New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-08-27

Regent, VINO was removed and pens0ned by the
Dutch Government, because under his govero-
Dent the former Assistant Re sident Of Bandong
had been murdered-s man, by the way, who had
made himself hated BY all the natives for his Sc
verify and cruelty. The Regent wore upon his
head the usual head-cloth, folded like turban,
shirt, vest jacket Of fine CLOTH rather closely cut
pantaloons OF domestic stuff, and over all fine ga
oDg reaching down almost to the ANGLES. His
naked feet were thrust into pair OF Chinese slip
pers.
1.-THE most costly article Of his attire was a
weapon that hung in the thick silken girde whic !,
confined his iar0ng about the hips. This was
dagger or hiss, heavily ornamented, both in han
die and scabbard, with gold, made OF the form pe-
culisr to the country, the handle rich 10 diamonds,
emeralds ard topazes, and the blade of the ines
Damascus steel.
vagantly, in the blades OF which certain IN srks.
known only 10 their own families, render them
easily to be recognized by every member of the
family. Their religion imposes it upon them a.
duty, whenever they find one Of these daggers in
the hands of strangers, to get possession of it
again. at any 9rice whatsoever.
1.-THE musicians sat before the open hall doors,
with their gamelangs OF various sorts and sizes,
squatted on the ground. 10 this manner only do
they dare appear in the presence of the Regent.
Single servants, with their burning matches of CO.
Goa bark, sat also upon their hams, within the
room, waiting for the call 0pt in answer to viii ch
raising the mselyes as title as possible from the
floor, they crept to the Regent, and, sitting hand.
ed him, or raising themselves somewhat, handed
the guests fire for their cigars. The condition of
servants here is Systematically kept so slavish
that this creeping, ahect position did net seem to
be sufficient. Certainly the arm should have been
left free to reach the match but no, the left arm
was not deemed sufficient, and the servant, as he
handed the match with it, assuming position as
if he momentarily expected to receive blow upon
the head, grasped 1t with his right.
"Ater the usual greetings were over and the
company seated and each had lighted his cigar,
the Regent gave signal, and the sonorous, full
and harmonic tones of single gamelang came
floating to In the open door on our left sud-
denly appeared the form of young and most
lovely grl, Enthusiastically clothed. She wore
short, rather narrow irOck of some light stuff,
wooden as it seemed to me, for it closed soft as
silk upon the slender and beautiful form. Ii ap-
peared to be woven with green and gold, for with
her motions it shone with q mild metallic luster.
A broad girdle, magnifcently wrought with gold,
surrounded her hips, above which the garment
rose close up t, the arms like that of the Chi.
nese dancers, Heaven knows | would not compare
her to them and was carried rather high above
her budding bosom, which it half concealed, but
left uncovered the elastic shoulders, and the
delicate, finely formed arms, which were merely
ornamented by broad armets near the shoulders,
and pair of bracelets at the wrists. She wore
dark red close.tting knit hose, with golden rings
which rested upon her ankles the small, delicate
pretty feet were bare. On her breast she wore a
star or Tosette of g0ld wrought in tasteful, ir-
regular form, and shining like sun.
Her hair was combed smoothly backward, and
held in its place by golden pins and combs, above
which was sort of golden diadem, attached to
which were small thin somewhat followed plates
If on1I l,,ch laA nd
tied against each other as she moved. The form
of this head-dress, as the Regent afterward
showed us, was taken from heather pictures OF
the sncient days of Java.
"With a gentle, graceful motion, slowly turn
ing, and raising and lowering her form by the
elasticity of her knees, she appeared upon the
threshold, and moved slowly into the hall, which
she had hardly fully entered when a second form
followed, even to the minutest point the same in
dress, then third, fourth, &c. Six girls each
more lovely than the last, thus loated as it were,
into the hall, and began to the tones Of chime
of small bells their expressive pantOmimc dances.
Gently they glidsd by each other, without
touching so much as the hem of another's gar
ment. Back and forth swung the tender and lovely
forms, and the beautiful little faces all the time 80
earnest and sober and they shook their heads at
each other so still and reproachfully and the gol
den plates on their heads were tossed from side to
side striking each other with a musical sound.
o. was so struck by the extraordinary perform
ances of the lovely creatures, and affected
powerfully IN my nervous system by the piercing,
bell-like tones of the gsmelaDg that rubbed my
forehead several times to see if was actually
awake. | hardly ventured to breathe, and when
the girls finally gided out OF the door, as they had
come in. only quicker, it seemed as if my breast
was relieved of heavy weight, and | could now
once more breathe freely.
"That's right fine to see for once, APR said the
American who sat close by my 81 ie, first address.
ing me and then the crouchlDg slave hard by, with
ali order to give him light for the hundredth
time id handsome girls, especially the first !
heard him, but at the moment hardly knewwhat he
said. AS if | was just awakened from wild, fan
tastic dream looked about me but the Euro
pean walls, the engTayings and the astral lamps,
the curtains and the ornaments in bronze brought
me forcibly back to the reality. The Indian Bay
aderes seemed out of place amid SO much that was
water was thus thrown upon en-
thusiasm, and would at that moment have given
a large sum to have exchanged all that splendor
Tor the simplest bamboo hut.
In the mean time the tones Of the gamelang
were still gently sounding. The effect produced
by this instrument is strange. have listened to
it for hours together, feeling that melody, and a
distinct harmony lay in its tones, but was never
able to catch it and note it down. now for the
first time uDdeUtood an expression, which had al.
ways seemed to me peculiar to the Americans,
and may say also Imaginable. refer to their say
De to ms. when playing some simple tune, do
lot understand that They DO not understand it |!
because they are unable to beat the time with |
heir feet to dance. And now to my shame | |
must confess that was in like manner unable to |
understand this melody of the native Jayans. |
Frequently it seemed to me if | had caught |
some sort of theme, had seized upon something |
ike fundamental chord, but when | attempted |
% follow out the musical idea, passages totally |
,iiierent, and utterly incOnsequent, came break
ng, bursting in, and threw me so completely out,
ht when wished to return to my first idea, it |
= oud be entirely gone. In general learn a mel
,dy with ease, but have never been able to FIX
wo bars of this gamelang music in my memory.
1.-The pause in the dancing had lasted perhaps,
quarter ofan hour, whenthe Bayaderes appeared
gain upon the threshold. Again they glided into
he hall as at first, modestly and with downcast
yes, and appeared only in the dance to become
ndued with life and faalino 'Thiu t;p,a aach On.