text itself that it dates from pre-Muslim times of West Java, precisely from the era of Hindu Sunda Kingdom. The script used in the manuscript is the usual Old Sundanese variety of the Indonesian family of Indic syllabaries, which fell into disuse after the penetration of Islam into western part of Java island. The language represents an older stage of Sundanese. It does not contain one word which is traceable to Arabic, the language of Islam. In the content of the story, too, Islam is completely absent. More specifically the mention of Majapahit, Malaka and Demak allow us to date the writing of the story in the 15th century, probably the later part of this century, or the early 16th century at the latest. During his return from Pemalang to Kalapa, he boarded the trading vessel from Malacca with crew hailed from various parts of the archipelago. This means the story took place prior to the fall of Malacca to Portuguese in 1511. Summary After a brief introduction the protagonist, prince Jaya Pakuan, is introduced in line 14. This princely name is not mentioned later on; the name Bujangga Manik occurs for the first time in 456, and only from 854 on it is regularly used to indicate the protagonist. In lines 15–20 he takes leave from his mother, telling her that he is going east. He is quite succinct in explaining his departure. Of his costume we learn that he wears a haircloth (saceundung kaen 36); perhaps this haircloth is an indication of the religious state which Bujangga Manik assumes for his travel. He refuses to answer questions of the public about the purpose of his journey (38–41). First journey Then he starts his first trip, which he describes in great detail. Only a few details are mentioned here. One is that once he has climbed the Puncak Pass, he takes time, like a modern tourist, to sit down, ‘fan his body’ and enjoy the view, in particular the Great Mountain (Bukit Ageung, still known as the Gunung gede) which he calls ‘the highest point (hulu wano) of the realm of Pakuan’ (59–64). From the Puncak Pass he travels on; by crossing the Cipamali river he enters the Javanese territory (alas Jawa 82) and wanders through various districts of Majapahit and the plain of the region of Demak; via Jatisari he arrives at Pamalang, still a well-known coastal town