JAVA, 



217 



tiniiance of melancholy and painful emotions. It is 

 a very common figure of speech, to say, that " a 

 person views a thing or a person with jaundiced 

 eyes ;" but this is founded in a mistake ; for it is not 

 true, that jaundice communicates such a colour to the 

 transparent part of the eye, as to affect the colour of 

 objects. The above phrase is therefore inappro- 

 priate. 



JAVA ; a large island in the Eastern seas, situ- 

 ated between 6 and 9 J of S. lat., and between 105 

 and 115 of E. Ion. from Greenwich. It extends 

 from east to west, and is 642 miles in length, its 

 greatest breadth 128 miles, and its average breadth 

 ninety-five. To the south and west, its shores are 

 washed by the Southern Indian ocean ; to the north- 

 west lies the island of Sumatra, from which Java is 

 separated by a strait, twenty miles wide in the nar- 

 rowest part, known by the name of the Straits of 

 Sunda ; to the north is Borneo ; to the north-east, 

 Celebes ; and, on the east, the islands of Bali and 

 Madura, from the former of which it is separated by 

 a narrow passage, called the Straits of Bali. The 

 island is divided nearly in its whole length by a 

 range of mountains, running almost east and west, 

 and rising to their greatest elevation towards the 

 centre ; but the range is much broken. In several 

 hills of the great range of mountains are the craters 

 of volcanoes, whicli formerly raged with fury, and 

 poured forth torrents of lava ; but, at present, none 

 are known to be in activity, though many emit 

 smoke after heavy rain. The most considerable 

 rivers are the Joana, and the Sedani, or Tangerang. 

 On the bank or bar before Batavia, the flood rises 

 about six feet, and higher at spring tides. High and 

 low water likewise occur only once in twenty-four 

 hours. The island is traversed from east to west by 

 a great military road, 700 miles in extent, construct- 

 ed by general Daendels, a governor of the island, 

 before it was taken by the British. The year, as is 

 usual in tropical climates, is divided into the dry 

 and the rainy seasons ; or into the east, which is 

 called the good monsoon, and the west, or the bad 

 monsoon. Thunder storms are very frequent, especi- 

 ally towards the conclusion of the monsoons, when 

 they occur almost every evening. The heat of the 

 climate is various. Along the sea-coast, it is hot and 

 sultry. At Batavia, from July to November, the 

 thermometer generally stands, in the hottest part of 

 the day, between 84 and 90, which it rarely ex- 

 ceeds ; and, in the greatest degree of coolness in the 

 morning, it is seldom lower than 76. In some 

 parts, particularly among the 'hills, and in many of 

 the inland towns, it is often so cold as to make a fire 

 desirable. Java possesses a soil of extraordinary 

 luxuriance and fertility. In the forests, especially in 

 those on the north-east coast, is found an abundance 

 of lofty- trees, fit to be converted into masts, while 

 forests of teak supply the place of oak for building 

 ships, adapted to all purposes. Palms and cocoa- 

 trees are found in great variety, and are distinguish- 

 ed by their luxuriant growth, sometimes reaching to 

 the astonishing height of 150 feet. Fruits of all 

 kinds are also abundant, many of them of 'exquisite 

 delicacy and flavour. In the high ground in the in- 

 terior, they are found to dwindle and degenerate, in 

 that equinoctial climate. The various kinds of 

 plants, and great abundance of herbs found in Java, 

 would afford ample scope for the researches of the 

 botanist, as flowers exhale their perfumes at all 

 seasons of the year. Garden-plants are produced in 

 great variety, such as endives, cauliflowers, beans, 

 cabbages, pompions, melons, patacas or water- 

 melons, yams, potatoes, &c. Maize, or Indian corn, 

 is a favourite article of food with the natives, who 

 cut it roasted. The natural fertility of the soil of 



Java supersedes the necessity of laborious tillage. 

 The staple produce of the island is rice. Sugar, to 

 the amount of 10,000,000 of pounds annually, is also 

 made. Pepper is produced in great abundance and 

 perfection ; also indigo of a very superior quality. 

 Cotton is cultivated in almost every part of the 

 island ; and the coffee plantations are extremely 

 luxuriant. The soil is also very favourable to the 

 growth of tobacco. There are many other herbs 

 and plants, both medicinal and balsamic, that are but 

 imperfectly known to Europeans. Wheat and barley 

 are only grown in small quantities, on the hilly tracts, 

 chiefly in the middle parts of the island. Oats and 

 Bengal grain thrive likewise in those parts of the 

 island, and would be produced in great abundance, 

 were due attention given to their culture. The 

 domestic animals in Java are buffaloes, and cattle of 

 every description, and sheep, goats, and pigs. Game, 

 however, does not abound here so much as in other 

 countries, though hares and rabbits are pretty com- 

 mon ; and deer and antelopes are also plentiful. 

 The horses, which are very numerous throughout the 

 island, are small, but active. Wild hogs and mon- 

 keys are found in all the jungles. The forests 

 abound with tigers, as powerful and as large as in 

 Bengal. A species of black tiger, which is often 

 found, is very ferocious. The rhinoceros is some- 

 times met with. Snakes are found here, as in all 

 other hot countries, in great numbers, and of various 

 kinds. Some of these are from twenty-five to thirty 

 feet in length. Lizards of all kinds, from the variable 

 chameleon to the guana tribe, frequent the bushes, 

 trees, and roofs of the houses. Scorpions and mos- 

 quetoes abound in the marshes. There are, besides, 

 various other sorts of dangerous and disgusting ver- 

 min. Of the numerous feathered tribes found in 

 Java, we may remark the cassowary, a very large 

 and powerful bird. White eagles have been seen 

 here ; and every kind of bird of prey is continually on 

 the wing. The aquatic tribe is equally diversified, 

 and the extensive fisheries along this great line of 

 coast are highly productive. At the mouths of the 

 rivers, numbers of alligators, or caymans, are con- 

 tinually lurking for their prey. In the several bays, 

 numerous sharks swim about the ships ; and many 

 animals, undescribed in natural history, abound in 

 these seas. There are manufactures of cotton, leather, 

 and saddlery ; also of iron, brass, and tin. The 

 principal articles of exportation are rice, sugar, 

 coffee, pepper, indigo, teak timber and planks, spices 

 (which are brought from the Moluccas), tin (from 

 Banca), cotton, yarn, salt, edible birds' nests. The 

 imports are European articles, of every description 

 chintzes and muslins, silks, hats (which are a favour- 

 ite dress with the Chinese and native chieftains), 

 boots and shoes, cabinet ware, fire-arms, gunpowder, 

 shot, haberdashery, hosiery, mathematical and musi- 

 cal instruments, &c. The population of Java is com- 

 posed almost entirely of natives, of a variety distinct 

 from the Malays and other inhabitants of the neigh- 

 bouring islands. In 1815, it amounted to 5,000,000, 

 of whom one-fortieth part were Chinese, Europeans, 

 Arabs, Malays, and Hindoos. The Javanese are 

 small, with a yellow complexion, flattened nose, high 

 cheek bones, and thin beard. Their language is 

 entirely different from the Malay ; their religion 

 Mohammedanism. Numerous monuments of anti- 

 quity, buildings, statues, &c., prove that they were 

 once in a more flourishing condition than at present. 

 Three quarters of Java are in the power of the Dutch, 

 whose immediate authority extends over three-fifths 

 of the inhabitants. The other quarter is divided be- 

 tween two native sovereigns in the south-east part of 

 the island. Java was discovered by the Portuguese 

 in 1510, They made some settlements there, which 



