Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 2.djvu/307

 JN THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. ^6S pie, fully armed, attend in their gala dresses, and, preceded by drums and music, proceed to the great square of the palace, and hold themselves in readi- ness to appear at an appointed hour in the presence. Every part of the ceremony puts Mahomedan de- corum at defiance. About the hour of ten the monarch makes his appearance in the idolatrous garb of his ancestors, decorated with ponderous golden bracelets, armlets, and finger rings rich with diamonds. • The procession which attends him consists of persons whimsically dressed in the ancient costume :of Java, and a great number are women, in contempt of the usual fastidiousness of Mahomedan nations. The most conspicuous of the group are the handsomest of the concubines of the prince himself, bearing the ancient regalia of a Javanese monarch, of which the most remark- ably in contrast to Mahomedan precept, are the golden figures of a naga or snake, — of an animal of the goose kind, — and of a deer. Some of the more aged women appear in the procession with arms in their feeble hands. In the native language these last are called Langtin-astt^a, or Langdn-kusuina^ which imply, as much as, soldiers in play or jest, terms sufficiently descriptive of their office. Such a whimsical anomaly in oriental manners, had pro- bably its origin in no better foundation than the absurd and playful caprice of some ancient despot. The prince arriving at the Sitingil, or terrace of