63 



The telegraph line is not perfect. I handed in a cable 

 at one of the principal stations, addressed to friends in 

 London. The whole slalf were requisitioned to find out 

 what the charge per word was to London. In the search 

 for information 1 overheard a remark questioning where 

 London was. Finally, ihey charged me up just before the 

 train left. At the next station a wire was received asking 

 for five guilders more, because two words were longer 

 than usual. In the evening another telegraphic request 

 for a second five guilders was received, as they had not 

 originally charged for the address. Considering the cost 

 of sending telegrams, one expects better things. 



You cannot get through the amount of work you expect 

 to in Java. The trains do not run at night, and double 

 time must therefore be allowed by people in Europe, who 

 are accustomed to doing their travelling by night in sleep- 

 ing berths. You can only travel by day, except you are 

 fortunate enough to have friends who can lend you their 

 motor cars. Even then you may have to suffer, as we 

 did. We started at g p.m. in the evening, hoping to get 

 to an estate by 9 a.m. the following morning, and thus 

 save half-a-day on the express train. But, alas, one tyre 

 went in the evening and the other three in the morning, 

 leaving us at an out-of-the-way station where the morn- 

 ing express was never allowed to stop. We missed a 

 good night's rest and had the pleasure of seeing the morn- 

 ing express from Sourabaya pass us by unheeded. The 

 result of all our investigations is that I am landed with 

 all my note-books full of interesting information, which 

 I dare not give in detail, but propose to publish in a syn- 

 optical form. 



Labour in Java. 



The agricultural industries of Java owe their success 

 to the abundant labour force available; with an insuffi- 

 cient number of native labourers, the rich soil and forcing 

 climate would be of little avail. The Government wisely 

 reserve land for the use of natives. Such a large force 

 requires plenty of food, and must be kept satisfied. Chi- 

 nese are met with in large numbers in the principal busi- 

 ness centres, but they do nbt constitute such an impor- 

 tant item as estate labourers as in Malaya; they are em- 



