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38 means by which, he might best accomplish this great object. Hearing of the disaffection of some of the princes in the interior, he privately communicated his designs to them, endeavouring to gain their support to his bold and dangerous plans; for courageous though he was, Elberfeld could not have dreamt of success in carrying out the scheme he had formed, without the promise of assistance and co-operation from men of more power and influence than himself; and he ultimately succeeded in gaining over to his side the two sons of Pakoe Boewono, and several minor princes.

The Emperor Pakoe Boewono I., whose empire of Matarram comprised almost a third of the island of Java, died in the year 1719, and was succeeded by his son Mangkoe Nagoro, under the title of Hamangkoe Raht II., who, but for a fortunate circumstance, might have occupied the throne of his fathers only for a very short time. Two of his brothers, the princes alluded to above, growing