Page:Life in Java Volume 2.djvu/73

 AN INTELLIGENT NATIVE. 57

tensive, lie was full of anecdotes of past and present times. When I asked him if he remembered Sir Stamford Raffles, he replied in the negative, but added " I can never forget the splendid English horses my father used to keep, some of which were presents from Sir Stamford llaffles." lie spoke loudly in praise of our saddles, fowling-pieces, weapons, &c., which, when they can be obtained by the Javanese, are ])rized very highly, lie seemed to me to have a better knowledge of Dutch than he cared to shew. If such was really the case, his knowledge niust have been self-acquired, the Dutch, as we have already remarked, giving no encourage- ment to the acipii^ition of their ditHcult language by the natives. lie took great ])teasure in his regiments, spoke with pride of the cavalry and infantry, comprising se\enteen hnndre(l men in all, anil pressed me vei'v mueli to I'emain in Soerakarta to see a lieM-day they were about to Inne.

The ' Cron-l'rins, ' as the J>)uteh call him, from

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