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ACROSS THE EQUATOR.

[Frontispiece: TEMPLE, PARAMBANAN.]

ACROSS THE EQUATOR.

A HOLIDAY TRIP IN JAVA.

BY

THOS. H. REID.

KELLY & WALSH, LIMITED, SINGAPORE--SHANGHAI--HONGKONG--YOKOHAMA. 1908. [all rights reserved.]

PREFACE.

It was at the end of the month of September, 1907, that the writer visited Java with the object of spending a brief vacation there.

The outcome was a series of articles in the "Straits Times," and after they appeared so many applications were made for reprints that we were encouraged to issue the articles in handy form for the information of those who intend to visit the neighbouring Dutch Colony. There was no pretension to write an exhaustive guide-book to the Island, but the original articles were revised and amplified, and the chapters have been arranged to enable the visitor to follow a given route through the Island, from west to east, within the compass of a fortnight or three weeks.

For liberty to reproduce some of the larger pictures, we are indebted to Mr. George P. Lewis (of O. Kurkdjian), Sourabaya, whose photographs of Tosari and the volcanic region of Eastern Java form one of the finest and most artistic collections we have seen of landscape work.

SINGAPORE, _July, 1908_.

CONTENTS.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF BATAVIA 1

THE BRITISH IN JAVA 15

BOTANIST'S PARADISE AT BUITENZORG 23

ON THE ROAD TO SINDANGLAYA 33

SINDANGLAYA AND BEYOND 42

HINDU RUINS IN CENTRAL JAVA 49

THE TEMPLES OF PARAMBANAN 58

PEOPLE AND INDUSTRIES OF CENTRAL JAVA 65

THE HEALTH RESORT OF EAST JAVA 73

SUNRISE AT THE PENANDJAAN PASS 77

HOTELS AND TRAVELLING FACILITIES 87

First Impressions of Batavia.

When consideration is given to the fact that Java is only two days' steaming from Singapore, that it is more beautiful in some respects than Japan, that it contains marvellous archaeological remains over 1,100 years old, and that its hill resorts form ideal resting places for the jaded European, it is strange that few of the British residents throughout the Far East, or travellers East and West, have visited the Dutch Colony.

Table of contents (by pages)

• 1: Across the Equator by Thomas H. Reid
• 2: And seascape after seascape followed in rapid succession
• 3: The visitor landing at Tandjong Priok
• 4: The Lombard Street and Fenchurch Street of Batavia
• 5: Weltervreden may be compared with a gigantic park
• 6: The British learned that Marshal Daendels
• 7: A village about ten miles east of Batavia
• 8: An action was fought outside Samarang
• 9: Botanist's Paradise at Buitenzorg
• 10: Comfortable accommodation and wholesome food
• 11: The garden at Tjibodas remains
• 12: Already the natives were bathing in the Tjidani
• 13: The kreta was not a handsome affair
• 14: And then joined us in the kreta
• 15: Ferns and bracken cover the hillside
• 16: Standing quite close to the main road from Tjiandjoer
• 17: Shortly after leaving Padalarang
• 18: We were able to reach Djocjakarta by tiffin time
• 19: Illustration BAS RELIEF BARA BUDUR
• 20: Hindu Caucasian and pure Greek
• 21: The Boro Budur being near three volcanoes
• 22: While a larger Linga surmounts the whole building
• 23: The son of the Sailendra dynasty
• 24: It is known as batik latur puti
• 25: In the drive from Moentilan to the Boro Budur
• 26: And began the descent to Djocja
• 27: This conveyance takes one to Poespo
• 28: Sunrise at the Penandjaan Pass
• 29: Mysterious zigzag after zigzag
• 30: Out of which stood other three volcano peaks the Battok
• 31: Hotels and Travelling Facilities Before going to Java
• 32: Geschiedenis der Nederlanders of Java
• 33: Issues tickets at single fare rates to Batavia and Sourabaya
• 34: We have already commented on the Toelatings Kaart