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JAVA. 



JAVA. 



region and the mountains of Japdra ; they were once an extensive 

 Bwamp, and are hardly inferior in fertility to any part of the island. 

 East of these flats and between the same mountains are the low lands 

 of Jipang and Sunibdya, which terminate on the strait and gulf of 

 Madura with the delta of the Surabdya River ; the delta is also dis- 

 tinguished by its fertility. The low lands of Demdk, Jipang, and 

 Surabdya divide the mountains of Japdra and some lower ridgea from 

 the elevated regions. The moimtains of Japdra, which contain a peak 

 of considerable elevation, occupy the peninsula of Japdra, on which 

 the low coast-tract is vai-y narrow. This isolated mountain system 

 is separated by a deep valley, covered with alluvial soil, from a low 

 ridge which occupies the whole tract of the coast between Cape Lerang 

 and Cape Panha, and perhaps 10 or 15 miles inland. 



The northern coast is lined by numerous small islands, and is 

 marked by many projecting points and headlands. Accordingly the 

 harbours are numerous. But the whole coast line affords anchorage 

 at nearly all seasons of the year, and vessels of any burden can 

 approach all the principal stations at a convenient distance for the 

 exchange of their merchandise. The sea being generally smooth and 

 the weather moderate, the native vessels and small craft always find 

 sufficient shelter at the change of the monsoon by running under 

 Borne island, or passing up the rivers, which though in general 

 difficult of entrance on account of their bars, are for the most part 

 navigable for such vessels as far up as the maritime towns. 



The soil of Java is generally deep and rich. The be^.t soils are the 

 alluvial soils along the heda of the rivers, and on the slopes of the 

 largest mountains; the worst are on the declivities of the lower 

 rangea. But though there are these varieties, the general character 

 of the soil is that of extraordinary fertility. The eastern districts 

 however are superior to the western. The neighbouring countries, 

 e.'ipecially Sumatra and the Malayan peninsula, cannot be compared 

 with Java in this respect. The best soils aQnimlly produce two crops 

 without manure, and even the poorest remunerate the labour of the 

 husbandman. 



Riveri. — Java is watered by numerous rivers, but few of them have 

 a considerable course, on account of the comparative narrowness of 

 the island. There may probably be fifty streams, which In the wet 

 season bear down rafts loaded with timber and other rough produce 

 of the country. Five or six are navigable at all times to a distance 

 of some miles from the coast. The rest, in number many hundreds, 

 if not thousand*, are used to irrigate the fields. 



The Solo rises with many branches near the southern coast in 

 the mountains of Damong, and runs northward to Sura-kerta, where 

 it is a stream of considerable depth and breadth ; it afterwards turns 

 to the east, and at Awi it is joined by the Madion. From this 

 point to its mouth its course is regular and steady. It enters the 

 Strait of Madura by two mouths at Gresek and Sidayu. From Sura- 

 kerta to Gresek it is stated to run 356 miles, measured along the 

 windings of the river, though in a straight line the distance is only 

 140 miles. In this part of its course there is no impediment to 

 navigation. During the rainy season it is navigated by boats of 

 considerable size, and, except in the height of the dry season, it floats 

 down boats of middling size from a considerable distance above 

 Sura-kerta. 



The Kediri, or Surabdya, forms nearly a circle, and its source and 

 mouth are situated almost in the same latitude. It rises at the base 

 of the volcano ArjAna, winds round Mount Kawi, and is a large river 

 at KedirL From this place its course is no longer interrupted by 

 any imjieiliment, and it bears boats of a very considerable size to its 

 outlets in the Strait of Madura. Its mouths are five in number, and 

 they include a pretty extensive and very fertile delta. 



There are no lakes in Java, but some low lauds are converted into 

 temporary swamps during the rains. Two of these swamps are of 

 considerable extent ; one, called the Binnen See, is at the foot of the 

 Japdra Mountains, and the other is not far from .Samdrang. 



Ciimate. — In Java, tat in other countries between the tropics, the 

 year is divided into a wet and a dry season, and these seasons depend 

 on the periodical winds. The westerly winds, which are always 

 attended with rain, commence in October, become more steady iu 

 November and December, and gradually abate, till in March or April 

 they are succeeded by the easterly winds and fair weather, which 

 continue for the remaining half year. The heaviest rains fall in Decem- 

 ber and January, and the driest weather is in July and August. 

 During the rainy season there are many days without showers ; and 

 in July and August the atmo.iphere is refi-eshed by occasional showers. 

 The degret! of heat varies considerably in the low lands and the hilly 

 region. On the low northern shores at Batavia, Samdrang, and 

 Surabdya, the mean annual beat is 78° ; but in the dry season the 

 thermometer rises above 90°. The elevation of the interior oifers the 

 rare a<lvantage that, from the sea-shore to the top of the mountains, 

 there is almost from one end of the island to the other a regular 

 diminution of temperature, at the rate of two or three degrees of 

 Fahrenheit for every ten miles. The mean temperature on the 

 elevated plains probably does not exceed 66' or 68°, and the thermo- 

 meter rarely rises there to 72°. On the summits of the peaks it sinks 

 below the freezing-point : ice as thick as a Spanish dollar has been 

 found, and hoar-frost, called by the natives ' the poisonous dew,' has 

 been observed on the trees and vegetation of the higher regions. 



Hurricanes are unknown. With the exception of a few days at the 

 change of the monsoons, or when the westerly winds are at their 

 height, vessels of any description may ride with safety in most of the 

 bays along the northern coast ; and on shore the wind is never so 

 violent as to do damage. Thunder-storms are frequent and 

 destructive. Earthquakes are common in the vicinity of the 

 volcanoes. Java was formerly considered one of the most unhealthy 

 countries of the globe, and this character is certainly due to the 

 greatest portion of the low coast along the Java Sea ; but by far the 

 greatest part of the island, iu point of salubrity, is equal, if not 

 superior, to any other tropical country. 



Productions; Yeyetablen. — The Javanese cultivate rice and other 

 grains on the slopes of the mountains and hills, which are formed 

 into terraces. They practise irrigation, and in some parts they grow 

 in the wet season a crop of rice, and in the dry season some pulse, 

 farinaceous roots, or cotton. In the richer lands however it is usual 

 to take from them without interruption a double harvest during 

 every twelve months. Rice ia here, as in India, the principal object 

 of the husbandman, and its produce determines the value of the land. 

 Maize also is grown, yielding in rich lands four or five hundred-fold ; 

 and even in poor lands it yields sixty- or seventy-fold. Wheat has 

 been introduced by the Dutch, and is cultivated on the more elevated 

 lands, but its produce is in small quantity and of inferior quality. 

 Millet is grown in some places on a limited scide. Among the mauy 

 esculent roots cultivated the principal are the yam, the sweet potato, 

 the Java potato, arrow-root, and the common potato. The last is 

 only grown in the more elevated and colder districts, where also arti- 

 chokes, cabbages, and peas succeed, but carrots not so well. The 

 Javanese also cultivate cucumbers, onions, and capsicums. As they 

 do not use butter they consume a great quantity of different kinds of 

 oil, made from the fruit of the cocoa-nut tree, the ground-nut, the 

 Palma Chritti, and the sesamum, all of which are cultivated with 

 considerable care. They also plant the areca palm, on account of its 

 nuts, and the Gomuto palm, partly on account of the toddy, or palm- 

 wine, obtained from i^ and partly on account of a fibrous substance 

 resembling black horse-hair, which forms between the trunk and 

 branches, and is used for making cordage. There are also extensive 

 plantations of the betel and of tobacco. Among the fruit-trees ai-e 

 the plantain or banana, the bread-fruit tree, the mangustin, the durian, 

 the mango, the shaddock, the pine-apple, the guava, the papaya, the 

 custanlapple, the cashew-nut, &c. Besides these the pomegranate 

 and the tamarind are grown. European fruit-trees have not 

 succeeded : the grape is cultivated in several places, but it is seldom 

 of a good quality. 



The plants which afford articles for foreign exportation are the 

 coffee-tree, the sugar-cane, the pepper-vine, the cardamom, the ginger, 

 the sandal-tree, and the cotton-plant. Java is the greatest coffee- 

 exporting country in the world next to Brazil. The cultivation of 

 cinnamon has greatly extended since 1839; 3000 bales of it were 

 exported in 1852. The forests, which cover a part of the elevated 

 region, contain a great number of teak-trees. Ebony-wood is also 

 found ; and among their creeping plants ore the rattan and two 

 species of caoutchouc-trees. The mulberry thrives, and silk-worms 

 have been introduced. As dye-stuffs there are cultivated indigo, 

 safflower, amotto, and turmeric. Several fruit-trees produce dye- 

 woods, as the sappan, the mangkuda, and the ubar, similar to the 

 logwood of Uonduras. 



There are two trees in this island from which poison is extracted, 

 the antjar and the chetik. The antjar, also called the bopon upas 

 (or the poisonous tree), is a high forest-tree, from whose outer bark 

 poison is extracted in the form of a milk-white sap. But its exha- 

 lations are not poisonous, nor ia it, as was formerly supposed, hurtful 

 to plants around it, creepers and parasitical plants being found winding 

 in abundance about its trunks and branches. 



AnimaU. — -Under this head are horses of small breed, but strong, 

 fleet, and well made ; buffaloes, which are very numerous, and used 

 in agriculture ; and black cattle. Goats are abundant, but sheep aro 

 scarce ; both are of small size. The hog is reared chiefly b^ the 

 Chinese. Among beasts of prey are the tiger, the leopard, the tiger- 

 cat, and the jackal. Other wild animals are the rhinoceros, the wild 

 Java ox, the wild hog, and the stag or axis deer. Of domestic bii-ds 

 there are turkeys, gee-^e, ducks, fowls, and pigeons. Among the wild 

 birds the most remarkable is the IHrimdo ciciUenla, whose nests aro 

 edible, and exported in large quantities to the Chinese market. They 

 are called Salanga-nests. Crocodiles, turtles, and fish abound in the 

 rivers. Of serpents there are said to be several poisonous varieties. 

 Honey and wax are obtained. 



MineraU.—Vevi minerals are known to exist in Java. Iron is said 

 to be found in small quantity, and indications of gold have been 

 observed at several places. Salt is made of sea-water in some parts 

 of the northern coast. Saltpetre is extracted from the earth of some 

 caves, and sulphur is found near the volcanoes. 



Political iSivuiioni, Towiu, itc- — The greatest part of the island ia 

 in possession of the Dutch. The districts situated on both extremities 

 of the island, as well as the whole of the northern coast, are imme- 

 diately subject to them ; but the southern coast and the adjacent 

 countries, between 108° 30' and 112° 20' E. long., with the exception 

 of the small district of Pachitan, is subject to two native princes, tho 



