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VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY OF SOUTHERN LANDS. 8o$

Among the individuals whom I had occafion to become moft particularly acquaintedwith at Timor , was a refpeftable old man, whofe noble and open countenance every dayattached me more and more to him. Iie had noticed my predilection for the produc-tions of the fea, and frequently came to tender me the tribute of his fifhing andrefearches. 1’he liberal manner in which I rewarded his kind officioufnefs, entirely wonthe affe&ions of this good old man ; I was his Sobatati (the friend of his heart). Oftenhad he invited me in the moft prefling manner to vifit his abode, but hitherto myoccupations had prevented me.

On the 4th of September, with Meflrs. Depuch and Bernier, I fet off for the valley ofOba, a delightful fpot in the neighbourhood of Coopang, in 'which was the houfe ofthe old Malay : one of his young children ferved us as a guide. We fliortly reachedthat beautiful manfion whence we had been fo rudely driven on our firft arrival atTimor . I had afterwards been informed that it belonged to Mad me Van Eften, and thatit was the fame which M. Boullanger defcribed with fo much warmth and truth.All that furprized me was that our young guide fhould conduct us thither, when, of afudden, he turned out of the road by a bye-path, which led us to a final! cabin, fimilarto thofe belonging to the pooreft clafs of Malays in this country. The fimplicity ofthis fort of hut feemed to add a new charm to the delightful landfcape around ; tuftedtrees, loaded with flowers and fruit, protected it with their fhade; a multitude ofbirds, decked in the richeft livery, wantoned mid the branches of the trees j and nearthis afylum of innocence glided a gentle ftreamlet.

The old man we came to vifit, was feated at the entrance of his cabin, occupied inplaying on the fafoonoo; a boy,^ younger than the one who was our guide, accompaniedhim on the flute peculiar to this region j his wife, a few fteps from him, was fpinningwatt, a fubftance ufed by this people in weaving ; and his young daughter, who didnot appear more than twelve years of age, was making rice-cakes to carry next dayto the bazar, or public market*.

At fight of us the whole family rofe, and the joy was general. Be feated, be feated,good Frenchmen, was the firft exclamation from every mouth. The weather was verywarm, and the walk had greatly heated us: for our refrelhment they brought a longcylinder of bamboo filled with buffalo’s milk ftill warm. My companions and I tookhearty draughts of it, and afterwards we made prefents to each of our hofts: themother received a red handkerchief; the young girl ribbands, a mirror, needles, andpins; to each of the boys we gave a file and a knife; to the father a hatchet and alittle faw. A demeanor fo generous won the hearts of all, and the moft lively joyfparkled on the countenance of every one.

We took too near an intereft in this worthy family not to be folicitous of more inti-mate knowledge of it. In anfwer to our inquiries, we learnt that the refpectable oldman was named Neas, his fweet companion Sorazana ; his young daughter Elzerina ;the elder fon Pone, and the younger Cornelis. The laft, of weaker conftitution, wasof very regular features, his countenance full of candour and expreflion; he wasremarkably lively, and had all the defects and good qualities incident to this character,when united to goodnefs of heart, to a fprightly imagination, and a quick conception.Pone, on the other hand, of a more robuft nature, had a ftronger pronounced andmore martial look; he was ferious and thoughtful: his goodnefs of heart was notinferior to that of Cornelis, but it was concealed beneath a lefs foftened exterior.

* A nearly fimilar tale, as will be feen on proceeding, to that given by Sterne, of the Chevalier de St.•Louis, in his Sentimental Journey. Tr. . . .

vol. xi. 5 L Elzerina,