158 A COLLECTING TRIP 
with us for some time, leaving us only this morning. 
At Djocjakarta we drove about the town and caught 
a glimpse of the sultan driving in great state with a 
gold parasol held over his head. We went over an old 
ruined palace there. Then we went to Bara-bo-oo, pro- 
nounced Boro-Buddha. There are some fine old Hin- 
du ruins twenty miles from Djocja. There were 432 
life size statues of Buddha in it and three miles of bas 
reliefs representing the story of his life, well carved, 
around the seven stories of the building. The next 
day we came here, such a clean, comfortable little 
hotel; it is a pleasure to be here, and what is more: 
it has a bath tub with hot and cold water, a posi- 
tively unknown luxury in these parts. In fact, it is 
the first one I have seen since I left Caleutta. There 
are pleasant drives from here to a small lake, called 
Bagendit, from which the views are heavenly about 
an hour and a half from here. The vanilla plantation 
was very interesting; vanilla is an orchid and you see 
it growing on the trunks of trees, the flower is a 
white, insignificant affair; the bean is long and brown 
and is dried very carefully out in the sun between 
two pieces of flannel. It is as cheap as dirt here; in 
facet, you can get it almost for the asking. Tomorrow 
we leave for Singdanglaya for a short stay and then 
go over the mountains to Buitenzorg. 
Give my love to every one, especially to J. L. H. 
and do not fail to write us minutely about him. 
Most affectionately, 
Ros. 
