62 VISIT TO THE VOLCANOES. 



chance at a leopard, when after a herd of deer. I could just 

 see their heads above the long grass, and as they passed on 

 the other side of a tree with low projecting branches that 

 stood rather in the open, I tried to steal up under cover of it. 

 When about 40 or 50 yards from the tree, I saw something 

 move in the branches. It appeared to be a black monkey of 

 which there were a great many in the jungle, so I took no 

 more notice of it. I had not advanced more than ten paces, 

 when down it dropped from the tree, and as it passed through 

 the sunlight I saw the spots of a leopard. My disgust was 

 intense. I ran up as hard as I could but the brute had 

 sneaked away through the long grass, and my running 

 forward frightened the deer, so I lost both. 



As it was considered infra dig. for an officer in my 

 position to travel in any other way than in a carriage, so long 

 as I remained on the high roads I was obliged to submit, 

 but as we approached the mountains, or whenever from various 

 reasons we had to leave the main road, we had to take to our 

 horses, a much more pleasant mode of proceeding. As we 

 approached the Tengger range of hills with the mighty 

 Smeroe, the highest volcano in Java, rising abruptly 12,000 

 feet in a huge cone, the scenery became very grand, and the 

 mountain had a very imposing effect ; this precipitous cone at 

 that time had never been ascended, although several attempts 

 had been made. During the time we were waiting for horses 

 I amused myself in making a rough sketch of the magnificent 

 view at the back of the bungalow at Paparawang, which was 

 situated about 50 feet above the river, which at this time of 

 the year (July) was like a trout stream at home, twisting and 

 turning about in all directions, through a beautiful green 

 valley; beyond which are coffee plantations and rice fields, and 



