6i 



centre for estates in the Kediri, Pasoeroean and Besoeki 

 Residencies; in these districts I had excellent opportuni- 

 ties of seeing the properties of the Sengon Rubber Co., 

 Java Rubber Plantations, and Bannarah, Braggah, Soeni- 

 bermas, Soeko Koelon, and other estates. Altogether 1 

 went through seven Residencies and over about one 

 dozen estates. Not much, but quite enough. I travelled 

 by night on horseback through forests and over slippery, 

 steep roads; without lights and in wet weather. I jour- 

 neyed by motor, at night, through a real tropical rain 

 and thunderstorm, and for the first time heard the dull, 

 prolonged reports from well-known volcanoes. I have 

 seen my horse fall ithrough a rotten, plaited-bamboo raft, 

 and anxiously watched it swim across a deep river. I 

 have, with much more anxiety, kept my saddle across 

 rivers, which for width, depth and currents were un- 

 necessarily variable. The bitter has been swallowed with 

 the rest. 



The Traveller's Privilege, 



Of the hotels in Java I have only praise. They are 

 well got up, and everything is done to make you com- 

 fortable. I shall not forget with what relish we de- 

 molished a promptly prepared " rice table" at Malang; 

 and how readily our wants — and they were many — were 

 promptly attended to at every hotel we stayed at. But 

 of the refreshment cars on the railway and the telegraph 

 offices along the line I have many other stories to relate. 

 There is no pretence at luxury in the refreshment car. 

 You receive a card on which is printed " beefsteak " in 

 response to your order, and you get a seat when you can. 

 The beefsteak is the only meat you get, though the charge 

 is half-a-crown for it, together with the usual vegetables, 

 bread and cheese, etc. One would not mind the lack of 

 variety or quantity, though even on these points I think 

 the Java authorities might at least do as well as the 

 railway people in Ceylon. It is the condition of the steak 

 which appals you. On every occasion I have received 

 a steak perfectly blue in section for want of a little 

 cooking. That is not the way to satisfy a hungry man; 

 at every meal I have had to wait until the meat was re- 

 cooked. 



