The National tribune., 1908-03-26

embroidered scarfs of silk, which they
wind around their slim young bodies as
they follow the rythm of the piaintlVe
melody intoned by the native orchestra,
advancing with charming play OF arm
and wrist, then stand and begin to turn
and twist the body this way and that
with a swaying movement. 1t is all
very pretty, graceful and interesting
Some Wayang performances consist oil
IA IL or even more acts. and last some
times q fortnight The majority take
three or four nights. Some of these
plays are performed by men instead oi
puppets.
4 topeng troop also has its dalang,
who prompts and explains, and some
times also delivers all the lines for the
masked actors, and 1t has its gamellan
or orchestra.
Great Princes maintain their own pri-
waite topeng comp MES, and when play
ing in the presence of these the topene
actor does not wear his mask At these
private performances is usually to be
found some of the high Dutch officials
and their ladies. the former in heavy
cloth coats and the latter in rsch silks
brocades or even velvets, instead oi
being attired as one would naturally
expect TO find them In fabrics suitable
to the tropics.
Jayanese Aristocracy.
But the most interesting members of
such an audience to the European are
the native officials, splendid-looking
Javanese men with finely-cut features
and noble bearing, and their shy, slen-
der, graceful wives, the pure, pale yell
low of their cOmplexions indicating the
true Javanese aristocracy. These, in
their clinging sarongs, their clasps
buckles, Jewels sparkling from ears and
delicate hands, each wearing some bril-
liant blossom in her satin-black hair
her pretty naked brown feet thrust into
gold-heeled mule slippers, impress the
stranger as nothing else could with the
fneness of the race, with that natural
refinement and charm seen even in the
lowliest of the Jayanese, but found In
its perfect flower in these members OF
the native aristccracy.
The Dutch I'm Java.
Java is not country much visited
by the tourist for many reasons. The
Dutch do not care to have strangers
visit them. and have kept all knowledge
of the island, as far as they We're able
from reaching the outside world 1t Is
astonishing to find how little has been
written of the country. There are many
ponderous volumes written in Dutch 70
be found in the libraries. but very few
III English Travellers are not welcomed
rather unpleasant questioning upon
their arrival as to the ship that brought
them there, the name of the Captain
even, and the object of the visit, etc
No one has written a guide book of the
country, and unless one has special
friends among the Dutch residents a
stranger stands rather poor show OF
seeing much. OF all the countries one
may travel I'm none equals Java in the
difficulty OF being understood, the Ma
lay who does not know English being
no harder TO get along with than the
Dutch who know a little. This dislike
Of having strangers visit them prob
ably had its origin when the country
was ruled by the Dutch East India
Company, whose tyrannical rule made
them unwilling to have their methods
known and suspicious of the traveller
on this account.
The combination of staid, solemn, re-
ligious. practical, hard-fsted Holland
and the romantic, mygtic, opuient, pa
gan Orient is certainly q remarkable
one, and one to which the mind finds
IT very difficult TO reconcile itself When
the Dutch first went TO Java ii is said
they attempted to transplant the GUS
toms of the old country, even TO the
hot, heavy dress. but this they were not
able TO keep up very long. Some OF
the old prints show the tall somber
houses which the first colonists built.
now long demolished. One can imag-
Inc them walking home from three
hours sermon, In broadcloth NANTES
and velvet robes. giving solemn enter
eainments in their rim gardens along
Che canal. with the sun In noon-day
Z eiory overhead stubbornly determined