THE JÔGET
musical sound like the noise of rippling water, a
gambang. The other members of the orchestra
consisted of a very small boy who played, with a
very large and thick stick, on a gigantic gong—an
old woman who beat a drum with two sticks, and
several other boys who played on instruments like
triangles called chénang,
All these performers, we were told with much solemnity, were artists of the first order, masters and a mistress in their craft, and if vigour of execution counts for excellence they proved the justice of the praise.
The Hall, of considerable size, capable of accommodating several hundreds of people, was only dimly lighted, but the fact that, while the audience was in semi-darkness, the light was concentrated on the performers added to the effect, Besides our- selves I question whether there were more than twenty spectators, but sitting on the top of the dais near to the dancers it was hard to pierce the sur- rounding gloom,
The orchestra was placed on the left of the entrance to the Hall, that is rather to the side and rather in the background, a position evidently chosen with due regard to the feelings of the audience.
From the elaborate and vehement execution of
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