THE JAVANESE AS MECHAKICS. 



59 



all perforai their allotted tasks quietly and steadily, 

 without loud talking or any unnecessary noise. Some 

 of them are bo skilful that they receive nearly two 

 guilders per day. These facts show the capabili- 

 ties of the Javanese, and indicate that there may 

 yet be a bright future for this people. Here the 

 standard weights and measures for the government 

 are manufactured; and as an instance of the lon- 

 gevity of this people, when they are connect in their 

 habits, the du'ector told me that one native had 

 worked for fifty-seven years in that department, and 

 for some time had been assisted by both Ms sons and 

 grandsons. He had just retired, and the director 

 bad been able to obtain for bim a pension of full 

 pay on account of the long time he bad been in tbe 

 service. There were three others stiQ in the works, 

 who also began fiiity-seven years ago. Such cases are 

 the more remarkable, because these natives are usual- 

 ly unable to labor at the age of thirty-five or forty, 

 on account of their dissolute habits. Most of their 

 machineiy is not as nicely finished as that imported 

 from Europe, but it apiieavs to l>e quite as durable. 

 Yet the fact that some Javanese have the capacity to 

 do nice work was proved by one in charge of the en- 

 graving-depaitment, ^vhose fine lines would have been 

 creditable to many a European. A merchant also 

 has a similar machine-shop on a still greater scale. 



Near by are the government aitilleryworks, where 

 all the parts of wood and iron and the saddles and har- 

 nesses are manufactured, every thing but the gims. 

 The wood used is carefally-seasoned teak. It is ex- 

 tremely durable, and combines in a good degree both 



