18

TRAVELLING IN JAVA.

At Mr. Medhurst's city-apartments, a considerable number of ailing persons are in the habit of coming to him for professional advice and assistance, which he kindly administers. To-day there were twelve poor men and boys present, with sores on different parts of their bodies. Having first embraced the opportunity of giving them spiritual instructions, and praying with them, according to his practice, he caused all their wounds to be dressed.

July 20. Having procured ponies, we set off in a small four-wheeled carriage for Baitenzorg, a village thirty-six miles from Batavia, to pay our respects to the governor of Java, baron Vander Capellan. His Excellency, last week, had appointed an interview with Mr. Medhurst, to converse with him on the subject of the Chinese version of the Scriptures. The road runs nearly south from Batavia, is excellently formed, and about thirty feet wide, with a low trim fence on each side. This is called the gentlemen's road, there being on either hand another, for broad and narrow-wheeled carriages respectively. The way, for the most part, lies through a level country, of a deep-red alluvial soil, very fruitful and well cultivated. Many handsome villas, and comfortable farm-houses are seen, amidst gardens, plantations, and inclosures, to the distance of six or seven miles from the city. Most of the trees with which we had become familiar in the South Sea Islands thrive here, besides the teak, tamarind, and others, valuable for their timber or their fruit, and highly ornamental by their breadth and luxuriance of foliage. Paddyfields (or rice-grounds) frequently occur along the line of our day's journey, on the slopes of the hills, terrace above terrace. The young plants are, at this time, about six inches in height, and the whole surface of each ridge, on which they grow, is irrigated to the depth of an inch above the

root.

Every six miles we stopped to change horses, relays being, at stages of that length, expressly maintained for such accommodation to travellers. Over the road where this operation is performed, a high shed, with a thatched roof is carried, of sufficient length for two carriages to stand under it at once. These coverings are deemed necessary for the protection both of passengers and the cattle that draw their vehicles, from the intense heat of the sun. The stables adjacent are neat erections, with boarded floors; open on each side; and having a partition down the middle, separating the

VILLAGE OF BAITENZORG.

19

whole into two stands for the ponies, which are placed head towards head, on either side of it. None but horse-ponies are used here in travelling-carriages, it being deemed disreputable for any but the poorest people to employ mares, and those principally in the interior, where multitudes of these animals are bred. They are exceedingly active and vigorous: four of them easily drew us at the rate of nine miles an hour. Very few large horses are seen in Java, except those kept by the governor. We met or passed many carts and carriages of rude construction, drawn by buffaloes of great size, with enormous horns. We observe that the bamboo is one of the most useful products of the soil. It grows to a prodigious height and compass, and furnishes the prime material for the walls, rafters, and even the thatching for houses; it is manufactured into doors, window-frames, lattice-work, skreens, floor-mats, tables, chairs, &c., &c.

We reached Baitenzorg in the evening, and took up our quarters at an excellent inn there, which is under the control as well as patronage of the governor, who thus considerably secures good accommodation and courteous behavior to travellers and visitors. On our arrival we found a considerable difference of temperature between this village and Batavia, the thermometer being as low as 75°, and the air very agreeable.

July 21. We took an early walk round the gardens and pleasure grounds of the governor's palace, which is a large and sumptuous white building, in the Dutch style, forming a crescent, and surrounded by piazzas. The little park is laid out with much taste; beautifully diversified with hill and dale, wood and water. The plantations consist of a great variety of curious indigenous and foreign trees and shrubs, each of which is labelled with its name. On the lake are seen both black and white swans; and in proper cages, near the house, are kept wild native animals, such as the black bear, several kinds of monkeys, the sloth, tiger, and fox, a gigantic vulture, a boa-constrictor, and another snake, each of enormous size, alligators, &c. There are likewise aviaries occupied by many rare and splendid birds, which are placed in various parts of the grounds. But the most remarkable curiosities preserved here, are sundry huge images, carved out of black lava, with considerable dexterity of hand. These are of great antiquity, and evidently of Hindoo origin and workmanship, being representations of certain divinities

20

HOSPITALITY OF THE GOVERNOR.

of that people. They were dug up, some years ago, in this island, from an old mass of ruins, which probably had been a temple. We found a small coin lying upon one of them, which some humble devotee had left in token of recognition that these were gods to him, whatever he might be to them, who knew neither of his existence nor their own.

Being afterwards introduced to the governor, who behaved to us with perfect courtesy, and entertained us hospitably, we availed ourselves of the opportunity, as representatives of the London Society, to return the thanks that were due to him for his uniform kindness to our missionary, Mr. Medhurst. His Excellency, who speaks English well, made many intelligent inquiries respecting the islands in the Pacific, which we had lately visited; and he seemed much gratified with the accounts which we were enabled to give him respecting their improvement in all the arts and comforts of life, which, but for the gospel, itself the greatest of all benefits, they might never have known.

In this village there is a street nearly a mile long, inhabited solely by Chinese. We called at several of their houses, and found in each an idol of some kind. That which most surprised us was a French engraving of the emperor Napoleon Buonaparte, in a gilt frame, before which incense was burning; and the old man, to whom the picture belonged, in our presence paid it divine honors, bowing himself in various antic attitudes, and offering a prayer for blessings upon himself and his family. When we asked him why he worshipped that as a god, which came from Europe, and not from his own country, he frankly replied, "Oh, we worship any thing!" In this street are two temples, one a decent building under repair, the other an open shed on a little mound, consisting of a slight square roof, supported by four pillars. In this sanctuary are several misshapen stones, planted on their ends, to which prayers are daily made by beings (in that respect) as stupid as themselves. A cocoa-nut shell was placed in the midst of these blocks, containing some small offerings. We visited two other edifices of similar construction, and consecrated to gods of the same material as these,— namely, rude upright stones, which, it seems, the rude Malays worship with not less devotion than the shrewd Chinese. Behind one of these idolatrous seats, we observed the wreck of an enormous tree, hollow and rotten within, and measuring ninety-three feet in girth towards the root. The other

SABBATH IN BATAVIA.

21

temple gives the name of batu-tulis or engraven stone, to the neighborhood, from the incomprehensible divinity which it incloses,—namely, a triangular stone, about six feet high, inscribed with characters which neither native nor European has yet been able to decipher. These have been conjectured to be unique specimens of the obsolete Sunda writing.

They

July 22. On our way back to Batavia we turned about four miles out of the main road, at the third stage, to see a Christian village, called Depock, inhabited by a race of Malay Protestants, now amounting to a hundred and eighty persons, of all ages. About a century since, a Dutch gentleman, the owner of this village, and also of a number of slaves, offered to give the latter not only their freedom but the estate which they occupied, and secure the same to their descendants, if they would embrace the Christian religion. agreed to this extraordinary proposal, and he fulfilled his promise. Their posterity enjoy the inheritance-and worthily enjoy it, we may say; for certainly they are a reformed, if not a pious, class of their uncultivated countrymen. Their houses and grounds were comfortable and cleanly. There is a little chapel in this pretty village, where Mr. Medhurst occasionally preaches. In the school-house we found a Malay version of the Psalms, adapted to music; also several excellent forms of prayer, and catechisms. Most of the children, thirty-nine in number, are well acquainted with the latter, and are duly taught the former. The whole sequestered nook is inclosed with large umbrageous trees, of various kinds; and, amidst the unpenetrated pagan darkness, and the more bewildering Mahommedan mists, which overspread the noble island of Java, there is light-it may be but a little, yet there is some of the true light, in the habitations of this Christian Goshen.

July 24. (Lord's day.) Mr. Tyerman preached in the forenoon, in the missionary chapel here. Between forty and fifty English were present, all of whom came in carriages to the door. This is considered a large congregation. In the afternoon we attended the Dutch church, in which service is performed by a Dutch minister in the language of the Malays. There might be a hundred of these people, professing Christianity, present; they behaved well, and their appearance was far more respectable than that of their wild countrymen in general. Mr. Medhurst preached also in the Malay at this chapel, in the evening; but in consequence of a heavy fall

of rain, the audience was small.-Throughout the city the population was all in motion, as though there were no Sabbath, and no eternity. Business, folly, pleasure, are pursued as on other days, both by Dutch and English, in the streets here, or at their villas in the country, where hunting, shooting, and field recreations are considered no violations of decorum. Oh! what a contrast between this proud, rich, populous city, and the poor, humble, happy islands of the South Sea, on that day which leads man to "the end of all things," and antedates, to him who duly considers this, the blessedness of heaven.

July 26. Having consigned the principal part of our luggage, which had not been removed from the ship, to Singapore, we set out on an expedition to Samarang, which lies nearly four hundred miles eastward from Batavia. The whole economy of posting being in the hands of government, travelling is accomplished with comparatively little inconvenience, and no unnecessary delay. The stages for changing horses (ponies) are at regular intervals, six miles asunder; and where, in the mountainous regions, the strength of these is not sufficient to draw the carriages, buffaloes are attached, in addition to them, without increased expense. The ponies occasionally took us at the rate of from ten to twelve miles in the hour, on level ground.

July 30. We arrived safely at Samarang. We shall not attempt to give any topographical description of the country through which we journeyed thus hastily. Most of the way was upon well-constructed roads, across plains, valleys, mountains, swamps, jungles, and rivers. Several very considerable towns are passed through on this line of road. Among these may be mentioned Cheanjor, the residence of a Javanese prince, who, with his subjects (and, indeed, the bulk of the native population of the whole island,) are Mahommedans. We were introduced to his Highness, who received us very graciously; and when we gave him (through Mr. Medhurst) some account of our visit to the South Sea, he expressed himself as being much gratified to hear the strange tidings of whole nations throwing away their idols, and consenting to worship the one true God. We were entertained with cigars and sweetmeats; after which tea was also served to the company present. The prince, who appears to be about forty-five years old, was dressed after the Turkish costume. His palace, in extent, if not in splendor, is truly Ori