86. Hiru lands al Hiruka

As may be seen in the contents of the tale given above, the text relates the further history of the two ministers before that of Mahakatyayana and immediately after their flight from the city; the sculptor seems to have had a different sequence of events in his text, or for some other reason has altered their order. We must not accept this scene as one whole; the voyage is on the right and the landing of the passengers on the left of the relief. The ship is not anchored near the coast while the passengers go on shore; quite otherwise, the vessel is depicted at full speed as can be seen by the sails and the water at the bow. It is not on the point of foundering on the coast at the left, but is in the open sea with fish in the water and clouds in the sky: the scene of the landing is another quite separate episode. We can form some idea of the vessels used at that time, by this and the one on No. 88; notice the broad stem and the way in which the sails are hoisted, the appearance of the hull and how the ship is given more stability by the side-wings still common in the Archipelago with smaller vessels.

On the left we see the emigrants on land again. Standing and kneeling they turn with outstretched hands to the family, man, woman and child, who are ready to receive them into their dwelling on the extreme left of the wooded landscape. The man has a dish with something in it, the woman an indistinct square object in her hand, both evidently intended forgifts. The house is remarkable; we can see a portion of it on the left, and it gives a better idea of the ordinary dwellings of the time than the richlydecorated palaces on other reliefs. It stands on piles, so there is room under the floor for some of the servants. The construction is plainly to be seen, with the beams and cross-beams; there is a window in the long side while the short sides project upwards arid outwards, just as the houses are now still built, for instance in the Padang Highlands. A ridged roof projecting at the sides covers the structure. On top of the roof can be seen (as well as a pair of birds) a pot, next to which hangs a small ladder; these pots are still in use in various parts of the Archipelago (Celebes for instance) as an ordinary roof-ornament. The text says nothing about this reception; it would be interesting to know if the sculptor introduced it himself or if he had a more elaborate account of Hiru's adventures at his disposal.