mi CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY THE CHARLES WILLIAM WASON COLLECTION ON CHINA AND THE CHINESE UBRARMWHEX Cornell University Jbrary The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924005554880 Java The Garden of the East Java The Garden of the East By Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore " Author of " Jinrikisha Days in Japan New York The Century Co. 1899 Hi Copyright, 1897, By The Century Co. Thf DeVinnc Press PREFACE JN presenting this account of a visit to one of the most beautiful countries of the world. I shall hope that many will be induced to foUow there, and that my record may as- ' sist them to avoid certain things and to take advantage of others that will add to their enjoy- ment of the island where nature has been so prodigal with beauties and wonders. After the body of this work had gone to press, the first copies of a small, compact, and most admirable " Guide to the Dutch East Indies," written by Dr. J. F. Van Bemmelen and Colonel J. B. Hoover, by iavita- tion of the Royal Steam Packet Company, Amsterdam, and translated into English by the Rev. B. J. Berring- ton, reached this country, and to this work I hasten to extend my salutations, since my own pages con- tain so many plaints for some such guide. It treats of aU the islands under Dutch rule, turning especial light upon the so little-known Sumatra, where many viii PEEFACE attractions and possible resorts will invite pleasure- Java, it travel ; and, leading one from end to end of more than supplements what Captain Schulze's little guide had done for Batavia and the west end of the island. Translating so much of local and special lore hitherto locked away from the alien visitor in Dutch texts, it at last fairly opens Java to the tourist world, and excites my keen regret that its earlier publication had not lighted my way. In preparing these pages every effort has been made to avoid errors, and I invite other corrections, and acknowledge here with great appreciation those sug- gested by Dutch readers, and at once made in certain chapters that originally appeared in the "Century Magazine." In the varied BngKsh, French, and Dutch spelling of many words, in drawing statistics from works in as many languages, and in accepting as facts things verbally communicated to me by seemingly re- sponsible people, there were chances of error ; but one can only beg to be set right. In this connection I hasten to state that under the liberal policy of recent years the Dutch government has withdrawn its pro- hibition of the pilgrimage to Mecca, and more than six thousand of its Mohammedan subjects have availed themselves of the privilege in one year. It should also be noted that the Ashantee prince has not availed himself of the privilege of living and dying under the British flag in South Africa, and the pathetic tale of that exile, as told by Britons, lacks that completing touch of fact. For these suggestions in particular, others concerning Sumatra, and stiU others which had been anticipated, I thank Mr. R. A. Van Sandick PREFACE ix of Amsterdam, with appreciation of the spirit and the loyalty to his own people which prompted his making them. Myths and legends and fairy tales grow with tropic rankness in those far ends of earth even to-day, and gravitate inevitably to the stranger's ear. E. R. S. Washington, D. C, October 1, 1897. CONTENTS PAOE I. SiNGAPOBE AHD THE EQTJATOB 1 n. In "Java Major" 17 m. Batatia, Queen op the East 25 IV. The Kampongs 37 V. To the Hills 49 VI. A Dutch Sans Souci 62 vn. In a Tropical (Jaeden 79 Vm. The "Culture System" .... 94 IX. The "Culture System" (Continued) . .109 X. SiNAGAB 126 XI. Plantation Life 136 XII. Across the Preangbr Eegencies . .147 Xm. "To TissakSIalaya!" 156 XIV. Prisoners of State at Boro Boedor . 167 XV. Boro Boedor 182 XVI. Boro Boedor and Mendoet .... 203 XVTI. Beambanam 216 XVni. Solo : the City of the Susunhan . 240 XIX. The Land op Kris and Sarong .... 253 " XX. Djokjakarta . 265 XXI. Pakob Alam: the "Axis of the Universe" . 283 XXn. "Tjilatjap," "Chalacblap," "Chelachap" . 301 XXm. Garoet and Papaitoayang 312 XXrV. "SalamatI" 324 LIST OP ILLUSTRATIONS Malays Diving foe Monet .... Frontispiece PAGE A Steeet in Singapoee 5 Map of Java 16 A Javanese Young Woman 27 Painting Saeongs 43 ElOE-PIELDS 53 Mount Salak, peom the Resident's G-aeden, Buitenzoeg 63 Pbangipani and Sausage-tbee 73 Teopical Peuits 81 Teopical Feuits 89 A Maeket in Buitenzoeg 99 Scenes abound the Maeket 105 A View in Buitenzoeg HI Javanese Coolies Gambling 123 Javanese Dancing-giel 139 A Mohammedan Mosque 159 Wayside Pavilion on Post-boad 177 BOBO BOEDOE, peom THE Passageahan . , . 183 GeOUNB-PLAN OF BOBO BOEDOB 187 FouE Bas-ebliefs peom Boeo Boedoe .... 191 On the Second Teeeace 195 The Latticed Dagobas on the Ciecular Teeeaces . 199 xiii xiv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAQB The RiGHT-HAiiD Image at Mendoet 207 Temple op Loeo JoNasEAU at Bkambanam . 217 CliEAKINQ AWAT RUBBISH AND VEGETATION AT BEAMBANAM Temples 221 KEISHNA ASD THE Theee Geaces 225 Loeo Jonggeait aotj hee Attendants .... 229 Plan OF ChandiSbwotjC Thousand Temples") . 233 Feagmbnt tbom Loeo Jonggkan Temple .... 235 Ganesha, the Elephant-headed God .... 238 The Susunhan 243 TheDodok 249 Java, Bali, and Madura Kkises 255 The Beambanam Baby 267 Tying the Titeban 279 Watang-wayang 285 ToPENG Tkoupe with Masks 291 Teansplanting Rice 315 JAVA THE GARDEN OF THE EAST JAVA THE GARDEN OF THE EAST SINGAPORE AND THE EQUATOR |INGAPORE (or S'pore, as the languid, {)erspiring, exhausted residents near the line most often write and pronounce the name of Sir Stamford Rafles's colony in the Straits of Malacca) is a geographical and commercial center and cross-roads of the eastern hemisphere, like to no other port in the world. Sin- gapore is an ethnological center, too, and that small island swinging off the tip of the Malay Peninsula holds a whole congress of nations, an exhibit of all the races and peoples and types of men in the world, com- pared to which the Midway Plaisance was a mere skeleton of a suggestion. The traveler, despite the overpowering, all-subduing influence of the heat, has some thrills of excitement at the tropical pictures of the shore, and the congregation of varicolored hu- manity grouped on the Singapore wharf; and there and in Java, where one least and last expects to find 1 1 2 JAVA: THE GARDEN OF THE EAST such modern conveniences, his ship swings up to solid wharves, and he walks down a gang-plank in civilised fashion— something to be appreciated after the excite- ments and discomforts of landing in small boats among the screaming heathen of all other Asiatic ports. On the Singapore wharf is a market of models and a life-class for a hundred painters ; and sculptors, too, may study there all the tones of living bronze and the beauties of human patina, and more of repose than of muscular action, perhaps. Japanese, Chinese, Siamese, Malays, Javanese, Burmese, Cingalese, Tamils, Sikhs, Parsees, Lascars, Malabars, Malagasy, and sailor folk of all coasts, Hindus and heathens of every caste and persuasion, are grouped in a brilliant confusion of red, white, brown, and patterned drapery, of black, brown, and yeUow skins ; and behind them, in ghostly clothes, stand the pallid Europeans, who have brought the law, order, and system, the customs, habits, com- forts, and luxuries of civilization to the tropics and the jungle. All these alien heathens and pictu- resque unbelievers, these pagans and idolaters, Bud- dhists, Brahmans, Jews, Turks, sun- and fire-worship- ers, devil-dancers, and what not, have come with the white man to toil for him under the equatorial sun, since the Malays are the great leisure class of the world, and will not work. The Malays will hardly live on the land, much less cultivate it or pay taxes, while they can float about in strange little hen-coops of house- boats that fill the river and shores by thousands. Hence the Tamils have come from India to work, and the Chinese to do the miiwM trading ; and the JVEalay rests, or at most goes a-fishing, or sits by the canoe- ; SINGAPORE AND THE EQUATOR 3 loads of coral and sponges, balloon-fish and strange sea treasures that are sold at the wharf. A tribe of young Malays in dugout canoes meet every steamer and paddle in beside it, shrieking and gesticulating for the passengers to toss coins into the water. Their mops of black hair are bleached auburn by the action of sun and salt water, and the canoe and paddle fit as naturally to these amphibians as a turtle's shell and flipper. They bail with an automatic sweep of the hollowed foot in regular time with the dip of the paddle ; and when a coin drops, the Malay lets go the paddle and sheds his canoe without concern. There is a flash of brown heels, bubbles and commotion be- low, and the diver comes up, and chooses and rights his wooden shell and flipper as easily and naturally as a man picks out and assumes his coat and cane at a haU door. And in their hearts, the civilized folk on deck, hampered with their multiple garments and con- ventions, envy these happy-go-lucky, care-free amphib- ians in the land of the breadfruit, banana, and scant raiment, with dives into the cool, green water, teeming with fish and glittering with falling coins, as the only exertion required to earn a living.