Page:Life in Java Volume 1.djvu/286

268 method of educating them adopted by the boys is very simple. Young birds or hens—on account of the greater facility with which they are trained — are generally selected for the purpose. A long piece of twine is tied round the neck, one end of which the boy keeps in his left hand, holding a small perch in his right. In training he allows the bird to fly for a few yards, and then invites it to return on to the perch. In process of time it comes as soon as called; and when that is the case, the twine is dispensed with, and bets are frequently made as to the interval at which the bird will return at the trainer's call. The hens are easily distinguishable from their being of a lighter grey, and from the pink on the head being paler.

We stayed awhile at Boedoeran to look at a sugar factory worked by steam, which had all the newest inventions that were found to be good and useful in the process—such as the centrifugal machine for turning the molasses into dry sugar in