112 



GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES IN MALAYSIA AND ASIA, 



London, 1B30), and then, with the help of the excellent map 

 published by the Batavian Government in 1878 (Etappe-kaart of 

 W. Havenga) he can easily find out what there is to be seen. I 

 consider, however, that there is still much to be explored. It is 

 easy to observe how much more is known now than in Raffles' 

 time. Quite recently a celebrated British orientalist, whose name 

 I forget, visited these ruins. He deciphered the inscriptions with 

 the utmost ease. In a paper read before the Batavian Society he 

 assigned to them a date not earlier than the 1 4th century. 



By the time we had seen a good many of the ruins about 

 Malang — but probably not a tenth of what a lengthened examin- 

 ation might have enabled us to see — our arrangements were 

 concluded for the journey to Bromo. We left Malang in a coach 

 drawn by six ponies. My readers should by this time be able 

 to appreciate the peculiar qualities of Javanese pomes when 

 driven in pairs, and therefore they may guess what starting with 

 six is like. The driver is a mere ornament; he sits upon the box, 

 crowned with a hat like a gorgeous tea-tray, and he holds the 

 ropes meant as reins ; but, for the matter of guidance, these 

 things might just as well l>e tied to his hat. The real work of 

 driving is done by two bare-legged grooms, who run along by the 

 side of the team shouting and lashing the ponies to the very top of 

 their speed. When thoroughly winded these men mount behind 

 to get breath, and then the process is repeated. It is really hard 

 work, and has to be performed regardless of life and limb. Thus 

 live miles is accomplished in less than half-au-hour, and both 

 drivers and horses are changed. Fifteen miles performed this 

 w r ay brought us to the foot of the mountain, where six ponies and 

 two guides were in waiting. With great ingenuity the guides 

 strapped aud tied our baggage on three of the ponies, and then we 

 began our ascent up a winding road with villages and cultivation 

 all along the slope. Where the post-road terminates is called 

 Djabon. Henceforth the track was narrower and scarcely 

 metalled, but still good. The mountain streams were crossed by 

 substantial bamboo bridges, with higher structures occasionally 

 swinging high in air for foot traffic when the large torrents were 



