Java is one of the oldest possessions of the Dutch in the East. It was
captured from them by the English during the late war, and held by us
from 1812 to 1816, during which time it was placed under the government
of the justly celebrated Sir Stamford Raffles, a truly philanthropic and
enlightened man. Java, from what I saw and heard of it, is one of the
most fertile islands in the world; and Sir Stamford, with every argument
he could employ, urged the British Government, both for the sake of the
natives, and for Great Britain herself, not again to abandon it to the
Dutch. His advice was not attended to; and a country which would have
proved of equal value to any of our possessions, was totally excluded
from commercial intercourse with us. It runs east and west, being in
length about seven hundred miles, and varying in width from thirty to a
hundred miles.
Batavia is the capital of the west end, and the largest town in the
island; while Sourabaya is next in size, and may be looked upon as the
capital of the east. A glance at the map will show its shape and
position better than can any description of mine. A small part of Java
still belongs to some of the native princes; the rest is governed under
a very despotic system by the Dutch. The natives are said to look back
with affection to the English rule under Sir Stamford Raffles, and often
express a wish that the country again belonged to Great Britain. In the
centre of the south side of the island is a tract of country nominally
ruled by two native princes, with the high-sounding titles of Emperor or
Sunan of Surakerta, and the Sultan of Yugyakerta. Madura is also
divided between the Sultan of Bankalang and the Panambehan of Sumanap.
But these princes, potent as from their titles they may be supposed to
be, are completely under the influence of Dutch viceroys, or residents
as they are called; and I doubt if even they can have the satisfaction
of cutting off the heads of any of their subjects without leave. The
remainder of the island is divided into about twenty districts, each of
which is called a Residency, from being governed by an officer called a
Resident. His residency is again divided into districts, over each of
which is placed a native chief, called a Regent, and a European officer,
called an Assistant-Resident, who has under him other Europeans, called
Controllers. Each Resident has under him officers, called Widono or
Demang, whose deputies are called Bukkel; while every village, or
Kampong as it is called, has its little chief, styled Kapella Kampong,
or head of the village.
In this way, like an army, the whole population is arranged under a
series of officers, the inferiors being answerable to those above them
for the conduct of those whom they govern. The people live in
communities, every man being obliged to belong to and reside in one
particular kampong, which is fenced in, is governed by its kapella or
head man, has its constable or police officer, and is guarded at night
by one or two sentinels, armed with spears, stationed at the gate. All
the land is the property of the government; no native, whatever his
rank, being allowed to have land of his own.
The Dutch have not, as far as I could learn, attempted to convert the
Javanese to Christianity, nor do they take any interest in educating
them in any way. Their policy seems simply so to govern them that their
productions may be increased, and, consequently, as large an amount as
possible of revenue raised. Their rule being paramount, they have left
the natives in their original condition, to enjoy their own manners and
customs, and to be governed by their own chiefs in almost the same
despotic manner as formerly. The Javanese are Mohammedans, but are not
strict in their religious duties; and their priests can often only just
manage to read the Koran, while their mosques are distinguished only
from their houses by having a roof with a double gable at each end. The
native population amounts to nearly nine millions.
The Javanese are a very docile, amiable, and intelligent people; they
are faithful and honest servants, and are brave and trustworthy in
danger, when they can trust to their leaders. Domestic slavery still
exists, though the slave trade is prohibited. No European or native can
acquire property in land, nor can any foreigner reside in the country
without leave of the governor, or acquire the right of citizenship in it
till after a residence of ten years. The governor has the power of
banishing any troublesome subject from the island: all political
discussion in society seems carefully avoided, and the freedom of the
press is strictly prohibited. They do not now tax the people to such an
intolerable degree as formerly, when they created an outbreak of the
whole population, which was not put down till after much fighting in
1830. To prevent a similar occurrence, they have erected a chain of
strong fortresses about fifty miles apart, from one end of the island to
the other.
As I dare say some of my young readers will one of these days become
governors of provinces, or hold other offices in our possessions abroad,
I wish to impress strongly on their minds that the only just or lawful
way of governing a people--the only sure way, indeed, of maintaining
authority over them--is to improve, to the utmost of our power, their
religious, their moral and physical condition. Of course there may be
prejudices to be overcome, and bad spirits to be dealt with; but let a
people, however savage their natures, once understand that we are
anxious to do them all the good in our power, they will from that time
submit to our rule, and gladly avail themselves of all the advantages we
offer.
We may point with heartfelt satisfaction to the manner in which Sir
James Brooke has brought peace and prosperity among the savage tribes of
Sarawak, in Borneo, and how, having by a few necessary examples shown
the power of Great Britain, the influence of his name is now sufficient
to repress piracy in those seas where it once reigned predominant, and
to encourage the honest and industrious in perseverance and well-doing.
But I must return to my own adventures. I will, however, first give a
list of the Dutch possessions in the East, many of which I visited. My
creed is, that God rules the world; that He bestows his permanent
blessing only on those who do his work; and that his work is to spread
the truths of his religion, by our precept and example, among all those
of our fellow-creatures over whom we have influence, and to improve
their moral and physical condition. I believe also what is the case
with individuals is the case with nations; and that, to prove this, we
have prominent examples before our eyes. See what has become of the
mighty empire Spain once possessed round the circle of the globe; remark
how utterly unable France is to colonise, notwithstanding all her
efforts to establish her influence in various parts of the world. The
Dutch possessions in the East Indies consist of: