85 
CHAPTER V. 
VOYAGE TO JAVA.—BATAVIA.—CHINESE IN JAVA.—DUTCH CUSTOMS.—SOURABAYA.—PERMIT TO 
RESIDE IN JAVA.—JAVAN HIGHLANDS.—TOSARI.-EUROPEAN RESEMBLANCE.—CABBAGE-GARDENS. 
—THE BROMO VOLCANO.—BIRDS.—VISIT TO THE CRATER OF THE BROMO.-LEAVE FOR LAWANG. 
- PITTA CYANUBA. —SINGOSARI.—THE TEMPLE OF BOROBUDDAH.—SEMARANG.—RETURN TO 
LABUAN. 
OWARDS the middle of July I arrived in Singapore, where I 
remained until the end of the month, embarking on the 1st August 
in the steam-ship ‘ Bantam,’ a large Dutch mail-steamer, for 
Batavia. After passing amongst the numerous small islands which 
are clustered about at the extremity of the Malay Peninsula, we 
steamed along the low-lying swampy coast of Sumatra, where the 
country is so flat that the mangrove-swamps form the horizon. 
We passed close to the small island of Banka; the straits which 
take their name from that island are very shallow, and are apparently gradually silting up 
with mud. On the night of the 4th we anchored in Batavia harbour, but too late to land. 
An account of all the wonders of Java would fill a large volume in itself; but as my 
stay in the island extended only over a few months, I shall be able to give only a brief 
sketch of those portions of Java actually visited by me. 
Por importance Java ranks first amongst the Dutch colonies. The island is opened 
up from end to end with railways, intersected by most perfectly kept roads, covered with 
plantations—chiefly coffee and sugar—and is as easy to travel over as any part of Europe. 
Very comfortable hotels are to be found in all the small towns, where the food is excellent 
and the charges moderate. 
After landing, our baggage was examined at the custom-house. A railway connects 
the port with the town of Batavia, and traverses for some distance a low swampy country, 
which the Dutch have done well to avoid when choosing the site for their capital. At the 
railway-station a small light pony-cart is hired, in which the traveller drives a distance of 
some miles to one of the numerous hotels, which are fine and comfortable buildings. The 
town of Batavia is well built, the principal buildings being of stone; then there are 
many of stuccoed brick, and in the native quarter houses of interlaced bamboo. The 
streets are clean and the principal thoroughfares laid with tramways, so but for the 
population one might be in any of the cities of Southern Europe. One peculiarity of the 
