and sat down opposite them. Each spoke in turn, telling his own tale, and then I
found that those who first entered were the prisoner, accuser, policemen, and
witness, and that the prisoner was indicated solely by having a loose piece of
cord twined around his wrists, but not tied. It was a case of robbery, and after the
evidence was given, and a few questions had been asked by the chief, the
accused said a few words, and then sentence was pronounced, which was a fine.
The parties then got up and walked away together, seeming quite friendly; and
throughout there was nothing in the manner of any one present indicating
passion or ill-feeling—a very good illustration of the Malayan type of character.
In a month's collecting at Wonosalem and Djapannan I accumulated ninety-
eight species of birds, but a most miserable lot of insects. I then determined to
leave East Java and try the more moist and luxuriant districts at the western
extremity of the island. I returned to Sourabaya by water, in a roomy boat which
brought myself, servants, and baggage at one-fifth the expense it had cost me to
come to Modjo-kerto. The river has been rendered navigable by being carefully
banked up, but with the usual effect of rendering the adjacent country liable
occasionally to severe floods. An immense traffic passes down this river; and at
a lock we passed through, a mile of laden boats were waiting two or three deep,
which pass through in their turn six at a time.
A few days afterwards I went by steamer to Batavia, where I stayed about a
week at the chief hotel, while I made arrangements for a trip into the interior.
The business part of the city is near the harbour, but the hotels and all the
residences of the officials and European merchants are in a suburb two miles off,
laid out in wide streets and squares so as to cover a great extent of ground. This
is very inconvenient for visitors, as the only public conveyances are handsome
two-horse carriages, whose lowest charge is five guilders (8s. 4d.) for half a day,
so that an hour's business in the morning and a visit in the evening costs 16s. 8d.
a day for carriage hire alone.
Batavia agrees very well with Mr. Money's graphic account of it, except that
his "clear canals" were all muddy, and his "smooth gravel drives" up to the
houses were one and all formed of coarse pebbles, very painful to walk upon,
and hardly explained by the fact that in Batavia everybody drives, as it can
hardly be supposed that people never walk in their gardens. The Hôtel des Indes
was very comfortable, each visitor having a sitting-room and bedroom opening
on a verandah, where he can take his morning coffee and afternoon tea. In the
centre of the quadrangle is a building containing a number of marble baths
always ready for use; and there is an excellent table d'hôte breakfast at ten, and
dinner at six, for all which there is a moderate charge per day.