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JAVA. 
I made a short journey by train to Singosari, at which place there are some ruined 
Buddhist temples. The temples for the most part have been thrown down by earthquakes, 
only one being left standing, which owes its stability to the beautiful squaring and fitting 
of the hard volcanic rock (trachyte) of which it is built; although this temple is split in 
all directions, it is still very stable, the inside chamber, containing a curious stone font, 
being still almost perfect. The images have been taken from their niches or fallen down, 
and are placed in a row on the grass opposite. In the “temple ” districts of Java, Buddhist 
images are to be met with everywhere, in private gardens, hotels, &c., and might be had 
for the asking; this, perhaps, is a pity, but the value of such things has deteriorated to nil 
on account of their very abundance. A few yards from this temple are two gigantic stone 
figures, one of which has sunk into the ground up to the knees. I made a sketch of the 
other, showing its relative size when compared with a man (see illustration, facing p. 62). 
These temples and all graveyards in Java and throughout the Malay East are surrounded 
by plantations of Frangipani trees. 
In all Javanese towns of importance there is a system of night-watchmen, which is 
formed of natives, who have to perform this service by turns; they each carry a lantern, and 
are armed with pronged sticks often covered with spikes, or “ thief-catchers.” In all 
the numerous watch-houses in Java, numbers of “thief-catchers” may be noticed, useful 
weapons in case of an “ amok.” After dark all pedestrians have to carry lanterns, to prove 
they have no evil intentions. 
On the 19th I left Sourabaya for Djokjakarta, via Madioen and Solo. A long drive 
from Djokjakarta is the famous temple of Boeroboedoer or Borobuddha, a description 
of which I copy from ‘ Chambers’s Encyclopaedia,’ which will be better than the scanty notes 
I was able to take down. This temple is not far from Magelang, and would be easiest 
visited from that town. 
This temple “is a pyramid of a square form, each side at the base measuring 600 feet, 
and consists of seven walls, which are built like the steps of a stair up a hill. Between the 
walls are narrow terraces running round the building. The walls are richly ornamented 
with statuary. Outside are niches, each of which is occupied by a statue of Buddha, larger 
than life, seated in the usual attitude, with his legs crossed under the body. The number 
of these figures is about 400. Between each of these are bas-reliefs, representing the god 
in the same attitude, besides architectural ornaments and carvings of all sorts. Below the 
niches, on the lower story, is an immense bas-relief running round the whole building, 
representing scenes from the life of Buddha and religious subjects. The inner faces of the 
building are also profusely ornamented with bas-reliefs, seated figures, and architectural 
ornaments, carved to an extent unrivalled by any other building in the world. Above and 
within the upper square terrace are three circular ones, the outer ornamented with 32, the 
next with 24, and the upper with 16 small domes, each containing a seated statue of 
Buddha, which can be seen through the open work of their roofs. The whole is surmounted 
by what must be considered as the Pagoda (q. v.) itself, which is now empty, its centre 
being occupied only by a sunken chamber, 10 feet deep, meant originally, no doubt, to 
contain the relic for which this splendid temple was erected.” 
