s not much fear of
such an attack in broad daylight and with so large a party."

"Ve are not a very large party," returned the professor. "I do not zink
I would fear much to face a tiger vid my goot rifle, but I do not relish
his choomping on me unavares. Push on, please."

They pushed on and reached the village a little before nightfall.

Hospitality is a characteristic of the natives of Sumatra. The
travellers were received with open arms, so to speak, and escorted to
the public building which corresponds in some measure to our western
town-halls. It was a huge building composed largely of bamboo
wooden-planks and wicker-work, with a high thatched roof, and it stood,
like all the other houses, on posts formed of great tree-stems which
rose eight or ten feet from the ground.

"You have frunds here too, I zink," said Verkimier to the hermit, as
they ascended the ladder leading to the door of the hall.

"Well, yes--I believe I have two or three."

There could be no doubt upon that point, unless the natives were
consummate hypocrites, for they welcomed Van der Kemp and his party with
effusive voice, look and gesture, and immediately spread before them
part of a splendid supper which had just been prepared; for they had
chanced to arrive on a festive occasion.

"I do believe," said Nigel in some surprise, "that they are lighting up
the place with petroleum lamps!"

"Ay, and you will observe that they are lighting the lamps with Congreve
matches--at least with matches of the same sort, supplied by the Dutch
and Chinese. Many of their old customs have passed away (among others
that of procuring fire by friction), and now we have the appliances of
western civilisation to replace them."

"No doubt steam is zee cause of zee change," remarked the professor.

"That," said Nigel, "has a good deal to do with most things--from the
singing of a tea-kettle to the explosion of a volcano; though,
doubtless, the commercial spirit which is now so strong among men is the
proximate cause."

"Surely dese people mus' be reech," said the professor, looking round
him with interest.

"They are rich enough--and well off in every respect, save that they
don't know very well how to make use of their riches. As you see, much
of their wealth is lavished on their women in the shape of ornaments,
most of which are of solid gold and silver."

There could be little doubt about that, for, besides the ornaments
proper, such as the bracelets