Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (IA journalofstrait121878roya).pdf/226

 The invitation came at 2 a. m., and we at once responded to it.

Our temporary lodging had been the upper story of the Captain China's house, a not-too clean loft, gained by means of an almost perpendicular ladder, and furnished for the most part with the accessories of Chinese Processions, and a plentiful supply of musquitoes.

It was not therefore matter of regret to leave this, even at 2 a. m., for the Bandahara's Balei, a spacious Hall, the Entrance side of which was open and approached by steps, whilst the opposite side led through one small door into the 'penetralia' of the Bandahara's private dwelling.

The nautch had been going on since 10 p. m. There were assembled about 200 spectators, all or nearly all of them men,—squatting on the floor. on a higher or lower level arcording to their rauk. We were accommodated with chairs and there was one also placed for the Bandahara.

When we entered, we saw seated on a large carpet in the middle of the Hall, four girls, two of them about 18 and two about 11 years old. all beautifully dressed in silk and cloth of gold.

On their heads they each wore a large and curious but very pretty ornament, made principally of gold—a sort of square flower garden where all the flowers were gold, but of delicate workmanship, trembling and glittering with every movement of the wearer.

Their hair, cut in a perfect oval round their foreheads, was very becomingly dressed behind, the head dress bring tied on with silver and golden cords.

The bodies of their dresses were made of tight fitting silk, the neck, bosom and arms bare, whilst a white band round the neck came down in front in the form of a V joining the body of the dress in the centre, and there fastened by a golden flower.

Round their waists they had belts. fastened with very large and curiously worked "pinding" or buckles, so large that they reached quite across the waist. The dress was a skirt of cloth of gold, (not at all like the Sarong) reaching to the anclesankles [sic], and the dancers wore also a scarf of the same material fastened in its centre to the waist buckle. and hanging down on each side to the hem of the skirts.