SIR THOMAS STAMFORD RAFFLES. 79 
in the driest, the innumerahle rills and rivulets pre- 
serve much of their water ; this the mountain farmer 
directs, in endless conduits and canals, to imgate 
the land, which he had laid out in terraces for its 
reception ; it then descends to the plains and spreads 
fertility wherever it flows, till at last, by numerous 
outlets, it discharges itself into the sea.” 
To strangers, the bold outline and prominent fea- 
tures of the scenery are peculiarly striking. An 
uninterrupted series of huge mountains, varying in 
their elevation above the sea from five to eleven or 
twelve thousand feet, and exhibiting by their round 
base, or pointed tops, their volcanic origin, traverse 
the whole length of the island. Some of these are 
seen from the roads of Batavia, and from their ap- 
pearance are usually termed by mariners the “ Blue 
Mountains.” From the eastern parts of the Gede, 
the volcanic series separates into two independent 
branches, one of wliich inclines to the south; the 
other proceeds almost due east, slightly verging to 
the north. The former breaks into an irregular 
transverse range, which extends across the island 
till it approaches the northern branch, from whence 
the general series is continued in an easterly direc- 
tion as far as the Sindoro, the western of the two 
mountains kno^vn by the name of the Two Brothers. 
There are various others running in diflTerent direc- 
tions, but all agreeing in the general attribute of 
volcanoes, having a broad base graduall)' verging 
towards the simimit in the form of a cone. Most 
