y peaks reared their rugged
summits in an amphitheatre round the rich and picturesque vale of Pritie,
which lay at the feet of their varied slopes, one mass of tropical
vegetation. Trees of enormous height shot up by the waterside, and
between them, as we approached, the little sharp-roofed houses of the
village of Pritie could be seen scattered here and there amidst their
gardens.

Our old guide, who had by this time recovered his serenity of mind, led
us direct to the Commandant, a mild and very civil old Javanese, to whom
orders had been sent by the Resident at Coepang to show us every
attention. His room was adorned by a magnificent pair of antlers which,
we were rejoiced to hear, had been lately taken from a deer shot within a
hundred yards of the house. After a repast of young coconuts, and gula, a
kind of honey; it was arranged that a party should be collected to go
with us on the morrow to shoot deer and pigs.

Our host now took us to see the village, and then conducted us to the
house we were to occupy during our sojourn at Pritie, which was a large
homely-built edifice erected for the Resident's use when he visits this
neighbourhood. We spent the dusk of the evening in pigeon-shooting, but
did not meet with much success; for the birds perched for the most part
on the summits of trees so lofty that they were quite out of shot-range.
Many of these giants of the forest must have attained the height of at
least two hundred feet. They formed a grand element in the landscape,
especially when their huge trunks rose by the side of the limpid water of
the stream that intersects the vale of Pritie. Between their topmost
boughs, to the north, the amphitheatre of hills which I have mentioned
lifted up their indistinct forms, round which the shades of night were
gathering, towards the heavens, that soon began to glisten with a
multitude of faint stars.

EVENING REPAST.

By the time we got within doors, after our unsuccessful stroll, we were
quite tired, and well prepared to enjoy our dinner. The dignified air
assumed by our guide, evidently for the purpose of showing off, and the
ostentatious liberality with which he proffered the goodly viands sent by
the commandant, amused us highly. An account of our fare may be
acceptable to the gastronomic reader, who will thus be enabled to
determine whether he should envy or pity the voyager to the distant
shores of Timor. First came tea and coffee; then, in the course of an
ho