178 INDIRECT TAXES. 



the districts he passes through, as we found in our 

 own case. The Regent, or Widono of the district, 

 commonly provides plate, glass, and table furniture, 

 &c. as also tea or other foreign luxuries, but the dif- 

 ferent villages under his rule supply fowls, rice, 

 eggs, meat, and vegetables, and all other things 

 produced in the country ; each kampong being 

 made to contribute certain articles, according to its 

 population. The indirect taxes, or duties, are nu- 

 merous, and for most articles very heavy, especially 

 on all foreign imports. Opium is taxed to an im- 

 mense amount, the duty being always farmed by Chi- 

 nese, and being put up to auction every three years. 

 The most pernicious tax is that on salt. This article 

 is made on the north coast of the island and on Ma- 

 dura, and in the interior of the country is very 

 expensive, although highly prized. We always 

 found on our journey a greater difficulty in getting 

 a pinch or two of dirty brown-looking salt than 

 anything else we required, and even at the houses of 

 Europeans of some rank in Sourabaya it was very 

 sparingly supplied at table. 



The Javanese are all Mahometans, but by no 

 means strict ones, the mosques are in general only 

 to be known from the natives' houses by having a 

 roof with a double gable at each end. The priest 

 can generally just manage to read the Koran, but 

 that is often the whole amount of his knowledge of 

 his religion ; and I was told that they were by no 

 means the most honest, or best part of the popula- 

 tion. They are paid by general voluntary contribu- 



