The Mineral argus., 1884-02-28
A WEDDING.
4 Recent "SweiI" Event in AntipO-
dean Society.

dean Society.
From the London Standard.
The following is, from a private letter
Just received from Java: THE village
through which we passed was en- fete-
garlauds of leaves and flowers hung
across the road, while q broad avenue
leading off to the right was a mass of
whitened earthly pots set upright on
smaller pots. To our establishment We
were whisked down this avenue, and
found ourselves in an immense court
yard filled with n~atives--there must have
been hundreds of them. Before we had
time to think what it all meant the car
rage stopped and a very dapper Javan-
ese approached, bowling and smiling and
holding out his hand. Our salutations ex-
changed, he beckoned us to go with him
to the Pan-doppo, a raised place, COW
cred over, in the middle of the square
and opposite to his own house, for he
turned out to be the wydono, or chief
man of the village.
ION this dias were q sofa, chairs and
tables; and after we had been placed in
the seat of honor we were presented
with wine, tea, brandy and the inevita-
bel gin and bitters, while our amlable
host and some half dozen native chiefs
talked away in Malay, of which We
knew not q word. Imagine our position.
tired-very hungry and seeing no pros
pect Of getting out of this affair. The
court was gradually filling with natives,
while the gammelong, the national mus
ical instrument, was kept going In a deaf
ening manner. Evidently there was
something expected; and at last, after
an eternity of waiting, a procession filed
IL, consisting of many mounted wydonos
and about a half a dozen men naked to
the waist, painted over with yellow
paste-a most hideous sight-and carry
ing immense red and yellow banners.
Then followed people carrying offer
ings of fruit and flowers; and finally two
closed carriages followed by two men
hideously painted with ochre and pranc-
ing on enormous pasteboard horses.
They looked ~too--comical with the long
sticks between their legs. They were
accompanied by an old haggard woman,
decked out with flowers, paper tassels
&c. Naked to the waist, with her gray
hair loose, the contortions of this old
lady and the pride with which she threw
her head about were most amusing. Is
this the end ofour detention? we hought;
but no! the.wydono came smiling forward
and escorted us to his house, where in a
back room was an estrada covered with
beautiful white cocoa-nut mating, and
here sat in state two of the'most extraor-
binary figures possible woruan whose
face was one mass of ochre. with fantas-
tically painted eyebrows. her head, neck,
arms and tunic covered with enormous
diamonds; her companion a man painted
in like manner and wearing a tall hat
encircled with diamonds ana his ears
covered with large pointed ASS ears OF
-o1l 11an haoxiIu nnVfnhn1 USfh diu-
monds.
"Behind this singular pair were two
women, half-naked and painted yellow,
holding peacocks rails IN their hands,
while behind them again were two
dummy figures similarly painted. The
room was crammed with natives, and
you may imagine our feelings when our
host directed us to ascend the dais, him
self remaining behind. After many
signs and much hesitation we had to get
up, and with u travel-stained boots TO
advance to those personages, who then
rose and held out their
hands to us. The wydOno, evident
ly plying our uncertainty, then
motioned to us to come away, and soon
we found ourselves in a room where q
comfortable luncheon was prepared.
After this repast, TO our great relief, we
were allowed tie depart, u host giving
me bis arm most politely to the carriage,
1t was not until the evening that we
learned that the ceremony We had wit
messed was the marriage of a regents OF
princes daughter with some Javanese
functionary and that we happened OF
all the show by mere chance, the Resi-
dent of Dyocka having desired the Wy
dono of that village to entertain us a
tifin. If we had only Known