A NATURALIST^S WANDERINGS 



IK TtlE 



EASTEEN ARCHIPELAGO. 



CHAPTEE I. 



IS BATAVIA AND BIHTEUZORG. 



Arrival in Batavia— First, impressions — ^Buitenzorg and its Botdnioal 



Gar*ieijs, 



On the Sth October, 1878, I embarked at Southampton on 

 board the Royal Dutch M&il steamer Cel^es^ for Batiivia, 

 on a long-dreamt-of visit to the tropical regions of the globe. 

 There is little of interest or novelty to record nowadays of a 

 voyage to the East. The most stay-at-home is familiar with 

 this ocean highway. 



The home-come traveller, however, will be pleased to be 

 "nded of that ploiisant picture nestling between the 

 lings and the Arabida hills — the stupendous and useless 

 convent of Mafra, the sharp turrets and bristling peaks of 

 Cintra, and the flasliing towers ami white buildings of Lisbon, 

 rising from the banks of the river. Notwithstanding all I 

 had read of AValJace and of Bates^ I was going out full of 

 extravagant ideas of tropical blossoms; and had little idea, 

 m I rounded the cape of Gibraltar, leaving to the north of 

 e purple hills of heather, scarlet fields of poppies, and rich 

 arterres starred w-ith cistus and orchids, with anemones 

 nd geranimns, and sweet with aromatic shrubs and herbs, 

 hat I would encounter nothing half so rich or bright amid 

 II t!ie profusion of the *' summer of the world." 

 It wil] please him to have recalled the Straits of Hessinai 



B 2 



