98 



jjrj. 



[CJiAP. \ 



The inhabitants have been so recently under tliC rule ui 

 their imtive princes, that it ia not easy at once to destroy 

 the excessive reverence they feel for their old niastei-s, or 

 t-o diminish the oppressive exactions which the latter have 

 always been accustomed to make, There is, however, one 

 grand test of the prosperity, and even of the happiness, 

 of a community, which we can apply here — ^the rate of 

 increase of tlie population. 



It is universally admitted, that when a country iucxeaaes 

 rapidly in population, the people cannot be very greatly 

 oppressed or very badly governed. The present system of 

 raising a revenue by tlie cultivation of coffee and sugar, 

 sold to Government at a fixed price, began in 1832. 

 Just before tliis, in 1826, the population by census was 

 6,500,000, while at the beginning of the century it was 

 estimated at 3,500,000, In 1850, when the cultivation 

 system bad been in operation eighteen years, the popula- 

 tion by census was over 9,500,000, or an increase of 73 

 per cent, in twenty-four years, At the last census, in 

 18G5, it amounted to 14,168,416, an increase of very nearly 

 50 per cent, in fifteen years — a rate which would double 

 the population in about twenty-six years. As Java (with 

 Madura) contains about 38,500 geographical square miles, 

 til is will give an average of 368 persons to the square 

 mile, just double that of the populous? and fertile l^engal 

 Presidency as given in Thornton's Gazetteer of India, and 

 fully one-third more than that of Great Britain and Ireland 

 at the last Census. If, as I believe, this vast population 

 is on the whole contented and happy, tlie Dutch Govem- 

 ment should consider well, before abruptly clianging a 

 system which has led to such great results. 



Taking it as a whole, and surveying it from every 

 point of view, Java is proliably the verj' finest and most 

 interesting tropical island in the world. It is not first 

 in size, but it is more than 600 miles long, and from 

 (JO to 120 miles wide, and in area is nearly equal to 

 Ungland • it is undoubtedly the most fertile, the most 

 productive, and the most populous island within the 

 tropics. Its whole surface is magnificently varied with 

 mountain and forest scenery. It possesses thirty-eight 

 volcanic mountains, several of which rise to ten or twelve 



