state of society, what the amount of population, what the means of subsistence
which rendered such gigantic works possible, will, perhaps, ever remain a
mystery; and it is a wonderful example of the power of religious ideas in social
life, that in the very country where, five hundred years ago, these grand works
were being yearly executed, the inhabitants now only build rude houses of
bamboo and thatch, and look upon these relics of their forefathers with ignorant
amazement, as the undoubted productions of giants or of demons. It is much to
be regretted that the Dutch Government does not take vigorous steps for the
preservation of these ruins from the destroying agency of tropical vegetation;
and for the collection of the fine sculptures which are everywhere scattered over
the land.
Wonosalem is situated about a thousand feet above the sea, but unfortunately
it is at a distance from the forest, and is surrounded by coffee plantations,
thickets of bamboo, and coarse grasses. It was too far to walk back daily to the
forest, and in other directions I could find no collecting ground for insects. The
place was, however, famous for peacocks, and my boy soon shot several of these
magnificent birds, whose flesh we found to be tender, white, and delicate, and
similar to that of a turkey. The Java peacock is a different species from that of
India, the neck being covered with scale-like green feathers, and the crest of a
different form; but the eyed train is equally large and equally beautiful. It is a
singular fact in geographical distribution that the peacock should not be found in
Sumatra or Borneo, while the superb Argus, Fire-backed and Ocellated
pheasants of those islands are equally unknown in Java. Exactly parallel is the
fact that in Ceylon and Southern India, where the peacock abounds, there are
none of the splendid Lophophori and other gorgeous pheasants which inhabit
Northern India. It would seem as if the peacock can admit of no rivals in its
domain. Were these birds rare in their native country, and unknown alive in
Europe, they would assuredly be considered as the true princes of the feathered
tribes, and altogether unrivalled for stateliness and beauty. As it is, I suppose
scarcely anyone if asked to fix upon the most beautiful bird in the world would
name the peacock, any more than the Papuan savage or the Bugis trader would
fix upon the bird of paradise for the same honour.
Three days after my arrival at Wonosalem, my friend Mr. Ball came to pay me
a visit. He told me that two evenings before, a boy had been killed and eaten by
a tiger close to Modjo-agong. He was riding on a cart drawn by bullocks, and
was coming home about dusk on the main road; and when not half a mile from
the village a tiger sprang upon him, carried him off into the jungle close by, and
devoured him. Next morning his remains were discovered, consisting only of a