The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-09-24
Natives Of Bali And LOn1bOk

The Residency of Bali anC -1om- bok comprises the two islands so named and a few smaller ones in the neighborhood. They are highly re- markable, and especially so the first named, for the preservation of the Arian religion in Shiwaitic and Budd- histic forms. The Sasak population of Lombok adheres to the religion of Muhammed, which fact is probap- ly due to the circumstance that the native rulers of Mangkasar CMaccas- sar) until 174O were most influen- tial in Lombok, the Mangkasarans being pious Muhammedans. In that year the Balinese annexeC Lombok dividing it into four principalities which wereu nited by the Radja of Mataram in 1889, who his turn had to pass unon his way into the hands of the "direct' Dutch Govern ment in 1894.
 The villages inhabited by the Mu- hammedan Sasak population are cas- fly distinguishable from those where HindhU-Balinese live, were it only for the absence of pigs, held in ab- hOrrence by the Muhammedans. To the north, Lombok is mountainous and volcanic. The Rindjani or Lom- bok peak reaches 3,755 meters and is perhaps the highest volcano throughout the archipelago. It is worsbipped by the people as the seat of a god. The Goenoens (mountain) Sang Karyan rises to 3.20O NJ. and the Goenoeng Wajang to 2.9OO M Between both is the Dance Cthe In dOesian term for water, lake or mor- ass) or Sagaraanak. "child-ocean," a big lake with level of 2,3OO M. in height. At the Southern coast a low CT mountain range is found and be- tween them the inland is formed by fertile plains and hills with rich veg citation of which, however, the aren- palms (Arengo saccharifera) djati- trees (teak). orchids and ferns are conspicuously absent. The Asiatic fauna is very poor, not yet replaced by Australian species. No tigers or wild cats or dogs are found, and only one kind of monkey (Macacus cyn- omolgus).
 The Island of Bali is mountainous throughout and of plutonic origin though the most southern extremity, the Table Hook, consists of coraIIine limestone.
 The highest mountains are the Goenoeang or Bali-peak (3,2OO NJ with so1fratras) of which eruptions in 1908 and 1s43 are on record, the Tabanan peak (2,3O0 M.) and the Batoer C225O M, which had it's last eruption in ISIS. The vegetation re sembles that of the eastern part of Java, but the tropical growth is a little less abundant so that the i'm pression it makes on the stranger from northern regions is less oppres- sive.
 The Balinese are skilled 1aborers in the rice fields. They follow the Hindhu device of storing up vast amounts of water for the opposes of irrigation. Four old craters in the central part of the island yielding big lakes at a level of over 1000 M. have proved very valuable in this re- spect. The Hindhu tendency to organ ize has given rise to a good system of cooperation between all those who own fields watered by the same canal. Such a complex of sawahs ,ricefields) is called a soebak (this word denotes in Java a tank or artificial pond for keeping fishes; 1t is clear that the same meaning is underlying here, having in cooperation made a tank) 1; they are all entitled to profit by its water supply. The soebaks represent communities of common interests which are governed by definite laws and regulations. From among the members officers are elected to look after the common good. Other pro- ducts of the soil than rice are cof- fee, tobacco, cocoanuts and indigo. Besides these, hides and cattle are exported.
 The most remarkable fact is the preservation of Arian religion | throughout these centuries of no contact whatever with the Hindhus, which caused the complete conver- sion of all the other more civilized parts of the archipelago to Muhams . <nadan4xm-