Page:Life in Java Volume 1.djvu/122

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
104
LIFE IN JAVA.


The natives like to sit and enjoy the cool night air on the banks; and as evening is the most favourable time for " teaching the young idea how to shoot," you hear ever and anon, in passing by the houses, the shrill treble of children's voices repeating their elementary lesson, li Ho no tjo ro ko, &c."

The sounds of music also are frequently heard. The gamalan is seldom allowed to remain long idle, while from the domicile of some devout Mahomedan the nasal tone with which he chants his evening orisons attests the sincerity and soundness of his faith.

There is a curious story connected with the Javanese alphabet, whether founded on fact or not I cannot say, but I should rather be inclined to think an invention, devised to impress the letters on the mind of juvenile pupils. If such is the case, we cannot but admire the native shrewdness in adopting such a plan. A certain priest, whilst walking through a forest, found he had lost his