A POST RIDE IN JAVA.--FROM BUITENZORG TO BANDONG.
As soon as they had exhausted Buitenzorg and the sights of the
neighborhood, the Doctor suggested to Frank and Fred that they should
make a journey into the interior. They had not time to undertake the
tour of the whole island, but they wished to go beyond the line of the
railway, and learn by practical experience about the system of posting
for which Java was famous.
Before the introduction of railways Java was supplied with excellent
roads from one end of the island to the other, which were begun by
Marshal Daendels in the early part of this century, and continued by the
Dutch rulers since 1816. Then there are numerous cross-roads, so that
nearly all parts of the country are accessible by wagon or carriage. On
the principal routes the lines are double, one being intended for
carriages and horses, and the other for cattle. The cattle roads are
like the ordinary country road in America; but the carriage-way is
macadamized, and admits of rapid travelling. On the whole, the system is
quite as good as that which prevailed in Europe before the establishment
of the railway; and when it is remembered that the interior of Java is
very hilly, and cut up with numerous streams, the magnitude of the work
which has been accomplished under the equator will be more readily
understood.
The arrangements for posting were made with the assistance of the
landlord of the hotel, who told them that it might take a day or two to
find a carriage that could be hired. The Dutch and other foreign
inhabitants generally own the carriages in which they travel; and when a
stranger wishes to traverse the island, it is customary for him to buy a
carriage, and sell it on reaching the end of his journey. When you want
to buy a carriage, you find the vehicles are scarce and dear; and when
you want to sell, the market is glutted with them. A good carriage for
posting will cost between three and four hundred dollars; and if it can
be sold at a loss of one hundred dollars when the traveller is done with
it, he may consider himself lucky.
The journey that our friends intended to make was to last less than a
week, and they hired a carriage for which they were to pay twenty-five
dollars for that time, and be responsible for any damages that might
happen to it. Frank thought the owner would make a good business if he
could find steady occupation for his vehicle at that rate; but the
landlord informed him that the carriages were idle more than half the
time, and sometimes there were weeks together when no customer appeared.
[Illustration: STARTING ON THE JOURNEY.]
Early one morning the conveyance drew up in front of the hotel, and the
three travellers entered and took their seats. The carriage was a very
comfortable one, with seats for four persons inside, a dickey or
servant's seat behind, and a box under the coachman where baggage could
be stowed. There were four horses, harnessed in European style, with a
coachman dressed in white, and wearing a hat that reminded the boys of
Japan and China. There were three footmen or grooms, who ran along-side
the carriage to whip the horses, and make themselves generally useful;
and when everything was going well they rode on a standing place
intended for them on the rear of the vehicle. Frank observed, as the
journey continued, that these fellows were the most accomplished
whip-crackers in the world; and Fred remarked that the best ring-master
in an American circus would hide his head in shame, if he should listen
to them for a few minutes. He understood the trick of the business when
told that the footmen practise whip-snapping from boyhood, and at one
station where they changed horses there was a man engaged in teaching a
group of boys the principles of the art. He had a practical way of
instructing them, as he followed each failure with a crack of the whip
on the boy's shoulders.
[Illustration: BY THE ROADSIDE.]
There was some trouble at starting, as the horses were fresh and
inclined to be "balky," and one of them indulged in a private
kicking-match that did not promise well for rapid progress on the
journey. However, the performance did not last long; and when they were
under way they rattled along in fine style.
[Illustration: LODGINGS OF THE STABLE-MEN.]
Posting in Java is expensive, as the hire of teams and drivers is nearly
a dollar a mile. Then the drivers and footmen expect gratuities at the
end of their journey, and there are other fees to be paid at several
places. In return for this high price, the service is excellent. Notice
must be given beforehand, and the time of starting must be fixed. A
courier is sent along to all the stations, and when the carriage arrives
where the relay is to be taken, the new horses are found ready harnessed
and waiting, so that the delay does not occupy more than two or three
minutes. The stations are from five to seven or eight miles apart, and
the teams go at the greatest speed. At each station there is a native
official, and sometimes a European one; and there are plenty of drivers,
runners, and attendants, who sleep and wait in open sheds in the rear of
the stable.
At each station there is a large shed extending over the road, and
connecting the stables on each side. The carriage halts under this shed,
so that the traveller is protected from the heat of the sun in dry
weather, or the moisture when it rains. There are the facilities for
making a lunch at nearly all the stations, as the keeper can supply hot
water for tea and coffee, and a liberal quantity of milk and fresh eggs.
With these things, and some cold chicken or other meat from the
stopping-place of the previous night, a slice or two of bread, and the
fruit that abounds everywhere, the traveller must be very fastidious if
he cannot satisfy the hunger which the ride through the pure air of Java
is sure to give him.
The journal of the expedition was kept by the boys, with occasional
suggestions from the Doctor. Every moment that they could spare from
sight-seeing was devoted to the history of their journey in Java; and
during their halts at the stations, some of the keepers thought the two
youths were inspectors sent out by the government to report on the
condition of the postal-service, as they made such vigorous use of their
pens. One station-keeper was extra polite, and brought out a bottle of
schnapps in their honor; their prompt refusal of the proffered courtesy
confirmed his belief in their inquisitorial character, though it raised
doubts as to their genuineness as Dutch officials. "But they are yet
very young," he remarked, with a shake of the head, as the carriage
drove away; "they will not refuse schnapps when they grow older."
We will make a few extracts from the journal, which subsequently gave
much delight to the Bassett and Bronson families:
[Illustration: JUST IMPORTED.]
"We are having a jolly ride through Java, and shall be very sorry when
it comes to an end. It is hot in the middle of the day, but delicious at
other times; and anybody who could not enjoy this sort of travel must be
very hard to please. Some of the way we have made ten miles an hour, and
the little horses come in smoking and panting when we get to a station,
and are ready for a change. The horses are mostly Java ponies, but there
are many from the island of Celebes, and other parts of the Dutch East
Indies. They are tough little animals, about twelve or thirteen hands
high, and capable of great endurance; and the consumption of horse-flesh
is so great, that enough of them are not raised in Java to supply the
demand.
"When we left the hotel at Buitenzorg this morning, we took with us the
materials for our breakfast, so as to save the delay of having it
prepared at one of the inns. We stopped at the second station on the
road, and were as hungry as one could wish; and when we pointed to our
basket and motioned that we wanted to eat, we were referred to a shop
kept by a Chinese, close by the post-station. We went there, as the
shop had better facilities for our meal than the station; John was all
smiles, and showed us to a table in the middle of his front room. He was
married and settled in the country, as he had a Javanese wife; and there
were two or three children, with Javanese complexions and Chinese eyes,
playing around the door. And what do you think we found in his shop to
remind us of home?
"We wanted something to piece out the provisions we had brought from
Buitenzorg, and so we examined the shelves of the establishment. The
first thing we fell upon was a can of American oysters, with the
familiar name of the firm that packed them. Then we found a can of
peaches and another of pigs' feet, and we kept on with our inventory of
things from our side of the world till we had a dozen or more of them on
our list. With the oysters and the peaches to add to the stock from the
hotel, we made a capital breakfast, and went away happy. We had some
difficulty in paying our bill, as we could speak no common language.
John finally set the matter right by counting out from his box the money
we should pay, and spreading it on the table before us; we put down a
similar amount, and he was satisfied. He ought to have been, as I am
sure he cheated us; but then those who travel in a country where they do
not speak the language must expect to pay for their ignorance.
"We have met people on horseback and in common wagons; and in several
instances the men on horseback were followed by coolies carrying
baggage. We are told that is the way the young men who wish to avoid
expense travel in Java--as the cost of horse and coolies is less than a
twelfth of the expense of posting. They also have palanquins for the
cross-roads, though not on the great highways; but they are not suited
to people who wish to get over the ground rapidly. Posting is by all
odds the most rapid way of travelling, but at the same time it is
terribly dear.
"We find that many of the roadside shops, near the stopping-places, are
kept by Chinese; and the Chinese really seem to have a great deal to do
with the business of Java. A gentleman at Buitenzorg said that the
Chinese had a large amount of property in Java, and they could hold real
estate like anybody else as soon as they became citizens. He said there
were half a million Chinese in Java, and, as the government compelled
everybody to pay nearly forty dollars on coming here to live, they had a
better class of Chinese than we have in America. The Chinese have
established several branches of manufacture in Java like those they have
at home; and the gentleman showed us some enamel-work which he said was
made in Batavia by Chinese workmen. We have certainly never seen
anything finer than this, and I doubt if they produce anything in Canton
or Peking that can surpass it.
"In spite of the high price of posting in Java, it is said that the
business does not pay. The government is at a heavy expense to maintain
the roads and stations, and to keep the service in proper order. The
argument of the government is that it is of the greatest importance to
keep the means of transportation and travel in the best possible
condition; and though it may not pay of itself, it is of great advantage
indirectly. They have certainly spent enormous amounts of money on their
roads and posting system; and they are too shrewd to continue to throw
away their cash on an unprofitable enterprise.
"The road rises steadily from Buitenzorg, though there are several
places where we were able to gallop our horses, and go along at the best
possible pace. After the second station we found ourselves in the
mountains; and the way was so steep that we had seven horses instead of
four for some miles. Then we came to a place where it was necessary to
put oxen ahead of the horses to help them up the hills, which were so
steep that we could only go at a slow walk. We perceived that the air
was colder; and on some of the mountains we thought we could see snow,
but were not sure. In the highest parts of the country ice forms in the
coldest nights, but never to more than a slight thickness, and only a
few times in the course of the year.
[Illustration: THE WAITER AT SINDINGLAYA.]
"We reached a point which was said to be two thousand five hundred feet
above the sea, and then had a descent of a few miles to Sindinglaya,
where we found a very comfortable hotel. We had a good dinner here--at
least good for Java. The cooks of Java are not the best in the world, if
we are to judge by what we have seen on the road. The government has
established inns every forty or fifty miles along its principal roads;
they are in charge of Europeans, who receive a salary for keeping the
place in proper condition, at a scale of prices which is posted in every
room, and is not at all unreasonable. Our waiter was a little Malay boy,
who moved around as gracefully as a queen, and twice as dignified.
[Illustration: SLEEPNG-ROOM IN THE SANITARIUM.]
"There is a sanitarium or health resort at Sindinglaya, where the
government sends its officers when they suffer from fever, and need to
be restored by the cool air of the mountains. In addition to the
official one, there are several unofficial hotels; and a good many
Europeans living in Batavia endeavor to spend a few weeks there every
year for the sake of their health. The situation is charming, as it is
quite surrounded by mountains, and anybody who is fond of climbing can
have abundant enjoyment and exercise during his residence in this spot.
"We rattled on over the same excellent road, and passed a goodly number
of villages that presented a very pretty appearance. They are laid out
in regular streets in most cases, and the houses are generally
surrounded with trees that almost conceal them from view. The dwellings
in these villages are always of a single story in height, and their
roofs are covered with thatch or red tiles. Each house stands in a yard,
or 'campong,' by itself, and is enclosed by a hedge sufficiently thick
and high to keep out all intruding cows or other animals. The hedge is
neatly clipped, and frequently covered with bright flowers; besides the
dwelling of the owner, the enclosure generally contains several
store-houses for grain, and a stable with a brick floor. In some places
these villages seem to extend for miles, and tell more plainly than
words that the country is thickly peopled and prosperous. When the Dutch
first came here, the villages were dirty, and it was difficult to teach
the natives any habits of cleanliness. Finally, the new rulers made a
law requiring every native to keep his grounds clean, and his house
properly swept and in order, under penalty of a fine; and they also
announced that the character of a chief or regent would be rated
according to the condition of his villages. It did not take long for the
natives to learn the advantages of cleanliness; and now it is said that
there is no occasion for the law, as they voluntarily give much time and
attention to the improvement of their houses and gardens.
"We reached Bandong, about a hundred miles from Buitenzorg, without the
slightest accident or delay. The road is level for a good part of the
way as Bandong is approached; there is a wide plain here, about two
thousand four hundred feet above the sea, and surrounded by high
mountains. Java contains three of these plains--Bandong, Solo, and
Kediri--and they are wonderfully fertile. There is an immense quantity
of rice raised here, and some say that Bandong is the best rice-growing
district in Java; at all events, we have seen nothing like it.
[Illustration: A MOUNTAIN CASCADE.]
"We were constantly attracted by the beauty of the scenery, which cannot
be described in words. At one place there was a cascade tumbling down
from the mountains, and it was so pretty that we stopped the carriage to
admire it, and make a sketch that would preserve its outlines. The foot
of it was lost in the spray that rose like a cloud, and at one point
where we stood the water seemed to be pouring from the sky. In the dry
season this fall disappears altogether, but when the rains are abundant
it has a full supply of water--a very necessary adjunct for a cascade.
[Illustration: JAVANESE BOYS.]
"As we passed through the villages, groups of children stared at us, and
occasionally an urchin turned a somersault, in the hope of securing a
few coppers in recognition of his activity. Sometimes these children
were very scantily clothed, and occasionally there was one carrying a
baby, nearly as large as himself, in the fold of a shawl wound round the
shoulders. Several times we threw them some money, and it was
interesting to see them scramble for it. They are very active, sprightly
little fellows, and when they jumped into the dusty road they made a
cloud that almost hid them from view.
"Bandong, the town, is a pretty place, with wide streets finely
gravelled, and kept in the best order. There are cocoa-palms and other
tropical trees along each side of nearly every street, and they are so
numerous, and their foliage is so thick, that when you look down a
street you can hardly see a single house. The houses are like those
already described; and as they spread over a large area, they give you
an impression that the inhabitants of Java are unwilling to be
restricted in elbow-room.
"The Regent of the district resides here, and so does the Resident, as
the principal Dutch official is called. As before explained, the
Resident holds a higher rank than the Regent; but he is the only person
who does, and all the orders for the government of the natives come from
the Regent and his officers. The Regent is appointed by the Dutch, but
he always belongs to the most powerful noble family in the region where
he is to serve, and he holds office for life, unless removed for
improper conduct. The Regent of Bandong is the son of the prince who
ruled here before the Dutch conquest, and who accepted the appointment
of Regent, which he held till his death. He is very rich, as he has a
share of the revenue from the rice grown in Bandong, and he lives in
splendid style. He has a European house, where he entertains foreign
guests; and close by it is his Malay residence, intended only for
himself and family, and for Javanese visitors. Foreigners are admitted
very rarely to the native palace, but those who have been there say it
is luxuriously furnished in truly Javanese style. The Regent is on the
best of terms with the Resident, and they often go out together to the
races and on hunting excursions; the Regent frequently gives parties in
his European house, and on such occasions all the foreigners in the town
and vicinity are invited, and are treated with the greatest civility."