186 AUSTRALASIA. 



which, before the opening of the railway was the only outlet for the produce 

 of the whole district. 



Farther east, at an elevation of 2,470 feet, stands Bandong, the picturesque 

 capital of the " Preang regencies," almost completely concealed by the surrounding 

 forest vegetation, and commanded northwards by the long crest of the Tangkuban 

 Prahu ridge. 



At present (1889) the railway terminates beyond Bandong at Tjitjalenha, but is 

 to be continued across the plateau down to the Manuk Valley, where it will throw 

 off a branch south-westwards to the town of Garut. Then climbing the eastern 

 hills it will fall by long inclines down to Tjilatjap, the most sheltered port on the 

 south coast, and already connected by rail with the northern slope of the island. 

 Even at low water there is a depth of 17 or 18 feet on the bar, and from 30 to 35 

 in the harbour, which is protected by the island of Kembangan, and defended by 

 fortified lines. 



East of Batavia the marshy coast, fringed by mangroves and mud banks, has 

 no harbours west of Cheribon Bay. Indramaju, in the Manuk delta, which grows 

 the best rice in the island, is a small riverain port accessible only to vessels of light 

 draught. The populous and productive province of Cheribon has a large number 

 of small towns and large communes, but no cities of great size. Cheribon, the 

 capital, which takes its name from the Tji-Pibon torrent on which it is situated, 

 occupies only a secondary position amongst the commercial centres of Java. Tegal, 

 capital of the province of like name, has a roadstead exposed, like that of Cheribon, 

 to the north and east winds, so that vessels run some risk in shipping the produce 

 of the interior brought down by the railways, connecting this place with Balapulang 

 and Pangka. The largest town on the north coast between Batavia and Semarang 

 is Pekalongan, which occupies both banks of the river of like name. Pekalongan 

 formerly enjoyed a monopoly of the indigo trade, and the native women wove 

 highly esteemed coloured fabrics. 



Semarang or Samarang, lying near th-e centre of the curve formed with the 

 rest of the coast by the peninsula of Japara, is one of the three great Javanese 

 marts. At the close of the last century it stood first, and still rivals Batavia and 

 Surabaya, exporting large quantities especially of sugar, coffee, tobacco, and indigo. 

 Yet it has no harbour, and large vessels calling here are obliged to anchor consider- 

 ably over a mile from the shore in waters exposed to the fury of the west monsoon. 

 Boats and steam launches alone can penetrate into the city through the Banjir 

 canal to the west, and the canalised river to the east, on which have been erected 

 the chief public buildings. If a harbour is constructed it will probably have to lie 

 further west, near Krowelang Point, for at Semarang deep water of 25 or 30 feet 

 occurs only some five miles from the coast. In the marshy plain between the 

 canal and the river rises a star-shaped fort strengthened by bastions and a moat, 

 and close by is one of the two artesian wells which supply the place with pure 

 water. 



As in Batavia the inhabitants are grouped according to their nationalities, the 

 Europeans, here numbering several thousands, being chiefly centred in the Bojong 



