84 TOUR FROM SOURABAYA, THROUGH K-BDIR1, &C. 
Gopura. The Dutch Residents van de Poce and Beziers are 
also reported to have been removed from their situations soon 
after visiting this ill-omened spot. We returned the same 
way through the forest, but instead of leaving the ridge to 
cross the Kali Felem, we kept straight on, and the eleva¬ 
tion dying away by degrees, after turning to the northward, 
we came out at the south end of the tank; In every direc¬ 
tion in which we went, we constantly were meeting loose 
bricks, and what appeared to be the foundations of brick 
walls, proving the advanced and settled state of the com¬ 
munity which was here congregated together; it must also 
be remembered that the place has been long and frequently 
plundered of the ready-made building materials. South 
from the tank we saw no ruins of buildings, all is wilderness, 
except a swampy patch of sawah. The large teak timber, 
which grew here in Raffles* time has disappeared, and only 
saplings are now seen. Tracking paths into the forest, 
towards the south were pointed out, as the lines along 
which timber of any size had to be conveyed from about the 
foot of the hills. 
A ramble of upwards of a couple of hours, in the fresh of 
the morning, prepared us for enjoying the supply of pro¬ 
visions which we had taken the precaution to bring with us, 
so seating ourselves on the roots of a wide spreading tree 
which stands on the very brink of the tank, we lingered for 
half an hour gazing upon what had once been one of the 
chief ornaments of Majapahit, a noble tank of limpid water. 
And what is it now ?—a filthy swamp, choked with weeds, in 
which the sluggish buffalo is wallowing, a few ducks 
rejoicing in a puddle, or a group of children baling out a 
hollow in order to catch a few small minnows ! Sic transit 
gloria mundi! 
Continuing our route, the way still ran through a country 
of wilderness, where however we passed along and through 
a fine young plantation of teak trees. The trees are plant¬ 
ed in regular quincunx order and are already as thick as a 
man’s t high; they however stand close and will have to 
he thinned out as they get bigger. The regular planting 
makes the trees draw each other up into straight stems, 
which will no doubt in time afford fine timber if allowed 
to stand to a sufficient age, and their number be so reduced 
as to allow those that remain sufficient room to grow, 
with a free circulation of air in order to develop a healthy 
fibre. At the 45th paui and thus only three from Majapahit, 
we reached the large and populous village of Ng^mplok, with 
