver (tallam) covered with little china
cups, containing a variety of paints, is served up for this purpose.

Instances have happened here, though rarely, of very disagreeable
conclusions to their feasts. A party of risaus among the young fellows
have been known suddenly to extinguish the lights for the purpose of
robbing the girls, not of their chastity, as might be apprehended, but of
the gold and silver ornaments of their persons. An outrage of this nature
I imagine could only happen in Lampong, where their vicinity to Java
affords the culprits easier and surer means of escape, than in the
central parts of the island; and here too their companies appear to be
more mixed, collected from greater distances, and not composed, as with
the Rejang people, of a neighbourly assemblage of the old men and women
of a few contiguous villages with their sons and daughters, for the sake
of convivial mirth, of celebrating a particular domestic event, and
promoting attachments and courtship amongst the young people.

PARTICULAR CUSTOMS.

In every dusun there is appointed a youth, well fitted by nature and
education for the office, who acts as master of ceremonies at their
public meetings, arranges the young men and women in their proper places,
makes choice of their partners, and regulates all other circumstances of
the assembly except the important economy of the festival part or cheer,
which comes under the cognizance of one of the elders. Both parts of the
entertainment are preceded by long complimentary speeches, delivered by
the respective stewards, who in return are answered and complimented on
their skill, liberality, and other qualities, by some of the best bred
amongst the guests. Though the manner of conducting, and the appendages
of these feasts, are superior in style to the rustic hospitality of some
of the northern countries, yet they are esteemed to be much behind those
in the goodness and mode of dressing their food. The Lampongs eat almost
all kinds of flesh indiscriminately, and their guleis (curries or made
dishes) are said, by connoisseurs, to have no flavour. They serve up the
rice divided into portions for each person, contrary to the practice in
the other countries; the tallam being covered with a handsome crim