562 GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES IN MALAYSIA AND ASIA, 



an extensive town entirely occupied by Javanese and Chinese^ 

 with a native ruler of royal descent and being probably a kind of 

 rajah. His residence and the large roofed enclosure in front form 

 the only important buildings in the place. To the next and less 

 important town of Arjassa is 7f miles along the government road 

 crossing the river Tikus (rat). At 5^ miles further, skirting the 

 edge of the plain, the village of Kapongan is reached and the road 

 turns to the south-west for 4 miles to the large town of Situ 

 Bondo. This is a very thickly populated locality, and it was here 

 we saw the first signs of the sugar industry. Large quantities of 

 cane were being brought in to be crushed at the European mill 

 established in the centre of the town. Most of the inhabi- 

 tants seemed somewhat different from the Javanese, being swarthy 

 and thickset, but altogether fine powerful men. These were from 

 the island of Madura, and it is said that the laboring classes of 

 this part of Java are I'ecruited principally from that island. Situ 

 Bondo is an exceedingly picturesque town, apparently thickly 

 populated with a thriving industrious people. The gardens around 

 and the verdant shady aspect of the streets made on my mind 

 an agreeable impression of the freshness and luxuriance of the 

 tropical vegetation, 



Besuki. — Besuki lies due west of Situ Bondo, not more than 20 

 miles distant in a sti'aight line. Between these two towns, or 

 rather to the south of the straight line between them, is the great 

 extinct volcano of Ringit, a crater of nearly seven miles in 

 diameter. This mountain is close to the sea, but there is a road 

 between it and the water not more than 22 miles long, but so 

 broken and rugged that it is not much used. The other road goes 

 right round the mountain, proceeding for half its distance along 

 the river Sampejan, the largest stream on this eastern end of Java. 

 It is a narrow river, though bringing down a great body of water. 

 Some of its tributaries drain the slopes of Rawun and Ijen. The 

 main stream is derived from Gunong Jang* an extinct crater 



* In Javanese-Malay Gunong is a mountain, as in most Malay districts : 

 a river is Sungei, but in this part of Java it is Kali. 



