WORK AND PLAY IN THE TEA-LANDS OF JAVA 69 



factories are Javanese ; a few are Sundanese. The bulk 

 of the crop is converted into black teas. 



Whilst we arc in the tea-lands of Java, I must take 

 you to an entertainment which will, I feel sure, afford 

 you much amusement, and which will give you an idea 

 of the way in which the labourers make merry when 

 the day's work is done. 



We are in an estate's village, in the near neighbour- 

 hood of some large tea-gardens. The time is evening, 

 and by the light o( the stars we pick our way down a 

 hill-side track, steering our steps as directly as possible 

 towards a group of bright lights in a hollow close 

 ahead. Upon reaching our destination, we find our- 

 selves in a small, oblong market-place. The open- 

 sided, rustic building in which we are standing, amidst 

 a crowd of natives, is merelj^ a framework of rough- 

 timber poles, whose sole duty it is to support a thatched, 

 overhead covering ; the floor is of Mother Earth, which 

 has been trodden hard and smooth during a long course 

 of being well worn. Our glance begins to traverse 

 an alley-way between stalls, but is quickly drawn to 

 take a sweeping view at a general level slightly above 

 our heads, and in a twinkling we get a first strong 

 impression that the market-place has been elaborately 

 and tastefully decorated with Paisley shawls, in honour 

 of some festival. Cords stretched in all directions are 

 hung with sarongs and kerchiefs, displayed for sale, 

 and many of these printed cottons are exquisitely 

 patterned with designs that closely resemble decora- 

 tions such as we have become familiar with through 

 those shawls that were so greatly treasured by mir 

 great-grandmothers. 



Threading our way along a passage between stalls, 



