THE TELEGRAPH IN JAVA AND SUMATRA. 65 



Banyuwangi, on the Strait of Bali. It passes near 

 Bantam andBatavia, and thence along the low lands 

 near the north coast to Cheribon and Samarang, 

 thence south of Mount Japara and so eastward. This, 

 I was informed, was made by Marshal Daendals, who 

 governed Java under the French rule in 1809. There 

 is also a military road from Samarang to Surakarta 

 and Jokyokarta, where the two native princes now 

 reside. Java also enjoys a very complete system of 

 telegraphic communication. On the 23d of October, 

 1856, the first line, between Batavia (Weltevreden) 

 and Buitenzorg, was finished. Immediately after, it 

 was so rapidly extended that, in 1859, 1,670 English 

 miles were completed. A telegraphic cable was also 

 laid in that year from Batavia up the Straits of Banca 

 and Bhio to Singapore ; but, unfortunately, it was 

 broken in a short time, probably by the anchor of 

 some vessel in those shallow straits. After it had 

 been repaired it was immediately broken a second 

 time, and in 1861 the enterprise was given up, but 

 now they are laying another cal^le across the Strait 

 of Sunda, fi'om Angir to the district of Lampong; 

 thence it will extend up the west coast to Bencoolen 

 and Padang, and, passing across the Padang plateau, 

 through Fort de Rock and Paya Kombo, come to the 

 Strait of Malacca, and be laid directly across to Singa- 

 pore. 



These Javanese ponies go well on a level or down- 

 hill, but when the road becomes steep they frequent- 

 ly stop altogether. In the hilly parts of Java, there- 

 fore, the natives are obliged to fasten their buffaloes 

 to your carriage, and you must patiently wait for 



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