206 ARRIVAL AT BATAVIA. 



veyed to the hotel. It was a long drive and a hungry 

 one, since no breakfast had been provided on board 

 before starting. The first portion of the road led 

 through the mercantile and crowded native quarter, 

 thence through wide shady avenues to the European 

 town, consisting of handsome villas almost concealed by 

 a rich vegetation, until I reached the Nederlanden Hotel, 

 which enjoys the prestige of being the best ; but, finding 

 it full, I proceeded to the Hotel de la Marine. Here the 

 accommodation was good, a handsome circular structure 

 facing the road, surrounded by the indispensable 

 verandah, which was supported by columns of appar- 

 ently snow-white marble, in reality chenamed, and 

 large public rooms within. At the back, at right 

 angle with the road, there were two long rows of 

 buildings with numerous doors, each giving admittance 

 to a front and back sitting and bedroom, a colonnade 

 running along the whole length, and between them a 

 garden resplendent with gay flowers. Au fond were 

 several magnificent baths ; these were in constant 

 requisition during the early part of the day, and again 

 between the siesta (which is quite an institution in 

 Batavia) and the dinner hour. When going to bed I 

 was very much puzzled what to do with a long narrow 

 bolster, made of fine bamboo fibre, and covered with a 

 white slip, which I found lying lengthways on the 



