^
n
n
LIFE IN JAVA:
2 •J/"/ 6 1
SKETCHES OF THE JAVANESE.
■ /
WILLIAM BARRINGTON Id'ALMEIDA.
TOPEXG S.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. I.
LONDON:
HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS,
SUCCESSORS TO HENRY COLBURN.
13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.
1864.
The right of Translation is reserved.
LONDON:
•1JINTEI) 1SY MACDONALO AM) TUGWKLL, HLENIIEIM HOUSE.
BLENHEIM STREET, OXFORD STREET.
lf r,c
Mr
V.I
M Y WIFE,
THIS WORK IS AFFECTIONATELY
DEDICATED.
1381137
PREFACE.
Sterne says in his Sentimental Journey — "What
a large volume of adventures may be grasped with-
in this little span of life by him who interests his
heart in everything, and who, having eyes to see
what time and chance are perpetually holding out
to him as he journeyeth on his way, misses nothing
he can fairly lay his hands on."
In presenting these volumes to the public, I am
reminded of the above quotation, which, being in
some measure apposite to the pretensions of this
work, will best convey to the minds of my readers
the object I had in selecting from my journal de-
scriptions of the scenes through which I passed, and
reminiscences of the adventures I encountered en
route.
V1U PREFACE.
Other writers — though very few and far be-
tween — have written upon Java, but the im-
pression left upon my mind by such of their
productions as I have perused, has been far from
satisfactory. Without wishing to detract from
their merits, I am compelled to acknowledge that
they failed in communicating to me any adequate
idea either of the appearance of the island or of the
life of its inhabitants. The work I now offer to the
public will, I trust, be found to contain a faithful
account of this valuable possession of the Crown
of Holland.
Through the kindness and attention of my
friends and acquaintances in Java — for which I
beg, with deep gratitude, to offer my sincere thanks
— I enjoyed many opportunities of witnessing the
most remarkable physical phenomena of the island,
and was introduced to scenes of public and domes-
tic life in which I became familiar with the man-
ners and customs of the peculiar people inhabiting
it. Adopting a simile suggested by the illustration
on the cover, I may venture to express a hope that
PREFACE. IX
I have succeeded in striking a light, the rays of
which, illumining a spot hitherto comparatively
little known, will reveal to my readers some new
and interesting features in the almost endless di-
versity of human life and character.
W. B. d'A.
The Grange,
West Moulsev.
C X T E N T S
THE FIRST VOLUME.
CHAPTER I.
Voyage to Batavia — Description of Harbour — Landing at
the Jetty — Examination of Luggage — Our Welcome to
Java — Drive to Parapattan — Dutch Life in the East —
Fondness for the Weed — Police Arrangements — Guardos,
Weapons used — Toks-Toks — Wykemester — Public Hos-
pital — Topengs — Musical Instruments — Jacatra — The
Head on the Wall — Peter Elberfeld — Conspiracy — A
Love Tale — Discovery of the Plot — Punishment of the
Offenders ........ 3
CHAPTER II.
The Chinese — Empty Flower-pot — Advertisement — Museum
— Portraits — On the Move — Our Rees-Wagen — Boy
Drahman — We leave Batavia — Brief Explanation — Some
XU CONTENTS.
of the Passengers, Raden Rio and Raden Alas, making
Themselves comfortable — Hospitality of the Dutchman —
What we see En Route — Samarang Harbour — The Canal
— Drive to Town — Hotel — Evening Drive — Rice Sawahs
—Reception 55
CHAPTER III.
Leave Samarang Harbour for Surabaya — Enter the Straits
of Madura — Orange Fort — Gressik — Surabaya — Visit to
the Docks and Arsenal — Monument to Admiral Van Den
Bosch — Fort — Iron Foundry — Drives about Surabaya —
The Godoldok — Tale of Tyranny and Oppression in By-
gone Times — Public Gardens — Artillerie Constructie
Winkle — Our Hotel — Life in it . . , . 93
CHAPTER IV.
To Passeroewan — Postal arrangements — Stations — Bridal
and Basunat Processions — Foot Passengers — Passeroe-
wan — Description of the Town — Journey to Tosari —
Temporary Village — Passangrahan — Wild Boars — Un-
tahs — Malay Legend — Ayam Alas — Keng Kin — Coothoo-
kan — Proceeding under difficulties — Arrival at Tosari —
"Aspershe" — Xovel Mode of Cooking — Bromok —
Description of Sagara-Wadi, or Sandsea — Volcano —
Crater 121
CONTENTS. Xlll
CHAPTER V.
Climate of Tosari — Second Journey to the Bromok —
Annual Festival — Slamat of the Volcano — Mahomedan
Antipathy — Gay Scene — Blessing the Offerings —
Throwing them into the Crater — Fowl pitching — Present
to my "Wife — Another View of the Sand Sea — Battu
Cuda — Singular mode of marking the Route — Battu Ba-
lang — Good Luck or Bad — Return to Tosari — Leave for
Passerpan, and from Thence to Passeroewan . 165
CHAPTER VI.
Start for Probolingo — Bagnio Biro — Our Post-Horses taken
by a Controleur — Lake Gratie — Noted for Water-Lilies.
Duck -Eggs, and Alligators — Offerings to the Alligators —
Probolingo — Leave for Klaka — Bad Road — Kindly Help
— Night View of the Volcano — The Passangrahan —
Chain connecting Three Volcanoes — Curious Fact — Row
round the Lake — Delicious Dip — Proximity of Tigers —
Leave Klaka — Harbour of Probolingo — Dangerous Navi-
gation 179
CHAPTER VII.
Return to Passeroewan — Start for Malang — Inconveniences
which may arise from not knowing the Dutch Language —
Cascade of Baong — Our Incredulity — Seeing is Believing
— Ruins of Singasari — Native Tradition — Malang — In-
XIV CONTEXTS.
terview with the Resident — Perplexing difficulty — Im-
portance of knowing French — Electric Telegraph — Fer-
tility of the Soil — The Sawah Serpent — A Disturbed Siesta
— Singular Stocking — Narrow Escape — Tobacco Fields —
Visit to the Regent 211
CHAPTER VIII.
To Batoe, or Batu — Stubborn Horses — Legend of Aruman
— Javanese Dislike to a Broken Tale — Arrival at the
Passangrahan — Bath-House — Ruins of Singorite — Hot
Springs — Petrifactions — Javanese Pilgrimages — Their
Reverence for the Religion of their Ancestors — Excursion
to Ngantang — Waterfall of Tretes — Coffee Factory —
— The Jodang — Fancy Ball at Malang — Java Sparrows
— Sugar Factory — Effects of Free Labour — Torches
and Lamps for Evening "Walks — Native Game of Foot-
Ball .... 237
CHAPTER IX.
Leave Surabaya for Kedirie — Locks — Marriage of Verengeii
Trees — Modjophait — Revered Birds — A Poor Man's Pet
— Drive to the Tologo — Bathing-Place of the Sultanas —
Ruins of their Palace — The Koobooran, Plataharan, or
Wishing-Sheds — The Requests of Luck-Seekers —
Darawattie's Tomb — Troublesome Horses — Late Arrival
— Kedirie — Wretched Hotel — Simple Food — We Ride to
Salomanglain — Tiger Haunt — Blitar, Panatharan, and
Tologo ........ 275
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER X.
Route to Madioen — Dadup Tree, a Substitute for Rope —
The Cupoo — Tales of Poontiana, the Native Evil Spirit
— Arrival at Madioen — A Dilemma — Village Wedding
— The Waksie — The Length of Time a Javanese Marriage
may continue — Situation of Madioen — Number of Java
Sparrows ........ 301
CHAPTER I.
VOYAGE TO BATAVIA — DESCRIPTION OF HARBOUR — LANDING AT
THE JETTY — EXAMINATION OF LUGGAGE — OUR WELCOME TO
JAVA — DRIVE TO PARAPATTAN — DUTCH LIFE IN THE EAST
— FONDNESS FOR THE WEED — POLICE ARRANGEMENTS —
GUARDOS, WEAPONS USED — TOK-TOKS — WYKEMESTER — PUB-
LIC HOSPITAL — TOPENGS — MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS — JACATRA
— THE HEAD ON THE WALL — PETER ELBERFELD — CONSPIRACY
— A LOVE TALE— DISCOVERY OF THE PLOT — PUNISHMENT OF
THE OFFENDERS.
VOL. I.
CHAPTER I.
Four days' steaming from Singapore, in the Dutch
mail-steamer Padang, brought us safely into the
sea-port of Batavia. It is a large bay, studded
with a number of islands, some of which are forti-
fied, while others, being found eligible for that
purpose, have been converted into docks, partly by
Government, and partly by private individuals.
These islets are not large enough to protect the
harbour from the violent winds blowing during the
east monsoon, but they are sufficiently numerous
to make the passage into it intricate and danger-
ous, requiring great caution on the part of the
mariner. The harbour is not so imposing as that
of Singapore.
The coast-line is marshy, and covered with
B 2
LIFE IN JAVA.
I mshy marine plants; beyond it the country, as
far as the eye can reach, is quite flat, and but for
the diversity of tropical foliage seen everywhere,
would present the appearance of " a weary waste
expanding to the skies."
Leaving the Padang, we entered a small boat,
with an enormous mat sail, which, notwithstanding
its dimensions, the crew were not long in raising,
apparently with ease, before the favourable breeze.
Half an hour's sail brought us to the mouth of
the canal, from which the town of Batavia is about
two miles distant. This canal is from thirty to
forty feet in width, with low walls about five feet
high on each side, to protect the channel from being
choked up with sand and mud.
After some time the men lowered our sail, and
commenced pulling, for we were now threading
our way through numbers of fishing and trading
boats, and consequently could not maintain 1 the
>peed with which we had started. Beyond the
LIGHTHOUSE AND CANAL. 5
walls which enclosed the canal, the ground was
very muddy, and partially filled up with concrete
and other debris, on which some small attap huts
have been erected, probably inhabited by fishermen,
if we may judge from the number of nets which
are exposed to dry.
In the swampy regions alligators are frequently
seen, and afford some sport to Europeans.
Presently we passed the old light-house, an ugly
wooden structure, which formerly marked the
limits of the canal ; but as, in consequence of the
encroachments and accumulation of alluvium, it
has been found necessary to deepen and extend
the latter, a new light-house is in course of erec-
tion, about a mile further down. A little beyond
this we passed a battery, or small fort, in the
appearance of which there was nothing remarkable
to excite our curiosity.
A few more vigorous strokes of the oar, and we
reached the "boom or jetty" of the Custom-house, the
6 LIFE IX JAVA.
facade of which rests upon round pillars. Although
extremely simple in its architectural character, our
attention was attracted to it by the dense flotilla of
clumsy-looking boats moored before it. On land-
ing, our luggage was immediately put under the
surveillance of a Custom-house officer, who, after
receiving our replies in answer to his questions,
made a cursory examination, and then very civilly
told us we might retire.
Entering the carriage of a friend who had come
to welcome us on Javanese soil, we proceeded
rapidly along, passing numbers of Government
godowns to the right, with a grass plot immediately
in front of each ; and, going through a gateway, we
left what may be termed the city, or business
quarter of Batavia, the houses of which, as we
particularly observed on a subsequent visit, are re-
markable for their size. They are built of red
brick, and are decorated with florid ornaments
above and on the sides of the windows. Thev are
THE KALI BASAE. 7
very ancient, and were formerly occupied by
Portuguese and Dutch families, who, finding the
quarter very insalubrious in consequence of the
miasma arising from the river and neighbour-
ing marshes — which obtained for Batavia the
name of the unhealthiest of Eastern cities —
deserted these commodious-looking buildings for
the more salubrious localities of Welterval-
den, Parapattan, Cornelius, &c, four miles
farther in the interior. Now, with the excep-
tion of a few inhabited by mestizos, with prolific
families, they are chiefly converted into ware-
houses.
The Kali Basar, or Great River, passes through
the town, having some fine offices on one side, and
on the other inferior native buildings ; then flow-
ing through the Walled canal I have before men-
tioned, it disembogues itself into the harbour.
Beyond the gates, situated to the left of the inner
canal, we had a peep of the Chinese campong.
8 LIFE IN JAVA.
easily distinguished by the regularity of the rather
low-built brick houses, with the corners of the
roofs turning upwards. To the right we passed
a range of shops facing this campang, and several
attap houses shaded by trees.
We next came to the quarter at present in-
habited by Europeans, and were surprised to see
not only a number of fine, spacious-looking shops,
occupied by European tailors, chemists, milliners,
&c, but also elegant mansions, situated in the
midst of carefully- tended gardens, large Govern-
ment buildings, and a fine club-house, which goes
by the name of the Harmonic
Farther on our eyes were charmed with the
refreshing sight of an extensive green called the
Koningen's Plain, which is a mile square, faced
with fine large houses, and traversed by roads
lined with rows of trees on each side. At one
corner of this plain there is a race-course, owing
its origin mainly to the English residents, whose
OUR WELCOME TO JAVA. 9
proverbial penchant for the turf is manifested here
as in every other region where they are found.
We stayed in Batavia for about a fortnight, and
were entertained by our friends with that hospi-
tality which seems so natural to people in the East,
and which can never be forgotten, suggested as it
is by every recollection of the scenes we have
passed through.
Next morning, being supplied with active
Javanese ponies, we rode out soon after five o'clock,
to make some pleasant suburban explorations, our
friends accompanying us, and pointing out each
object of interest we came across.
In the afternoon, near sunset, we took a drive
in a phaeton, drawn by fast- trotting ponies, whose
speed was really marvellous. \Ve thus saw a great
part of the town and its environs in a most expe-
ditious and agreeable manner ; for as we wished to
proceed as soon as possible to the interior of the
island, a visit to which was our main object in
10 LIFE IN JAVA.
coming to Java, we were anxious to make the
most of our time.
The principal features which strike the eye in
European Batavia are the numerous canals by
which the town is intersected. The streets on
either side of these canals are very regular, and
the tall Verengen trees with their long spread-
ing branches, covered with foliage, form avenues
pleasing to the sight, and afford a delightful shade
from the sultry heat of the day.
In our morning rides Ave used to be interested
by the animated scene the canals presented. "We
were particularly amused by the numerous ponies
undergoing their morning bath, a common prac-
tice throughout the East, though accompanied by
some risk from more than one cause ; the first and
foremost being the chance of catching the glanders,
or some other infectious disease.
Farther on, in a more retired part, we saw, not
unfrequently, tiny boats — formed from a plantain
DUTCH FASHIONABLES. 11
leaf — laden with flowers, gliding down the stream.
These were votive offerings, probably placed on
the water by some Javanese maiden, and doubt-
less watched with no little anxiety until they were
lost sight of. This pleasing custom, which I should
fancy to be a relic of Buddhism, reminds one of
the Hindoo girl who, placing lights in boats of a
similar description, allows them to float on the
surface of some river, till distance hides them from
her view.
We used to meet the Dutch fashionables
walking about, quite in a state of deshabille, appa-
rently bent on taking life easy. No hat covered
their heads, which are generally so closely cropped
that, at a distance, they look as if they were com-
pletely shorn. The white baju, a kind of loose
jacket, is generally worn, while the loose pejamas,
or night-drawers, flap about their legs like sails
courting the breeze, which swells them out. Some-
times, when a long walk is premeditated, a sort of
12 LIFE IN JAVA.
shooting-coat is added to this singular attire, which
only increases, if possible, its ludicrous effect.
The cigar, I need hardly say, is their constant
companion. The ladies adopt in-doors a kind of
native dress, wearing the sarong and kabaya.
The upper garment, however, which is long, is
invariably white, and often very daintily trimmed
with lace, &c. ; but in this costume they are
seldom seen beyond the house or grounds, though
we have observed a few taking their morning pro-
menade thus attired.
The Dutchman's mode of life in Java is as
follows. He rises generally at five a.m., lights his
cigar, and then sallies forth to take his stroll, or, as
the natives term it, makan angin, signifying,
literally, to eat the wind. About seven he returns
to partake of a collation of eggs and cold meat,
after which he drinks his tea or coffee, and smokes
again. He then takes his bath, throwing buckets
of water over his head, after the manner adopted
MODE OF LIFE. 13
by all who reside in Eastern climes. After the
enjoyment of this necessary luxury, he puts on his
day suit, always of light texture on account of the
heat, and generally white, and entering his car-
riage, is driven to his kantor, or house of business.
If he is a wealthy citizen, he probably returns home
at 12, at which hour the breakfast — as it is termed,
though at mid-day — awaits him, consisting of all
kinds of Eastern delicacies, rice, curry, and endless
sambals, or small piquant side dishes. After this
heavy meal, Morpheus waves his wand over
Batavia, and all his votaries who can spare the
time, retire to digest their food in a siesta of from
two to three hours' duration.
Rising from this sleep, the first cry is Spada
— a contraction for Sapa ada, "Who is
there?" — which is immediately followed by
Apt — " light " — a demand promptly attended
to by some boy, who, prepared for the
summons, quickly appears with a cigar-box,
14 LIFE IN JAVA.
containing five hundred or more Filippinos, or
primeros, in one hand, and a lighted Chinese
joss-stick in the other ; while another boy brings
a tray, on which is a cup of tea and some
cakes. Another delicious cold bath generally suc-
ceeds the smoke, after which the luxurious Euro-
pean retires to dress for the evening, reappearing
with the usual mouth appendage, and a stick in
hand — no hat, of course, for the Batavian fashion
is for neither gentlemen or ladies to wear anything
on their heads, except when they go to church on
Sundays. Thus attired, he wends his way quietly
to the Koningen's Plain, or to that of Waterloo, to
gaze on the elite and fashion walking or driving
about, which the ladies do in full dress — decollete
— and wearing ornaments in their hair.
The carriages containing gentlemen are distin-
guished by the lighted joss-stick in the hand of one
of the footmen, who stands behind his master, ever
ready to present the aromatic torch. The quantity
JAVA COFFEE. 15
of cigars consumed in a day by one individual is
really astonishing, and the rapidity with which
each is smoked is remarkable. From personal
experience, I should say Dutchmen in the
East are much greater smokers even than Span-
iards.
On reaching home after his promenade, our
Dutchman partakes of orange bitters, diluted in
Kirsch-wasser — Hollands — or brandy, as a stimulus
to the appetite ; and then, after the enjoyment
of another weed, the Mandoer, head-servant, or
butler, announces dinner. When the ladies retire
from dessert, cigars are immediately handed round,
and cups of excellent Java coffee. And here, I may
beg leave to observe, we were told that a great quan-
tity of the coffee which is sold as Mocha in reality
comes direct from Java, assuming the name of the
famous Arab port on its arrival in Europe. The gen-
tlemen generally sit but a short time after the ladies
leave, adjourning after them to the drawing-room,
1 6 LIFE IN JAVA.
where they continue to puff vigorously at their light-
ed cigars, to the perfume of which the ladies never
make any objection. As this room always opens on
a verandah, some retire to seek the coolness of the
night air, while others while away the time by
music and chit-chat, &c, retiring generally about
eleven or twelve, to renew the same life next
day.
In one of our evening drives we saw the
Governor's town palace, now converted into
public offices. It stands on one side of Waterloo
Plain, a large level green, in the centre of which
is a pillar supporting a lion. Two long ranges of
low bungalows, with a row of trees in front, filling
up two sides of this square, are occupied by
military officers. Extensive barracks are situated
contiguous to these quarters, and twice or
three times a-week the band plays on the plain
before a large audience of Europeans and
natives.
JAVA POLICE. 17
Throughout the whole of Java there is no
standing police ; an assertion which may appear
scarcely credible regarding an island the breadth
of which varies from fifty-six to one hundred and
thirty-six miles, and the length of which is about
sixty-six miles greater than that of Great Britain.
Such, nevertheless, is the case — there is no regular
police force. And yet, curious enough, perfect
order and quiet are maintained throughout the
island, without the moral restraint which our broad-
chested London police might inspire, or the fear
with which the presence of the sallow-faced serpen f
de ville would be regarded. The system adopted is
an improvement on that which was once common
in Europe, and must be fresh in the memory of
men still living.
The police of Java is composed of the towns-
people of each respective quarter of the town.
The different localities are designated by the
national names of the races by which they are in-
VOL. I. C
18 LIFE IN JAVA.
habited ; hence there is the Malay Campong, the
Chinese, the Arab, and, of course^ several Java-
nese Campongs ; and each of these quarters is
under the supervision and, to some extent, the
jurisdiction of the most influential man in his
neighbourhood, who is generally of Royal blood, or
very high standing, and distinguished by the titles
of Pangeran, Addipatti, Raden Addipatti, Reghent,
Tumungong, and the like. Under this official are
several officers, known, according to their respective
stations, as Paksal, Capalla, Pungooloo, Lora,
"Woedono, Mantrie, &c.
Some of those occupying the first-named office
have hereditary claims to the responsible situation
they hold; but if the son, when called to occupy the
seat of his father, prove distasteful to his fellow-
countrymen, or to the Government, he is obliged
to give place to another, named by the Resident, in
his stead.
The principal official over the Chinese is known
CIVIC OFFICIALS. 19
as the Capitan Cheena, and the sub-officers are
dignified by the name of Lieutenant. Like the
Tumungong, the Capitan is held responsible for
the good conduct of the Chinese population. The
Capalla, or head, in particular, is the machine, as
it were, which keeps the working parts " in order.
It is his duty to see that three men from his Cam-
pong are placed on the watch night and day — the
male members of every family taking in turn the
duty of watchman, which require their presences
for about twelve hours at a time. The Capalla
also visits the stations occasionally, to see that all
goes right, and reports accordingly to his superior.
He likewise supplies the night-passes to those who
are known to him as honest and trustworthy, with-
out which none can stir out of their campong
after eight in the evening. All delinquents are
brought first before him, and if their fault be
trivial, the juru talis, or clerk — seated crosslegged
on the ground, before a small, low, square box, on
C 2
20 LIFE IN JAVA.
which his writing materials are spread — notes down
the important features of the case, and the Capalla
disposes of the matter. But should the offence be
one of a serious nature, he shakes off all responsi-
bility by placing the whole affair in the hands of
the Tumungong, or Pangeran, who, in turn, if the
matter proves too intricate for him, sends it up to
the European magistrate, who settles it according
to Dutch law.
Simple as the whole machinery seems, it is
in our opinion worthy of admiration, and certainly
well adapted to native society. Every orang cam-
pong, or villager, feels a kind of responsibility for
the good conduct, not only of himself and family,
but also of his neighbour ; for every one who acts
in any wise unlawfully, lays himself open to be
reported, perhaps by his most intimate friend, who,
should he hesitate to give evidence against the
delinquent, loses caste at once with his fellow-men,
being considered as a conniver at his friend's mis-
THE GUARD O. 21
doings. Personal ambition also secures fidelity
in the discharge of this civic duty. If the sub-
official is at all an aspiring man, he feels that he
may entertain a hope of some day filling the
capallaship ; and thus, small as this ambition may
seem, it is frequently sufficient to stimulate a man
in the performance of his duties.
The system, on the whole, interested me not a
little; and knowing, as I do, something of our
possessions in the East, I regret that this admirable
plan of village government has not been adopted
in some of them. It would not only be a means of
curtailing local expenditure, but it would also
insure the safety of the subject, by bringing crimi-
nals to speedy justice.
A building connected with this police is the
Guardo, or guard-house, a small shed, with an
attap roof, open in front, and its three sides
walled in by poles fixed in the ground, and not
unfrequently also covered with attap. In some
22 LIFE IN JAVA.
parts of large towns, and chiefly in the interior,
these guardos are more substantially built ; having
roofs of tiles instead of attap, and brick walls in
lieu of rough hewn poles. Before this building
is a stand of arms, peculiarly Javanese, which,
though simple, I cannot pass over unnoticed. The
three implements which are seemingly indispen-
sable for constabular use are the bunday, the
kumkum, and the toy ah. The first is a short pole,
about four feet in length, upon the top of which
are tied two pieces of wood, so placed as to meet in
an acute angle, and open towards the ends, like
the distended jaws of an alligator; the resem-
blance being made greater by the addition of dried
stems of sharp thorns, tied on the two pieces of
wood, and looking somewhat like rows of teeth.
These effectually serve the purpose of detaining any
runaway around whose neck they are fixed, lacer-
ating the flesh to a terrible extent should he offer
the slightest resistance
POLICE ARMS. 23
The man into whose keeping the bunday
is confided is called upon to act on the escape
of a prisoner. In pursuing him he runs at full
speed, endeavouring to fix the instrument round
the neck, waist, arm, or leg of the pursued, who,
as soon as he feels the sharp thorns encircling
his body, generally comes to a full stop. Should
he prove, however, one of those determined ruffians
who are dead to all feelings of pain, another instru-
ment, the kumkum, is brought into play. This
heavy-looking weapon, which is of a very formid-
able aspect, consists of a bar of iron in the shape
of a small sword, attached to the top of a stave
some five feet long. The third of these singular
instruments is the toyah, which is as simple in its
construction as the use to which it is put is novel.
It is in the shape of a pitchfork, the points of which
are purposely made blunt. This is certainly the
most humane-looking of the three, and it is to be
hoped therefore the one first tried against the de-
24 LIFE IN JAVA.
linquent. The object for which it is used is that
of bringing the pursued down on his knees, and
thus effectually stopping his further progress.
This is accomplished by thrusting the open space
between the prongs against the knee-joint — from
the back of course — and so compelling the man by
the force and suddenness of the attack, to make
a genuflexion ; the result of which is, that he be-
comes an easy prey to the pursuer. In the in-
terior of some guardos there are other weapons,
or sunjata, such as the tomba, or long spear, but
none of them so ludicrously novel as those I have
just described.
A curious object, always to be seen near the
Guardo, is the Tong-tong, or Tok-tok, as it is called
from the sounds produced when it is struck, though
there is another name for it, which I have for-
gotten. This instrument is formed of a portion of
the trunk of a tree, from three and a half to four
feet long, and a little more than a foot in diameter,
THE TONG-TONG. 25
which is hollowed out perpendicularly the whole
way down the centre, to the depth of three or four
inches, commencing about four inches from the
top, and leaving about the same space below.
When suspended from a wooden stand, and struck,
as it is at each guardo, every hour during the
night, with a thick piece of wood, it gives out a
hollow sound, not only warning the villagers or
townspeople of the fleeting hours of time, but also
assuring the Capalla — should anxious fears arouse
him from his slumber — that his men are on the
qui vive. They are also sounded on occasion of a
fire, and as those at the different posts are struck
one after the other, the news of the disaster is soon
communicated to the whole town. Some of the
Tok-toks which I saw had been so recently cut
from the tree that the sprigs, soon to be hammered
and dried out, were still fresh and green on the
sides of the condemned trunk.
The day after our arrival, we, in accordance
26 LIFE IN JAVA.
with Dutch regulations, sent our passport to the
Wykemester, who is what we may term a kind of
European Capalla Campong. His duties, however,
are neither so heavy nor so multifarious as those of
his native counterpart. The office is, I believe,
honorary. An old resident in the district, who is
regarded with respect and esteem, is generally
elected to fill the post ; and he is usually sup-
posed to know each European resident within his
circuit, and also to be perfectly well acquainted
with their several professions and incomes.
Every visitor, on his passport being proved to be
en regie, is required to fill up a certain form which
is sent to him for the purpose. In this, together
with other questions of trifling import, he states his
profession, last place of residence, and what length
of stay he purposes making in Java. The over-
scrupulous and unaccommodating traveller often
regards this measure on the part of the Dutch as
" an infringement of personal liberty," &c. ; but
VISIT TO THE PUBLIC HOSPITAL. 27
there is, in reality, no more inconvenience atten-
dant on the system than at present exists in all
Continental hotels ; and though I am by no means
an admirer of such regulations, I see no reason why
we should kick against a rule which cannot in-
jure us individually, when it suits the Government
of another nation to adopt it for the better security
of its people.
If any European resident is anxious to leave the
locality in which he resides for another in the
town, he must acquaint the Wykemester with his
purpose a month before he intends carrying it
into effect, in order that that worthy gentleman
may have time to inform his brother Wykemester
presiding over the other district, of the arrival to
be expected.
Through the kindness of a friend, I obtained an
order to visit the public hospital, which occupies a
large space of ground in one of the European dis-
tricts. The road before the gate is lined on each
28 LIFE IN JAVA.
side by an avenue of flourishing young trees, and
the open plot of ground within the inclosure, near
the building, is planted thick with bushes and
shrubs, giving a pleasant air of cheerfulness to what
must ever be a dismal and painful retreat.
On entering, I presented my order, and was
desired by a young medical officer, in a most polite
manner, to accompany him. It is hardly necessary
to dwell long on a subject so well understood in
England; nevertheless, it may not be uninteresting
to give a slight sketch of this establishment, to
show how institutions of this description are man-
aged in these remote parts of the globe.
The hospital consists of several ranges of build-
ings, distinguished as first, second, third, and
fourth classes. The shape of each of these is ob-
long, and the floors in all are a few feet elevated
from the ground. Altogether they resemble the
bungalows of India. The ceilings are very lofty,
and they appeared to me to be very well venti-
THE BUILDINGS. 29
lated. In speaking of Dutch institutions, their
cleanliness scarcely requires comment, for we well
know none can surpass them in this respect.
One range of buildings is devoted to sailors,
soldiers, employes receiving small salaries, and
natives. The highest charge, including attendance,
food and baths, is four florins per diem, and the
lowest one florin — equal to Is. 8d. of our money.
Those who enjoy good salaries are expected to pay
additionally for attendance ; whilst the very poor
are exempted from all expense.
A separate range of buildings is set apart for
the medical officers, servants, &c; and several
rooms are furnished, and fitted up with all the
comforts of an hotel, for such bachelors as prefer
the quiet of the hospital, in case of sickness, to
the noise and bustle of a Batavian "logement."
These pay six florins a day, for which sum they
receive the first medical care, as well as every
attention and comfort required by an invalid.
30 LIFE IN JAVA.
An anatomical museum, in which there are
some objects of interest, and a library, are attached
to the hospital; connected with which are also
two medical schools for native students of both
sexes. The doctor pointed out to me about five
and twenty of the male students, who rose and
bowed very respectfully as we entered, and to
several questions which were put to them gave
most satisfactory replies. They struck me as hav-
ing a more intellectual cast of countenance than
the generality of Javanese ; though this may be
owing, as some philosophers say, to a constant
habit of study. The whole conversation was
earned on in the Malay language, as it is the
Dutch policy not to teach any native their own
tongue.
The Javanese, like the natives of India, are
fond of dancing spectacles, or notches ; and when
a "company" assembles in the street, or in any
compound or yard of a house, it arrests the steps
THE GAM ALAN. 31
of every passer-by. Hearing one day the sound
of the drum and other instruments outside the
gate, our friends at our request kindly sent a
servant to invite the players in. As may be con-
cluded, they lost no time in obeying the summons,
and were followed down the walk by quite a small
crowd from the opposite village, who, but a
moment before, would not have dared to trespass
beyond the entrance except on business. The
orchestra was composed of the Gamalan, consisting
of several gongs varying in size, and placed on a
wooden frame standing on four legs. These
gongs are struck according to the fancy of the
player, each producing a different tone. It is the
sweetest native musical instrument I have ever
heard, and is capable, I think, of being brought
to great perfection in the hands of a European
maestro. Beside this was a large gong, sus-
pended, like a gipsy's kettle, from three short
poles. There was also a drum, a large oblong-
32 LIFE IN JAVA.
shaped instrument, which the player, sitting cross-
legged on the ground, placed on his lap, using
the palms of his hands for drum-sticks. Lastly,
there was a kind of hybrid fiddle, awkwardly
made and roughly finished, called by the natives
Rabiq), the sounds of which were so faint, that
though I stood near and watched attentively the
fiddler, as he bent his head ever and anon to the
motions of the fiddlestick, apparently rapt in en-
chantment, I must confess I could not catch a
single note harmonious or otherwise.
The danseuse -was a plain-looking woman, with
a face of the ordinary Javanese type, coarse
features, high cheeks bones, and very large mouth,
disfigured with black teeth, which, however, they
consider a mark of beauty. Her feet were small,
as is the case with all of this race, both male and
female. Her hair was dressed in the usual manner,
tightly drawn back from the forehead, and rolled
in a large condo.y, or knot, at the back, through
JAVANESE DANCER. 33
which a large solid-looking pin, like a silver
skewer, was thrust ; whilst a few flowers of the
bunga-molor — a sweet-scented white flower — were
inserted between the knot and the head. The
skirt she wore, called by the natives sarong, was
fastened to the waist by a pindeng, or ceinture of
silver. A long cabaya, or kind of loose coat, with
sleeves to the wrist, formed her upper garment,
and reached below the knee, being fastened
together in front by two crocangs, or brooches of
silver, so as to leave a small portion of the chest
exposed. Beneath this, and attached to the sarong
by the pindeng, were no fewer than fourteen
handkerchiefs of different colours, folded corner-
wise and placed one above the other. Her move-
ments had some degree of natural grace. In one
hand she held a Chinese fan, which in the dance
she coquetted with as well as a Spanish donna
might have done ; whilst in some stages of the
performance she concealed her face beneath a
VOL. I. D
34 LIFE IN JAVA.
frightful mask, removing it occasionally with the
unemployed hand.
Her partner was more simply dressed, but cer-
tainly not with equal modesty, for his body down
to the waist was naked. His trousers were short,
and faded in colour, and he wore a coloured ker-
chief on his head, which concealed all his hair —
rolled like that of the woman in a knot behind.
On rising to dance, he threw a sarong over his
right shoulder, which partially concealed his body,
giving him a style, as the capote does to the
Matador.
I cannot say the combined performance of the
company inspired us with the wish to applaud.
The music was poor and unmelodious, and the
dances very monotonous. It was, however, highly
appreciated by their own countrymen and women,
who clapped their hands, and made loud and
hearty basoras, or cheers.
Jacatra is that part of the residency of Batavia
JACATKA. 35
to the east of the town, and the spot where the
English troops disembarked prior to marching to
attack the city in 1811.
It is said that a portion of Batavia itself stands
on the site of the old Sundanese capital, once
called Jacatra, or Work of Victory. At the pre-
sent time, the part known as Jacatra is a small
village, through which passes a good macadamised
road, planted on either side with pepul trees,
beyond which are numbers of small cottages or
bungalows — at the doors or verandahs of which
the traveller will see, as he passes in the cool of the
evening, the occupants — most of whom are small
salaried clerks — seated in their loose bajus and
baggy pejamas, enjoying the fragrant weed — to
them indeed the calumet of peace, after the toil
and turmoil of a city life. Further on to the left,
under the sombre shade of bread-fruit, jack, and
cocoa-nut trees, with its base almost concealed by
thorny bushes, there is a gate Availed up, the two
D 2
36 LIFE IN JAVA.
pillars on either side denoting that it was once a
place of ingress. Immediately above it is an
object somewhat resembling at the first glance a
cannon-ball, transfixed to the top of the wall by a
spear ; but on examining it more closely, Ave dis-
covered that the supposed cannon-ball was in
reality a human skull, all now remaining of one
Peter Elberfeld, thickly plastered over to protect
it from the influence of time and weather. Imme-
diately below the transfixed skull, we observed a
tablet, bearing the following long inscription in the
Dutch language :
" Uik eene verfoeyelyke gedachtenise tegen den gestraften
landverrader, Pieter Elberfeld, zal niemaud vermogen ter
dezer plaatse to boumen, Simmeren, metselem, planten.
iiu, of tenccurrige, dage. Batavia, den 22nd April, 1722."
The translation of this is as follows : —
" In consequence of the detested memory of Peter Elber-
feld, who was punished for treason, no one shall be per-
mitted to build in wood, or stone, or to plant anything
whatsoever in these grounds, from this time forth for ever-
more !"
PETER ELBERFELD. 37
The father of Peter Elberfeld — I subsequently
learnt from a friend, who recounted to me all he
knew of that individual's history — was a native of
Westphalia, " the land of hams," who had come to
Java for the purpose of making his fortune, and
who, on arriving in the island, had set up in busi-
ness as a merchant. After some time he formed
a connection with a native woman, by whom he
had six sons, the five elder of whom followed the
manners and European habits of their father ; but
Peter, the youngest, born in the year 1663, with
strange pertinacity, from childhood clung to native
ideas and customs, which subsequently led him to
become an enthusiastic and daring patriot. Hating
the Dutch, and all connected with them, looking
upon everything done by them as an injury to
those whom he regarded as his own people, he
resolved on the extermination of every foreigner
from the soil of Java, and directed all his thoughts
to the consideration of the time when, and the
38 LIFE IN JAVA.
means by which, he might best accomplish this
great object. Hearing of the disaffection of some
of the princes in the interior, he privately commu-
nicated his designs to them, endeavouring -to gain
their support to his bold and dangerous plans ; for
courageous though he was, Elberfeld could not
have dreamt of success in carrying out the scheme
he had formed, without the promise of assistance
and co-operation from men of more power and
influence than himself ; and he ultimately suc-
ceeded in gaining over to his side the two sons of
Pakoe Boewono, and several minor princes.
The Emperor Pakoe Boewono I., whose empire
of Matarram comprised almost a third of the
island of Java, died in the year 1719, and was
succeeded by his son Mangkoe Nagoro, under the
title of Hamangkoe Eaht II., who, but for a fortu-
nate circumstance, might have occupied the throne
of his fathers only for a very short time. Two of
his brothers, the princes alluded to above, growing
A NATIVE CONSPIRACY. 39
jealous of his ascendancy, and aiming at im-
perial power, allied themselves with Elberfeld
for the express purpose of dethroning him ;
making this condition, that if their designs suc-
ceeded, one of them should assume the title of
emperor, and the other that of sultan of some
small independent state cut off from Matar-
ram ; while Elberfeld should be raised to the
dignity of Sheik al Islam, or High Priest of all
Java.
The plan they adopted was a very bold one,
measures being taken by which the different
leaders might carry it out simultaneously. While
Elberfeld, with thirty thousand followers, was to
attack and blow up the town, and slaughter all the
European inhabitants throughout the whole resi-
dency of Batavia, the two young princes, with
their adherents, were to dethrone Hamangkoe
Raht, take possession of Matarram, and proclaim
themselves emperor and sultan.
40 LIFE IN JAVA.
Elberfeld's house was situated a short distance
from the gate, which opened on the road, and here
it was determined to hold the nightly meetings of
the disaffected chiefs and people, amongst whom
were several women.
Here members were sworn and enrolled, and all
the proceedings connected with this terrible plot
discussed, such caution being used to avoid detec-
tion that the conspirators never raised their voices
above a whisper ; and, were it not for the fortu-
nate circumstance before alluded to, there is not
the slightest doubt that some, if not all of the
Dutch inhabitants, and the adherents to the reign-
ing native Emperor, would have fallen by the
hands of their midnight foes.
Elberfeld had living with him a niece, a brother's
child, whom, at her father's death, he had adopted
and brought up as his own, separating her from
her brothers and sisters, and educating her as a
native. Meeda, for such was her name, whose
MEEDA. 41
mind and tastes, spite of the love she felt for her
uncle, inclined her to the European side, was very
beautiful, inheriting the fair skin of her grand-
father, with the dark eyes and locks of her grand-
mother, and could not help expressing the disgust
she felt for every suitor for her hand her uncle ap-
proved of. In her walks and drives she had fre-
quently observed a young Dutch officer attentively
regarding her, and this circumstance inspiring her
with the desire of marrying a European, she ardently
hoped that the young soldier would pay his addresses
to her, little doubting that she would be able to gain
her uncle's consent to such a union.
The Dutch officer had, indeed, frequently at-
tempted to speak to Meeda, but so closely was she
watched by her anxious relative, that, really aspir-
ing to be her suitor, he saw that his only chance of
obtaining her hand lay in openly demanding it of
the wealthy uncle. He accordingly did so, and his
surprise exceeded all bounds when he was informed
42 LIFE IN JAVA.
that no child or relative of Elberf eld's should marry
a white man ; and that, fondly as he loved his
niece, he would rather see her dead than the wife
of a Dutchman.
At once disappointed and exasperated, the officer
left the house, determined on defeating the views of
the uncle by some plan ; for though the lovers had
never interchanged words, their eyes had faithfully
interpreted those feelings of the heart by which
both were inspired.
Affairs connected with the conspiracy in which
he had engaged demanding Elberfeld's utmost
attention, and the vigilance with which he watched
Meeda being in consequence relaxed, it was not
long before the officer found opportunities to meet
his inamorata, and soon obtained her consent to a
private marriage.
Meeda, however, could not thus set herself in
opposition to her uncle without some conflicting
feelings. The remembrance of his uniform kind-
A GLEAM OF LIGHT. 43
ness to her, the thought of the sorrow her deser-
tion would cause him, often, in the solitude of her
room, banished sleep from her eyes, till long after
the other inmates of the house — as she thought —
had retired to their beds and mats. Still love
conquered every other feeling, and one night, when
she met her lover, she was induced to give him her
faithful promise in three days to become his bride.
The thought of her disobedience to her uncle
rendered her that night even more restless
than usual, and she was unable to sleep. It
was a warm sultry evening, and the air of the
room seemed to stifle her. Opening her window,
therefore, she stepped lightly into the small ve-
randah which was attached to her apartment,
where she remained for some time gazing into
darkness, for the air was thick, and the moon
obscured, By-and-by she was startled from her
reverie by a gleam of light apparently proceeding
from a lower window, which shed its rays across
44 LIFE IN JAVA.
the path ; a circumstance which in itself would have
seemed trifling, were it not succeeded by others of
a more suspicious nature. Meeda had only just
recovered from her momentary alarm, and had
settled in her mind that her uncle had business
which obliged him to sit up late, when, on look-
ing down again, she was surprised to see the
light on the path frequently obscured, as if by
some dark body passing over it ; and this occurring
again and again, she discovered, to her inexpressi-
ble surprise, that it arose from the entrance of
several men through the window from which the
light issued.
Meeda, who was a girl of no ordinary courage
and strength of mind, at once determined on the
course to pursue. Gaining her own room, she
proceeded noiselessly to cross the passage which
separated it from Elberfeld's, determined to ac-
quaint him at once with — as she imagined — their
danger. To her surprise, however, she found her
SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCE. 45
uncle's room empty ; and, by the light of the oil
lamp, she perceived that the pillow on the mat,
which her uncle, true to native taste, would make
his sleeping couch, had never been pressed that
night.
Quite perplexed as to what step to take next,
the bewildered girl regained her own apartment,
and probably would have remained there in fear
and trembling till daybreak, but for a footstep which
she heard cautiously stepping along the passage,
and which caused her again to venture forth to
watch unseen the movements of the man whom she
had dimly perceived entering the room of Elberfeld.
In a few minutes her vigilance was repaid ; the
door re-opened, and her uncle appeared within a
few paces of where she stood, shaded by a pro-
jecting wall, a paper in his hand, and a dark
sinister expression on his face. Meeda's first im-
pulse had been to rush up to him and acquaint
him with what she had seen, but second thoughts
46 LIFE IN JAVA.
determined her to wait and see what he was about
to do ; for the expression of his face filled her
with an undefined dread. Cautiously he stole
along the passage, and down the stairs, followed at
some distance by his niece, who carefully selected
the most shadowy side for her dangerous midnight
adventure, fearful lest a false step, or even a loud
breath, might betray her. Having followed El-
berfeld to that part of the house near which the
dining-room was situated, she found all in com-
plete darkness, all the night lamps having been
purposely extinguished — a circumstance which by
no means tended to lessen her apprehension that
something was seriously wrong. Her uncle,
meanwhile, had disappeared, and she stood ir-
resolute what next to do, when, her attention
being attracted by the sound of a door opened
gently, she perceived, to her astonishment, their
large dining-room dimly lighted, and full of people.
Perplexed and alarmed by this unexpected cir-
DISCOVERY OF THE PLOT. 47
cumstance, she was deliberating whether she ought
to proceed or retire, when the door was again closed,
and she was left in total darkness.
Resolved not to be baffled in the desire to pene-
trate this mystery, she groped her way to the door;
and determined to ascertain what was the secret
object of this numerous assembly at such an hour,
she placed her ear to the key-hole. It was some
minutes before she could catch any distinct word ;
but as her ear became accustomed to the whispers
in which the members spoke, it was not long before
she became acquainted with the nature of the plot
in which they were engaged ; and it was with in-
expressible horror that she heard her uncle himself,
addressing the assembly, name the day and hour
when every man, woman, and child of purely
Dutch parentage was to fall by the sword or by
fire. Putting her eye to the key-hole, she then dis-
tinctly saw every man in the room place his hand
on his kriss ; and after kissing the hand which had
48 LIFE IN JAVA.
touched the weapon, again perform the same cere-
mony with the koran. Horrified at what she had
heard and seen, Meeda turned from the door, and
in a very few minutes succeeded in finding her
way back to the lighted part of the house, and
from thence to her room, where, carefully fasten-
ing her door, she sat down to consider what step
she ought to take on the morrow.
Next morning, she contrived to write a letter
secretly to her lover, informing him of the whole
affair, only begging of him, if possible, to avoid
mentioning her uncle's name as one of the con-
spirators. The young officer, on reading this com-
munication of his mistress, was equally perplexed
and horrified ; for he saw no means by which he
could avoid naming the principal in a plot so
daring, more especially as it was at his house the
secret meetings were held. He therefore divulged
the whole matter to the authorities, who lost no
time in warning the young susuhunan (emperor),
THE CONSPIRATORS SURPRISED. 49
and their own agents in different towns, of the im-
pending danger ; at the same time advising them
on no account to allow any indications of the fact,
that the plot had been discovered, to become known
to the conspirators.
All, therefore, went on as usual till the night
preceding the one fixed for the massacre. On
that night nearly all the conspirators had met for
the last time to concert their final measures, " Be
ready an hour before daybreak," were Elberfeld's
parting words, as he stood by his door ready to
close it when the last of his accomplices had gone
forth. But already the troops sent out to secure
the conspirators had surrounded the house.
Before the last man had left their place of meet-
ing, a clashing of swords, and the loud report of
fire-arms, were heard. "We are betrayed!" cried
Elberfeld ; " escape those who can !'" This, how-
ever, was now impossible ; for even while Elber-
feld and his fellow-conspirators were debating in
VOL. I. E
50 LIFE IN JAVA.
fancied security, every place of exit had been care-
fully guarded by soldiers, and a strong body now
entered the house, calling on all to lay down their
weapons, and mercilessly cutting down every one
who showed the slightest sign of resistance.
It afterwards appeared there were several
females among the conspirators, most of whom were
smothered with pillows, a few only of both sexes
being pardoned, one of whom was a woman of
high rank in the court of Ilainanskoe liaht, called
Karta Dry a. Four royal princes, after undergo-
ing the penalty of having the right hand cut off,
were publicly beheaded ; but the most appalling
punishment was reserved for Elberfeld, the ring-
leader of this infamous plot. Like a second St.
Ilippolyte, his arms and legs were tied to four
horses, which, on a given signal, being vigorously
whipped, started in opposite directions, wrenching
every limb from his body. His head was after-
wards severed from the bleeding trunk, spiked
DUTCH VENGEANCE. 51
with a spear, and planted before the town gate,
while the dismembered trunk was drawn and
quartered. Not content even with this dire re-
venge, the Dutch razed the Eastern Rye House
to the ground ; the gate was walled up, and the
inscription I have already given was placed there.
The fixing of the ghastly head by a spear to
the top of the wall, at the spot where the gate had
formerly stood, and where Elberfeld had frequently
meditated on his dangerous plot, was the last act
of vengeance by which their European masters
hoped to transmit to future generations of natives
the fearful punishment with which they had visited
treason against their authority.
To this clay the ignorant natives will tell you,
with a very grave face, that on certain nights
ominous sounds are heard at this spot, and that
apparitions even have been seen by some people,
but never, the narrator takes care to add, by himself.
The brothers of Hamangkoe Raht were left to
e2
52 LIFE IN JAVA.
himself for punishment, and in return for the
service rendered to him by the Dutch, he begged
their acceptance, as a proof of his gratitude, of
certain lands on the confines of Matarram.
This conspiracy took place in the year 1722,
exactly a century after the one in 1622, mentioned
by Commodore Roggewein, who, on his arrival in
the country a few months after the event, was in-
formed at the same time of the plot, of the means
by which it had been discovered, and of the
punishment inflicted on all who had taken part in
it.
CHAPTER II.
THE CHINESE — EMPTY FLOWERPOT — ADVERTISEMENT — MUSEUM
— PORTRAITS — ON THE MOVE — OUR REES-WAGEN — BOY
DRAHMAN — WE LEAVE BATAVIA — BRIEF EXPLANATION —
SOME OF THE PASSENGERS, RADEN RIO AND RADEN MAS,
MAKING THEMSELVES COMFORTABLE — HOSPITALITY OF THE
DUTCHMAN — WHAT WE SEE EN ROUTE — SAMARANG HARBOUR
— THE CANAL — DRIVE TO TOWN — HOTEL — EVENING DRIVE —
RICE SAWAHS — RECEPTION.
55
CHAPTER H.
It is no difficult matter for a traveller in the East
to decide, amongst the various oriental nation-
alities that come under his notice, which is the
most active and enterprising. Enter what large
town he may, he finds the Chinese indefatigable
in their efforts to gain money ; success so far
crowning their endeavours that the more indolent
native of the soil is obliged to give way before
them. In Java, notwithstanding all the difficul-
ties the Dutch throw in their way, by levying con-
siderably heavier imposts on them than on any
other people, they " thrive," according to a simile
of their own, " like the lotus plant." To a certain
extent the severity of Dutch rule is beneficial to
the Chinaman, for unless he is made subservient
5() LIFE IN JAVA.
by a strong hand, he too frequently becomes so
impudent and insolent as to be utterly intolerable.
The Dutch must have been aware of this when
they introduced their system of mulcting the
Celestials, who, when they enter Java as settlers,
when they become citizens, and when they leave
the country, are heavily taxed by these unrelent-
ing masters. Spite of all, however, they get on
well — some as merchants and planters, others as
shopkeepers, the poorer of their countrymen con-
triving to gain a livelihood in the towns as
hawkers.
Their quarter in Batavia being near the city,
the very heart of business, is that which best suits
a Chinaman ; for in general he prefers the close
pent-up noisy streets of a town to the free pure
air of the country.
After the work of the day, the traveller will
find him seated on a cool stone bench under his
portico, indulging in the luxury of a very loose
CHINESE MEN AND WOMEN. 57
baju, which, being unfastened, exposes to view the
greater part of his chest ; and should he be a fat
man — the fatter he is, the more he is honoured by
his countrymen — a considerable portion of his
stomach, on which it is, to him, a luxury to feel
the coolness of the evening air. Most probably
also he will be found chewing the beetle-leaf and
nut — a habit which he has contracted from the
natives — or in drawing tobacco fumes through a
long thick bamboo pipe.
As Europeans pass in their carriages, China-
men rise, as a mark of respect — a striking con-
trast to their manner in Singapore and Penang.
The ladies in general associate more with their
husbands than they are accustomed to do in the
mother country, and are not usually considered so
shy — partly owing probably to the fact that they
are nearly all half castes, Chinawomen in general
having a great aversion to emigration.
The houses in which these industrious people
58 LIFE IN" JAVA.
live are nearly always two stories high, the spine or
chief beam of the upper roof turning up at the
two ends. The walls on two sides of the domicile
are generally what are termed dead walls, even
a single window to admit light or air being ex-
ceedingly rare. Two windows, however, are
placed in a plank wall in front of the house; and
immediately beneath them, lying horizontally on
the portico roof, often gapes an empty flower-pot,
the signification of which we found it difficult to
divine. If it had been a religious emblem, there
would probably have been one on each house. On
inquiry we were amused to find that it was placed
there as a kind of notice or advertisement, which,
being interpreted, meant — "A young lady is in
the house. Husband wanted." How would the
young ladies of England like to be provided with
a husband in this fashion? Not much, I suppose !
After all, in such matters custom is everything.
What would a Celestial say to some of those
MUSEUM OF ANTIQUITIES. 59
strange advertisements that sometimes appear in
our cheap periodicals ?
There are but few sights to be seen in Batavia.
The archaeologist will doubtless be interested by
a small museum of antiquities in the European
quarter of the town, where he will find many
relics of Buddhism, brought from the interior of
Java, Bali, and Madura, especially from the ruins
of Boroobodoo, Singasari, and Brambanan ; and
among the rest a group of Hindoo deities, found at
Bali, where, Mahomedanism having but few con-
verts, they are still worshipped.
There are also numerous kinds of weapons,
shields, chain armour, and other arms, used by
the natives of the neighbouring isles, and some
ancient urns, vessels, and jewelry.
The Governor's town palace, as we have already
mentioned, is now converted into public offices ;
all but one room, which is set apart for portraits
of the Governor-Generals from the first to Pahud,
60 LIFE IN JAVA.
who gave up office during the time we were in
Java.
During our short sojourn, the Dutch authorities
had become possessed of all the knowledge they
required respecting our position, u profession," and
destination ; all of which proving satisfactory, our
consul, without difficulty, obtained for us a pass
to enable us to leave Batavia, promising to forward
the permission to visit the Vorsten Landen, or land
of the native princes, as soon as my request to that
effect — then under the consideration of the
governor — should be granted.
Being informed that the hire of government
carriages was very exorbitant, and the discomforts
many and various, I was glad to hear of an oppor-
tunity of purchasing the very kind of vehicle we
needed ; and, accompanied by a friend, we went
to an auction, where I became the purchaser of a
cumbrous-looking but comfortable carriage, known
in that country as a Rees-Wagen. It stood about
OUR REES-WAGEN. Gl
four feet from the ground, and was entered by
means of three steps, which were afterwards folded
in a compact space immediately below the door.
There was sufficient room in the body of the
carriage for four persons, who, if they chose, might
with ease stretch themselves at full length. Under
the seats, boxes for stowing away provisions and
other desiderata were arranged. Behind was a
seat sufficiently commodious for two, and in front
a coach-box with equal accommodation. The
whole of the top, which was flat, was covered
with leather, as were also the front and sides,
that of the latter being so arranged as to admit
of being furled or unfurled at pleasure. Below
the back seat was a board for the lopers, or
whippers-up, whose duty we shall have an oppor-
tunity of describing more minutely hereafter.
Previous to taking our departure, we engaged
the services of a "boy," a euphonious term in
general use in the East, as " garcon " is in France,
62 LIFE IN JAVA.
for a full-grown man with a wife, and perhaps a
brood of little ones. His name was D rah man, and
he acted as my interpreter with the natives in the
interior, the language in which I communicated
with him being Malay.
All preparations for departure being made, my
kind friend had our Rees-Wagen conveyed on
board the S. S . Oenarang, in which we embarked
on the 4th of October, and left the harbour of
Batavia for Samarang and Surabaya.
Some people have asserted that, in order to see a
country well, you ought either to go by yourself,
or only with an intimate friend, but by no means
with a lady, who is more likely to prove an encum-
brance than anything else.
In nine cases out of ten, I doubt not but they
are right ; and as for travelling in Java, if vour
wife persisted in carrying about with her numerous
portmanteaux, band-boxes, carpet-bags, &c, &c,
you would certainly have little chance, in a Rees-
DEPARTURE FROM BATAVIA. 63
Wagen, of seeing much of the country. Fortu-
nately my wife had learnt by experience to avoid
all superfluities, and to carry with her only what
was actually necessary for the journey. Thus,
although some luxuries had to be dispensed with,
by which we might have been enabled to obtain a
more unalloyed enjoyment of the beauties and won-
ders of nature, yet, with a limited quantity of lug-
gage, and so spacious a vehicle, we had little in the
way of discomfort to complain of.
Our frequent changes from one steamer to
another since we left England having taught us
the method of shaking ourselves into new quarters
without much ado, we were not long in arranging
our things in the very limited space allotted to us
as a cabin ; after which we hastened up-stairs to
enjoy the breeze. Every available space on the
deck was crammed with a miscellaneous cargo, the
most prominent object being our own Rees-
Wagen, which, being covered over with matting,
64 LIFE IN JAVA.
to protect it from the inclement weather to which
it might be exposed, looked more like the wigwam
of an Indian chief than anything else. On all
sides were innumerable boxes, portmanteaux, and
flower-pots, with their drooping and almost
withered plants ; besides cages of birds, turkeys,
ducks, geese, and fowls, the latter keeping up a
constant chorus of recognition with the condemned
inmates of the opposite hen-coop. Baskets of
potatoes hung threateningly over the heads of
passengers in all directions, while plantains and
cabbages of a pale yellow hue swung to and fro in
clusters of four and live. Chinamen sprawled on
mats, smoking, and drinking insipid tea, without
sugar or milk ; Javanese sailors, in appearance
not unlike dressed-up monkeys, ran backwards and
forwards, climbing the rigging, and, at the shrill
whistle of the sarang, darting down again with the
speed of an arrow. Gentlemen's boys also were
constantly ascending and descending the cabin
JAVANESE PKINCES. 65
stairs with api for their masters. It was such
a scene of confusion as one sometimes sees in the
streets of Cairo, but without the tall camel or
the string of donkeys to force their way through
it. Gradually, however, something like order
began to appear. Boxes, cages, and flower-pots
were arranged to the satisfaction of their owners.
Yellow-faced Chinamen and bearded Arabs, listen-
ing to the suggestions of the mate, were at length in-
duced to subside into something like order; and the
man at the wheel, now able to see the ship's head,
could steer her with safety in her right course.
Amongst the passengers on board were two
Javanese youths, whose rich costume and numerous
retinue betokened persons of rank, and whom we
afterwards discovered to be princes. Many came
to see them off, and while the crew were raising
the anchor, the last farewells were said — the cere-
mony, which occupied a longer time than our
good-byes, being to a certain extent both novel
VOL. T. F
QQ LIFE IN JAVA.
and curious. Each one advanced in turn, and
taking the right hand of one of the princes in both
his own, the two stood a short time repeating some
words in whispers, after which they drew their
hands away, simultaneously, and kissed them.
Then shaking hands in the European fashion, they
came closer to each other, and once more say-
ing a few words, and kissing their hands, they
separated. Only a few of the more distinguished
visitors, however, took part in the ceremony ; the
others, who came within a yard of the princes, con-
fining themselves to a low and lengthy obeisance.
We soon learnt that these two princes were
Raden Mas and Raden Rio. The former, like
the Javanese in general, was of short stature; his
skin was very dark — almost black ; his eyes were
quick and restless, and his thick lips concealed
teeth of the hue of ebony. The general expression
of his face more resembled that of a Siamese than a
native of Java. His hair, almost the colour of
RADEN MAS AND RADEN RIO. 67
jet, was pulled backwards, and tied up in a large
knot behind, which, with a great portion of his
head, was covered with a kerchief of the favourite
blue. This style of dressing the hair struck me as
resembling that of the Cingalese, with this difference,
that the heads of the latter are always uncovered.
Being, as I was informed, a lieutenant in the
native regiment of his uncle^ Munko Nagoro, he
wore a military shako and uniform, all the appoint-
ments, except a richly ornamented kriss and scab-
bard which hung by his side, being such as are
worn in the Dutch service.
The other youth, Raden Rio, was the son of the
prime minister to one of the princes in Djokdja.
He was a young man of twenty, taller than the
generality of natives, with more regular features
than his companion, milder and finer eyes, but with
that which, according to Javanese ideas of beauty, is
altogether indispensable, equally black teeth. His
hair was dressed like that of Raden Mas, but, in-
F 2
68 LIFE IN JAVA.
stead of the blue kerchief, he wore one of batek*
with one corner left to hang slightly over his fore-
head ; and over this a blue velvet cap, similar to
those worn by jockeys, only that the brim pro-
jected more, and that on both sides, immediately
above the ear, were fixed two wing-like appendages,
made of the same material as the cap.
His jacket was of dark blue velvet, lined with
golden cloth, and embroidered with flowers of gold
and silver ; and underneath was a kind of waist-
* Batek, or Batey, is the name given to a cloth dyed in
the Island. A piece of white calico, cut out to lengths re-
quired for a sarong or salendang, is thrown over a frame of
of wood like a towel rail. Before this sits an old woman or
young girl, holding a portion of the cloth spread above her
knees, while with one hand she pours upon it boiling wax
from a small brass vessel like a miniature kettle. With
this she forms curious extempore designs of birds, beasts,
and flowers, leaving spaces between to receive the dye for
the groundwork. She then dips the cloth into some solu-
tion, and, after a saturation of some hours, it is exposed to
dry. AVhen the wax is taken off, the open spaces of the
cloth have assumed the black, blue, or red colour of the dye,
while those that were waxed over appear of a yellowish
white. A good batek salendang, three yards long by half a
yard broad, will fetch from two to three pounds.
a prince's COSTUME. di)
coat, of a lighter shade of blue, and, like an officer s
shell jacket, buttoned up to the throat with dia-
monds of the first water. His trowsers were of
black cloth, with a broad band of gold down each
side. The batek which he wore over all was of a
gaudy pattern, and was fastened to the waist by a
very rich silk scarf, worked with gold, from which
hung tassels of the same rich material. Into the
folds of this were thrust two krisses, one of which
was sheathed in a scabbard of gold, minutely carved
and profusely ornamented with filigree work, and
the other with a hilt of ivory, also exquisitely carved,
and studded with diamonds. From his neck hung
a massive gold chain of European workmanship,
to which dangled a bunch of charms, some of which
were little boxes containing perfumes and aromatic
preparations. Both princes wore shoes, in which,
as they slowly waddled rather than walked along
the deck, they seemed by no means at their ease.
His highness Raden Rio, after the steamer was
70 LIFE IN JAVA.
fairly off, began to pace the deck rapidly, but in
ten minutes or so slackened his speed, and finally
seating himself beside his companion, beckoned to
one of the attending Ganymedes to approach.
"Without a moment's delay, three small youths rose
from the lowly position they had assumed on the
ground, and advanced towards their young lord,
bowing most humbly, although, in consequence of
the motion of the vessel, this act of obeisance was
performed in a somewhat uncertain and tottering
manner. As they knelt before the prince, after
putting their hands before their faces as though in
the act of prayer, the first held before him a tumpat
syree, a kind of salver, or box of brass, fitted up with
numerous small partitions, and filled with no end
of things unknown to me ; the second a small brass
vessel, shaped something like an urn, containing
kapor, made from the ashes of burnt shells, which,
being moistened with water, is then left to harden ;
the third a brass tray, richly embossed, on which
CHANGE OF DRESS. 71
was a quantity of betel nuts, ready for chewing,
neatly enveloped in the leaf of the betel.
The prince, who was probably in a fanciful
mood, in consequence of the rolling of the Oena-
rang, preferred making his own buyera — as the
Spanish in Manilla call the preparation — and
motioned his friend to help himself, who, to save
himself the trouble of making any, took one of
those on the tray.
Neither of these royal personages remained long
en grande tenne. Followed by three or four valets,
they retired to their respective cabins, though cer-
tainly not more than one at a time could have
entered the limited space at their disposal, to assist
their masters in the operation of re-dressing. In
less than ten minutes they reappeared, stripped of
their finery, and apparently much more at ease in
their new dress, which, if- less costly than the
former, exhibited considerable variety of colour.
A loose silk jacket of rainbow tints, a long batek
72 LIFE IN JAVA.
sarong reaching to the ankles, heel-less slippers on
their naked feet, and the never-forgotten head
kerchief, constituted their new attire, in which, to
say the least, they looked remarkably cool.
I succeeded, without any difficulty, in intro-
ducing myself to Raden Rio, whom I found so
agreeable, that before long we became quite
friendly. He repeated to me some pantuns, native
verses, in Javanese, which, when I told him they
were quite unintelligible to me, he at once trans-
lated into Malay. They were mostly in a very
amorous strain, like all Eastern compositions of the
kind, and flowed in graceful melody. I also spoke
to Raden Mas, but he being of a taciturn disposi-
tion, only few words passed between us.
Raden Rio introduced me to the assistant resi-
dent of Djodjokerta, who, with his youthful daugh-
ter, had accompanied* the princes on their visit to
Batavia. We had good reason to feel thankful
for this opportune introduction, for, on learning
THE CHERIBON MOUNTAINS. 73
that it was our intention to travel through the Vor-
stenLanden,this gentleman, in the kindest and most
hospitable manner, invited us to pay him a visit.
Such an invitation to a complete stranger struck
me at first as curious, but in our subsequent travels
in Java, we discovered that this was no exceptional
case, as friends and strangers are equally welcomebe-
neath the hospitable roofs of the Dutch in that island.
In our four days' voyage there was little pretty
scenery to be seen. We rarely lost sight of the
coast, which from a distance seemed indented with
bays and inlets, and, after being very flat for miles,
gradually grew more and more hilly, till the Cheri-
bon mountains, with their forest of trees, appeared
in sight, forming a pleasing background to the
glaring white line of shore. The highest of these
mountains, Tagal, or Gunong Slamat — Blessed
Mountain — as the natives call it, is from ten to
twelve thousand feet above the level of the sea.
As we approached Samarang, the land became
74 LIFE IN JAVA.
again more undulating and defined ; ranges of low
hills appeared in the foreground, Avith here and
there a great mountain, like a gigantic fortification
commanding this Eastern sea. The view from
the harbour is very fine. The Oenarang moun-
tain in the distance forms an imposing object,
while to the extreme right towers the Gunong
Prau, a very high mountain, on the summit of
which it is said there are some remains of Hindoo
temples. The Sundara and Soembing, called by
the Dutch, from their proximity to each other, the
Two Brothers, are observed in the space between
these two mountains ; and far in the rear rise the
twin volcanoes of Murbaboo and Marapi, the latter
signifying " ejecting fire," and the former, if I may
judge from the termination "aboo," which in the
Malay means " ashes," and, I believe, has the same
signification in Javanese, " throwing ashes." They
are both from nine to ten thousand feet in height.
We arrived at Samarang after a voyage of not
ARRIVAL AT SAMARANG. 75
quite two entire days, and, spite of the attention
and kindness of Captain H , we could not regret
we were to land for a few hours. We therefore
ordered Drahman to secure a tambangan, or
passenger boat, which is shaped at the prow some-
thing like a Nile boat ; and with the few requi-
sites we deemed essential for so short a stay, we
entered the craft and pushed off for the shore. As
at Batavia, the shallowness of the harbour does not
admit of an anchorage within from two to three
miles of the mouth of the canal ; and besides the
inconvenience of being cramped in a small boat,
and exposed to a broiling sun, the unfortunate
traveller stands the chance of being swamped be-
fore reaching the entrance of the canal, where he
may see from afar the surf rolling in waves of foam.
We foresaw what awaited us, but we did not
care much for a little drenching. The motion of
the boat and the ducking in perspective only
amused us, much to the astonishment and annoy-
76 LIFE IN JAVA.
ance of our native servant, who apprehended
danger in every wave that drenched him, and
manifested his dislike in this strain : " Allah, Tuan,
angin eras, glombang basar, apa kana, Tuan, cluar
di capal ini ari ?" — " Allah, Master, how the winds
are blowing, and how high the waves are ! Why
did you leave the ship on such a day, sir I"
As we approached the shore our anticipations of
a cold bath were fully realized, for although we
received little more than a passing shower from
many of the waves that passed us, the last we were
exposed to overwhelmed us with such fury that
both my wife and myself were drenched to the
skin. The odours that exhaled from the canal as
we approached it were also anything but agreeable.
For such a wealthy and commercial town as
Samarang, which boasts of from six to seven thou-
sand fishermen alone, the passage, or artificial ex-
tension of the small stream whicli passes through
it, is so narrow as to be quite a disgrace to the
SAMARANG. 77
place — in fact, little more than a wide ditch.
When we entered it, it was filled with fishing
smacks, trading praus, cargo boats charged with
merchandise, rafts formed of bamboo, or huge
beams of wood ; in fact, with a multitude of in-
describable craft, displaying the versatile genius
of the natives of Samarang in nautical architecture.
Through this incongruous mass of shipping our
boat had to force her way, now coming in contact
with a vessel on one side, and now with one on the
other, till its sides must have lost some portion of
the scanty covering of paint they once possessed.
After a tedious pull of three hours, we reached
the boom, or jetty, a small tile-roofed shed,
situated to the right hand, and about a mile from
the sea. There the controleurs of fishing and
cargo boats levy a tax, and scrutinise both people
and things on their " entrance or exit." Close at
hand is the Custom-house, and on the opposite
bank are warehouses of brick and attap hovels,
78 LIFE IN JAVA.
forming a singular and grotesque picture.
Leaving the Custom-house, we entered a phaeton
and drove into the town. The road for some dis-
tance is embanked on either side, to protect it
from being flooded during the spring tides. Trees
are planted near the raised work of mud and sand,
and will probably soon form a pretty and shady
avenue.
A short drive brought us into the Javanese
campong, the houses of which are of attap, and
built in regular rows, each having its yard and out-
houses behind, with not unfrequently a neat garden
of vegetables in front. The small verandahs, the
windows, and other conspicuous parts of each
habitation, are ornamented with wood carving, an
art in which the natives of Samarang are con-
sidered great proficients.' In this neighbourhood
are many eating-houses, confectioners' shops, in the
veritable Malayan style, and several greengrocers.
As the boom is fullv a mile and a half or more
ASPECT OF THE TOWN. 79
from the heart of the town, we saw a good deal of
native out-door life during our drive. Some dis-
tance from the first Javanese campong, we came
to a second, which formed the commencement of
the town. It boasted of some red-tiled houses,
which gave it altogether a more substantial ap-
pearance than the attap campong we had just left
behind, and was evidently densely populated. The
shopkeepers seemed to include a sprinkling of
Arabs and Chinese, as well as natives of the soil.
The former, who are allowed to trade in this
quarter by day, withdraw at night to their own
campong. Among them were tin, brass, and
copper smiths, while others gained a livelihood by
wood-carving, or by the manufacture of those
broad-brimmed and conical crowned hats which the
Javanese wear. All were equally solicitous to in-
duce us to become the purchasers of some article
that might remind us of their skill and ingenuity.
Ponies, small as Egyptian donkeys, are driven
80 LIFE IN JAVA.
U-: i .■■"*•»
through the streets, with enormous bundles of
sticks on their backs, while the wood merchant,
clad with a loose pair of blue trousers, and jacket
to match, walks by their side, crying out at the top
of his voice, " Kayu api " — " firewood " ; his pony,
meanwhile, browsing on the refuse of pine apples,
sugar-cane tops, skins, and husks, with which the
ground is covered, much to his master's annoyance,
who belabours the spare-fed beast with many a
hard thwack of the whip, whenever he imagines he
has indulged in. these dainties too long.
We were now passing the European business
quarter — counting-houses, warehouses, and Gov-
ernment offices. There is a generally busy
look about the place, bespeaking activity and
prosperity in this old commercial city. We
stopped at last before the Heeren Logement, or
hotel, and on inquiry found, to our annoyance, that
it was full. After some deliberation, however,
the landlord decided on accommodating us, much
LOVELY SCENE. ^/L^-^SL 81
^MXt^-ki
to our gratification ; for otherwise we had no alter-
native but to return to the steamer, there being no
other hotel for Europeans in the place.
Having exchanged bur wet garments for dry
ones, we set to work to satisfy the inner man, and
then waited patiently till the heat of the day was
over. About five, we engaged one of the numer-
ous carriages stationed in front of the hotel, and
drove a short way into the country. After we
had passed through thickly-populated streets, in-
haling on our way different odours which made us
long for the interference of some such goddess as
Cloacina, we were glad to rest our eyes on the
bright o-reen fields and forest-clad hills. I think
one never more fully appreciates the country than
after a voyage, during which little else but sky
and water has met his gaze.
The scene we were now passing through was
peculiarly lovely. As far as the eye could see, a
fertile valley lay before us, well studded with trees,
VOL. I. G
82 LIFE IN JAVA.
and bounded by a hilly range at some distance.
Rice fields extended on all sides, in which men,
women, and children were busily employed in
planting the young paddy shoots.
Half an hour's drive through this vale of appa-
rent peace and plenty, brought us to the junction
of two roads, one leading to Sorondal, Oenarang,
and Ambarrawa (the fortified key of the inner
provinces), the other the high road to Batavia.
We took the former, but returned by another way
into the town. At a distance, we saw the hills of
Chundy, a pretty low range, so called from the
number of wells and rills near it. A mountain
elevating its bold head above the Chundy, is
known as Gunong Sampe, signifying, in Malay,
"reached."
The traveller in his journey through Java will
be struck by the means employed by the natives
for the cultivation of rice. Sawahs, or rice reser-
voirs, are always to be seen in the valleys, or at the
CULTIVATION OF RICE. 83
foot of hills, these situations being preferred on
account of the greater facility they afford for keep-
ing the fields under water. They are always so
arranged as to follow one another consecutively,
with embankments of mud around each. Situated
on a slope, they look from a distance — before the
paddy has attained to any height — like steps of
shining mirrors ; but a level view presents more
the appearance of a marsh or swamp. The highest
reservoir is fed from a spring by means of bamboo
pipes, and at one corner of each embankment
there is a small opening to conduct the water from
thence to the next reservoir, and so on to the
lowest ones. In the valleys, streams are deflected
as feeders, for the purpose of irrigation. During
the rainy season these contrivances are to a certain
extent unnecessary.
When the reservoirs are filled with water, the
husbandman ploughs his several fields, and then
selecting an ari slamat, or lucky day, he throws
g2
84 LIFE IN JAVA.
the paddy broad-cast over one or two fields, which
we may call nurseries. After the lapse of a month,
when the paddy has grown to the height of half a
foot, he cuts it out in sods, and separating the roots,
he plants them in sawahs, whose waters he has by
this time lowered considerably, leaving only such
quantities as will prevent the ground from
becoming hard and dry.
The country appears like an extensive pasture,
and numerous lanky rice-birds, with long necks,
and plumage white as snow, known as the Burong
Bangoo, are seen feeding on the numerous frogs
and vermin which abound in the district.
The hardest work of the husbandman is now
over, and for the two ensuing months he has no
other occupation, until he is summoned to gather
the rich yellow harvest by which his labour is
rewarded. The sight then is as merry and pleasing
as it is with us at home at harvest time.
In the course of our drive, we came to a hilly
A KECEPTION. 85
road between hedgerows and trees, beyond which
were open fields, but no voice of bird to charm us
with its song — a circumstance to be regretted amid
such a luxurious world of foliage. Further on, we
passed along the Bodjong road, or " west end " of
Samarang, with beautiful European -looking man-
sions on either side, before which were well-
trimmed lawns and parks studded with trees. On
the whole, we were well pleased with all we had
seen, and returned to the hotel when
" Day's declining light
Yielded her pale empire to the mourner, night."
Next day we accepted an invitation to a recep-
tion, as much out of curiosity as courtesy ; and
arriving at the house about eight, we found a
number of guests already assembled.
We took our seats in the verandah, which was
brilliantly illuminated with numerous candles in
girandoles, argand lamps and coloured globes
hanging from the ceiling. This illumination
86 LIFE IN JAVA.
among the Dutch colonists is understood as an in-
timation to friends and strangers of their being
" at home." All visits in Java are made during
the evening, and should the inmates feel indisposed
to receive callers, the front verandah or the recep-
tion-room is not lighted, in which case the visit of
any but the most intimate friends would be con-
sidered an intrusion.
After tea, while some of the company prepared
for the game of " vist," others engaged partners to
dance. Entering with many others into an inner
apartment, we soon became spectators to several
dances enlivened by a native band, who performed
European music con brio el con spirito. Most of
the gentlemen retired to don their white jackets
before the warm exercise of the evening com-
menced — a change sanctioned by custom in Dutch
colonial parties, and certainly more suitable to
active exertion in such hot weather than cloth
coats. The princes, our fellow-passengers, were
DUTCH GAIETY. 87
there, brilliantly ornamented with chains and dia-
monds, but taking no part in the dance ; they gazed
with a puzzled expression of face at the galops
and valses which afforded so much enjoyment to
others.
Refreshments were handed round about mid-
night, soon after which the guests retired ; but on
grand occasions, daylight often pales the burning
lamps before the dancers can make up their
minds to depart.
As the Dutch are in general very gay, seldom a
night passes but you hear the booming of big
drums close to your hotel, or in the distance sound-
ing like random guns. The waste of parchment,
we should think, must be great ; for even on Sun-
days the noise of merriment, so far from ceasing,
becomes if anything even more deafening than on
the six preceding days. We were allowed but a
few days to rest in Samarang, during which time
we were unable to see Oenarang, a pretty little
66 LIFE IN JAVA.
town, situated some fifteen or twenty miles
off, at the foot of the mountain Oenarang,
in the midst, we were told, of charming
scenery.
As we passed through the canal on our return
to the steamer, we found it even more crowded
than before. There seemed to be several craft of
a more bulky description, whose sides were inno-
cent of paint; whilst the basket work and bamboo
erections on deck, doubtless a feeble imitation of
something in our saloons and cabins, threatened
every minute to overtopple and crush the greasy-
looking natives below, who, for want of better em-
ployment or amusement, were occupied, in dif-
ferent parts of their floating home, in examining
minutely each other's flowing tresses — men as well
as women — proclaiming ever and anon, by a dex-
terous movement of the finger and thumb, the cap-
ture made ! — the victim slain !
As the sea was calm, we reached the vessel
DEPARTURE FOR SURABAYA. 89
in much less time than we had taken to come
ashore, and were soon steaming away for Su-
rabaya.
CHAPTER III.
LEAVE SAMARANG HARBOUR FOR SURABAYA — ENTER THE
STRAITS OF MADURA — ORAXGE FORT — GRESSIK — SURABATA
— VISIT TO THE DOCKS AND ARSENAL — MONUMENT TO
ADMIRAL VAN DEN BOSCH — FORT — IRON FOUNDRY — DRIVES
ABOUT SURABAYA — THE GODOLDOK — TALE OF TYRANNY AND
OPPRESSION IN BYGONE TIMES — PUBLIC GARDENS — ARTIL-
LERIE CONSTRUCTIE WINKLE — OUR HOTEL — LIFE IN IT.
93
CHAPTER III.
From Samarang the coast-line is flat and receding,
but when we reached the province of Japara it
rose abruptly in a mountainous range.
Next morning the Madura passage opened be-
fore us. To our right we had the well-wooded
coast of Surabaya, and to the left the Island of
Madura, which is hilly, and apparently well wooded.
Like the opposite coast it is indented with inlets
and bays, and its harbours are considered to be the
most protected in Java.
The Orange fort next appeared in view, present-
ing in the distance the appearance of a white line
above a dark basement. This fort was built by
the redoubtable Governor Daendals, as a prison
for refractory soldiers ; but Ambarrawa, from its
*#
94 LIFE IN JAVA.
elevated position, being considered a more salu-
brious locality, and therefore more desirable as a
place of confinement for the military in that
climate, the prisoners are kept there instead.
When we had left this fort far behind we saw
the prettily situated town of Gressik, the harbour
of which is very deep and safe. The town, which
lies partly near the margin of the sea, and partly
on the slopes of the hills, is not unlike Torquay
from a distance. It carries on a large trade with
Batavia in teak, which grows plentifully in the
neighbourhood, several vessels being chartered by
the Government, or Handel Maatschapij, for this
purpose. There is also a salt factory in the town,
the produce of which is a Government monopoly,
and another in the village on the opposite coast of
Madura.
The Arabs, under an Islam missionary, landed
on the site of Gressik on their apostolical expedi-
tion, and from thence penetrated into the interior,
GRESSIK. 95
converting and trading as they went, and finally
waging war, acquiring dominion, and establishing
Mahomedanism almost throughout the entire island.
One of them, Maulana Ibrahim, died here in the
year of Salivana 1334 (a.d. 1412), and his tomb
lies a short distance from the town.
As we approached Surabaya, the hills of Gressik
gradually diminished in height, and low marshy
ground succeeded the picturesque mountainous
district we had just passed. The change of
scenery on the coast was far from agreeable, but it
was some compensation that the hills and moun-
tains in the interior, covered here and there
with patches of vegetation, gave variety and
beauty to a landscape that otherwise would have
been totally uninteresting.
Like Batavia and Samarang, the town, being
situated above a mile inland, is not visible from
the sea. A river, embanked like a canal, has to
be ascended for some distance before reaching it.
96 LIFE IN JAVA.
Here, as everywhere else, the Dutch propensity for
canals is remarkable. The one here is, in every re-
spect, superior to those we had previously seen,
being from eighty to ninety feet in width, and
walled on both sides with solid stone work. To
the left, facing the sea, is a raised battery, which,
like some of ours in the East, being grown over in
many parts with grass and moss, presents a most
peaceful aspect. Between this battery and the
canal are five or six large brick sheds, from whence
issue Vulcanic sounds of all descriptions — the
hammering of boilers, the hissing noise of steam,
the constant whirr of machinery, and all the noises
usually heard about an iron foundry. This, as
we were informed, is the Government arsenal.
The ground on which it stands was formerly a
complete swamp. By order of the Government,
the mud Avas dug out to a depth of fourteen feet,
and the space filled up with sand and concrete.
Ground to the extent of from fifteen to twenty
NEW DOCK. 97
acres was gained by this means, and that which
was not required for the arsenal, was built over
with low bungalows for the accommodation of the
workmen and their families. Behind the arsenal
and bungalows is a large dock, which is of great
service to the owners of shipping, as, prior to its
construction, they were compelled to send their
vessels to be refitted or repaired at Singapore,
Calcutta, or Whampoa. Now, fortunately, they
are no longer subjected to such expense and trouble,
as they are altogether independent of any port but
their own.
Our tambangan was towed up to the town by
two men, who dragged us onwards at a pretty
quick rate. We passed on our way a large native
village called Pandurang, built on reclaimed land ;
and in less than an hour reached the steps leading
to the Marine Hotel, under the roof of which we
were glad to seek shelter from the piercing rays of
the mid-day sun.
VOL. I. H
98 LIFE IN JAVA.
The next morning, at half -past six, I accom-
panied Capt. H to the arsenal and docks. The
air was cool, and the breeze, which blew in our
faces as we rowed down the river, was very re-
freshing and agreeable. We visited the docks
first, entering them by a wide and deep passage.
Men of war, as well as merchant ships, in the
cradles adjoining the basin, were groaning under
the blows of countless hammers, while their sides
were undergoing the process of caulking and
coppering.
We were next shown through the various sheds
previously alluded to, which are kept scrupulously
neat and clean, the first six being of brick. All
the workmen are Javanese. There are also several
supplementary sheds at the service of Government
in case additional working room should be re-
quired, some of them being used as depots for
boats.
Any one who has observed the regularity and
ATTAP OR BUJOK TREES. 09
system with which all our naval establishments are
conducted will be pleased to see a counterpart of
them, on a smaller scale, here in the far East.
Beyond the bungalows of the superintendents,
facing the sea, there is a monument encased with
iron, cast at the naval arsenal. It is surmounted
with a large gilt ball, and was erected by the naval
officers of Surabaya, in memory of General or
Admiral Van den Bosch, whose exploits are repre-
sented on its four sides.
On our way back we passed some swampy
fields, in which w T e saw r the Attap or Bujok trees,
which grow to an inconsiderable height, and
spread their branches only a few feet above the
ground. The leaf, which struck me as not unlike
that of the palm or cocoa nut, is extensively used
for thatching the roofs of houses. The root,
somewhat resembling a small cocoa nut in shape,
contains an esculent kernel, often preserved in
sweet-meats or pickles.
II 2
100 LIFE IN JAVA.
Capt. H next took me to the Fort, which is
situated in the town, and surrounded by a fosse,
well supplied with water from the river Kedirie.
The walls are of considerable thickness, and,
like all the Dutch forts I have seen out here,
washed over with a kind of slate colour. The
European soldiers occupy the upper rooms, and
their native brethren those below, a small detached
building serving for recruits before they are
drafted into their respective regiments. There
are several subterranean passages beneath the
Fort ; one conducting to some quarter beyond the
town, and others to different adjacent redoubts or
mounds, thrown up a short distance from Sura-
baya, during the time, I believe, of Governor-
General Janssens.
The small Fort, which originally stood on the
site of the present one, fell, during the occupation
of Java by the French, into the hands of the
English under Gillespie.
GOVERNMENT FOUNDRY. 101
Outside the gates were a number of Javanese
women, waiting to charm the poor soldier with
their wiles and graces, and rob him of his wretched
pittance. The women of doubtful" character seen
within and without the Dutch forts are a disgrace
to the otherwise well-regulated system of Dutch
military Government. Dutch soldiers, being dis-
couraged from taking wives out with them,
on the plea that the promotion of married men
does not follow so rapidly as that of those who
are single, form despicable unions ; and the dege-
nerate progeny that springs into being lead a kind
of hybrid existence, and are regarded in an indif-
ferent light both by Europeans and natives.
We next went to the Government foundry,
built near the river. It is an extensive building,
and gives employment daily to three hundred
Javanese, besides a large number of convicts.
One of the foremen asked us to look at a Nasmyth's
hammer, which was just about to commence oper-
102 LIFE IN JAVA.
ations, and we accompanied him, more from curi-
osity to see what the natives thought of the
novelty, than from any desire to see the instrument
itself. When the ponderous hammer descended,
crashing a block of wood to pieces, and scattering
the fragments about, they seemed to regard such
an exhibition of mechanical power with unfeigned
terror; but their fear soon changed to astonish-
ment when they saw it once more rise and descend
with all the gentleness of a lady's hand. Had
they been ignorant of the power of machinery,
they would doubtless have attributed its operations
to some unseen evil agency.
One of the greatest luxuries of Eastern life, is
the evening drive, which every one who can afford
it looks forward to as an indispensable pleasure
after the heat of the day ; and, in our opinion, it is
more conducive to promoting a good appetite, than
the orange bitters and kirschwasser awaiting you
on the round tripod in the hall. It was during
RIVER SCENE. 103
our evening drives that we saw most of Surabaya
and its environs, going each day in some new
direction, till we had exhausted all the sights of
the place.
Surabaya is surrounded by the river Kedirie,
which takes its rise from a marshy lake in the
interior of the province of Kedirie. When about
three or four miles from the town, the river divides
into two branches — one flowing northward, known
as the Kali Mas, or Gold River ; and the other to
the south, the Permeang, the name, I believe, of
some mythical goddess. By day and night these
rivers present a very animated scene, but par-
ticularly at night, when the boats, with which they
are crowded, rough-looking things in broad day-
light, have the lanterns, with which the mast and
stern are hung, brilliantly lighted; whilst the
bamboo, which grows near the water, is covered
with myriads of fire-flies, looking like dark ostrich
plumes studded with gems.
104 LIFE IN JAVA.
The natives like to sit and enjoy the cool night
air on the banks ; and as evening is the most favour-
able 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 repeat-
ing 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 sound-
ness 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
CURIOUS STORY. 105
kriss ; but feeling too fatigued to return in search
of it, he approached a woodman busily at work,
and begged him to seek it for him. The latter
obeyed, and while he was absent, the priest and
his servant, sitting on the clump of a forest tree,
refreshed themselves with some food which they
had brought with them. Some hours having
elapsed without the return of the messenger, the
priest began to feel uneasy at the prospect of not
completing his long journey before nightfall, and
despatched his servant in quest of the woodman.
The former had not proceeded far, when he met
the messenger returning with the kriss. As his
master had given him strict orders not to come
back without it, he requested the woodman to
deliver it to him ; a request which the man,
who anticipated a reward for his services, refused
to grant. The consequence was that a violent
altercation took place, ending in the death of
both.
106 LIFE IN JAVA.
The story, told in the following manner, serves
as a sort of mnemonic aid to the young Javanese
learning their letters :
Ho no tjo ro ko — lie sent them both.
Dho to so wo lo — Who fell out and quarrelled.
Po do djo jo njo — They were equally courageous.
Mo go bo tho ngo — Both were killed.
The cemetery is fully three miles from the town,
beyond the village of Penellay, in passing through
which we were struck with the number of houses
with long bamboo poles before them, and a stick
fixed at right angles on the top, from the end of
which was suspended a circular cage containing the
Moro-bo, a beautiful small grey dove, with lines upon
the breast like those of a shell parrot, or Australian
love-bird. The Moro-bo is a household pet ; and
is almost venerated by the Javanese, who consider
their Dii Penates incomplete without one of them
to charm away the " evil eye " with its sweet song.
Almost opposite the Resident's house, but some
distance from it, a green, or meadow, lying between
GODOLDOCK. 107
them, is the little village of Tagassan, within
a few yards of which is placed a huge figure,
called Godoldock, seated cross-legged, a cir-
cumstance which would lead one to suppose that
it must represent some Buddhist deity, though
many of the natives insist that it is the effigy of a
Chinaman who suffered death for offending some
former governor. A short inspection will soon
prove that the latter idea is erroneous, for neither in
dress nor feature has the figure the slightest re-
semblance to anything Chinese. That it has been
brought from one of the many temples formerly
devoted to the worship of Buddha, to serve as a
monument to the unfortunate offender, is no un-
likely story ; though the removal of so ponderous
an object must have been a work of no small
labour.
It is well known that Mahomedans in general
have a great objection to carve any large figure in
stone, being fearful that on their death the weight
108 LIFE IN JAVA.
of it will retard their progress to heaven. The
figure is now highly coloured, the face being nearly
all red, the eyes, eyebrows, and moustache black,
and the forehead yellow. Over the shoulder is
thrown a scarf — which unquestionably proves its
Buddhist origin — gaily painted, so that, in place
of the pure cold stone, the figure is now positively
illuminated with gaudy hues.
The tale of cruelty and oppression to which I
have already alluded may be related before I pro-
ceed further. The road immediately before the house
of the Resident is called Cobang, and that which
branches from it, about a quarter of a mile farther
on, goes by the name of Simpang. All this part
once belonged to a wealthy Chinaman, who re-
sided with his family, about the middle of his pos-
sessions, in a house which he had built after his own
fashion. Chogius, who was at that time Governor-
General of Java, lived in Surabaya, which, as all
well know, was formerly the seat of Government
TYRANNICAL GOVERNOR. 109
instead of Batavia. Thinking the estate of the
Chinaman a most desirable situation for a resi-
dency and hospital, he determined to make a con-
siderable offer for it, quite convinced that nothing
would induce the Chinaman to give it up unless it
were greatly to his advantage. Accordingly,
Chogius sent a message to inform the possessor of
the coveted property that the Government required
his estate, but would pay him more than double its
value for it. To this overture the Chinaman
coolly replied that he did not wish to sell his
estate for any money whatever ; that he meant to
live in it during his lifetime, and leave it to his
children after his death. The Governor, nothing
daunted in his selfish resolve, determined to send
for the man and see what a personal interview
would effect.
On his entering, Chogius thus accosted him :
" Why do you thus stand in your own light ?
Do you not see how much you would gain by ac-
110 LIFE IN JAVA.
cepting the offer I make you in the name of the
Government?"
" Yes, sir, I see that ; but no money could com-
pensate me for the loss of the property on which
I have spent so much time and thought. I am now
old, and could not, during the few years left me,
bring any other piece of land I might purchase to
suit my taste as that does. There are other estates
you can purchase, larger than mine, and for which
their owners would gladly take their just value ; I
pray you, sir, turn your attention to some of these,
and forget mine." This the poor landholder said
in fear and trembling, for he well knew how un-
important was even the fact of his possession in
these days of absolute power.
" No, no, man, all this is nonsense ; I sent for
you here not to inform me of other estates, but to
tell you the advantage of taking the price offered.
And as you are obstinate, I must now warn you that
it is not with ordinary individuals vou are dealing,
a chinaman's revenge. Ill
but with one who speaks in the name of the Govern-
ment. Once more I ask, will you change your
mind ? Will you accept the offer I have made ?"
The Chinaman made no reply, but stood — his
lips tightly pressed — the picture of mute deter-
mination. Probably his silence irritated Chogius,
who, taking two cents from his pocket, threw them
on the table before him, saying,
"There, as you will not take what I have
offered you, and refuse to name any price, in the
name of the Government I give you a coban ' ?
(or cobang) — a common name for two cents in
Java — " and I will simpang " (rightly simpan, or
keep) " your estates."
Disgusted, mortified, and overwhelmed, the poor
man left the room, inwardly determining, as life
was now of little value to him, to risk it in his
desire for vengeance on the haughty and tyrannical
governor.
At that time the Dutch exacted from every
112 LIFE IN JAVA.
native the most humiliating obeisance, compelling
them, immediately on the appearance of any Euro-
pean, to squat on the ground, and uncover their
heads. This act of humiliation, whatever might
be the consequence, the Chinaman resolved to
omit whenever he happened to meet Chogius.
The first time, therefore, that cries of "the
governor! — the governor!" were heard in his pre-
sence, in the most crowded street in Surabaya, he
boldly stood up with his head covered in the midst
of the crouching Javanese, and other natives.
The governor, observing this act of disobedience,
was infuriated, and fearful of the effect such an
example might have on the minds of the high-
blood Javanese — who all sympathised with the
Chinaman suffering under the cruel oppression
to which he had been compelled to submit — sent
a messenger to order the man immediately to sit
down.
" No, no — tell your master,*' said the poor old
WANT OF PUBLIC GARDENS. 113
man, quivering with rage, " he will have to kill
me first before I'll do that."
" Very well," replied the governor, as the man
delivered his message, " we'll see."
That night the Chinaman was a prisoner, and
the next day he paid the penalty of his rashness
with his head.
One great want in Surabaya was the paucity of
public gardens — a deficiency, however, which none
endeavoured to supply ; and those who had been
cooped up in some heated office all day, w r ere com-
pelled by necessity to take the cool evening air on
the roads about the town.
A short time previous to our visit, the Sura-
bayans were gratified by seeing this want supplied.
A whole village was razed to the ground, and the
space, probably from twelve to fifteen acres, when
cleared of the rubbish, was laid out in walks, by-
paths, lawns, and flower-beds ; which, together
with the old trees that had been left standing, soon
VOL. I. I
114 LIFE IN JAVA.
assumed the appearance of a beautiful garden, with
a river running on one side of it, to enhance the
cheerful beauty of the place.
This work had been accomplished by two gentle-
men, residents in Surabaya, who obtained permis-
sion of the municipal authorities to carry out their
scheme, on condition that suitable dwellings should
be provided for the villagers; and that, if it proved a
failure, a new village should be erected where the
former one had stood, and that solely at their own
expense. Though still unfinished at the period of
our visit, the works were so far advanced as to
enable the inhabitants to enjoy the boon of so
pleasant a retreat near the crowded town. We
were agreeably surprised, on visiting it, to find
how much had been made of such a limited space.
Shrubberies, ponds, aviaries, were to be seen in
all directions ; suspended from the trees, were
perches, with bright-coloured parrots, sheltered
under parasols of tin, gaudily painted, to protect
MILITARY ARSENAL. 115
them from the sun ; and by the side of these were
wire baskets of fragrant orchids. When I was told
what this place had been a year ago, I seemed to
realise the Arab tale of Sheddad's garden spring-
ing from a desert.
The Artillerie Constructie Winkle, or Military
Arsenal, is situated in the town, not far from the
Hotel, or Ilerren Logement. I will not weary the
reader with a description of what they may sec in
our own arsenals. Suffice it to say that most of
the men employed are soldiers, who offer their work
voluntarily, and for it receive an additional allow-
ance; and that the army, with the exception of fire-
arms and guns of a large calibre, is supplied with
all necessaries from this establishment.
Our hotel was a fine spacious building-' — that is to
say, the house itself; but so anxious had its proprie-
tor been to increase the number of dormitories,
that almost every available space in the yard be-
hind was crowded with small out-houses, like
I 2
116 LIFE IN JAVA.
stables, thus preventing the circulation of air.
These chambers, too, were intolerably hot, from
being so near the roof. We were unable to pro-
cure accommodation in the large house, for the
hotel was crowded ; and as many business-men
make it their permanent residence, they, of course,
had the choice of the coolest rooms. It was quite
an amusing sight of an evening, in our "row," to
see all our companions in misfortune turning out
of their close rooms to sit outside the door, the
ladies fanning themselves, or having it done for
them, and the gentlemen in the cool neglige toilette
I have before alluded to. As to sleeping at night,
that was next to impossible, for with the tempera-
ture at ninety and ninety-five degrees Fahr., and
mosquitoes thick as bees round a hive, it was
not likely there could be much rest for anyone.
Between six and seven in the morning, whether
outside courting a little fresh air, or sipping weak
tea and eating cold boiled esigs within your
LIFE IN JAVA. 117
quarters, the first cry which greeted your ear was
"Api! api !" (light! light!) quickly responded to by
"Ada! Ada!" from several small boys, whose chief
occupation seemed to be running about from room
to room, with a long cord of twisted cocoa-nut
fibre, flaring at one end, and shouting responses in
a broken and shrill treble voice.
From eight to nine everyone bathes, a
luxury nowhere better understood than in Java ;
after which they dress for the business of the day,
whatever that may be. At twelve, the breakfast
is served (nominally so, of course), and all the
inhabitants of the hotel, and those absentees who
can leave their offices, assemble in the long dining-
room, where we unsophisticated foreigners gazed
with astonishment at the alarmingly rapid manner
in which the Dutchmen ate their meals, gobbling
them up as though they were eating for a wager,
and calling " Api !" long before we could get
through a quarter of that which was on our plate.
118 LIFE IX JAVA.
After this hearty meal, those who can, retire for a
siesta, and those who can't return to work. At
four p.m. tea and cakes are brought round to the
several rooms, and then another bath is taken,
followed by the evening drive.
As we made our way out of the hotel, and
passed along the streets, we saw smokers in all
directions, puffing most vigorously. When it is
dark, dinner is served, and the same hurried scene
of eating takes place, followed by calls for " Api,"
which resound on all sides before your first course
is removed, the smoke mingling the while with the
rich savour of European and Oriental dishes.
CHAPTER IV.
TO PASSEROEWAN — POSTAL ARRANGEMENTS — STATIONS — BRIDAL
AND BASUNAT PROCESSIONS — FOOT PASSENGERS — PASSEROE-
WAN — DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWN — JOURNEY TO TOSARI —
TEMPORARY VILLAGE — PASSANGRAHAN — WILD BOARS — UN-
TAHS — MALAY LEGEND — A YAM ALAS — KENG KIN — COOTHOO-
KAN — PROCEEDING UNDER DIFFICULTIES — ARRIVAL AT
TOSARI — " ASPERSHE" — NOVEL MODE OF COOKINCi BROMOK
— DESCRIPTION OF SAGARA-WADI, OR SANDSEA — VOLCANO —
CRATER.
(
121
CHAPTEE IV.
By the suggestion of some friends our carriage was
arranged comfortably for the coming journey. A
large flat matting, made of attap and bamboo,
which is considered an indispensable addition for
protection from the heat, was laid on the top, mak-
ing the interior as cool as possible for those
travelling during the middle of the day, which is
frequently unavoidable. When we were told that
everything was quite ready, we arranged matters
for starting and retired, ordering the four horses
to be at the door of the hotel by five next
morning.
Unfortunately for us, who were anticipating the
morning's drive in the coolest hours of the day,
the man who had promised to waken our boy
122 LIFE IN JAVA.
forgot to do so, and we were thus thrown one hour
behind time.
" Never mind, might be worse," Avas our re-
flection, as we took our seats in the vehicle ; and,
after a hurried good morning to our host, who
begged, if we again came to Surabaya, we would
honour his hotel, we told the coachman all was
ready ; and he, as impatient to be en route as his
restive steeds, cracked his long whip, which was
twelve feet from the handle to the end of the cord,
and we were off. Two lopers armed with short
whips ran abreast of the horses, crying out in their
native language, at the top of their voices, " Make
way ! make way !" and every now and then lashing
the animals with their whips. This game, however,
could not last long, especially as we were going
at a pace of twenty miles an hour. So when we
had cleared the town, these noisy individuals
mounted the stand behind our boy, where they
stood, clinging to the carriage on each side, and
ROAD TO PASSEROEWAN. 123
uttering wild boots and lives whenever the horses
slackened their speed. These lopers are a dis-
agreeable necessity, as they keep up the pace of
the horses, like Cairo donkey-boys, by the terror of
their voices and whips.
The road from Surabaya to Passeroewan is a
good level one, from thirty to thirty-five feet in
breadth, with smaller roads on each side for carts
and pedestrians. These are separated from the main
road by embankments, which, however, continued
only for a short distance. As we got farther into
the country, one road was made to serve the purpose
of all, conveyances, vehicles, equestrians, &c. Ta-
marind, pepul, and jatty, or teak trees formed a
delightfully shady avenue the whole way.
Fields of Neela (Indigo) Paddy, plantations of
sugar-cane, and orchards with Bananas, Mangus-
tin, Pulassan, and Rambutan, were seen here and
there on all sides, with mountains in the distance,
the view of which filled the gaps between the trees.
124 LIFE IN JAVA.
There are seven posts between Surabaya and
Passeroewan, each calculated to be about ten miles
apart from the other. We generally took half an
hour to drive from post to post, the horses going
at full gallop all the way, and as they were relieved
by fresh ones at every station, our ride was, as
may be imagined, rapid, agreeable, and exciting.
The coucer seldom exerted his voice with shouts
like the "Vous en! allez — diable ! — sacr-rre!" of the
French diligence driver, or the " Anda ! Mariano
anda ! " of the Spanish cochero, but used his whip
freely, not on the poor beasts, but on the air, pro-
ducing such long and repeated volleys of cracks
as none but a Javanese coachman can produce,
sending the horses on ventre a terre, and causing
the dust to rise and roll behind us in clouds.
As the post-masters of the different stations
had been apprised the day before of our coming —
for, on ordering his first horses, the traveller is
expected to state the intended day's journey, and
TRAVELLING STATIONS. 125
the intimation to this effect travels from post to
post — scarcely any delay is experienced, save that
necessary for unharnessing the tired steeds and
putting fresh ones to. In general, also, the coucer
and lopers are new men ; but if not, their pay is
the same, the charges being so much per post for-
etell man.
Immediately on the traveller's arrival at a station
the cry is for bagnio, and stable-boys run forward
with long bamboo cylinders full of water, which
they pour over the axle-tree and spokes of the
heated wheels. The established rate of payment
to the men is twenty-five cents (a quarter rupee)
to the coucer, and ten cents to each loper. The
horses are paid for at the end of the journey, or
before starting.
The postes, or stations, consist generally of simple
sheds extending over the road, and supported by
four rows of pillars, so arranged as to leave space
in the centre for two carriages to stand abreast.
126 LIFE IN JAVA.
Before starting anew on your journey a book is
handed to you, in which you are desired to write
down your name and the hour of your arrival at
that particular post. The postal system is managed
with regularity and precision, and, with some
exceptions in our travels over less frequented
ground, we found the arrangements in every way
excellent, and worthy of commendation.
From the number of villages we passed en route,
I was led to conjecture that the population must
be considerable. Happiness, industry, and fertility
were everywhero visible, and few, very few
wretched mendicants ever solicited our charity ;
proving in part, we thought, the absence of ex-
treme poverty and Avant.
The provinces of Surabaya and Passeroewan
are chiefly sugar manufacturing districts, though
coffee also is largely cultivated on the hills and
uplands. On returning to Surabaya, we visited a
manufactory of considerable importance, regarding
PROCESSIONS. 127
which I shall make some slight observations in
another chapter. Sometimes a marriage pro-
cession, or the Basunat, a procession in honour of
circumcision, would pass us. The two are by no
means unlike, the principal object of attraction
in both being generally a youth seated on a
pony, who, accompanied by musicians, is conducted
with such parade as his circumstances will admit
of. The greatest point of distinction consists in
the difference of attire, the bridegroom invariably
being naked to the waist, his face, neck, body, and
arms entirely covered with a bright yellow colour,
resembling yellow ochre, and his hair, which is
allowed to flow loosely down his back, decked with
flowers. His dress from the waist downwards is
a batek, or a Bugis silk sarong. The Basunat
is generally dressed from head to foot with un-
usual finely, and sometimes, though not frequently,
he likewise is yellow icashed.
The bridegroom has his ceremony to go through
128 LIFE IN JAVA.
for thirty days, riding through the various cam-
pongs, calling at several houses, and, should he be
of wealthy parentage, distributing alms when he
visits his poorer brethren.
The pony also has a share of the finery, being
caparisoned somewhat after an Arabian fashion,
with bright brass bridle, a collar of bells, and
stirrups with morocco shoes turned up at the toes.
On one side of the pony is a bearer, holding a
large gaudy payong, or umbrella, on a very long
pole, which he holds over the youth's head ; while
on the other side another man performs the office
of fanning away the flies that torment his
charge, the fan being nearly always made of
peacocks' feathers, and fastened to a pole simi-
lar to that to which the payong is attached.
These are preceded by musicians, and followed by
Hadjees, relations, boys carrying incense, and
others with trays of the indispensable syree and
betel.
PASSEROEWAN. 129
Such were the joyous scenes which we passed ;
and other processions nearly as singular, but by
no means so merry, are occasionally seen. Some-
times the three bearers of the bunday, kumkum,
and toy ah appear in sight, accompanied by unfor-
tunate law-breakers, who are forced to " plod their
weary way" to Surabaya under the protection of
the law. Happily murder is a crime of rare oc-
currence, which speaks well for the peaceful dis-
position of the natives.
We arrived at Passeroewan in the afternoon
of a sultry day, and drove to Booth's Hotel,
kept by an Englishman and his wife. A gentle-
man, to whom I had a letter of introduction, called
for us in the evening, and we drove out with him
in his carriage, taking the road to Malang. We
now began sensibly to feel a slight difference in
the temperature, which is cooler than that of
Surabaya. The height of the banana trees also
struck me as singular, the average in the low
VOL. I. K
130 LIFE IN JAVA.
countries being from ten to twelve feet, whereas
here few were below twenty. The cocoa-nuts and
betel-nuts were likewise much loftier than those
seen on the coast.
The European part of Passeroewan is quite
rus in urbe. The native population live near
the sea and river sides, and the European houses
occupy the rest of the ground, some situated in
parks, and others with only small gardens facing
the streets, which are lined with beautiful Veren-
gen trees.
The European trade is by no means so consider-
able as that of Surabaya, the principal part of the
coffee, cotton, sugar, and rice exported being con-
veyed in native craft to Surabaya, and there dis-
posed of.
On our return from driving, we accompanied
our friend to his house, and in the grounds saw
an old Verengen tree, with fibres or strings hang-
ing on all sides like an impenetrable veil. Many
A KIND ACQUAINTANCE. 131
of these had taken root and thickened into trunks
almost half the size of the old parent tree, and
looked like props or pillars to support the wide-
spreading branches.
A Dutch acquaintance of ours, Mr. B., on being
informed of our desire to visit the Tengerr moun-
tains, kindly sent word to the keeper of the
Passangrahan at Tosari to prepare for our recep-
tion, and engaged the horses and coolies necessary
for our journey. He most anxiously sought to
press upon us no end of preserved fish, soup, and
meats, &c, without which he thought our discom-
forts would be greatly increased ; and his surprise
was very great when we declined to encumber
ourselves with anything but rice and cold fowl,
which had proved our only food on many expeditions,
possessing the advantages of being easily carried
and generally attainable.
% At half-past six next morning we were on our
way to Passerpan, where the coolies were to meet
. k2
132 LIFE IX JAVA.
us with the ponies. As we approached Cobont-
jandie, the conical-shaped mountain of Panon-
goenan was seen on our left-, and the Ardjuno
separated from it by a fertile-looking valley. Far
on the horizon, to the right, lower than the two
last named mountains, but clad with forests of
dark trees, was the Tengerr range to which we
were now bound.
In an hour we reached Passerpan, beyond which
the journey had to be accomplished on foot, or on
horseback.
The village is a small one, inhabited chiefly by
Government labourers, the largest building being
a coffee store-house, in and before which a number
of men and women were busily employed in sort-
ing, weighing, packing, and storing coffee,
brought here by the peasants of the district, who
receive twelve florins a picul from Government,
for whatever quantity they are willing to dis-
pose of.
OUR DEPARTURE. 133
Eighteen Javanese coolies, headed by a mounted
mandor, or superintendent, three ponies caparisoned
mezzo European ancLOriental style, and one tandoe,
in case my wife found the fatigues of the journey
too great, awaited our orders ; and after partaking
of some cold repast and taking a few sketches,
Drahman, by whom we were to be attended, ap-
peared mounted on horseback, and we prepared
to start.
These tandoes are a kind of covered chair,
carried on the shoulders of four men. They are the
sedans or palanquins of Java, and are greatly used
in mountain excursions. Mr. B had sent one,
feeling convinced "the lady" would find the heat
too great to ride all the way. Thus in marching
order, our mandor preceding us, we started, amid
repeated " slaniat jalans" (" pleasant journeys") of
the natives who had assembled to see our depar-
ture, and who gazed at us apparently with
mingled feelings of wonder and amusement. The
134 LIFE IN JAVA.
coolies who carried the tandoe were relieved
by an extra number of men who accompanied
them.
The whole road from Passerpan to Pespo is
rough and stony. Immense boulders of petrosilex,
or rock stone, frequently obstructed our way,
making the path impassable to vehicles of any
description, and dangerous to persons on horseback,
were it not that the ponies are trained to the work
and very sure-footed.
The surface of each of these boulders is brown
and black, the whole mass being thickly perforated
like a honeycomb, and having very much the
appearance of having been slowly and gradually
burnt.
The impression of the natives is that these huge
blocks have been ejected from the Bromok, which
is about twenty miles off; but as some are from
3ix to eight feet in diameter, we can only consider
this as a most improbable supposition; for if they
TENGERR CHAIN. 135
were ejected from a volcano, it must have been
nearer than the Bromok.
The route for more than an hour or so was very
uninteresting. We observed hedges of bamboo
on both sides, varied occasionally by Hibiscus ;
and, beyond these, tall trees, at the roots of which
grew long thin grass of a light straw colour. As
we proceeded, we saw horses descending with all
the care and agility of mountain goats, their backs
heavy laden with bundles of fire-wood, baskets of
cabbages, and other vegetables, for the towns
and villages on the plain. These are met by
others wending their way homewards, carrying
bales of prints, calicoes, &c. for clothing ; or food
for the comfort of the families living in the
mountains.
Further on we came in view of the Tengerr
chain, somewhat like a saddle in shape, covered,
like the lesser hills, with verdure and cultivation.
Far in the rear of us, stood the Ardjunoe and
136 LIFE IX JAVA.
Panangoenan, bold in aspect, azured by distance
and piercing the sky.
At ten, we reached the village of Pespo, a kind
of temporary campong, built in the hollow formed
by two hills. The huts here are made of bamboo,
plaited at the sides, so as to present, when not
observed too near, the appearance of fine matting.
They are roofed with lalangs, which serve all the
purposes of thatch. The poles, on which the
houses are supported, are not planted in the ground,
but rest upon other thick bamboo poles lying flat
on the earth. These structures are raised by
families whose homes are in the mountains, where
their chief occupation is the culture of coffee,
which at certain seasons they descend to the low-
lands to dispose of. At such periods they inhabit
Pespo and similar villages, from which, after
attending to their rice plantations, they return to
their mountain homes.
A little beyond Pespo we rested under a large,
k ^ -
A PASSANGRAHAN. 137
shady Verengen tree, to await the arrival of the
coolies and tandoe. These trees abound in the
forests here, growing to an altitude of from fifty
to sixty feet. The leaves of the Durian, the
Mango, and other fruit trees seemed much smaller
than those near Passeroewan, a circumstance most
probably to be attributed to the elevation of the
ground on which they grow, about 1500 feet above
the level of the sea. On the approach of the
men for whom we were waiting, we continued our
march, appreciating the agreeable change of a
cooler climate, for the air became more and more
refreshing as we ascended.
We stayed at a Passangrahan, or, as the Dutch
call it, Phasahangrahan, whilst fresh horses were
being saddled to take us on. This is a sort of
bungalow, built by the Government for the accom-
modation of travellers, who have merely to acquaint
the Resident, or contruleur of the district, with
their wish to pass a few days within it, when per-
138 LIFE IN JAVA.
mission is freely granted, their only expense being
for food, which is supplied by the chief native of
the nearest village. The Passangrahan is gene-
rally built of wood, with an attap roof, and con-
sists of one lar«;e room, with bed-rooms to the right
and left, and generally one or two verandahs. It
is committed to the care of the Mantrie or Wo-
dono of the village, and not unfrequently to that
of some pensioned soldier.
We now engaged fresh coolies, paid those
that were leaving us, and dispensed with the
tandoe, and the eight men by whom it was ac-
companied ; for, as my wife preferred riding, it was
quite useless. As the road was now broader and
more even, we proceeded at a much more rapid
rate, passing through jungles of lofty umbrageous
forest trees, their sides and branches covered with
lovely parasites and creepers, under which, in some
parts, were coffee plantations, with husbandmen
tending and trimming them ; their white flowers,
THE UNTAH. 139
something like those of the jessamine at a dis-
tance, impregnating the air with delicious perfume.
Wild boars are as common as rabbits in a
warren. Fat, burly-looking monsters sprang out of
the jungle before us, and crossed the road, appa-
rently quite unconcerned at the appearance of
strangers, though some of the smaller and more
frisky ones scampered away grunting, probably
with dissatisfaction at their privacy being intruded
on. From the depths of the thicket, as it became
more dense, issued sounds resembling a series of
" ohs !" uttered in a melancholy tone. On in-
quiry we found that these sounds were made by
the ape known as the Untah, some of which, be-
fore we reached our journey's end, we saw jump-
ing from branch to branch, and from tree to tree,
in a most amle manner.
A native gave me a curious version of his be-
lief as to the origin of these monkeys. " Their
ancestor," he said, " was the son of a Malay king,
140 LIFE IN JAVA.
who, although possessed of extraordinary power as a
sorcerer, had but this one child, of whom he was,
therefore, very fond. One day, whilst at their
morning meal, the prince vexed his father, who
became so enraged that he snatched the ladle from
the rice prio, or pot, and struck the young man on
the forehead, exclaiming as he did so, in a loud
tone, ' May you be known by that mark, and your
children after you, until the last day !' Instantly,
like Epimetheus, son of Japetus, the prince was
transmuted into an ape, with a white mark on his
brow. Thus disgraced, he left his home to roam
with the beasts of the jungle, until the judgment
day, when he will resume his former shape. What
makes these creatures cry in that sad way," con-
tinued the man whose words I have translated,
" is, that they pine to be readmitted to the society
of men."
The skin of the Untah is black, as also their coat,
except on the breast and stomach, which are
THE JUNGLE COCK. 141
covered with grey hair. On their forehead they
have a white mark, like an arched patch, which is
all the more conspicuous as the rest of the face is
perfectly black.
The Ayam Alas, or Jungle Cock, is plentiful
in all the thick jungles of Java. We heard their
crow very frequently, though, like all birds of a wild
nature, they are so shy and difficult of approach
that we seldom caught a glimpse of one. It is, how-
ever, a curious fact that, wherever huts have been
erected in the vicinity of a jungle, and the inhabi-
tants keep fowls, these Ayam Alas mingle readily
with them, perhaps attracted by the food. They
are about the size of a pheasant, and have beauti-
ful marks on the breast and back, often of a de-
cidedly golden hue. The breed between one of
these and a domestic fowl is called Bakissar.
In this way, amused with the novelty of the
scene on which we gazed, ascending almost con-
tinuously, descending occasionally, we continued
142 LIFE IN JAVA.
our journey. Our ears were charmed with the
songs of the forest minstrels, and our eyes pleased
with their bright, many-tinted plumage. At
length we arrived at another small station, called
Keng-kin, the few villagers inhabiting which left
their various occupations on our arrival, and stared
at us most perseveringly while we rested our horses,
which, as we were still a considerable distance
from our destination, required a little repose to
refresh them for the labour still awaiting them.
When we once more proceeded onward, we
were surprised at the change we observed in
the scenery, which now commenced to be wilder
in character, and very romantic. Here were
deep ravines, the sides of which were clothed
with verdant foliage, mountain torrents rushing
impetuously down their rocky channels. Lofty
trees, such as the Chantigy, with broad leaves like
huge fans waving in the breeze, or the tall bamboo,
whose bright emerald leaves glittered in the sun-
COOTHOOKAN. 143
light, met our gaze on every side. The large
leafed ferns, called, by the Javanese, pakis, which
are mere dwarfs in the lowlands, grow here to the
height of thirty and forty feet, stretching out their
feathery branches with all the elegance of the date-
tree.
The next station was Coothookan. Here we
engaged new coolies, paid off the old ones, and
mounting fresh horses, pursued our hilly course.
"We had not, however, gone far before the clouds
began to lower, and the air to grow cold and
chilly, presages which were speedily followed by
one of those Eastern showers that fall so suddenly
in drenching torrents. We were at first on the
point of retracing our way to the station, as there
was evidentlv no shelter near, our road now lvino;
between high banks, beyond which the country
seemed wild and barren. As we were anxious,
however, to arrive as soon as possible at our
journey's end, all thought of going back was
144 LIFE IX JAVA.
quickly abandoned, and we urged our horses for-
ward as fast as the steepness of the route Avould
permit. The rain poured down upon us in pelting
streams, as with no little difficulty we advanced ;
for the road had become soft and slippery, and it
required all our care to keep the poor horses from
stumbling almost at every step.
At last, after some trouble, we arrived before
the gate leading to the Passangrahan, and the man
in whose keeping it was, a broad-chested Dutch-
man, who had been duly warned of our coming,
came forward to help us, followed by his wife, a
Javanese woman, of short stature, who assisted my
wife from her horse. The pitying expression
of their faces showed that they commiserated
us in our wretched plight, for we were wet to the
skin, the water soaking our shoes, and dripping
from our finger ends. As our portmanteau had
not yet arrived, we gladly accepted the kind offer
of dry garments, and before long my wife was
MR. VAN RHEE. 145
attired in the native sarong and kabaya ; whilst I
appeared in the mixed costume of native and
European.
About one o'clock in the afternoon, the table
was laid in the large room, at one end of which
was a stove, sadly out of repair, at which we strove
in vain to warm ourselves. When the dishes ap-
peared, in walked our host, Mr. Van Rhee, whose
custom it was to dine at the same table with any
visitors to the Passangrahan. Without awaiting
any invitation, therefore, he seated himself at the
table, expressing his regret that his wife was too
bashful to accompany him, but promising us the
pleasure of her society at dinner-time.
After breakfast, as the rain by this time had
ceased, he took us to his stables, and from thence
to the flower and kitchen gardens ; after which,
notwithstanding the thick heavy atmosphere which
had succeeded to the storm, we proceeded to
examine the locality in which we temporarily found
VOL. I. L
146 LIFE IN JAVA.
ourselves. At the gate was a very steep declivity,
which our horses had galloped up on our arrival,
a feat to which they were doubtless accustomed.
We now descended this declivity, and strolled on
to the village close by, where between one and two
hundred families live. Their principal food, as
we w-ere informed, is Indian corn, which, when
gathered, is left to dry under a roof of attap, sup-
ported by four poles, about twelve feet high, with
slighter poles placed crosswise, from which the heads
of corn are suspended. The inhabitants of this
village are employed by Herr Van Rhee in his
extensive gardens and fields. They seemed very
shy at the appearance of strangers; and this was
not to be wondered at, few of them, as I was told,
having ever been beyond the outskirts of the
native village of Passerpan.
Our host was a gardener on a large scale, hav-
ing under him about fifteen hundred men, to
whom he let portions of land, purchasing the
THE BROMOK. 147
produce from them, which he disposed of at the
market towns. He was formerly a soldier, and
had seen some fighting at Ban jarmasing, in Borneo.
After serving fourteen years, instead of returning
to Holland, he turned his thoughts to vegetable
cultivation ; rented a considerable district of the
Tengerr, where the soil is a rich vegetable mould,
and engaged labourers to work under him in the
manner already described. From the Passangra-
han we had a fine view of a portion of the volcanic
Bromok, which is distinguished by its barrenness,
compared with the mountains and hills in its
vicinity, which are covered thickly with tall trees
and shrubs. Volumes of smoke were issuing from
it, and flames, which are only discernible at night,
or late in the afternoon when it begins to grow
dusk. In a direct line it is about three miles
from Tosari, or a little less, but by the road the
distance is much greater. We were still separated
from the volcano by deep ravines intersected bv
L 2
148 LIFE IN JAVA.
irregular ranges of hills and small mountains, one
of which particularly struck us by its singular like-
ness to the vertebrae of some huge animal, crawling
among, and mingling, as it were, with the verdure
which surrounded it. At dinner our hostess made
her appearance, attired in the best native fashion.
She was very short, dark, and rather good-looking;
and after a little conversation Ave found that not-
withstanding her shyness she was the real major-
domo, the internal economy of the house being
entirely entrusted to her. She seemed to be quick
and industrious, and was evidently well suited to
Van Rhee.
We had potatoes and cabbages, which were to
us quite delicacies. Their flavour Avas exactly
similar to that of our European vegetables of
the same description.
" Here," said mine host, uncovering a dish near
him, " is a delicious vegetable — it is quite new out
here, this being the first year I have ever grown it.
A DISH OF ASPARAGUS. 149
Do take some ; I think it is what the French call
aspershe."
" Oh, asjjerge" replied I. " Yes, yes, I know
well what you mean ; but surely this is not asperge"
and I pointed to the dish, which more resembled
a mess of Indian corn than anything else. How-
ever, I helped myself to some, and found the
flavour something like that of asparagus, but I
sought in vain for the heads of the vegetable,
which were certainly not there.
"Well, how do you like it, sir,?" asked Herr
Van Rhee, after a short pause.
" Not much, I confess," said I ; " I think it is
cooked in a peculiar manner."
" To tell you the truth, sir, I don't remember
tasting this in Holland, so I left no directions with
my wife as to dishing it up."
" She has not boiled the heads," replied I,
pointing to the dish, the appearance of which was
so questionable.
150 LIFE IN JAVA.
" Oh, clear no, sir," said me frau, speaking for
the first time on the subject, " I cut off all the tops
and threw them away, but all the root and stalk I
chopped up carefully."
This anecdote brought to my mind that of the
German, in bygone ages, who, hearing of the new
importation of potatoes, lost no time in planting
some in his garden ; and after viewing with
pleasure for some time their daily growth, ordered
them to be cut down when of a good height, that
he might have a dish of potatoe tojis.
It was our intention to start early next morning
for the Bromok if the weather proved propitious.
Great therefore Avas our delight, on awaking, to
find the sun shining, and the air clear. We
dressed with all possible haste, and strolled into
the yard, whilst our morning meal, or first break-
fast, was being prepared. The air was cold and
fresh, a change which, after the enervating heat of
the lowlands, was invigorating and bracing. Our
VOLCANOES AND EARTHQUAKES. 151
delight, however, was doomed to be short-lived, for
whilst we were at breakfast a thick vapoury
cloud came sweeping from the east, filling the
rooms of the house with a damp atmosphere. This
was soon followed by a heavy shower of rain,
which made us fear our excursion must be post-
poned till next day — a great disappointment, seeing
that the Bromok had been very active over-night,
and was now growling like distant thunder.
We stood some time in the verandah, looking in
the direction of the volcano, which was veiled from
us by a thick mist. We continued gazing, until
our attention was diverted by the remark of one of
our servants, who gave it as his opinion that the
noise was made by the voice of some departed
gnome, which he called Pungooroo Gunong,
keeper of the mountains, who thus made known
his appetite for human flesh. In talking about
earthquakes, to which the subject naturally led,
he declared it to be his conviction that the earth,
152 LIFE IN JAVA.
which was in the form of a tray, was supported on
the horns of a great bull, and that sometimes
proving a great annoyance to its bearer, he made
occasional attempts to displace it, and the shaking
of the world thereby caused he regarded as a
sufficient explanation of the phenomena of earth-
quakes. This is the third version of the kind
have heard — the Chinese one being that the I
earth rests on the back of a tortoise, whilst the
Hindoo's imagination places it on a monstrous
serpent.
About eight the sky cleared a little, and we
set off on horseback for the Bromok, our party con-
sisting of my wife, Van Rhee, Drahman, a mandor,
three coolies, and myself. It was still very misty,
only occasional gleams of sunshine, now and then
brightening our road, so capriciously does the great
orb of day allow the passing clouds to veil him
from these mountain tops.
Our road for some distance was very steep and
CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES. 153
slippery from the recent heavy rains. It was not
until we had ascended considerably higher that we
found the ground sufficiently firm and agreeable
for riding. We then entered into a wilder neigh-
bourhood, with here and there a few attap huts,
perched on the slopes of the mountains. A little
further on, the fields on both sides of the road
were covered with European vegetables, such as
peas, cabbages, beetroot, beans, artichokes, lettuces,
&c. ; the ground in Avhich they grew still forming
a portion of Van Rhee's plantations. Each field
is surrounded by a deep ditch, about six feet
in depth, called by the natives Bloombung, which
serves as a fence against the predatory nocturnal
incursions of wild boars. It seemed very strange
to see such extensive fields of cultivated vegetables
in the midst of a scene so solitary, where, except
the husbandman or his labourers, few visitors are
ever seen, though the locality is certainly as
beautiful as any I afterwards saw in the island.
154 LIFE IN JAVA.
The road continued to wind through a pictur-
esque country, until we reached the flagstaff moun-
tain, where the beauty of the slopes began sensibly
to diminish. They were covered with the alang
alang, a tall, yellow grass, and studded with
tall trees, amongst which w*ere the chum-ara, a
species of fir, and a bushy shrub called the kut-i-
sang, which has a delicate little flower, with pink
stamens, growing like the rhododendron, but more
foliaceous. It affords excellent cover for peacocks
and wild fowl, some of which started out on hear-
ing the tramp of our small cavalcade.
A ride of an hour and a half brought us to the
foot of the Mungal, where we dismounted, and
walked to the top, from whence we had a bird's-
eye view of the enormous extinct crater, said to be
the largest in the world, being about four or five
miles in diameter. Beneath us was the Dasar, or
floor of the crater, which at first sight seemed only
a short leap from where we stood. What was our
THE BATOK. 155
astonishment, then, when Herr Van Rhee told us
it would take a quarter of an hour or more to ac-
complish the descent, as we were now about eight
or nine hundred feet above it !
The mountain we were on forms one of a chain,
which, rising in irregular bold ridges, surrounds
the whole extinct crater.
Straight before us, but at a distance of
fully two miles from the foot of the Mungal,
is a cluster of mountains, which, rising about
the centre of the crater, bisect it from right
to left. The foremost of these is the Batok,
or Butak, meaning bald ; probably so called
from its being bare of herbage at the summit,
while the lower parts are covered with it. It is
conically shaped, with deep grooves, or hollows,
running regularly down the sides to the base, the
result undoubtedly of a constant and rapid over-
flow of lava during the period of its activity as a
volcano many years ago. To the right, a little
156 LIFE IN JAVA.
behind it, runs the sharp-pointed chain of the
Dedari and Widadaren, signifying the " dwelling
of fairies." On the left of the Batok, partially
lost in volumes of its own smoke, groans the
Bromok, perfectly nude of vegetation, and, like all
its companions in the cluster, presenting a black,
charred appearance. The Batok, indeed, con-
trasts favourably with the other hills, more than
three parts of it being apparently covered with
grass.
Having seen thus much, we descended by a very
steep path excavated out of the mountain, leading
to the Dasar. We found the declivity very tiresome
and fatiguing to our ponies, and most uncomfort-
able for ourselves, as, spite of all precaution on our
part, the poor animals would slip sometimes, and
but for a tight rein they must have fallen, throw-
ing the riders over their heads. The earth on both
sides of us was composed of clay and sand, veined
with lines of chalk; but by the time we had nearly
THE SAND SEA. 157
accomplished our descent, it changed apparent-
ly to a soil consisting of burnt stones and
gravel, which, on a closer examination, we
found to bear a resemblance to charcoal and
cinders, as it crumbled in our fingers with the
slightest pressure, a circumstance which confirmed
our belief in what we had been previously told —
that the whole Dasar, now called the Sand Sea,
was once one enormous volcano.
Issuing out of the opening, we perceived, on
looking back, that the mountain we had just left,
together with the adjoining ones, presented the
same charred appearance for about seventy or
eighty feet above the level on which we stood.
All around us now exhibited a barren deserted
aspect. No tree was to be seen, but only occa-
sional patches of dried, unhealthy-looking grass,
similar to that seen on the Egyptian desert, grow-
ing on a similar sandy surface.
Save ourselves, there was not a soul to be seen
158 LIFE IN J AY A.
stirring in the vast expanse around us ; nor was
there the slightest sign of animal life in this dreary
solitude.
We put our ponies to a gallop and soon reached
the two huts which have been erected near the
foot of the Bromok for the convenience of chance
visitors. Here we rested awhile to gaze with
wonder and astonishment on the scene around us,
one altogether beyond any conception we had pre-
viously formed of it. In the most open parts of
the Dasar, where the loose sand has been exposed
to the wind, the surface is traced with wrinkles or
ridges, similar to those seen on the sea-sand
at the ebb of the tide — an appearance which has ob-
tained for this locality the name of Sagara icadi, or
the Sand Sea.
The form of the Bromok is something like a
cone, from the summit of which about a third part,
or even more, has been irregularly broken off.
Projecting from one of its sides were many irre-
APPEARANCE OF THE BROMOK. 159
gular masses, or mounds of mud and sand, coated
with a cake of baked clay like red lava. Some of
these mounds have been wasted away by rain,
leaving deep broad fissures in the Sand Sea, like
the beds of dried-up rivers ; while others, still sup-
plied with liquid substance from the volcano, are
advancing on the Dasar, covering that part of it in
the immediate proximity of the crater. Imbedded
in these mounds are large blocks of lime and iron-
stone, also huge black stones veined like marble
and shining like granite. These, with the light
stones which, from their burnt appearance, re-
semble cinder, are seen scattered about in all direc-
tions, and are supposed to have been ejected at the
last eruption of the Bromok, which Ilerr Van
Rhee informed us took place a few years ago, the
ashes coming as far as the gardens at Tosari.
We rode over some of the mounds to the foot of
a series of dilapidated-looking steps, once pro-
tected by railings, which are now of little use, as,
160 LIFE IN JAVA.
in consequence of their exposure to atmospheric in-
fluences, they resemble rickety fishing-stakes. A
few more visits of the annual tide of pilgrims will
probably soon annihilate them altogether.
The ground on which we now stood — for we
alighted at the foot of these steps — seemed literally
to tremble under us, and the noise of the crater
was quite terrific. The smoke, forcing its way
through large apertures in the sides, made a hoarse
grumbling sound like that of an impatient steam
engine ; and sulphureous odours impregnated the
air, almost choking us with their powerful odour.
We ascended the rough steps, and soon gained
the ridge, where a new sight struck us with won-
der and amazement. The crater, when we looked
down into its dreadful abyss, seemed a perfect
pandemonium; and one could well fancy, on behold-
ing a spectacle so grand and appalling, what must
have been the conjectures suggested to the minds
of ignorant, superstitious natives. What more
THE VOLCANO. 161
probable than that they should regard the sounds
issuing from its profound depths as the shrieks,
yells, and groans of a multitude of discontented
spirits, calling in misery to be delivered from the
prison-house in which they were suffering unutter-
able torments ? The crater of the volcano is like
a large basin, about three hundred and fifty feet
in diameter, sloping gradually to a depth of fully
two hundred feet. The ridge is very irregular,
which accounts for the broken appearance it pre-
sented to our eyes when seen from the plain. The
part we stood upon was almost a level surface,
about three feet wide. The interior is rugged,
and crusted over with deposits of sulphureous
matter. The floor is formed of three steps, thickly
coated with yellow. From a large aperture in the
centre issued dense volumes of smoke, completely
hiding everything beyond from view, and so thick as
effectually to conceal the opposite side of the crater.
Enormous cakes of a red substance, like baked mud,
VOL. I. M
162 LIFE IN JAVA.
were to be seen on and near the ridge, some of
which I took up, hoping it would prove to be lava,
but it all crumbled away in my fingers, leaving
only a handful of powder.
CHAPTER V.
CLIMATE OF TOSARI — SECOND JOURNEY TO THE BROMOK —
ANNUAL FESTIVAL — SLAMAT OF THE VOLCANO — MAHOMEDAN
ANTIPATHY — GAY SCENE — BLESSING THE OFFERINGS —
THROWING THEM INTO THE CRATER — FOWL PITCHING —
PRESENT TO MY WIFE — ANOTHER VIEW OF THE SAND SEA —
BATTU CUDA — SINGULAR MODE OF MARKING THE ROUTE —
BATTU BALANG — GOOD LUCK OR BAD — RETURN TO TOSARI —
LEAVE FOR PASSERPAN, AND FROM THENCE TO PASSEROEWAN.
M 2
165
CHAPTER V.
The climate of Tosari reminded me of that of
England towards the latter end of the months of
October and November. It was either misty all
day, or, if clear in the morning, would generally
change about noon, the atmosphere then becoming
thick and heavy, followed by a kind of Scotch
mist. A fog would sometimes hang all day over the
landscape like a curtain, veiling every distant object
from view, the dampness that everywhere pre-
vailed making you feel cold and chilly, and every-
thing you touched moist and clammy. The average
temperature all the year round at Tosari varies
from 60° 65' to 70° Fahr., water being inva-
riably, I was told, at 52°. On rare occasions, in
166 LIFE IN JAVA.
very warm weather, the glass has risen to 75°, and
even 80°.
The day after our excursion was the one fixed
for the Slamat, or Slamatan Bromok, i.e., the
blessing or worshipping of the volcano, a ceremony
which, with its accompanying feast, the Javanese
in this and the surrounding neighbourhood hold
regularly once a year. The pilgrims who frequent
it, unlike the Javanese in general, are Brahmins,
though not so strict in their rites as their brethren
in India. They inhabit the provinces of Probo-
lingo, Malang, a great part of Bezuki, and part of
the island of Bali, as well as that of Lomboc.
Their language is Javanese, disfigured by some
provincialisms and peculiar accents, by no means
pleasing to the correct notions of my Batavian boy,
who considered himself a competent critic in such
matters.
As we were anxious to see this curious ceremony
we determined on again riding to the Bromok.
THE SLAMAT. 167
Indeed, Ave should have postponed our excursion
there in order to wait for the Slamat, of which
Van Rhee had given us intimation, but Ave
were afraid the weather might change from doubt-
ful mist to drenching rains, and therefore took
advantage of the fair opportunity, determining, if
fine, to go again next day.
"We left Tosari at seven a.m., reached the Mun-
gal about half-past eight, and, as the descent was
less slippery than the day before, soon gained the
Sand Sea. As we approached the two huts, the
lively scene before us presented a strange contrast
to the utter loneliness of yesterday. A large
number of people were assembled in groups, vari-
ously occupied — some eating, some praying, and
others talking, laughing, singing, selling, and buy-
ing. There were vendors of amulets, charms, and
stones found last year near the Bromok, which
were sure remedies against every illness flesh is
heir to. Bearded Arabs were offering: for sale
168 LIFE IN JAVA.
otto of roses, and small vials of "Kohol's jetty
dye."
Food of all kinds was provided in abundance
for sale, and placed for show on economical stands
formed of a plank resting on two stout poles.
Wodonos and Mantries, with their small suite of
followers, paraded up and down, gaily dressed,
their burnished krisses glittering amid the folds of
their batek sarong. Old men and women, who had
come to pay their last respects to the shrine, moved
feebly along. They watched with eyes of delight
the frolics of their grandchildren, for there seemed
no end of juveniles, from the screaming babe in
arms to the romping child. All appeared bent on
pleasure, and the Dasar, which, on our last visit,
presented a barren aspect, solemn in its very
solitude, was now as gay as a fair.
My servant, Drahman, who was a strict Maho-
medan, shewed the light in which he regarded
these devotees, by refusing an invitation to partake
MAHOMEDAN ANTIPATHY. lt>9
of some of their viands. On my asking him his
reason, he replied,
" They eat unclean animals, sir, such as swine
and other beasts of the forest."
Before the principal hut was a bench, covered
with white cloth, on which sat Nonyha (or Mrs.)
Van Rhee. Her dress, partly Javanese, and
partly European, consisted of a pair of white
trowsers, over which was the sarong. Her kabaya
was made of muslin, and she wore a salen
dang across her shoulder. The most comical part
of her dress, however, was the broad-brimmed felt
wide-awake, round the crown of which a white
muslin pugrie was wound.
A short distance from this bench were twenty
mats, placed on the Sand Sea, on each of which
knelt a young priest, having before him a box of
myrrh, aloes, frankincense, and other spices, which
are sold for offerings. At right angles with this
row of mats was another row, with the same
170 LIFE IN JAVA.
number of priests, all kneeling in the Arab fashion,
their bodies partly resting on the calves of their
legs. They were all more advanced in years than the
others, probably the patriarchs of their respective
villages. Some of them even looked bent with
the " weight of years !" Behind each sat a payong
bearer, sheltering his master from the sun. The
sacerdotal dress consisted of a white gown, over
sarongs of batek, which were tied to the waist by
broad red belts. Over the shoulders hung two
bands of yellow silk, bound with scarlet, with
tassels and coins hanging from the ends. Round
the head was a large turban, ornamented with
gaudy silk scarfs. Before each priest were small
packets made of plantain leaves, containing in-
cense, chips of sandal -wood, and other preparations;
wooden censers, from which arose clouds of
aromatic perfumes ; and a basket of plaited rattan,
containing water, near which was a goupillon, made
of plantain leaves, with flowers fixed at the top.
BLESSING THE OFFERINGS. 171
Crowds stood within about six paces of the
priests, waiting for the consecration of their various
offerings, which were placed on stands made of
bamboo. The offerings generally consisted of
cocoa-nuts, plantains, pine-apples, mangoes, and
other fruits ; baskets of chickens recently fledged ;
pots, prios, and baskets of rice ; trays piled up with
a variety of cakes exhaling incongruous smells ;
strips of calico and silk ; coins of silver, gold, and
copper ; besides numerous other objects.
After some minutes spent in prayer, the people
going through all the external forms prescribed by
their creed, which often constitute the whole
extent of their knowledge of it, each priest dipped
his goupillon into the basket of water, which he
took into his left hand, and muttering some
words, sprinkled the offerings as they were brought
to him. All the holy men then bowed down, and
repeated a loud prayer, which was echoed by the
young ponditas and some of the bystanders.
172 LIFE IN JAVA.
The oldest of the priests next rose up, followed
by all the others, repeating words which sounded
like " Ayo ! Ayo ! Bromok !" probably meaning
"Forward, forward, to the Bromok!" This was the
signal anxiously expected. The mass of human
beings now made a tremendous rush for the vol-
cano, the first who succeeded in gaining the ridge
believing himself favoured by fortune, and certain of
future good luck. Some of the old priests would
stop every now and then, bid their followers
spread the mat, and prostrate themselves in prayer
for fully five or ten minutes, a proceeding which
struck me as savouring strongly of sham, for no
doubt they were fatigued, and made a virtue of
necessity. The roaring of the Bromok seemed
greater than it was yesterday, a fact most probably
attributable to the lightness of the atmosphere.
The various families and individuals then handed
their offerings to the priests, who again mumbled
a few words over them, after which their ow T ners
SACRIFICE OF THE OFFERINGS. 173
hurled them down the crater^ repeating, as they
did so, some prayer or wish. Cocoa-nuts produced
a faint boom, boom, as they came in contact with
the shelving sides, and were lost for ever. Plan-
tains, rice, and cakes were thrown down in baskets,
sending back columns of dust as they gradually
disappeared. Our hostess threw down a number of
coins, and several small pieces of muslin. On my
remarking this afterwards to Van Khee, he laughed
heartily, and replied, " Oh ! she wishes for a child;
but she need not be in a hurry, she will have one
in time, without doubt ; but you see, sir, she is
superstitious — and no wonder, she is but a child yet
in years;'
Some live fowls were thrown in, one or two of
which, I was very glad to see, flew on some of the
ridges not far from the top, from whence, doubt-
less, their next flight would be to a place of greater
safety.
On descending the volcano several games were
174 LIFE IX JAVA.
carried on, amongst which the most cruel was that
of taking young chickens from their baskets and
throwing them into the air, to be scrambled for as
they fell to the ground. This produced a scene
of great excitement, everyone being anxious to
secure one of the poor creatures, or even a leg or
wing, for good luck. Air. Van Rhee succeeded in
saving two of these devoted little chicks, which he
presented to my* wife. She accepted one, and
handed the other to our hostess. Ours travelled
with us in the Rees-"YVagen all through Java, lived
some time in Singapore with other live stock, and
finally returned with us to England, where she
excites no little admiration in our " farmyard," in
which she is known by the name of " Bromok."
I went, accompanied by the Mandor, to the east
side of the volcano, where some huge boulders of
black, burnt-looking stone, known by the name of
Batu cuda, or Stone Horse, covered a great portion
of the Sand Sea. Here I had a view of the other
MASKING THE ROUTE. 175
arm of the Dasar, though from no point can you
see the whole extent of it at one time. On our
way back we had to walk across a dry channel fully
twenty feet in breadth, similar to those I have
already described on the other side, but longer and
wider, completely separating the Dasar into two
parts for some distance !
We returned by a route but seldom traversed,
and that only by pilgrims from Nadasari. I per-
ceived small heaps of stones every now and then,
along the road to the huts, reminding me of the
means adopted by the Egyptians in the desert
to mark their camel tract. This is one proof of
the vast extent of the Sand Sea, as, without some
marks of this kind, travellers would either be lost,
or lose much valuable time in endeavouring to find
their way.
We passed a large pyramidal mound called by
the natives Batu Balang, or stone-throwing. On
one side of it a number of young men and women
176 LIFE IN JAVA.
were gathered, throwing stones by turns, and endea-
vouring to launch them with such force as to clear
the top of the mound. Each one, as we were in-
formed, was compelled to walk three times round the
mound before throwing his stone ; those who per-
formed the feat successfully regarding it as a sign
of good fortune, and feeling confident that during
the ensuing twelvemonth their most cherished
wishes would most certainly be accomplished.
We returned very quickly to Tosari ; and having
partaken of lunch, mounted fresh horses, and pro-
ceeded to Passerpan, where our carriage was wait-
ing. We reached that place at a late hour, feeling
very tired with our fatiguing but most delightful
excursion.
CHAPTER VI.
START FOR PROBOLIXGO — BAGNIO BIRO — OUR POST-HORSES
TAKEN BY A CONTRoLEUR — LAKE GRATIE — NOTED FOR WATER
LILIES, DUCK EGGS, AND ALLIGATORS — OFFERINGS TO THE
ALLIGATORS — PROBOLINGO — LEAVE FOR KLAKA — BAD ROAD
— KINDLY HELP — NIGHT VIEW OF THE VOLCANO — THE PAS-
SANGRAHAN — CHAIN CONNECTING THREE VOLCANOES —
CURIOUS FACT — ROW ROUND THE LAKE — DELICIOUS DIP —
PROXIMITY OF TIGERS — LEAVE KLAKA — HARBOUR OF PRO-
BOLINGO — DANGEROUS NAVIGATION.
VOL. I.
179
CHAPTER VI.
Next morning we started for Probolingo, turning
off to the right before reaching the thickly-popu-
lated village of Rajussa, which was our first post
for Bagnio Biro, which signifies blue water. On
arriving at Benongan, we found, to our great
annoyance, that the post-horses we had ordered to
be in waiting for us had been coolly appropriated
by a Controleur.
" Who is this Controleur ?" said I, nettled by
the contretemps; " what right has he to make use
of the horses I ordered and paid for ?"
" He is a Government officer, sir," replied Drah-
man, in a sotto voce tone, as though anxious to con-
ceal my ignorance of such a personage ; " he takes
N 2
180 LIFE IN JAVA.
in all the coffee of this district. Don't be angry
with these men, sir — no one can prevent a Con-
troleur from taking any horses which may be at
the Poste. They would be turned out of their
places if they dared to deny him."
Finding this to be the case, I saw it would
be useless to make any further complaint; and
therefore resigning myself to what could not be
avoided, determined to proceed with the horses
we had, and arrived at Bagnio Biro about half-past
eight.
Our carriage drew up under an avenue of trees,
where we got out, and along which we walked,
taking the first turning to the right. It led us to
an extensive garden, in which was a large square
pond fed by spring water of the deepest blue, on
one side of which was a bath-house, and on the
other ruins and fragments of Buddhist images,
collected from the surrounding neighbourhood.
The place is shaded with beautiful Ansana trees
BAGNIO BIKO. 181
and the broad-leafed teak, the former reminding
me of our stately elms.
The water, either from its clearness or buoyancy,
gives a ludicrous appearance to the bathers ; the
boys who had jumped in for cents seeming unna-
turally dwarfed in stature, while their limbs were
apparently doubled in number, making them look
like Indian deities. Many come here for weeks or
months, for the benefit of pure country air and
bathing. One great source of amusement to such
visitors is that of feeding the monkeys which
abound here, and, from a naturally wild state, have
become so tame as to approach strangers, and in
some cases even eat from their hands.
We were curious enough to pay them a visit,
and ordered Drahman to purchase several bunches
of Bananas. Our messenger returning shortly
with the fruit, we held some of it temptingly in
our hands, when down from numbers of trees
came a troop of the animals, old and young, making
182 LIFE IN JAVA.
the air ring with their yells and screams of plea-
sure. They were soon, however, interrupted by
the appearance of three very large specimens of
their kind, for whom, to my great surprise and
amusement, the others immediately made room —
some skulking away to a neighbouring tree, from
the branches of which they could see their more
favoured brethren, others only retiring to a short
distance, from whence they looked longingly at the
fruit, the first bit of which they were ready to snap
up. Some of it we threw beyond the powerful
trio, who would turn and stare at us with a trucu-
lent visage, followed by a fierce, angry growl, and
an occasional dart at those whose penchant for
plantains made them more than usually bold.
The largest of the three is called by the natives
the Rajah, and the other two may be considered in
the light of aides-de-camp to his serene highness.
These monkeys were all of a dark grey colour,
with black feet and hands ; their faces were gene-
LAKE GRATIE. 183
rally nearly black, with the addition, in the three
large ones, of a long beard, hanging, like a semi-
circle, from their cheeks and chins.
The principal antiquities round the tank were
an enormous head, called by the natives Buta, a cor-
ruption, I daresay, of Buddha, and a tomb, orna-
mented with figures, called a Kramat or shrine, on
which, even now, they often burn incense.
Gratie is at the distance of one post from the
Blue Water. We proceeded there next, passing
on our way several very extensive sugar factories,
strong with fermented odours, and noisy with the
voices of Chinese and native coolies, and the jar-
ring discord of machinery.
The ditches on either side of our road were full
of water-lilies ; and endless numbers of ducks
were bathing in them, or diving for animalculaa
in the muddy bottom.
The village of Gratie, and the surround-
ing neighbourhood, is famed for its breed of
184 LIFE IN JAVA.
ducks, and for the excellency of its salted duck
eggs, which are not only sold in quantities through-
out the country, but are likewise largely exported
to many of the islands near Java. The receipt for
pickling them is very simple, and as it is a delicacy
many Europeans are fond of, I will give it for the
benefit of those who might like to test its excel-
lence.
The egg is first rubbed well with ashes, to clear
the shell from all grease, as well as to make it more
porous. A paste of red clay, or mud, ashes, and
salt, is then spread entirely over the egg, leaving
no space for the air to penetrate. After remaining
in this condition for ten days, it is boiled hard,
cut in two, and served without taking the shell off.
On arriving at the lake, Ave alighted by the road-
side, and walked to the little hut near the water,
where we seated ourselves on the benches under
the shade, it being now near mid-day and very
hot.
JAVANESE SUPERSTITION. 185
Opposite to us was the Gunong Gadong. Two-
thirds of its slopes, from the base upwards, was
cultivated, and some cottages were built on its
sides. To the right was the Smeroe, a faint line of
smoke, just discernible in the distance, issuing from
its summit. The fields on all sides of the lake
were cultivated, and cocoa-nut, date, bamboo, and
plantain trees were to be seen near the water,
which was of a sickly greenish hue, not at all in-
viting for a bath, though the natives' appreciation
of their Danao, or Lake, seemed higher than
ours, as several were disporting with great delight
in it.
The Javanese have a superstitious belief that if
a duck is put into this lake and swallowed by an
alligator, its owner will meet with success in all
that he does. Wishing to gratify ourselves with
the sight of one of these formidable alligators, Ave
ordered our importunate boatman to procure a
couple of ducks. He was not long gone, when
186 LIFE IN JAVA.
he returned with them, accompanied by a boy who
carried two small rafts, made from parts of a plantain
tree. To each of these the man fastened one of the
poor victims by its right leg, allowing it just
sufficient space to touch the water with its breast.
When he had got them ready, we were desired to
step into a cockle-shell of a canoe, about ten feet
long and two broad, formed out of the trunk of a
tamarind, or teak tree, with all the wood scooped
out, leaving a thickness of two or three inches to
form the boat. It was soon shoved off, and when
we had got some distance from the shore, the boat-
man asked Drahman where we came from, and
whither we were bound? Being satisfied with our
replies, he cried out in a sing-song voice some
Javanese words, which my servant interpreted:
" Oh, Bajul (alligator), come out of the water !
A gentleman and his lady have come from Batavia
to offer you a couple of ducks! Come, come
quickly, delay not, but bring good luck to this
OUR OFFERING REJECTED. 187
Tuan and his wife by taking their offerings!"
We remained some time cramped up in a kind of
half sitting, half kneeling posture, unable to move our
limbs freely for fear of destroying the equilibrium
of our frail canoe, our backs undergoing a slow
process of baking under the burning sun, which
did not contribute to render our position more
comfortable. We waited with all the patience of
martyrs for the appearance of the reptile near one
of our ducks, which the man had committed to
the water previous to uttering his ejaculations to
the alligator ; but as the rafts floated far into the
distance, apparently unmolested in their course,
we began to think seriously of returning to the
shore.
" Once more, Tuan, only once more !" said
the boatman, in a tone of entreaty, as he again
besought the uncomplying alligator to seize the
offerings.
Finding all his eloquence vain, he took to his
188 LIFE IN JAVA.
paddles, and turned the canoe in the direction of
the land, saying as he did so, " Ah, sir, how sorry
I am for your ill luck!"
But the excitement was not quite over yet. "We
were still some hundred yards from the shore,
when Drahman cried out, "Tuan, Tuan, here he
is, look, look!" and, turning our eyes in the direc-
tion he pointed, about three hundred yards to our
right, Ave saw what looked like the trunk of a small
tree floating on the surface of the lake. In a
few minutes this object seemed to rise partially
out of the water, and very soon the long jaws,
head, and part of the body of an enormous
alligator were clearly visible on its surface.
The glance of his ugly pachyderm which he per-
mitted us to have, however, was only momen-
tary, for almost instantaneously he again dived
down into the depths, and was lost to us for ever.
On landing, the boatman again expressed his sor-
row for our bad luck, adding, by way of comforting
BAD LUCK WITH THE ALLIGATORS. 189
us under our misfortune, " Many, sir, stop for hours,
and leave without even seeing the nose of one."
" Ah," replied I, in Malay, as I handed him a
rupee for the ducks, and a present for himself,
" you are the lucky man, I think — you have not
only got a good price for your ducks, but also,
when we are gone, will take them home again to
serve for a future occasion."
" Oh no, no, Tuan, never !" said he, looking very
grave, " we dare not take what has been given to
the Bajuls, it would bring great misfortune upon
us."
We smiled and looked incredulous ; on seeing
which, Drahman, with true native ardour for any-
thing of a superstitious tendency, took the part of
the boatman, and seemed to think we were tempt-
ing the alligators by laughing at them, A gentle-
man has since told me that he was present when
an alligator seized one of the ducks sent by him
on the lake, and he declared it to be a fine sight.
190 LIFE IN JAVA.
The formidable monster rose partially out of the
water, the better to see the exact whereabouts of his
prey, and after diving below, re-appeared once more
just in front of the raft, and darted upon his poor
victim with the greatest velocity and violence,
causing the water around him to froth and foam.
The duck firmly grasped between his jaws, he
raised himself above the surface till half his body
was visible, and placing his fore paws on the raft,
swallowed the dainty morsel.
Early in the morning, or towards sunset, is con-
sidered the best time for seeing them, as they are
then occupied in the search of food. The greater
part of the day they generally pass in sleep under
the shade of projecting stones, or beneath a clump
of trees.
My servant told us a curious tale about alli-
gators. The incident, as he asserted, took place
during the time he lived in Sumatra, and had been
related to him by some one he had no reason to
NATIVE LEGEND. 191
disbelieve. For my own part, I can only consider
it one of those strange legends which the credulity
of the natives is ever so ready to receive.
" A short time, sir," said the narrator, " before
1 went to Indragiri (in Sumatra), as servant to the
Sultan of that place, a man was missed from the
town and as such an incident occasionally hap-
pened, it was supposed that he had been caught
and eaten by an alligator whilst bathing in the
river. A report to this effect having reached the
ears of the Sultan, his majesty summoned the three
keepers of his alligators, named Saguntang,
Sachupa, and Sumati,* and before a large con-
course of people complained to them that one of
their children — as the natives term them — had
killed a subject of his. The keepers expressed great
regret at this breach of good conduct on the part
of one of their charge. * But, Tuan-cod (my lord),
* The two first of these names signify certain native
measures, the last means death.
192 LIFE IN JAVA.
they added, rising to take leave, ' rest assured full
vengeance shall be taken upon the offender.'
Saguntang, Sachupa, and Samati accordingly
wended their way to the river side ; on reaching
which they stopped at the spot where they were
accustomed to feed the alligators. As these im-
mense reptiles were called by name, they responded
to the summons in such numbers that the water,
far and near, seemed covered with them. Although
they looked like beams of wood closely packed to-
gether, the sharp-eyed keepers perceived the
absence of one of them. l There is one missing, —
Bassar, where is he?' said Samati. A slight move-
ment of the water was seen, and the culprit rose
abashed, and timidly took his place. l You — it is
who are guilty,' said Sachupa, ' come forth and
receive the due punishment for thy crime. You
have killed one of the king' sown subjects; and there-
fore here, in the sight of thy brothers and sisters,
thou must expiate this dire offence. Hast thou
LAEGE VEEENGEN TEEES. 193
aught to say in thy defence V The alligator
lowered his head in silence, in acknowledgement
of his guilt. ' Samati,' cried Saguntung in a loud
voice, l cut off the fore feet of this vile wretch,
and then chop his body into a thousand pieces.'
Samati — who appears to have been a sort of Cal-
craft in his relation to the alligators — immediately
obeyed ; and when the merciless sentence had been
executed, the pieces of the alligator's body were
carefully collected, and thrown into the river, to
be food for the fishes."
At Woedoesan, the first post after Gratie, we
were struck with the size of two very large Ve-
rengen trees. Any traveller who happens to take
this route will do well to stop and look at them, as
it is not very probable that he will see any of
much greater magnitude, if so large, during the
whole course of his excursion. One of them was
above twenty-seven feet in circumference, and the
other about five feet less, round the trunk. They
VOL. I.
194 LIFE IN JAVA.
were really noble-looking trees, thickly covered with
foliage. Beyond the next post we came in view
of Lamongan, the Tengerr range being to our right,
and the Ardjuno, Panangoongan, and Indrokito
fast receding from our view.
At one p.m. we reached Probolino;o, a small
clean town, intersected by fine broad streets, lined
with avenues of Yetty and Verengen. As^we
had learnt beforehand that there was nothing
worth seeing at this place, we determined on pro-
ceeding to Klaka with as little delay as possible,
whither notice of our intended visit had already
been sent. Mr. II , a gentleman to whom 1
had a letter of introduction, immediately gave
orders to procure horses for us, and dispatched
a messenger to order relays to be in readi-
ness at all the intermediate stations. Our
stay at Probolingo, therefore, was very short. In
about three hours from the time of our arrival we
were again en route.
WILD BOAES. 195
For three posts from Probolingo, the country
was very flat and uninteresting, nothing but end-
less open fields of sawahs, with an occasional forest
of teak and other wild trees. As we approached
Klaka, the land became more undulating, gradually
rising as we proceeded onward. Wild boars we
saw in abundance, many intently searching for food
in the field or common on each side of the way,
on which the wild long grass grew to an enormous
height ; others scampering across the road, some
ten yards before our horses, and then, as though
terrified by the sight of our large vehicle, suddenly
darting across the fields, and vanishing into the
adjacent thickets.
It was growing quite dusk as we neared our
destination. The road, which was one seldom
traversed by carriages, was very bad, in some parts
scarcely passable. At one time, indeed, we came
to a dead stop, as, in spite of all the efforts of the
coucer and lopers, with the exertions of the poor
o 2
196 LIFE IN JAVA.
horses themselves, the rees-wagen would not stir.
Several men, seeing our difficulty, came in a short
time from the neighbouring fields and huts to
render us assistance. Putting their shoulders to
the wheels, they eased the horses of the weight
that dragged them back, and thus facilitated our
progress. When they had helped the carnage up
the crest of a steep hill, I felt for my purse to
reward them ; but Drahman, seeing my intention,
begged me by no means to offer any recompense,
as the Dutch, he said, never did so, and it would,
therefore, only be a bad precedent. The land
which they cultivated was given to them by
Government, with the express understanding that
they should gratuitously help all travellers in
difficulties, a service for which they were ex-
empted from the usual tax of one-tenth of their
produce.
Close to Klaka our horses stopped again, and we
once more owed our progress to the assistance of
THE LAMONGAN. 197
the native labourers, who this time helped us all
the way to the Passangrahan. I could not resist
the temptation of giving them each something for
their work, as, in addition to the labour, they were
exposed to the rain, which was now pouring down
in torrents, and the evening was dark and miser-
able.
The Mandor soon appeared, and before long
we were made as comfortable as we could reason-
ably expect to be. After partaking of tea, we
walked out on the back verandah, to have a night
view of the volcano.
The rain had ceased, but the night was dark
and gloomy. On looking to the summit of the
mountain, we saw a red flame of light issuing from
the Lamongan, vividly illuminating the sky imme-
diately over the crater, and reflected again on the
placid waters of the lake. The sight was a most
striking one, such as, once seen, could never be
effaced from the memory — so grand, so beautiful,
198 LIFE IN JAVA.
in the solemn darkness and weird-like silence of
night, was the spectacle on which we looked. On
retracing our steps to the large sitting-room, we
were much amused by seeing our servant peering
into several rooms, first into one and then into
another, till I really began to fancy he was seek-
ing the Pungooroo Ruma, or House Spirit, which,
according to a native superstition, presides in every
dwelling.
"Well, how now, Drahman," said I, "what is
the matter f
" Are you not afraid, sir, to pass the night in
this lonely house, after what the Mandor has told
me!"
"What did he tell you f inquired I, scarcely
able to suppress a smile.
"Why, a tiger walks past the house every night;
and one," he added, lowering his voice, "was
actually seen on the verandah a few evenings
a2o."
GOOD AND BAD TIGERS. 199
" Oh ! is that all P said I ; " then ask the Man-
dor for a gun, and we will shoot the machan
when he comes. I am most anxious to get a good
skin."
"Sta-par-alla,Tuan!" exclaimed Drahman, a look
of terror on his face. " Don't, sir ! don't say so !
If the Dato (father) of the forest does come, it will
only be to scent us."
" To scent us ? — what do you mean ?"
" Why, that is the way they find out whether
we have a good or a bad heart."
" Oh ! if that is your opinion of tigers," said I,
laughing outright, " I see no need for your
fear."
"Well, I beg you, sir, not to have a gun.
There are a few bad ones among the lot, and these
will attack human beings, but the generality mean
well towards mankind, and it will be unlucky for
us, sir, if you shoot a good tiger."
Next morning we were up early, to inspect our
200 LIFE IN JAVA.
new locality. The Passangrahan was a large
bungalow, reached by four steps leading to the
front verandah, which, together with the one at the
back of the house, was ornamented with trellis
work, tastefully entwined with woodbine, passion-
flower, and other native creepers. The house was
approached from the road by an avenue of wild
trees, extending up to the garden gate, between
which and the Passangrahan was a neatly-trimmed
and well-weeded garden, presenting, with its par-
terres, in which bloomed many a European flower,
and its pretty walks and smooth lawns, a curious
contrast to the avenue beyond, on each side of
which nature was left in all its wild luxuriance.
The lake of Klaka was behind the house, and on
the opposite side rose the Lamongan, apparently
close at hand, but in reality four miles distant. It
is an active volcano, six thousand five hundred feet
in height, broken at the summit, which, consisting
apparently of red stone or clay, is of a yellow
THREE VOLCANOES. 201
reddish shade. The vegetation on the upper part
of the mountain is exceedingly sparse. A deep
ravine, clothed with masses of dark green forest
trees, apparently divides the summit on one side,
causing it to appear like two mountains. The
lower part of the volcano, as well as the space be-
tween it and the lake, was covered with a dense
jungle, which, stretching downwards to the margin
of the water, encircled it with its verdant arms.
Between the Lamongan, the Smeroe, and Bro-
mok, there is supposed to be some connecting link,
as it is a curious fact that flames seldom issue from
more than one of these mountains at the same
time. A gentleman told us that he once ascended
the mountain of Ardjuno, and, during the night
which he passed on the summit, amused himself by
watching the flames issuing from the three craters,
whose respective situations, though the night was
pitch dark, he well knew. The first one which
ejected fire was the Smeroe, and in a few moments
202 LIFE IN JAVA.
after its flame had died away the Bromok was seen
topped with a tongue of fire, on the subsidence of
which flames were observed issuing from the La-
mongan. And thus, to use my informant's own
words, " they carried on until I went to sleep."
We breakfasted — or rather took our early cup
of tea — in the back verandah, just over the lake ;
after which, running down the steps, we wended
our way through an avenue of orange, almond, fig,
and other trees, to the water, where we entered a
clumsy-looking boat, in which we were rowed
round the lake, about three quarters of a mile
in circumference. We steered under the shade
of leafy bowers, occasionally emerging into the
broad sunlight, until we reached the head of
the lake, where, on lofty trees, the bark and
branches of which were completely hidden by the
loveliest creepers I ever saw, monkeys, known as
the Lotong, Si-a-mang, and Budang, were swing-
ing from branch to branch. The mothers of
MONKEY TRIBES. 203
this carious tribe we could easily discern
carrying their young, whose tiny arms and legs
were tightly clasping round their careful parents.
The Lotong, which seem to be the Anaks of the
three tribes, being larger and longer than the
others, are of a jet black colour, and have very
long tails, apparently possessed of great power and
strength, for they often made use of them as a sort
of hook or lasso by which to hang from one
branch while busily occupied in eating the fruit
from another.
Covies of small wild ducks, called Bebeck, very
much resembling our teal, swam in companies on
the water. On our first appearance they allowed
us to come within gunshot, but the noise of our
oars, joined to the sound of our voices, soon made
them wary and shy.
The Pncho is a large bird with beautiful jet
black plumage, richly streaked with feathers tipped
with gold, and darts through the air with the
204 LIFE IN JAVA.
speed of an arrow. Its neck, which is much longer
than the body, is something like that of the crane,
or the rice bird, but not so graceful ; the feathers
on it are of a greenish hue. The length of the
neck, together with its small head, and an eye like
a little black bead, made it somewhat resemble a
winged serpent. It is sometimes called the Mele-
wis, and in the Philippines the Corvo Marino, or
Sea Crow. Their principal food is fish, but they
live also upon fruit and insects. The Mum-ti-ara
is of a similar species, but smaller.
Wild pigeons also flew from tree to tree, seem-
ingly undisturbed by our presence, and turtle and
ring-doves kept up an incessant chorus, while king-
fishers of varied plumage shot through the air with
their piercing, discordant shrieks. The presence
of these feathered denizens gave variety to a scene
of mingled beauty and wildness.
After spending two or three hours on the water,
we returned to the bungalow ; and whilst they
ARRIVAL AT PROBOLINGO. 205
were preparing the rice and curry for our late
breakfast, we bathed in the lake — a most conve-
nient bath-house being erected on poles in the
water, which serves for a dressing-room to any
traveller wishing to enjoy the luxury of a cool
plunge.
A pole was pointed out to me by the Mandor,
about thirty yards from the house, placed there, he
said, to mark the spot where, three months previous
to our visit, a labourer was attacked by a tiger as
he was returning home from his work. Near it
was erected a clumsy-looking trap, in which a kid
was nightly* confined ; but in spite of the
tempting bait, the wily tiger had, up to the time
of our arrival, proved too wide-awake to be caught.
We arrived at Probolino;o at eight, but notwith-
standing the lateness of the hour, Mr. II , the
Dutch gentleman who had so kindly lent his aid
in securing post-horses for us the previous day,
would take no refusal of his invitation to dinner.
206 LIFE IN JAVA.
We therefore made a hasty toilette, and spent the
rest of the evening most agreeably at his house.
Before leaving this district, we may add, for the
information of those Europeans resident in the
East who contemplate the culture and manufacture
of sugar, that the province of Probolingo is one of
the best fields in Java for a practical observation
of the process of sugar-making in all its branches.
The harbour of Probolingo is very exposed
during some months of the year — especially January
and February, when the ghendeng, a stormy wind,
blows in hurricanes from the- south, and all vessels
near the coast run great danger of being cast on
shore. I was told by several Dutch captains, with
whom I happened to converse on the subject, that
there is a great want of lighthouses on this coast.
They have long been promised by the Government,
but never yet supplied. In the intricate and narrow
straits of Bali, where the currents are strong and
variable, and the rocks and shoals unprovided with
LIGHTHOUSES. 207
proper marks for safety, the want of one or more
is much felt. The scanty provision made by
Government for lighting this narrow passage has
given rise to reiterated complaints, which, I
was led to understand, had hitherto produced no
favourable result.
I have often wondered why European nations
have never come to a mutual understanding on the
subject of providing lighthouses, &c, on such a
coast, or in straits virtually under their own
dominion, and known to be dangerous to the navi-
gation of the mercantile marine of all nations. If
such a treaty were made, it would prove one of the
several means we as a nation are always ready to
adopt for averting as much as possible the dangers
of the sea.
CHAPTER VII.
RETURN TO PASSEROEWAN — START FOR MALANG — INCONVENI-
ENCES WHICH MAY ARISE FROM NOT KNOWING THE DUTCH
LANGUAGE — CASCADE OF BAONG — OUR INCREDULITY —
SEEING IS BELIEVING — RUINS OF SINGASARI — NATIVE TRA-
DITION — MALANG INTERVIEW WITH THE RESIDENT — PER-
PLENING DIFFICULTY — IMPORTANCE OF KNOWING FRENCH — _
ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH — FERTILITY OF THE SOJL — THE SAWAH
SERPENT — A DISTURBED SIESTA — SINGULAR STOCKING — NAR-
ROW ESCAPE— TOBACCO FIELDS — VISIT TO THE REGENT.
VOL. I.
211
CHAPTER VII.
We started next day early in the morning, which
was bright and balmy, for Passeroewan, arriving
there about eight a.m. Here we supplied ourselves
with monetary and other necessaries, after which
we made preparations for a long drive on a blazing
hot day, by no means the most agreeable prospect.
I sent my inland passport to be vised as usual,
and when the hotel servant returned, I perceived
the words " for Batavia " endorsed on the back, to
which was affixed the Resident's signature. The
whole composition, being in Dutch, was to me per-
fectly unintelligible. I therefore referred to my
landlord, who, from his long residence in Java,
had acquired a good knowledge of the language.
On my showing him the superscription, he called
P 2'
212 LIFE IX JAVA.
for his boy, and asked him if he had told the Resi-
dent of our wish to go to Malang ? On the ser-
vant replying in the affirmative, the landlord
turned to me, saying, as he handed the paper
back,
" It looks queer, sir, but no doubt it is all right
— at all events they will make it all clear to you at
Malang."
Encouraged by this assurance of our landlord, we
at once started, for the horses had been for some
time impatiently pawing the ground, and the coucer
had several times turned his head to see if we were
coming.
During the drive we passed through a variety
of scenery. The country was occasionally open
and wooded, sometimes undulating and flat, with
occasional glimpses of mountains, the Ardjuno
and Indrokito being those first seen after leaving
Passeroewan ; and those called Kawi, Kresi, and
Kloet near Malane.
WATERFALL IX BAONG. 213
Between Protong and Jatasari we stopped to
see the waterfall of Baong, which is about twenty
minutes walk from the road. On approaching the
spot, I found the source of the water to be on a
level with the ground on which we stood, but
separated from us by a deep, wide chasm, whose
sides and floor were completely concealed by wild
shrubs and bushes. We descended a short dis-
tance, and then, looking up, saw the rushing flow
of water, issuing apparently from the trees them-
selves, so densely thick was the foliage around.
The fall is but trifling, not more than sixty feet.
Above the chasm, at some distance from it, is a
fine range of low hills, covered from crown to base
with a jungle of tall trees.
This waterfall is renowned for the tigers and
leopards seen in its vicinity, and many assured us
it was no unusual sight to see them amid the trees
roaming about, more particularly near the reser-
voir. As we were very incredulous regarding this
v CD - O
214 LIFE IN JAVA.
statement, we felt no hesitation in venturing
nearer to* the cascade, in order to obtain a better
view of it. We accordingly threaded our way
through the jungle, followed by our servant,
and had proceeded about half-way down the slope,
when we heard a rustling among the trees, and
just before us, a little to the right, jumped out a
small leopard, which, apparently terrified at the un-
usual appearance of strangers, darted off in an
opposite direction, and was lost to sight in little more
than a second. No longer disbelieving the asser-
tions of those who had kindly warned us, we
hastily retraced our steps, passing on our way
the skins of some small wild animals, evidently,
to judge from the prints of large paws imprinted
on them, the remnants of poor creatures on which
the tigers had made their repast.
The road to Jatasarie was very uneven and full
of ruts. Between it and the next post, Lawang,
we passed four high square columns, called Watas,
MALANG. 215
or Tanda-han, boundary marks by which one dis-
trict, or residency, is separated from another.
Malang is in the residency of Passeroewan, and
under the control of an assistant resident, nomi-
nally supported by a Javanese regent, or, as the
Dutch call him, Reghent. We passed the village
of Singasari, once probably boasting of a large
Hindu population, if we may judge from the
sculptural remains they have left behind them,
displaying some art in the use of the hammer and
chisel. A few scattered houses are now all
the habitable part of the village ; but these, being
the dwellings of wealthy Javanese ryots, are gene-
rally substantially built of brick and mortar.
As we were anxious to see the ruins, we ordered
the coucer to drive as near as he could. A ride of
about five minutes brought us to within a short
walk of the place where they are situated, a kind
of natural amphitheatre, no doubt selected for
the celebration of worship on account of its
216 LIFE IN JAVA.
sheltered position. The first objects we remarked
were two altars of hewn trachyte, the stones com-
posing which were cemented together with mortar.
On one of the altars, which are fully fifty paces
from each other, was seated an enormous figure,
cut out of a solid block of granite, twelve feet in
height, by six or eight in thickness, and in won-
derful preservation. With large protruding eyes,
prominent nose, curved at the nostrils and point,
wide mouth, thick, sensual-looking lips, two upper
and two lower tusks, it presented a very remark-
able and by no means pleasing appearance. On
the head was a tiara studded with cleverly chiselled
death's heads ; the long ears were pierced with
ornaments very minutely cut, and from the car-
tilage of both were suspended hideous skulls.
Numbers of chains were hung round the neck,
and a loose scarf fell across the broad chest from
the left shoulder to the right. Massive bracelets
encircled the wrists and biceps, and the right arm
ALTARS. 217
was slightly raised, the two first fingers being
pointed, as if in the act of commanding, or
giving emphasis to an oracle. A belt of skulls
encircled the corpulent stomach, and the left
hand rested on a walking-stick or sceptre of
stone.
The second altar is much broken, and overgrown
with Guava and Suma trees, the roots of which
have penetrated into the interstices, and dislodged
many of the stones. The figure formerly upon it
now sits slantingly in a damp hollow, into which it
has fallen, probably finding that its position on the
pedestal had become uncomfortable and unsteady
from its broken condition. I could find no Java-
nese who could tell me the names these figures
went by, though, from the fear and reverence with
which they were regarded, they were doubtless
believed to have been sent down from Heaven,
in God's wrath, to terrify the inhabitants of the
island. My conjecture is, from the number of
218 LIFE IN JAVA.
skulls with which both are ornamented, that they
represent the gods of death. There were several
small figures, all more or less mutilated — some with
clasped hands, as though in prayer, others with
clubs and other weapons in their hands.
The chariot of Darawatti is very curious ; it is a
square of solid stone, with wheels, like large roses,
sculptured on either side. Seven horses, called
Sambrani, are cut out of one end of the block, and
are supposed to be drawing the chariot. The two
end ones alone stand out in relief, the others being
distinguishable only by the fore leg.
On the opposite side of this amphitheatre is the
figure of a large bull, gorgeously caparisoned, called
Ninda. On his back rests a saddle of roses, and
from his broad neck hang chains ornamented with
flowers, meeting at a point in front, to which is
attached a large bell. The figure- measures four
feet in height, and three in thickness, and is hewn
out of one solid block of stone. Near it were two
SCULPTURED FIGURES. 219
smaller ones, headless and disfigured. Another very
important figure, to the right of the broken altar, is
that of an elephant, about six feet high, in a sitting
posture, on a pedestal, round which is an orna-
mental circle of skulls. The head of the animal
is surmounted by a conical-shaped crown, sur-
rounded by two bands, in the centre of which are
minor crowns. The feet and hands are like human
ones, and from the ears, which are large and flabby,
are suspended death's heads. In each hand is held
a bowl beautifully chiselled, one of them par-
tially hidden behind the long proboscis. This
figure is known by the names of Siewah and
Durga, and is frequently seen in Java. Whether
the live elephants which served as models were im-
ported from Sumatra by the Buddhists, or whether
that island, according to the native idea, was con-
nected with that of Java, and these animals roamed
at large throughout the whole land, is subject for
conjecture ; but this we know for a fact, that at the
220 LIFE IN JAVA.
present day they are not indigenous to the soil, nor
were they when the Portuguese first visited Java
in 1522.
A short distance from the circle in which we
saw these figures is the ruin of a temple, thickly
surrounded with bamboo, and the Suma, a plant
which bears a flower with white leaves and a yellow
centre. It has a pleasant odour, and is always to be
met with at shrines and in cemeteries; and the fact
of its growing so plentifully here, to some extent
establishes the truth of my conjecture respecting
the figures which I suppose to be those of the gods
of death in the Hindu time.
The temple is built in the shape of a tower
standing on a large square basement, raised two or
three feet from the ground, and reached by a flight
of steps. It is in three stories, but the upper one
has almost entirely crumbled away. The lower
ones are in pretty good preservation, and it is from
them alone we can derive anv idea of the former
RUINS OF A TEMPLE. 221
beauties of the fane. The stone used is trachyte,
hewn and chiselled in a superior manner. Little
or no cement appears to have been employed in
building, and yet in many parts the stones seem
quite wedged in, or dove-tailed, as carpenters
term similar work in wood. Moss and ferns cliii£
to the walls on all sides, with here and there a
large shrub rooted in the recess of the windows,
or over the doorways.
The principal entrance is arched over, having
two niches on each side, in which are two larcje
figures. These being altogether of disproportionate
size compared with the magnitude of the building
as a whole, must, I imagine, have been found else-
where, and recently put in their present position.
Above this entrance, on the outside, stares a
huge face, with large round eyes, a wide mouth,
regular rows of enormous teeth shaped like
leaves, and numerous ornaments bedizening the
head. The stone in which it is cut is freer
222 LIFE IN JAVA.
from dirt and less broken than that of most of the
other figures and sculpture. The entrance on the
right side of the temple must also have been adorned
in a similar manner, but the head has fallen from
its former exalted position, and now lies on its
occiput, staring up at the throne of eminence it
once occupied. The second story is a counterpart
of the first, but smaller. The arched recesses
have been elaborately finished with leaves and
flowers — emblematic, I daresay, of the name of
the temple, Singa-sari, meaning Lion-flower — and
the niches have been filled with figures, of which,
however, so effectually has the unsparing hand of
time done its work, little that is perfect now re-
mains. The recess on the right side of the temple
contains a recumbent figure, about which the
Javanese have a tradition. Their legend says it
was formerly a young prince, who came to this
temple to carry away a lovely princess serving
in it as a vestal virgin. His attempt, however,
TROUBLE WITH PASSPORTS. 223
being discovered by the keeper, he was attacked,
disarmed, and killed, and his body being imme-
diately transformed into stone, it was placed in
this niche as a warning to others equally daring.
Having spent an hour or more in inspecting
these ruins, we drove back to the village, and
from thence to Malang, where we arrived between
eight and nine, rather tired with our day's
work.
The next morning I sent my passport to be
vised for the places we contemplated visiting; and
whilst I was seated in our room, busily occupied
in writing my journal, our host, a tall Dutchman,
entered, and in a very civil tone told me my pass-
port was not right, and the Resident wished to
speak to me on the subject after breakfast.
" Bother these passports," thought I, " they are
bad enough when you enter the port as a stranger,
but to be pestered with them eternally in this way
is nonsensical humbug." However, I said " Very
224 LIFE IX JAVA.
well" to the man, and he made his exit, bowing
in true military fashion, for he had once been a
soldier, and was particularly anxious all should
know it.
At the time appointed I went to the Resident's
house, which is situated in a beautiful garden ad-
joining the outer wall of the hotel in which
we were residing, and was directed, by the opus,
a messenger and watchman combined, to go to
the kontoor, or office. On presenting myself to
the Resident, he seemed at first rather inclined to
show his displeasure at my having broken through
the usual regulations ; but my plea of ignorance
of the Dutch language, together with the fact of
my being a family man, soon dissipated any pre-
conceived suspicion he might have formed as to
my intentions in visiting Making, and obtained for
me a promise that he would communicate by tele-
graph with the Resident at Passeroewan, asking him
to grant me the few days 1 requested in order that
MALANG. 225
we might be able to visit some of the adjacent
places.
Our conversation was carried on in French.
Without some knowledge of this language tra-
velling in Java would be very difficult, as few
Dutch gentlemen in the interior understand Eng-
lish, though the greater number speak French
fluently. Lines for communication by means of
the electric telegraph are seen throughout the
island of Java, which is a great convenience, espe-
cially as the mode of travelling is still by posts,
and consequently slow.
Malang is a province under the residency of
Passeroewan. Until of late years both these dis-
tricts were under the supervision of the Resident
of Surabaya; but the increase of population, the
extension of trade, and other circumstances, de-
cided the Government in detaching them, and
forming Passeroewan and Malang into a distinct
residency.
VOL. I. Q
226 LIFE IN JAVA.
The valley of Malang is said to be fifteen hun-
dred feet above the level of the sea. The air con-
sequently is not so hot as in the lower lands. The
cultivation of coffee is carried on to a great extent
in it ; also tobacco, cocoa, rice, as well as European
grain, which grows well on the slopes of the neigh-
bouring hills and mountains. The temperature
averages generally from fifty to sixty degrees in
the morning, and seventy-five to eighty degrees in
the middle of the day. It is a lovely country, and
though thickly populated, so healthy that it is con-
sidered quite a sanatorium, and hospitals have been
built in it by Government for their invalid soldiers
and civilians.
In whatever direction you drive from the town
of Malang, you will soon find yourself in face of
mountains — as the Smeroe and Tengerr to the west,
and the Ardjuno, Kewi, and Kresi, to the east,
besides many minor hills, which cannot fail to
please the eye by their variety. The valley is
DELIGHTFUL COUNTRY. 227
well irrigated by rills and rivulets. The largest
river near the town, which is known as the Kali
Malang, is a branch of the Kedirie. The adjoin-
ing fields are mostly meadow-land, studded here
and there with trees, giving the landscape quite
a European appearance, and carrying us in fancy
home again.
The traveller who comes as far as Passeroewan,
should certainly extend his journey to this delight-
ful country, which, for beauty, climate, and pros-
perity, can well bear comparison with any of the
Preanger Regencies.
The town, like most provincial ones in the East,
is very quiet, free from popular excitements and
" sensations." It boasts of a literary society,
owing its origin to Count Von S , and several
other gentlemen.
Before the hotel, but separated by a road, is the
Esplanade, or Alown Alown, as the natives call it,
a large square, planted with verengen, yew, or
Q2
228 LIFE IN JAVA.
fir, and other trees. To the right is a wall, almost
hidden by the foliage of a plantation of bread-
fruit, jack, mango, and betel-nut ; and a little
beyond this, again, is a gate guarded by two native
soldiers. This is the residence of the native Re-
gent, who attends the mosque — which is situated
nearly opposite to his house — regularly twice a day.
On his progress to and from it he is generally pre-
ceded by his own band, playing sometimes native
and sometimes European music, and followed by
his payong bearers and suite of attendants.
The grounds of the hospital are extensive, and
beautifully laid out. There is a small bath-house
at the foot of a hill, where a large volume of water
rushes down, passing through a punclmrun, or
large bamboo cylinder, falling rather too heavily,
perhaps, to be agreeable, on the bathers head — at
least, I should fancy so. It is highly recommend-
ed, however, as being very efficacious in cases of
rheumatism.
EICE-FIELD SERPEXT. 229
When we visited this hospital we were shown
an enormous Sawah, or rice-field serpent, measur-
ing twenty feet in length, with a girth of eighteen
inches. I believe it was the doctor's intention to
send it to Amsterdam.
These serpents are by nature shy and timid, and,
unless very ravenous, seldom attack human beings.
A native of Malang, fatigued with his day's work,
was indulging in a nap on a plot of meadow-land
adjoining that on which the serpent we saw was
found. He had not slept long when he was awoke
by a curious sensation in his right leg — a warm,
moist, creeping feeling. Opening his eyes, and
looking down, he beheld, to his horror, the whole
of his foot and the calf of his leg in the mouth of
a huge serpent. For some moments he remained
motionless, too terrified to make any exertion for
his own deliverance, or even to cry out ; but find-
ing his leg gradually disappearing within the jaws
of the monster, he was roused to a sense of his
230 LIFE IN JAVA.
critical position, and found voice to call out loudly
for help, at the same time moving his leg rapidly
to and fro in his endeavours to shake the serpent
off. It was now, however, in no humour to relin-
quish its prey, and consequently, when the poor
man's cries had brought several other labourers to
his side, they all tried vainly to draw the huge
reptile off, and were at last compelled to cut it in
two before it could be made to release its hold.
The man was laid up for some time, his leg, though
not broken, bein£ much bruised. This story was
told me as a positive fact, and, though the Sawah
serpent is toothless, yet such is its enormous size
that there is no reason why one should not give
credit to so extraordinary an incident.
Count von S , to whom I had a letter of
introduction, drove us next morning to Singoro,
his estate. A garden, stocked with rare plants,
and grounds tastefully laid out, are attached to the
house. Here we were shown the vanilla plant,
PREPARATION OF TOBACCO. 231
the pointed leaves of which are of a bright green.
In most parts of Java it flourishes remarkably
well, but it was thought the climate of Malang
would be too chilly, until on trial they found to
the contrary.
Opposite the grounds of the count's house are
his tobacco fields, which we walked through on
our way to the drying-sheds. The tobacco plant
is cultivated in rows, two or three feet apart, on
flat ground. When it has attained the height of
from four to five feet, it is cut down and defoliated.
The leaves are then tied up in bundles of fifteen,
twenty, or thirty, and suspended from bamboo
poles running across the interior of the shed, where
they are left to dry for twenty days or more, ac-
cording to the state of the atmosphere. In wet or
damp weather they naturally dry less quickly ; but
artificial heat is seldom, if ever, resorted to, as the
premature drying is apt to render the leaves too
brittle and flavourless. When the leaves assume
232 LIFE IN JAVA.
a yellow tinge, they are taken down, piled one
over the other in bamboo frames, and left for a
fortnight or three weeks to ferment. They are
then examined, and if found quite brown, are
tightly pressed and packed up, either in boxes or
matting for exportation, or in the bark of the
tree plantain for immediate sale.
On our return we called upon the Regent, lie
lives, like all Javanese chiefs, in a large kind of
bungalow, with a pondopo, or covered shed, before
it, in which he takes his meals, receives his visitors,
and listens to aggravated cases, on which the
Wodono has not the ability or power to adjudicate.
Several birds, in cages, were hung around this
shed, amongst which we saw the Tur- coo-coo, or
Morobo, and the jungle cock, which is so prized
by all wealthy Javanese.
I found the Regent a very agreeable man. We
had a pleasant chat with him in Malay, and he
promised to acquaint the Wodonos of Batoe and
UNBECOMING PRACTICE. 233
Ngantang of our intended visit to the districts over
which they preside. He was about the middle
height, rather inclined to corpulence. His features,
for a native, were pretty good, but slightly pitted
with the small- pox. The shape of his under lip
was spoilt by a constant habit of holding a large
piece of tobacco on it, which, after chewing, he
was in the habit of keeping in this unbecoming
fashion for hours together.
This indeed is quite a common practice with
the Javanese. The Malays, on the other hand,
generally keep theirs under the upper lip, giving
the ignorant stranger an impression that some
hard body, which only a surgical operation could
extract, is embedded in it. The Regent intro-
duced his wife and daughters to us, and then tea
was handed round, accompanied by European cakes
and biscuits. His wife, Tuan Ratu, and her two
daughters, who were pretty fair specimens of
Javanese beauty, were, like the paterfamilias, very
234 LIFE IN JAVA.
talkative and agreeable. The Regent seemed to
enjoy his Manilla cigar ; but his way of smoking
was very peculiar. Drawing a long volume of
smoke from his cigar, just as the Bengalees do
from their hookahs, he swallowed it. Then
taking the cigar out of his mouth, he turned
to the person with whom he was conversing
at the time, and, after retaining the smoke fully a
minute, exhaled it in occasional puffs from his nose
and mouth.
CHAPTER VIII.
TO BATOE, OR BATU — STUBBORN HORSES — LEGEND OF ARUMAN
— JAVANESE DISLIKE TO A BROKEN TALE — ARRIVAL AT THE
PASSANGRAHAN — BATH-HOUSE — RUINS OF SINGORITE — HOT
SPRINGS — PETRIFACTIONS — JAVANESE PILGRIMAGES — THEIR
REVERENCE FOR THE RELIGION OF THEIR ANCESTORS — EX-
CURSION TO NGANTANG — WATERFALL OF TRETES — COFFEE
FACTORY — THE JODANG — FANCY BALL AT MALANG JAVA
SPARROWS — SUGAR FACTORY — EFFECTS OF FREE LABOUR-
TORCHES AND LAMPS FOR EVENING WALKS — NATIVE GAME
OF FOOT-BALL.
237
CHAPTER VIII.
Batoe lies to the north-west of Malang, in a
mountainous, and, as its name implies, a stony
locality. It is a small village, very prettily
situated, and, as soon as 1 had obtained permission
from the Resident of Passeroewan to stay a few
days more in the neighbourhood, our Rees-Wagen
was on its way to the place. We left Malang
at half-past six p.m., and passing the hospital, took
the road to the left, near the river. We had not
proceeded very far before we came in full view of
the Kawie, distinguished from the adjacent moun-
tains by its conical peak, and said to be eight
thousand feet above the level of the sea. To our
right, but far in the distance, was the range of the
Banvha — much or manv — so called from the
238 LIFE IN JAVA.
number of spurs which proceed from it, and the
lesser hills which rise in its neighbourhood.
We had several stoppages en route, in conse-
quence of the sudden and numerous steep ascents.
The horses, accustomed to be assisted in these
parts, made an obstinate stand, their nostrils dis-
tended, and snorting as though they were invoking
the aid of Simbrani ; nor would they " budge one
inch" until the men from the neighbourhood
arrived, and put their shoulders to the wheels.
We had frequent occurrences of the same kind,
which exercised our patience in no small degree,
but as nothing we could do or say helped us,
we determined to take these little inconveniences
as philosophically as possible.
The first station we arrived at was Amman.
Here we had no sooner left the shed than Drah-
man, throwing away his roko, or cigaret — which, as it
was not offensive to my wife, I had given him
leave to smoke whenever he felt inclined — and
LEGEND OF ARUMAN. 239
turning to me with a serious expression of face,
said,
" There is a charita" (a tale or legend) " about
the nanie of this place ; would you like to hear it,
sir?"
" Oh certainl) T ," we both replied, glad of some-
thing of the kind to while away the time on this
tedious journey.
"Well, sir," began Drahman, "there was a
little boy whose name was Amman, who when
quite a child had the misfortune to lose a good
kind mother, whose place in their home his father
soon filled up by marrying a woman called Ma
Qualoan. They had not been married long before
Amman complained bitterly to his father of his
stepmother's cruelty. The father expostulated
Avith Ma Qualoan, who so fully satisfied him of the
justice of her actions, that on the little boy's
making a second appeal to his fathers feelings, in-
formiii£c him that he had not even had enough to
240 LIFE IN JAVA.
eat, the infatuated husband warmly reproved the
child, and, on his refusing to deny the truth of
what he had said, beat him.
"In great distress Aruman fled to his baboo, or
nurse, and on her faithful bosom poured forth all
the grief of childhood, mingling with his sorrow
the recollection of his mother's kindness and affec-
tion. Sumarr, whose memory cherished the image
of her late mistress with love and respect, often
contrasting her gentleness with the pride and
severity of Ma Qualoan, felt much for Aruman,
and tried to soothe his grief by the narration of
tales associated with his mother's memory, in listen-
ing to which the little fellow would soon fall asleep.
Sumarr would then seek the child's father, to see if
anything she might say could move his heart ; but
her expostulations were all in vain. The man was
so entangled in the wiles of a perfidious woman
that he readily lent an ear to all she said in dis-
paragement of his first-born, and now began to
LEGEND OF ARUxMAN. 241
think him the wicked little boy she had des-
cribed.
" At last, wearied with his repeated complaints,
and fearful, from Ma Qualoan's representations,
that his son might prove a disgrace to his family,
the unnatural father determined to rid himself of
the child, whom he now considered a plague. Ac-
cordingly one day, when Aruman was seated
sorrowfully by the banks of a stream, thinking
sadly of his bitter lot, he perceived his father ad-
vancing towards him with a coil of rope in his
hand. Impelled by a feeling of filial affection,
Aruman rose to meet his father, who answered his
affecionate greeting with a frown of displeasure,
and throwing him down, secured his hands and
feet, and then threw him into the river, saying, as
he did so, ' Thou art the plague of my existence,
begone from my sight for evermore !' ' Father !
father !' cried the poor boy, ' you shall see me again !'
VOL. I. R
242 LIFE IN JAVA.
He would have added more, but the waters bore
him away, floating on their surface.
" Whilst this tragical event occurred in one part
of the river, a fish and an alligator, in a lower part
of it, were talking (in piscatorial fashion of course)
about the scarcity of food at that particular period.
'Nothing,' said they, 'has made its way for weeks
down here, not even a log of wood, what can be the
reason of it V These words had scarcely escaped
from their mouths when Arum an floated past. A
drawn battle would probably have taken place on
any other occasion between these amicable denizens
of the river, but ravenous as they were they allowed
this tempting morsel to pass unmolested.
" ' Why,' asked Amman, who saw them as he
passed — l why do you not swallow me up ? I am
persecuted by my stepmother, beaten and despised
by my father. Kill me now, for I want to
die!'
" ' No, we cannot, we must not,' replied the kind
LEGEND OF ARUMAN. 243
and considerate alligator and fish. l You are des-
tined for some great end.'
Saying this, they led him in safety to the hank,
and there untied the cords by which he was bound.
" ' Stay a moment,' said the alligator, as he dis-
appeared in a deep part of the water, quickly re-
appearing with a pair of tumpak cunchang, or
floating shoes, which he put on Amman's feet,
telling him that with these he could traverse the
broadest river and widest ocean as easily as though
he were walking on dry land.
" Amman thanked the alligator and fish for their
kindness, and stepping on the water, commenced
his progress down the river, the mouth of which he
soon reached. Venturing out on the ocean, he
wandered about on its surface with no fixed pur-
pose. In a short time, however, he conceived in
his heart a violent lono;ino; for the sio-ht of a
human beino\ Catching sight presently of a
native vessel, he turned his steps in its direction,
R 2
244 LIFE IN JAVA.
and was soon observed by the Nakoda, or captain,
who was looking through his telescope. On first per-
ceiving Aruman, the captain took him for an appa-
rition, but when he came closer, perceiving that he
was of real flesh and blood, he invited him on board,
where he ordered to be set before him a sailor's usual
repast in the East, namely, rice and salt fish, much
to the annoyance of the crew, who for some time
could not divest themselves of the idea that the
little boy must have been buoyed up in the water
by some evil spirit.
" During the meal, of which the child partook
plentifully, he recounted his adventures and
sorrows, his story calling forth the sympathy and
indignation of his hearers. In the meantime, the
eye of the Nakoda had not been idle ; he
had discovered the tumpak cunchang which
Aruman wore, and was very desirous to obtain
them.
"' What use are those shoes to vouT said he.
LEGEND OF ARUMAN. 245
' Some clay, when you feel the safest, mind what I
say, you'll sink. Give them to me, and I will let
you have in exchange my Baju-unta-kasuma, w T ith
which you can fly in safety over land and sea, you
can skim over the water like a swallow, or soar up
into the very clouds like the strong-winged kite.'
a < Very well,' replied the anxious boy, ' give me
the Baju, and here are my shoes.'
" So the bargain was struck, and Aruman, clad
with the garment of volition, darted through the
air like Icarus, but without incurring the fate
which so soon brought that daring adventurer's
flight to an end. Nakoda fared differently with
his acquisition. In attempting to walk on the sur-
face of the water he sank, and, had he not been an
expert swimmer, must have been drowned. As it
was he was nearly exhausted when he reached his
own ship, and was helped upon deck by the crew.
" Aruman, perceiving the sad condition of the
captain, approached the vessel, and looked down
246 LIFE IN JAVA.
compassionately on Nakoda, who, vexed at his dis-
appointment, already bitterly repented the bargain
he had made, and called the boy a cheat, rogne,
and other abusive names.
" Amman, however, only laughing at these, the
captain steered his vessel close to the land, and
getting into a small boat, loudly challenged the
boy to single combat. After some hesitation, Am-
man descended, hoping to appease the wrath of the
captain without fighting, but Nakoda was too
angry to be easily satisfied.
"'Come on! come on! I'll soon do for you, my
boy !' he exclaimed, as he drew his kriss, never
dreaming of any difficulty in a duel with such a
youngster.
" But he was mistaken. Amman, though young,
was firmly built, and possessed of extraordinary
muscular strength, so that before long he slew the
captain, and then flew off in the direction of his
father's dwelling. lie passed over valleys and
LEGEND OF ARUMAN. 247
forests, his sharp eyes observing even the gloom}-
caverns under the sombre branches of gigantic
trees. Prompted by curiosity, he stopped to look
at one of these caves. The mouth of it was so
black that it seemed to be the entrance into a
region of impenetrable night. Whilst he stood
peering into it, a figure appeared, lighting up
the recess like a sudden meteor. As it left the
cavern, the figure changed its shape, becoming a
terrible-looking witch, with a pigeon in one hand
and a skull in the other. She held the former
over her head for a few minutes, and then, repeat-
ing some words of incantation, opened her bony
hand, and the bird flew away, making circles in
the air as it mounted, and ever and anon, to the
boy's terror, assuming the form of a man, on whose
face a look of horror and remorse was imprinted.
" The old hag now placed the skull on an altar,
on which incense and other preparations were
burning. Flames immediately issued from the eye-
248 LIFE IN JAVA.
sockets and fleshless jaws, making it look a very
ghastly object. The witch then took up small
pebbles, with which she pelted the skull. As these
pebbles fell to the ground, they became dwarf
warriors, who, with headless bodies, danced round
and round the altar, until they fell down ex-
hausted.
" By the side of one of these prostrate warriors,
appeared the form of a young girl, beautiful as a
bida-darie, or angel. Aruman gazed on this vision
with astonishment and admiration, but as he looked
the whole vanished from his sight, leaving him in
complete darkness. Trying to grope his way out
of these haunted regions, his foot slipped on the
marshy ground, became entangled amidst thorny
bushes, or stumbled over rocks and stones ; but
this ordeal did not last long, for the weird woman,
who, unseen, watched him, satisfied that he was
a bold boy, despatched two tigers to walk on each
side of him, and by the light of their eyes,
LEGEND OF ARUMAN. 249
which shone like lamps, to guide him out of the
jungles.
" Aruman now made straight for his paternal
home, on approaching which he met his cruel
father a short distance from the house. The
memory of his past sufferings rising before his
mind, at sight of him his anger was aroused.
Seizing his father, he would have despatched him
with his kriss, but the recollection of the strange
vision of the pigeon arrested him, and he released
the wretched man, whom remorse and fear had
made helpless in his hands.
" ' Go to Mecca, and wash your heart clean in
the waters of Zem Zem,' said Aruman ; and his
father, flying from his presence, was never heard of
again.
" Aruman next went indoors, where he found
Ma Qualoan sitting, counting over her ornaments.
He would have killed her at once, but for the
same vision, which constantly flitted before his
250 LIFE IX JAVA.
mind's eye. Before retiring to rest, however,
for the night, he securely bound her with cords.
In the middle of the night he was awoke by a
voice, which, in a whisper, told him what he was
to do with her. lie accordingly arose, and unbind-
ing the wretched woman, told her to follow him.
After some hours walk they reached the black
forest, where, although they heard many voices,
they saw no one. By some unseen hands the
stepmother was carried into the forest, and placed
between two rocks, immediately over a pit full of
all kinds of horrors ; and there she is believed to
remain to this day, groaning from hunger and
thirst, as well as from the weight of the rock which
is above her. Her miseries are said to be increased
tenfold by thousands of little imps, which make a
target of her head, for their daily exercise in
archery. No well-inclined person dare ven-
ture near this locality night or day, and the
sufferings of Ma Qualoan often prove a
LEGEND OF AKUMAN. 251
warning to other stepmothers as cruelly inclined.
" For some time Amman lived on quietly in his
home, waited on by the faithful Sumarr ; but the
news of his sorrows and his exploits reaching the
ears of the King of Java, he invited the daring
boy — now grown a fine youth — to live in his
palace. There, to his great astonishment, he again
beheld the lovely vision he had seen in the forest,
in the person of the king's only daughter, whom
he subsequently married ; and his baboo, Sumarr,
became nurse to his children.
" The king did not live long, and at his death ap-
pointed Amman as his successor. The latter reigned
long and happily, waging war with other nations,
and, like all Javanese heroes, always coming off
conqueror. lie is the idol of the people, and
therefore all bow before him."
The story of Amman is a favourite tale among
the Javanese, and is often represented in their
wyangs, a kind of puppet-show, of which the
252 LIFE IX JAVA.
natives are very fond, frequently sitting up several
hours after midnight to listen to the improvised
tales of the fantoccini manager, as they consider
it very unlucky to break the thread of a story,
never by any chance doing so when they can
possibly avoid it.
As Drahman could not speak a word of Eng-
lish, I have been obliged to translate his wonderful
narrative from the Malay, endeavouring to convey
the sense as he told it.
The Passangrahan at Batoe is situated in a neat
plantation of fruit-trees, to the right of the road.
On entering we found attendants ready for orders,
and apparently anxious to serve us. The bunga-
low had a very unpretending appearance, but was
much more comfortable than many larger ones in
which we had been. Beyond the hedge which
surrounded the compound, several temporary sheds
and huts were erected for a fair which had lately
been held there for the sale of ponies, fowls,
THE PASSANGRAHAN AT BATOE. 253
crockery, &c. Behind these, on the rising ground,
are the Government coffee godowns, kept in the
true Dutch style of order ; and a little farther off
is the villa of the Controleur, designed after a
European model. A range of buildings, the pro-
perty of a coffee planter, Mr. P , is erected
near the Controleur's residence. To the right of
the temporary bazaar is the Wodono's house,
from which place all our food was sent, cooked, in
a jodang.
No bath-room being attached to the house, as is
generally the case, I was conducted, by one of the
men, to a small bath-house outside the village. Our
way lying through hedges of coffee-trees, some of
which were six and seven feet high, an altitude I
never saw them reach before. Here and there I
observed the Dadup plant, which yields a bright
red flower. We passed several women and chil-
dren carrying water in urns, which they generally
supported on their hips, with the right arm round
254 LIFE IN JAVA.
the neck of the vessel ; in some cases, however,
they bore them on their heads, as in India.
The bath-house is situated just above a little
brook, and the bath is formed by a stream which
rushes down the hill behind.
In the afternoon we drove to see the ruins of
Singoriti, two miles distant from Batoe. They
are situated a short way from the village of the
same name, in a hollow under the Banyha range.
The most striking object is a large square, slightly
elevated, in the centre of which, on a floor of hewn
trachyte, is an altar ornamented with figures, many
of which are now completely decayed, and others
fast crumbling away. We observed on the altar
the remains of a small pillar or obelisk, with the
figure of a woman, in a long dress, and a kind of
ruff round her neck, reminding me of those worn
in Elizabeth's reign.
On one side of this altar was a square tank, with
two bubbling springs of hot water incessantly dis-
ALTAR AND MINERAL SPRINGS. 255
turbing its surface ; and on the opposite side
another of the same description, but smaller. At
the corners of the large square were placed spouts,
representing the heads of hideous serpents, con-
nected with a conduit which ran all round the
square, and by means of which the waste water
from the tanks emptied itself, flowing from thence
to the adjacent brook, and petrifying in its course
everything it touched.
In all probability this was formerly a sacrificial
altar, used in the time of the Buddhists, as the
Hindoos of the present day frequently bathe their
calf or goat before laying it on the altar for sacri-
fice.
In a small hut, a short distance from this, there
are several of these mineral springs, the water of
which we found, on tasting it, to be ferruginous.
The deposit on the sides and bottom of each tank
was quite red, and the water clear as crystal. Be-
tween the hut and the square was a large flooring,
256 LIFE IN JAVA.
or coating of petrified matter, comprised of tree-
roots, pieces of bamboo, &c., having all the appearance
of being solid plaster, and in many parts from three to
four inches thick. The brook, which runs close by,
seems to have the same property for turning every-
thing it comes in contact with into stone. Even
the branches of the shrubs growing near the banks
of the stream, and long enough to reach the water,
were undergoing a petrifying process, being
covered with a beautiful coating like crystal or
hoar frost.
At certain periods of the year the Javanese
make pilgrimages to these ruins, strew flowers
upon the altar, and burn large quantities of
incense ; for though Mahomedans, they have a
superstitious reverence for all the old ruined
temples and altars of their ancestors, and still
follow some of their ancient rites. One Java-
nese tradition concerning these remains will
recall to the reader's mind, very probably, some
THE JAVANESE VULCAN. 257
portions of the old Roman mythology. Many
believe this was formerly the forge of Supo — a
kind of Javanese Vulcan — who, with his son Suro,
manufactured krisses in a very curious fashion.
The iron, cut into the lengths required, was heated,
and then beaten into shape with a round stone ;
the one used in tempo dulu kala, or bygone ages,
for this purpose, being shown by the credulous
native. The most singular part of this tale is that
these celebrated smiths are believed to have finished
off the point of each kriss, when red hot, with
their fingers, a circumstance which added a peculiar
virtue to the weapon.
Drahman found a burnt bit of incense, or ben-
jamin, as they term it, in one of the little recesses
in the altar. He was so pleased with it that he
folded it up in a corner of his handkerchief, intend-
ing to take it back to Batavia.
As we were leaving Singoriti, he turned to look
at the ruins again, apparently wrapt in thought ; on
VOL. I. S
258 LIFE IN JAVA.
perceiving which, I asked him what it was that
thus occupied his mind.
" Sir," he said, " before my father died, he had
a presentiment that I should some day see this
place. He had one of Supo's krisses, he told me,
but unfortunately lost it on some mountain where
he went to gather wood. How I wish I had his
kriss now, sir ! The blow given by one of these is
unerring, and possesses a powerful charm in
parrying the thrust of an adversary."'
I could not help smiling at the credulity and
superstition displayed in the simple speech of the
man. He saw it, but only remarked, " Ini
soongoo skali, Tuan." " This is a fact, sir."
That evening we made preparations for our in-
tended excursion to Ngantang, or Antang, next
day, as the limited "extension of leave" granted
by the Resident obliged us to economise time.
The Man dor declared it to be thirty-six miles there
and back, which, in his opinion, was far too long
EXCURSION TO NGAXGTAXG. 259
a journey for us to perform in one day on horse-
back, the road he said being so bad and hilly, that
every Dutch gentleman who visited the place
always made a two days' excursion of it.
A quarter before six next morning, while the
village was just waking from its slumbers, our
ponies came to the door, and we were soon off at a
rapid rate up and down the undulating road past
Singoriti. A little farther on we came to a very
awkward, steep ascent, on the shoulder, so to speak,
of the Banyha mountains. It is at this spot that the
carriage road to Ngantang ceases, as it is almost
impossible for any horse conveyance to proceed
farther, the road in many parts being a mere
pathway, and in some places almost entirely
covered with pebbles.
When we had ascended about two hundred feet
above the level of the, road, we had a very good
view of Batoe and the surrounding country. The
ride, on the whole, was a delightful one, for the
S 2
260 LIFE IN JAVA.
scenery was very pretty and varied. Now we were
winding up the sides of a hill, then galloping
through thickets, and afterwards through a planta-
tion of coffee, white with bloom, and very fragrant,
at the end of which we came suddenly in full view
of the Indrowaty, which appeared like an unex-
pected scene in a dissolving view, its sides luxuri-
antly clad with verdure.
A Dutchman may well be proud of his colony,
as he gazes on the interminable fields of cultiva-
tion, extending from the hill-tops to the valleys be-
low, where you see the hand of industry upturning
the rich earth, or, when the soil is arid, irri-
gating it by means of their bamboo conduits.
Nature has blessed Java with a healthy climate,
genial temperature, and fertile soil, and the Dutch
— notwithstanding their former arbitrary measures,
modified of late years by a more liberal system of
government — have made it what it is, a happy,
contented land, yielding a splendid revenue.
THE KALI-KONTO. 261
The air became very chilly as we neared the
end of our journey, but it was fortunately very
clear, and free from damp. Through dense masses
of foliages, the Kali Konto is often seen on the
route, as it runs in a zig-zag direction for many
miles, sometimes close to our horses' feet, dashing
against spars of wood in its rapid course, or falling
with loud-toned music on shelving rocks and broken
slabs of stone. It was also occasionally seen far
away in the hollow of some ravine. Numbers of
rustic bridges, of simple construction, made princi-
pally of bamboo, each with a roof or covering of
attap, are thrown across the river, and are support-
ed by bamboo poles and fern trees in quite a
primitive method.
At Kodongbiroe we stopped to change ponies,
and then proceeded to Tretes, a village of scattered
huts, in a narrow valley formed by two hills,
and covered with vegetation. Ferns in almost every
variety are here seen in abundance by the road-
2l>2 LIFE IX JAVA.
side, and on the banks, many so delicate in appear-
ance that you might fancy the slightest shower
would wash them away, root and all.
The Passangrahan at Ngantang is visible from
the road long before the traveller reaches it.
The path to it winds through a forest, and the
river, which has accompanied you at intervals so
far, now falls into the beautiful valley to your left ;
and you look down on a shallow ravine, gradually
opening into lakes of sawahs.
The trees on each side, as we passed through
the forest, were of gigantic height, festoons of
creepers, and many-leaved orchids, bright with
flowers, hanging to their branches and clinging to
their bark.
The bungalow is said to be situated 1,700 feet
above the level of the sea, and the view from it is
very fine. In the grounds I saw a large slab
circularly finished at the top, with the curious un-
intelligible Kawie characters below — a singular
WATERFALL OF TEETES. 263
looking figure. The Wodono called it the Dawo,
or disciple. I was told the average yearly produce
of Ngantang in rice alone was 25,000 piculs.*
On our way back we dismounted between
Ngantang and Kadangbiroe, and crossing a small
bamboo bridge over the river Konto, walked a
short distance to see the waterfall of Tretes, said to
be 109 feet high. The water rushes, foaming snowy
white, out of a narrow gap formed by two rocky
sides of the hill, its spray moistening the bamboo,
banana, pakis, and nibong above and around. A
few feet from the gorge it falls on a rock, over a
mass of creepers which cling to the sides ; and so
transparent is the water, that each leaf and stem
is seen distinctly through the watery veil, bending
under the weight of the constant flow. From
thence it tumbles, with unmistakeable hollow
sounds, into a reservoir which reflects the varied
foliage of the trees above it, and is surrounded
* A picul is fully 1331bs. English.
264 LIFE IN JAVA.
by the large-leafed Calladiums, some of which had
drops on them from the waterfall, running from
side to side of each leaf, and, on the green vel-
vety surface, appearing like quicksilver. It
is a beautiful little cascade, and I should have
been very sorry to have missed it.
At twelve we reached Batoe, having accomplished
the journey in less than six hours, to the no small
astonishment of the Wodono ; and after an hour's
rest we went to see the coffee factory of Mr.
P . The fresh berries, when gathered, are
thrown into a dentated cylinder, which is turned
round by means of steam, and, as it revolves, grates
the pulpy covering off the husk or shell iu which the
berry is contained. These fall into running rills
or conduits, which convey them to reservoirs out-
side the factory, where, by means of rakes and
brooms, they are washed clean. The reservoirs
are then partially opened to allow the exuviae to
escape into some neighbouring ditch. The coffee
JAVANESE THRESHING-MACHINE. 265
is afterwards taken out and carted to some two and
three-storied sheds, where it is strewn upon the
floors, and left until all moisture is gone. In a
day or two it is taken out and spread upon receivers
of wood or brick in the open air ; and when the
husk is found to be thoroughly dry and brittle, it
is carried away into another building to be shelled.
Were the berries exposed to the sun immediately
after being taken from the reservoir — which
would certainly appear to be the most expedi-
tious plan — they would rot from drying too
quickly.
We were next shown a kind of threshing-machine,
the stand of which was something like a capstan,
placed in the centre of two circular broad grooves,
having four good-sized poles fixed into it, to keep
the heavy wheels revolving in their respective
orbits. The dried coffee is thrown into these
grooves, where the pressure of the wheels as they
turn round soon takes all the husks off. When
266 LIFE IN JAVA.
this process is completed, the berries are put into
sieves, to be cleared from dust ; after which they
are finally taken to another large shed, where from
two to three hundred women are employed in sort-
ing those that are good from those that are black,
or bad. All that remains to be done after this is
the packing into large bags, a specified portion
being set aside for Government.
I have before alluded to the jodang in which our
meals were brought from the Wodono's ; but as it
is quite a curiosity in its way, a slight description
of it may not be amiss. It is a painted box, sus-
pended from bamboo poles, and carried on the
shoulders of two men. It was quite amusing to
see the dishes handed one after another out of this
Pandora's box — for such it must have appeared in
the eyes of my wife, who regarded all these strong-
savoured Oriental dainties as so many distasteful
compounds, while Hope, which lay at the bottom,
appeared to her in the shape of a plain roast fowl,
EJECTED BOULDERS. 267
generally served in a large dish placed on the
lowest compartment.
At eight p.m. the same evening we were at
Malang, and as there was to be a fancy ball at
ten, an invitation to which we had previously ac-
cepted, we determined, though fatigued, to go.
On our way back to Surabaya next day, we
returned by the route we had come as far as Pro-
tong, where we turned off into another and shorter
road, across a heath of from four to five miles in
extent, and almost covered by large blocks of
stone and boulders of grey rock, many overgrown
with moss and small ferns. These blocks are be-
lieved to have been ejected from the Ardjuno
during an eruption of that mountain, which now
towers so majestically to our left.
We passed through several villages, densely
populated, where we saw numbers of boys engaged
in taming Java sparrows, which, as the name
implies, are very numerous in this island. The
268 LIFE IN JAVA.
method of educating them adopted by the boys is
very simple. Young birds or hens — on account of
the greater facility with which they are trained —
are generally selected for the purpose. A long
piece of twine is tied round the neck, one end of
which the boy keeps in his left hand, holding a
small perch in his right. In training he allows
the bird to fly for a few yards, and then invites it
to return on to the perch. In process of time it
comes as soon as called; and when that is the case,
the twine is dispensed with, and bets are fre-
quently made as to the interval at which the bird
will return at the trainer's call. The hens are
easily distinguishable from their being of a lighter
grey, and from the pink on the head being paler.
We stayed awhile at Boedoeran to look at a
sugar factory worked by steam, which had all the
newest inventions that were found to be good and
useful in the process — such as the centrifugal
machine for turning the molasses into dry sugar in
SUGAR FACTORY. 269
a few minutes, and other valuable discoveries for
economising time and labour. The men employed
to boil the juice are Chinese, but the most im-
portant branches of the machinery are managed by
Javanese. The coolies employed in cutting and
carting the cane are likewise natives.
Previous to the emancipation of the Javanese
from forced labour, which took place a few months
before our arrival, the canes were gathered and
carted by a certain number of coolies supplied to
the proprietors of those factories to which the
Government had advanced money. It may not be
generally known, that in this country the Govern-
ment advances money and a grant of land to such
planters as are unable to purchase the latter, claim-
ing in return two-thirds of the produce, to be de-
livered on a certain clay appointed for its receipt.
Since the emancipation, men are hired by the
day, and as no pressure can be made, as heretofore,
to expedite their labour, the canes are but too fre-
270 LIFE IN JAVA.
quently left until they are over-ripe, thereby entail-
ing a deterioration in the quality and a delay in
the delivery of the sugar, and thus bringing the
planters into disagreeable collision with Govern-
ment, which, in the face of such difficulties,
expects to receive their produce as punctually as
usual. Those, therefore, who had to pay for
unavoidable remissness contended that since the
Government had thought proper to institute free
labour, its agents ought to . make allowances
for unavoidable delays; as, like all Europeans
in Java, they must be aware that the Javanese,
without the pressure of superior power, fall into
those procrastinating, lazy habits common to all
Asiatics, thereby rendering it impossible to carry
on all the processes of sugar-making with the
regularity formerly usual in the factories.
We remained in Surabaya four days, waiting
for our passport from the Governor-General, to
enable us to visit the Yorsten-Landen, or land of
EVENING LIGHTS. 271
the princes. In no town or village of Java are
the natives allowed to walk after seven in the
evening without a lic;ht. Some make their noc-
turnal rambles with torches of small thin split
bamboo, made up into bundles, and lit at one end.
Others carry about a tumbler filled half-way or
two-thirds with w r ater, and the rest with oil, upon
the surface of which floats a wick made of pith,
and pierced with a couple of sticks having corks
at the end. I saw many carrying these tumblers
in white pocket handkerchiefs, through which
the light shone. How they kept them from
igniting was always a mystery to me, unless it be
that the handkerchief has been previously dipped
in some incombustible solution. Some natives
carry torches of damar or rosin, the extract of
some indigenous plant, or sticks of wood tied in
a bundle and rubbed over with ignitable com-
pounds, which generally give the most glaring but
the least durable lights.
272 LIFE IN JAVA.
The Javanese, as a nation, are not athletic. They
are not, like the natives of India, fond of wrestling,
jumping, &c. Football, however, is one of those
out-door amusements which has become quite a
national game amongst them. The ball is made of
basket work, with many apertures, so that it may
be easily caught when falling or rolling. This
forms the people's recreation in many parts, after
the work of the day is over.
CHAPTER IX.
LEAVE SURABAYA FOR KEDIRIE — LOCKS — MARRIAGE OF VE-
RENGEN TREES — MODJOPHAIT — REVERED BIRDS — A POOR
MAN'S PET — DRIVE TO THE TOLOGO — BATHING-PLACE OF
THE SULTANAS — RUINS OF THEIR PALACE — THE KOOBOORAN,
PLATAHARAN, OR WISHING-SHEDS — THE REQUESTS OF LUCK
SEEKERS — DARAWATTl'S TOMB — TROUBLESOME HORSES —
LATE ARRIVAL — KEDIRIE — WRETCHED HOTEL — SIMPLE FOOD
— WE RIDE TO SALOMANGLAIN — TIGER HAUNT — BLITAR, PA-
NATHARAN, AND TOLOGO.
VOL. I.
275
CHAPTER IX.
Having obtained the passport, we started for
Kedirie, at half-past five A.M. ; for as we had a long
day's journey before us, we wished to have as much
of the cool morning air as possible. '
The road, after passing Gedongtoerie, was the
prettiest we had yet travelled over. Dense jun-
gles of teak were on each side of us for a long
distance, succeeded by very picturesque scenery,
through which a large river directed its course,
fertilising the fields and meadows between which it
passed. Near Kola-Lengtrong we crossed a large
lock, with several minor ones close by, all of which
were well and substantially built, being considered
quite the chef-d 'ceuvre of this kind of work in
T 2
276 LIFE IN JAVA.
Java. The object of these locks is to keep the
water at a certain level, so as to irrigate the fields
during the dry months, as well as to prevent too
great a flow on the crops when an inundation takes
place.
On the other side of the bridge we passed
through a thickly populated part of the town of
Modjokerto, and pulled up before the gates of
the Regent's house. An extensive maidan, or
alown alown, fully half a mile in circumference,
separated us from his large bungalow ; and on the
other side of the alown alown were the dwellings
of the Resident and Pungooloo.
Amongst the number of Verengen trees, two
grew directly opposite the Resident's and Regent's
houses, known as the married trees, the marriage
of Verengens forming a native ceremony. On
the wedding-day, numerous guests are invited by
the Regent, among whom great feasting and merri-
ment goes on, in the midst of which the 3 r oung
RUINS OF MODJOPHAIT. 277
couple are planted. The Hadji, or priest, in pro-
nouncing his slamat, or benediction, goes through
a certain ceremony, on the conclusion of which a
low brick fence, ornamented to suit the Regent's
taste, is built around the trees, and they are
watched and tended until they are considered old
and strong enough to bear the " vicissitudes of life."
The trees, when thus married, are called Verengen
Kuroong, and are henceforth regarded with almost
superstitious veneration.
Between five and six miles from the town of
Modjokerto are the ruins of Modjophait, in the
direction of which, as soon as fresh horses were put
to, we started. These ruins are situated about
two miles from the post of Gema Khan. From
the quantity of shells and portions of boats which
have been found in various parts of the ruined
city, as well as in the adjacent forest, the natives
firmly believe that they cover the site of what
was once a seaport town, which is said to have
278 LIFE IN JAVA.
been destroyed by Mahomedan invaders in the
reign of the Sultan Brodwidjoyo, ad. 1400. The
site is now thickly surrounded by wood, and such
is the veneration of the natives for all that remains
of the town which they believe once to have been
the capital of their forefathers, that, in their
opinion, the birds always sing sweeter in this locality
than in any other.
A man in one of the adjoining provinces had a
Morobo, which had been caught in a wood by
his son. This songster, much thought of, like all
birds from Modjophait, was perfectly white, and
consequently rare and valuable. Some wealthy
prince, hearing of the wonderful little creature,
offered its owner a large sum for it, which he
refused. This royal personage, however, not yet
despairing of gaining the object he so much desired,
despatched a second messenger with four pure
white and four jet black horses from his own
stables.
RUINED GATEWAY. 279
" Bid him," said he to the messenger, " choose
between these. Surely four of my own horses
will amply recompense him for the loss of a little
bird."
But the prince was still doomed to disappoint-
ment, for the poor man would not consent to part
with his favourite.
" Poor as I am," said he, in reply to the prince's
message, " I would not give up my little bird for
the richest gift from the Soesuhunan's Palace. A
great blessing has been given to me ; if I sell it, I
forfeit all my luck."
I have told this simple tale merely to prove the
estimation in which any bird from these woods is
held.
On a large mound stands the ruined gateway of
the city walls. The towers on each side are now
about thirty-five feet in height, but, from the ap-
pearance of their ruins, must once have been much
higher. They are built of red brick, closely ce-
280 LIFE IX JAVA.
mented together, and are about ten feet apart.
On a level with the ground are still to be seen the
sockets in which the pivots of the gate turned,
apparently much worn from the constant use to
which they had been put. The tower to the right
has on one side an upper and lower abutment, the
angles being of bricks and dove-tailed. Below
these is a niche, in which, probably, a figure was
formerly placed. The wall is continued from this
gateway, and is supposed to have been ten miles in
circumference, but little of it now remains perfect.
The tower on the left hand is completely netted
over by the entwined roots of a tall tree whose
outspread branches cover the gateway like an
enormous umbrella.
From here we drove about a mile further on, to
the artificial lake or bathing place of the ancient
Sultanas of Modjophait. The shape of the lake is
oblong, and the walk round it is said to be half a
mile. The walls are four feet in thickness, con-
THE TOLOGO. 281
sisting of solid masonry, only a small part of which
has given way, attesting its former strength. At
the two farthest angles are the ruins of two small
houses, probably at some former time used for re-
tiring before and after the bath. At the head of
the lake is a flight of steps in a sad state of dilapi-
dation.
This Tologo, as it is called, is partially sur-
rounded by Banyan, Yetty, and Verengen trees,
between which and the edge of the lake is a fine
broad walk. Beyond the top of the Tologo rises
a thick jungle, in the many labyrinths of which
the very foundation, and some pillars of the palace,
said to have been that of the Sultana, are still to
be seen, as well as the former site of many a
dwelling, around which the trees have grown for
centuries. We surveyed with feelings it would be
difficult to define a scene in which the sounds of
human merriment were once heard, but which
is now the haunt of wild beasts, who, at
282 LIFE IN JAVA.
night, rend the air with their discordant yells.
The Tologo is very low, and, in many parts,
full of rushes and weeds. Buffaloes now stretch
their cumbrous proportions on the spot where
clear water once reflected the limbs of royal beau-
ties, and the kingfisher shrieks as he flies over the
ruins which once doubtless echoed back the music
of the Gamalan.
No man, it is said, was allowed to venture near
the precincts of this lake, except the few who acted
as body-guards, or those who were specially invited
by the Sultan on gala days.
Near this we visited a large cemetery, known by
the name of Koobooran, covering about three acres
and a half, and consisting of four large and two
small courts, varying from twenty to thirty-five
feet square, most of which are filled with tombs.
Each square is surrounded by a brick wall,
about five feet nine inches high, of Modjophait
solidity, with passages and doors leading from one
PILGRIMS TO THE PLATAHARAN. 283
to the other. It is worthy of notice, that this is
the only large koobooran of such ancient date still
extant.
In the first court is an attap shed over a raised
floor of brick. This is called the Plataharan.
People come to it from distant parts as pilgrims,
and remain for days and nights to invoke the
spirits of the great departed to aid them in the ac-
complishment of any desired object, or to inspire
them with some dream from which they may glean
hopes of coming good fortune. In reply to
the inquiries of Drahman, whom I requested to
put some questions to the pilgrims we met, one old
man, almost blind, said he had come from a great
distance to pray for good health and a long life.
A thoughtful-looking young man asserted he had
walked from Gressik, a distance of fifty miles,
to see if he could dream of anything por-
tending future success to some speculations on
which he had lately ventured, in a vessel bound to
284 LIFE IN JAVA.
a port in Sumatra. The replies of all we questioned
were much to the same effect — the object desired
being, of course, different with each individual,
except in the case of health and long life, which
many concurred in praying for.
One young girl seemed very shy about revealing
to us her secret wish. " Depend upon it," said
Drahman, u she has come here to ask for a hus-
band, or else to get rid of one." It was a curious
scene altogether, for, as the shed was open on all
sides, to permit the devotees to gaze on the tombs,
we could see them distinctly. Some were lying
down, apparently asleep, supposed to be favoured
with visions : others were seated, for what object
I cannot say, with one leg under them, their sa-
rongs wrapped tightly round the body, and their
two hands clasped round the other leg, on the knee
of which rested their chin. I was told they would
sit thus for hours, gazing on vacancy.
The natives have a great veneration for these
ROYAL PLATAHARAX. 285
tombs of their departed royal family, and the
keepers were so strict at one time, that no Euro-
pean was permitted to enter the sacred precincts.
They would not even allow their own countrymen
to set foot inside until they had gone through certain
preparatory forms of prayer, ablutions, and other
ceremonies. But frequent contact with Euro-
peans has abolished some of these strict prohibitory
rules, and they now seem quite pleased to show
strangers through the gloomy place.
In the second court there are two sheds,
called pondopos, which are used as a kind of
salle cTattente for the cortege or suite attending any
royal personages who may have visited the third
court, in the centre of which is another plataharan,
for royalty to dream and wish in. In this royal
court are interred the mortal remains of Prince
Modjaagoang, who, having died a little more
than forty years ago, owes the honour of being
deposited in this Koobooran to the fact of his
286 LIFE IN JAVA.
having been a descendant of the Brodwidjoyo or
Modjaphait family.
Leaving this court, we mounted to the left a
flight of steps leading into another smaller one,
where, raised from the ground by a few steps, is
the tomb of the Sultana Darawatti, " a great and
wise woman in her time," say the keepers, whose
knowledge of her life only extends thus far. When
she lived or died is a matter of great doubt,
although from the appearance of the tomb one
would be inclined to believe that the Darawatti
must have reigned, to sav the least, about a cen-
tury ago. There are several other tombs in the
same place, one of which was pointed out
to us as that of Darawatti's favourite baboo or
nurse.
The Suma, or Sumaja, as the Javanese call it,
and the Nogosarie, a fine large tree with a beau-
tiful white flower, which has a yellow tuft in the
centre, shade this quiet retreat. The latter tree is
MADJAAGOANG. 287
always seen in royal cemeteries ; as well as the
Kuppoo, a large cotton tree, producing a very in-
ferior kind of cotton.
Having seen all that interested us, we re-
freshed ourselves with cocoa-nut water, for neither
here nor in the Straits does it go by the name of
milk,* and proceeded on our journey through a
very uninteresting country, in which we saw only
fields of dried sawahs, looking like scorched-up
stubble, with an occasional plantation of teak.
Madjaagoang, our next station, was formerly the
dwelling-place of the prince whose tomb we saw in
the Koobooran. About fifteen miles from this
station are the ruins of a town of the same name,
said to have been destroyed about the same time as
Modjophait.
* When the kernel of an old cocoa-nut is grated,
mixed with a portion of the water, and squeezed through a
cloth, the liquid pressed out is called Susu Klapa, or cocoa-
nut milk, and is [made use of to flavour curries and other
native' preparations.
288 LIFE IN JAVA.
After we had arrived at Groppio, our thirteenth
post from Surabaya, and sixth from Modjokerto,
the fresh horses took an obstinate turn, and gave
so much trouble and annoyance to the coucer and
lopers on starting, that the post-master was obliged
to change them two or three times before we could
proceed, the animals quarrelling amongst them-
selves whether in play or anger I know not, but
the refractory ones did nothing but prance and
kick one another. As it was quite dark by the
time we started, we were obliged, for safety, to
obtain torches, that Drahman might carry one at
the back of the carriage. These torches, which
are made of split bamboo, are very large and
thick, and when seen from a distance present quite
an imposing effect. This is the usual mode of light-
ing the vehicles unprovided with lamps, and when
many carts or carriages are passing to and fro
on the same road, I should think they must make
quite a lively appearance. In our journey in
KEDIRIE. 289
the interior, however, we seldom came across a
carriage of any description — except in the large
towns — and only buffalo carts by daylight.
It was very late when we arrived at Kedirie,
after a sixteen hours' journey, the latter part of the
road appearing almost interminable.
The hotel we stayed at was small and dirty,
and the food so bad, that the few days we spent in
Kedirie we lived almost entirely on rice, and on
fresh or salted duck eggs.
Kedirie lies between the provinces of Madioen,
Rumbang, Surabaya, Pagitan, and Passeroewan.
It is a very fertile province, abounding in paddy
fields, the rice of which is so large grained, white,
and farinaceous, that the natives say that " one
chupa* of Kedirie rice will feed a man two days."
There are also a number of sugar factories, and
the coffee is considered to have a very rich flavour.
In its numerous forests the wild buffalo and bison
* Chupa is a measure, containing about a quart.
VOL. I. U
290 LIFE IN JAVA.
have been seen; and notwithstanding the various
means contrived for catching and hunting them,
tigers infest many parts.
Horses, which are considered to be the finest
and swiftest in all Java, are largely bred here.
Kedirie is said to be often spoken of in a Javanese
tale called Doo, as one of the most ancient king-
doms of the island. The town is situated on one
side of the river Kedirie, or Brantes, nearly oppo-
site the fort. The wooden bridge across the river
was undergoing repairs when we were there, and,
owing to the strong currents, two men had already
lost their lives while engaged in the work. u Their
fate had arrived, sir," said one of the workmen
who was standing by when we were looking at the
bridge; " what more could be done? Besides, we
have an old saying, that the Brantes never
allows man to build over her without making him
pay the penalty in one way or another."
The Residency being situated on the other side
BLACK FIGURES. 291
of the river, I crossed next morning in a boat,
which, during the time the bridge was undergoing
repairs, was provided for passengers, and made my
call upon the Resident. In his garden I saw some
figures which he subsequently told me had been
found in the neighbourhood. They were dif-
ferent from those we had seen at Singasari or
Malang. Two were painted quite black, had pro-
minent eyes, flat noses, and long hair running in rows
of curls across the back of the head, and partially
down the back. The left hand grasped a Titanic
club, and the right rested on the left knee. They
were seated, and looked so fierce and warlike, that
I fancied they probably represented the war-gods
of ancient times.
The Resident gave me an account of everything
interesting that was to be seen in the environs, and
kindly promised to lend us ponies for an excursion
to the hills of Salomanglain, where, he said, Ave
should see some remains of the Buddhists.
u 2
292 LIFE IN JAVA.
Later in the afternoon, we crossed the river,
and mounted the ponies waiting for us on the op-
posite side. Our road for a long way lay between
plains of sawahs, at the end of which we turned
to the left, and proceeded along a very uneven
path leading to a shallow ford, after crossing which
we rode on till we came to a broken wooden bridge,
which it was impossible to pass. As the stream it
spanned was not very wide, and did not appear
deep, we endeavoured to urge our ponies to ford
it, but neither with whip nor spur could we pre-
vail upon them to make the attempt. The Resi-
dent's mandoer and Drahman, who had accom-
panied us, thinking we could not proceed by this
route, set off in search of some other road; and
during their absence we again tried our timid
animals — this time with better effect, though we
well-nigh had reason to regret our rashness. I
succeeded in gaining the opposite side, though not
without some difficulty, for the bed of the stream
STRUGGLES IN THE MUD. 293
was so muddy that my pony had considerable
trouble in extricating each foot from the compact
mass into which it sunk. My wife, however, was
less fortunate. When nearly across, her horse sank
up to his haunches, and for some seconds struggled
and plunged, apparently quite helpless, in the mud ;
but before I could render any assistance, the per-
severing animal, having succeeded in getting
his forefeet on the bank, made a dart, leaped
forward, and escaped with his rider uninjured.
"When the mandoer and Drahman came up, they
managed to scramble on foot across the broken
bridge. After we had ridden for some distance
further, we dismounted, leaving our horses in the
care of a man who had followed us. We were
met at the same time by the jurn coonchee, or
keeper of the keys, belonging to the temple of
Salomanglain, whither we were bound.
Our path now lay between wild trees and shrubs.
One of these, the Jarah, has a berry from which
294 LIFE IN JAVA.
the natives extract a mynha, or oil. This oil is
used medicinally, and is also rubbed over
the wood-work of houses, for the purpose of
protecting it from the destructive white ants, to
which its strong scent acts as a powerful re-
sistant. A few coffee trees here and there
showed their sweet white flowers, and the wild
pine-apple and cane grew almost in our narrow
pathway.
We walked in front, followed by the juru
coonchee, mandoer, Drahman, and one or two
villagers. The former was provided with a fowl-
ing-piece, without which he never visits the temple,
as all this neighbourhood is infested with tigers
and leopards. When a number of wood-cutters
are walking through a jungle or forest, the post
of danger is ahvays in the rear, and they draw lots
for the purpose of deciding who is to walk last in
the file. It is the habit of the tiger, wdien he has
marked his prey, to creep stealthily by and wait
TEMPLE OF SALOMANGLAIN. 29.5
for the last man, on whom he rushes, suddenly
bearing him off in an incredibly short time. Un-
less prompt assistance be rendered, there is no
hope in such a case of saving the unfortunate vic-
tim, or of overtaking the savage animal. I asked
the juru coonchee if he had ever seen a tiger on the
path along which we were walking. " Not often
here, sir," was the cheering reply. ^
The temple of Salomanglain* consists of a
series of chambers hewn out of the solid rock,
about twelve or fifteen feet from the ground.
There is a flight of steps, much worn, by which we
managed to scramble to the openings, resembling,
from a distance, two apertures in a bee-hive,
the shape of the rock itself somewhat favouring
* I learnt subsequently, from the Mungko-Negoro of Soe-
rakarta, that it was excavated by the order of Kilisuchie,
the sister of four brothers who were kings respectively of
Kedirie, Singosarie, Bojonogoro, and Gongolo. She was a
fanatic, and is said to have lived here, self-exiled from
society.
296 LIFE IN JAVA.
the likeness. Each of these rooms is capable of
holding twenty men ; the two in front being the
lightest, as those at the back are divided by a wall,
with only an opening left for communication. At
the further end of the two first chambers there are
seats, and a kind of alcove or recess, where
Buddhist priests or patriarchs may have probably
sat, grim and silent, watching the fitful flame of
the offering, while the voice of hundreds upon
hundreds of devotees, standing in and at the foot
of the vaults, made the gloomy caverns resound
with their songs and prayers.
In both of these rooms is an altar, placed in
the centre of the floor, on each side of which are
two figures, standing erect, with their arms crossed
on their breast, known to the natives by the names
of Dunawang and Gewymongsajie. On the ceil-
ing are sculptured several faces, disfigured by
time, and the head of an alligator, the scales of
which are minutely chiselled.
TIGER HAUNT. 297
In one of the caverns is a large cavity, said
to be the opening to a tunnel which extends far
into the bowels of the Klotau mountains. I felt a
great inclination to penetrate this mysterious place,
thinking I might meet some more remains of
Buddhism ; but the guide persuading me not to
attempt it, on the ground of its being considered a
tiger haunt, I gave up the idea.
On our way back I asked the juru coonchee, who
I found spoke Malay well, if he himself had ever
seen a tiger in the temple. His reply was,
" Oh ! yes, sir ; one morning in particular, I
remember, I was ascending the steps, when an
enormous one suddenly rushed out of the opening
to the left, and stood looking at me; before, however,
I could take a good aim at him he made a speedy
retreat down the side, a few yards from me, and
was soon lost to sight. But," he added, " when
the paddy is sown, one always sleeps in this temple
the first Tuesday in the month, to propitiate the
298 LIFE IN JAVA.
good spirits for the growth of the grain, and on
that day I would on no account kill a tiger seen
near the spot, as it might bring a darakha (a
curse) upon me."
By the time we reached our hotel it was quite
dark, as, on account of many little unforeseen
difficulties, we had been much longer on the road
than we had anticipated.
Blitar is less than half a day's journey from
Kedirie, and is a delightful excursion for those
who care for beauty of scenery. The neighbour-
hood is lovely, and the view of Kloet and Kresi
forms quite a superb panorama. From here it is
but nine paals further to Panatharan, where are to
be seen many tombs of old kings and chiefs, some
of which are well worth a visit ; and at Tologo,
three paals distant from Panatharan, there is a Swiss-
looking village surrounded by mountains, with the
ruins of an ancient temple close to the margin of a
small lake.
CHAPTER X.
ROUTE TO MADIOEN — DADUP TREE, A SUBSTITUTE FOR ROPE —
THE CUPPOO — TALES OF PONTIANA, THE NATIVE EVIL SPIRIT
— ARRIVAL AT MADIOEN — A DILEMMA — VILLAGE WEDDING
— THE WAKSIE — THE LENGTH OF TIME A JAVANESE MARRIAGE
MAY CONTINUE — SITUATION OF MADIOEN — NUMBER OF JAVA
SPARROWS.
301
CHAPTER X.
When we left for Madioen, our Rees-Wagen had to
be transported across the river on a raft, the horses
being conveyed over in boats and attached to the
carriage on the opposite side. We were again un-
fortunate in our horses, or rather large-sized ponies,
some of which were so obstinate and vicious that
it appeared to us as though they were scarcely
broken in. Two or three times we seemed in im-
minent danger of capsizing, and, in one instance,
the four front ponies leaped over the low em-
bankment which separated us from a field, and was
but a few yards from a deep ditch. Had our
Rees-Wagen been a carriage of light construction,
probably the result would have been far from
pleasant ; but fortunately it was too cumbrous to
302 LIFE IN JAVA.
follow the freaks of the young animals, and so,
instead of going over the bank, it came to a dead
halt before it, giving us a violent jolt by the sud-
denness of the check. This occasioned a momen-
tary panic and a short detention, some portions of
the harness being broken ; but, when all was once
more ready for a start, the coucer, who seemed
determined to make up for lost time, lashed the
refractory beasts so unmercifully that they started
off like an express train, carrying us rapidly through
dense forests of teak and dadup, the bark of which
latter tree, by the way, is often used as a substitute
for rope.
As we approached the second station, Patjie, we
had before us, in a direct line, the range of the
Pundan mountains, which separate Madioen from
the province of Kembang. We also caught sight
of Ngabull, or Ngebell, one of the same range, but
partially hidden by the high peaks of Lciman and
Dorawaddy. At this post I saw a few broken
SOMBRE JUNGLES. 303
statues, two of which had heads like those of tigers,
with a leaf above and on each side of two large
staring eyes. These leaves, which are called
jayang-patie, or archomawan, are supposed by the
natives to have been used by the deities as topengs,
or masks, and were brought from the forest of
Kamal, through part of which we had already
driven.
After passing this post, we entered sombre
jungles of Teak and Kasamby, the latter not unlike
the Verengen, and held in great veneration by the
natives, who were showering flowers and burning
incense under some of them. The Cuppoo, or
common cotton tree, is likewise very common here,
growing to the height of fifty and sixty feet, and
with but few leaves on the branches, from which
hang the pods, about four inches in length and one
and a half in thickness. When ripe, these pods
become quite hard and dark, generally splitting
from top to bottom, and showing the raw cotton
304 LIFE IN JAVA.
which runs in parallel lines like rows of pearls.
This cotton is known as Cappas. The tree is
frequently seen in cemeteries, and is said to be the
favourite resort of the Poontiana, an evil spirit
whose name signifies child-destroyer. According to
the belief of the natives, the Poontiana possesses the
power of transmuting itself into any shape or form
it pleases. There are several stories connected
with this spirit, which is said to appear most fre-
quently in the guise of a female. One or two of
these are worth mentioning.
A syce, or groom, was walking his horse up and
down, to cool it after a drive, when he was startled
by seeing a large black dog close to his heels.
With an aversion peculiar to Mahomedans, he en-
deavoured to frighten the animal away; but instead
of taking to flight as he expected, it grew bolder,
and, to his great disgust, began licking the calves
of his legs. Irritated at the animal, he turned
round and kicked it, but ; to his astonishment, it
CUPPOO TREE, 305
instantly vanished, and the figure of a young
woman appeared in its place. Although in a state
of great trepidation at such an unexpected event,
such was his curiosity that he ventured to touch
her hand, and, to his amazement, felt that it was
cold as death. Terror-stricken, he left the horse
to find its way to the stables, and, trembling in
every limb, rushed home, whefe he was pronounced
to be ghost-seized, and a native doctor was sent
for. He lay many days in a dangerous state from
ague fits, his friends and relatives perfuming the
house with incense and prepared herbs, and going
through a variety of rites and ceremonies to drive
away the evil spirit.
Another story I have heard is of a nurse, who
slept with a little child in a part of the house close
to a Cuppoo tree. One night, as she lay with her
charge by her side, she heard the cries of a cat,
and the mocking laugh of a woman, followed by the
plaintive wails of a child. The baboo remained
VOL. I. X
306 LIFE IN JAVA.
in tremulous silence for some minutes, until roused
to action by the sensation that the child was going
from her side. Instinctively she grasped it in her
arms, and approaching the window, poured forth
a string of abusive incantation which silenced the
Poontiana for that night. Still, so terrified was
the woman, and so frequently was this nightly
visit repeated, that, in her superstitious fear for
herself and the child, she insisted on the destruc-
tion of the Cuppootree, which accordingly was cut
down.
It is seldom you see one of these trees without a
tuft of hair nailed to the bark, as a charm against
the evil effects of the Poontiana.
After Balongchoap — the last post before reach-
ing the town of Madioen — we turned southward,
skirting a branch of the river Solo ; and, pass-
ing through a pretty country, entered a neat
avenue leading to the town whither we were
bound.
THE RESIDENT ASLEEP. 307
We passed a small battery, powder magazine,
and some Government offices to the right ; and a
little further, on the opposite side, we drew up at
the house of the Resident, to whom I had a letter
of introduction from a friend at Surabaya, who,
when he handed me the letter, accompanied it with
these warning words : " Mind you try to reach
Madioen before one p.m., as everyone goes to sleep
there after breakfast !" Unfortunately, however,
though we left Kedirie at half-past five, the
vicious ponies had delayed our journey so much,
that it was now between two and three, and I
hesitated at first whether to call at that hour or
not, but finally decided to send my servant with
the letter. He soon returned to the carriage, ac-
companied by an opus, who told us we could not
see the Resident or any of his family then, as all
were in bed fast asleep, and would not be up be-
fore four. To wake any member of the family
x 2
308 LIFE IN JAVA.
prior to that time might lose the man his
place.
" Give the Resident the letter as soon as he
awakes," said I.
We were now in some difficulty to know where
to put up, for I had depended on the Resident's
kindness in directing us to a quiet lodging, as
Madioen has no hotel of any kind. The coucer
was no less puzzled than ourselves as to what we
ought to do.
" Surely," said we, " there must be some place
where we can go and wait till the Resident awakes.
How do gentlemen manage when they come here
without a surat tangan (hand-letter) ? "
A lucky thought at last dawned upon the
coucer' s mind. He remembered that there was a
house known as the societe, whither he proposed at
once to drive us ; a proposition which, of course, in
our circumstances, we were very glad to accede
to.
HOSPITABLE SCHOOLMASTER. 309
The societe is a small, low house, containing one
large billiard room and two small dormitories, for
the convenience of country subscribers, who occa-
sionally pay a visit to the town. On reaching it
we could not see a soul ; but on inquiry of the
coucer, learned that the schoolmaster who lived
opposite would tell us how we could be accommo-
dated. Accordingly I sent Drahman to apprize
that functionary of the awkward dilemma in which
we found ourselves ; and in a few minutes our
servant returned, accompanied by the master him-
self, who most kindly invited us to his own house,
where we were introduced to his wife, and most
hospitably entertained.
Towards evening the Resident's secretary called
upon us, to present the Resident's apologies for
not being able to see us, as he was suffering from
ophthalmia, and consequently could not venture out.
lie, however, very civilly asked us to stay with him-
self while we remained in Madioen — an invitation
310 LIFE IN JAVA.
which we gladly accepted ; and thanking the
worthy schoolmaster and his wife for their kind-
ness, we entered the carriage of the secretary,
and drove to his residence, where we were very
comfortable, and soon made ourselves quite at
home.
Next day we took a pleasant drive through the
Chinese campong to the Ponorogo road ; and on
our return passed through a native village, where
they were celebrating a wedding. Being anxious
to see something of the ceremony, we told the cou-
cer to stop whilst we alighted. We accordingly
entered by the gate before the house, within which
a number of people were assembled, who welcomed
us with smiles of approbation. One man, ad-
vancing from the rest, signified to Drahman his
wish to conduct us through the principal rooms.
On either side of the front room, on white Sama-
rang mats, were seated the elders of the village,
priests, various friends, relations, and acquaintances,
CELEBRATING A WEDDING. 311
all squatted cross-legged. Cups of tea, a la Chin-
oise, that is, without milk or sugar, were placed on
handsome trays before each guest, as well as betel
nuts, cakes, a quantity of rokos, and other native
delicacies.
On threading our way through the mass of
human beings attracted by the ceremonj^, we
waved our hands, saying, "Tabey, tabey" — equiva-
lent to our salutation of good day — which they all
gladly returned. I was told that they considered
our coming to see the wedding as a lucky omen.
Followed by several of the guests, we entered
another room, which was very gaudily decorated,
and furnished with a low bed, the curtains of
which were of white calico, ornamented with lace,
gold, silver, beads, and coloured bits of silk. At
the foot of this bed was a platform, raised about
half a foot from the ground, on which was spread
a spotless white mat, with several bronze trays con-
taining cakes, &c.
312 LIFE IN JAVA.
Whilst we were inspecting this apartment, we
were startled by the din of voices, followed by the
sound of music, which, from its peculiar character,
was too near to be agreeable. " The bride is
come," said Drahman. The crowd was so great
that it was some minutes before we could catch a
glimpse of her. Our curiosity was at length
gratified, while they were pouring water upon her
small, naked feet. After this ceremony an elderly
maiij who, I was informed, was one of her relatives,
carried her in his arms to the inner room, and
placed her on the platform, where she sat down
on the left side of the bridegroom, who had followed
her in. She had a rather pleasing expression, but
w T as much disfigured by a yellow dye with
which her face, neck, shoulders, and arms were
covered, and which effectually concealed her
blushes.
Her dress was very simple, consisting solely of a
long sarong, of fine batek, passing under both arms
THE WAKSIE, OR BRIDESMAID. 313
and across the chest, so that, though her shoulders
were quite naked, her bosom was modestly covered.
This garment reached nearly down to the young
bride's ankles, and was confined round the waist by
a silver " pinding." Her hair was arranged in the
usual Javanese style, with the addition that on the
knot at the back of the head rested a kind of crown
made of beads and flowers.
On the left side of the girl sat an old, haggard-
looking woman, the Waksie, or bridesmaid, on
whose shoulders, according to the wedding etiquette
of the Javanese, rests no small share of responsi-
bility. Before the marriage is arranged, she acts
as a go-between, to settle matters for all parties,
though it does not always follow that she becomes
the bridesmaid on the occasion ; but as the natives
have a superstitious belief that ill-luck will surely
fall upon the young pair, unless everything is done
. with becoming propriety, a woman of this profes-
sion is very frequently selected to act as Waksie.
314 LIFE IN JAVA.
She is expected to adorn the bride in the most
attractive manner, so as to please her husband and
the assembled guests ; and she superintends all
the ceremonies during the celebration of the wed-
ding. The Waksie now before us, we must say
to her credit, was most indefatigable in her at-
tention to her charge, fanning her with a scarf —
fans not being in general use amongst the Javanese
— and assisting her to betel-nut, &c, very fre-
quently.
The bridegroom, like his bride, was yellow-
washed down to the waist ; his eyebrows were
blackened, and painted to a point ; he wore a
variegated batek sarong, fastened round the waist
by a bright silk scarf, through the folds of which
glittered the gilt hilt of a kriss. His hair fell on
his back in long thick masses, whilst a conical-
shaped kind of hat, made of some material re-
sembling patent leather, was placed on the top of
his head. On one side of him was seated his
PEOBATIOXAL PEKIOD. 315
Waksie, or best man, a boy dressed very much like
himself.
I was told that the parents of the young couple
were absent, as, according to the usual custom in
this country, their presence is not expected at the
wedding ceremony.
As we were returning to the carriage, I ques-
tioned Drahman concerning Javanese weddings
and courtings, and was surprised to learn that the
man and woman we had just seen were not yet
married, though, according to the rites of the
Mahomedan creed, they had been legally allied for
nearly a whole week. The young couple were as
yet only passing through a probational period,
during which they live apart. Among the princes
and the wealthy this separation sometimes con-
tinues three months, during which time the
bridegroom meets his bride every afternoon, in
the presence of a number of friends invited on
such occasions, for whose entertainment music
316 LIFE IN JAVA.
is provided. When food is set before them, it
is the duty of the sposo to feed his sposa with
rice before all the people. After the meal,
of which they generally partake heartily, finger-
bowls are handed round, that each of the guests
may wash his hands ; after which the never-to-be-
forgotten betel-nut, &c, is distributed. All
goes on merrily till midnight, when the bridegroom
conducts his bride to her bed, drawing the cur-
tains aside, and assisting her in. When he has
seen her comfortably settled, he closes the curtains,
and tucks them in, so as to exclude the mosquitoes;
after which, retiring with the guests, he is not
permitted to see his bride again until the middle
of next day.
This temporary separation is instituted for two
reasons : the first, that the lovers may have some
time for a novel kind of courtship, as previous to
their marriage they are frequently complete
strangers to each other, all necessary arrangements
MADIOEN. 317
having been previously made between the parents
by the officious old person before alluded to. The
second, but the most important reason — in their
eyes — is that if either party should feel dissatisfied
with the other, the Imam, or high-priest,
may be able to divorce them while they still
stand to each other only in the relation of an
eligible youth and maiden. What, however,
seems somewhat unfair, is that if the objection
exists solely on the part of the woman, be her
reasons ever so valid and cogent, she must
defray all the expenses of the betrothal festivi-
ties.
Madioen, seen from any point of view in the
suburbs, appears to be situated in the centre of a
circle of mountains, which look like gigantic towers,
from which an aggressive host might be success-
fully repulsed. Of these, the Pundun mountains
are seen to the north ; the broken-edged Patjitan,
like an enormous saw, to the south ; the volcanic
318 LIFE IN JAVA.
Lawoe to the west — on a spur of which some
ancient ruins are still to be seen ; and lastly,
to complete the circle, the Whelis Lieman and
others figure on the eastern side of the
town.
In the Werengen trees, which studded the
grounds of our host, were congregated myriads of
Java sparrows. Neither before nor since have I
seen such a number of those pretty little bTrds col-
lected in one spot ; and tlie noise they made was
perfectly astounding. Before five in the morning
they began to twitter ; and then, as if by one con-
sent, all deserted the tree to seek food in the paddy
fields. The branches looked quite dotted with
nests ; for, like our common birds, they build
quite close to the house, and breed as prolifi-
cally.
The impression generally prevalent among bird-
fanciers, that a Java sparrow is incapable of singing,
is erroneous. We have tried the experiment, and
JAVA SPARROWS. 319
found that if the cock bird is placed in a room by
himself, he will, after a short
softly, but very melodiously.
himself, he will, after a short time, begin to whistle
END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.
LONDON : FRINTED BY MACDONALI) AND TL'GWELL, BLENHEIM HOUSE.
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY
Los Angeles
This book is DUE on the last date stamped below.
, RECDLD:USt
SEC 2 11974
W tfiTO LD-URL
"i TTPR 5 ir
APR211976
»^?Hb
WW-
m
l\&&
$
uGH*
Form L9-Series 4 44
3 1158 00827 8250
UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY
A A 000 124 362 5
