the malay archipelago-1-第24节

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overnment　of　Java。　Greatly　to　my　surprise；　I　found　it　a　very　tedious　and　long…winded　story；　full　of　rambling　digressions；　and　whose　only　point　is　to　show　that　the　Dutch　Residents　and　Assistant　Residents　wink　at　the　extortions　of　the　native　princes；　and　that　in　some　districts　the　natives　have　to　do　work　without　payment；　and　have　their　goods　taken　away　from　them　without　compensation。　Every　statement　of　this　kind　is　thickly　interspersed　with　italics　and　capital　letters；　but　as　the　names　are　all　fictitious；　and　neither　dates；　figures；　nor　details　are　ever　given；　it　is　impossible　to　verify　or　answer　them。　Even　if　not　exaggerated；　the　facts　stated　are　not　nearly　so　bad　as　those　of　the　oppression　by　free…trade　indigo…planters；　and　torturing　by　native　tax…gatherers　under　British　rule　in　India；　with　which　the　readers　of　English　newspapers　were　familiar　a　few　years　ago。　Such　oppression；　however；　is　not　fairly　to　be　imputed　in　either　case　to　the　particular　form　of　government；　but　is　rather　due　to　the　infirmity　of　human　nature；　and　to　the　impossibility　of　at　once　destroying　all　trace　of　ages　of　despotism　on　the　one　side；　and　of　slavish　obedience　to　their　chiefs　on　the　other。

It　must　be　remembered；　that　the　complete　establishment　of　the　Dutch　power　in　Java　is　much　more　recent　than　that　of　our　rule　in　India；　and　that　there　have　been　several　changes　of　government；　and　in　the　mode　of　raising　revenue。　The　inhabitants　have　been　so　recently　under　the　rule　of　their　native　princes；　that　it　is　not　easy　at　once　to　destroy　the　excessive　reverence　they　feel　for　their　old　masters；　or　to　diminish　the　oppressive　exactions　which　the　latter　have　always　been　accustomed　to　make。　There　is；　however；　one　grand　test　of　the　prosperity；　and　even　of　the　happiness；　of　a　community；　which　we　can　apply　herethe　rate　of　increase　of　the　population。

It　is　universally　admitted　that　when　a　country　increases　rapidly　in　population；　the　people　cannot　be　very　greatly　oppressed　or　very　badly　governed。　The　present　system　of　raising　a　revenue　by　the　cultivation　of　coffee　and　sugar；　sold　to　Government　at　a　fixed　price；　began　in　1832。　Just　before　this；　in　1826；　the　population　by　census　was　5；500；000；　while　at　the　beginning　of　the　century　it　was　estimated　at　3；500；000。　In　1850；　when　the　cultivation　system　had　been　in　operation　eighteen　years；　the　population　by　census　was　over　9；500；000；　or　an　increase　of　73　per　cent　in　twenty…four　years。　At　the　last　census；　in　1865；　it　amounted　to　14；168；416；　an　increase　of　very　nearly　50　per　cent　in　fifteen　yearsa　rate　which　would　double　the　population　in　about　twenty…six　years。　As　Java　（with　Madura）　contains　about　38；500　geographical　square　miles；　this　will　give　an　average　of　368　persons　to　the　square　mile；　just　double　that　of　the　populous　and　fertile　Bengal　Presidency　as　given　in　Thornton's　Gazetteer　of　India；　and　fully　one…third　more　than　that　of　Great　Britain　and　Ireland　at　the　last　Census。　If；　as　I　believe；　this　vast　population　is　on　the　whole　contented　and　happy；　the　Dutch　Government　should　consider　well　before　abruptly　changing　a　system　which　has　led　to　such　great　results。

Taking　it　as　a　whole；　and　surveying　it　front　every　point　of　view；　Java　is　probably　the　very　finest　and　most　interesting　tropical　island　in　the　world。　It　is　not　first　in　size；　but　it　is　more　than　600　miles　long；　and　from　60　to　120　miles　wide；　and　in　area　is　nearly　equal　to　England；　and　it　is　undoubtedly　the　most　fertile；　the　most　productive；　and　the　most　populous　island　within　the　tropics。　Its　whole　surface　is　magnificently　varied　with　mountain　and　forest　scenery。　It　possesses　thirty…eight　volcanic　mountains；　several　of　which　rise　to　ten　or　twelve　thousand　feet　high。　Some　of　these　are　in　constant　activity；　and　one　or　other　of　them　displays　almost　every　phenomenon　produced　by　the　action　of　subterranean　fires；　except　regular　lava　streams；　which　never　occur　in　Java。　The　abundant　moisture　and　tropical　heat　of　the　climate　causes　these　mountains　to　be　clothed　with　luxuriant　vegetation；　often　to　their　very　summits；　while　forests　and　plantations　cover　their　lower　slopes。　The　animal　productions；　especially　the　birds　and　insects；　are　beautiful　and　varied；　and　present　many　peculiar　forms　found　nowhere　else　upon　the　globe。

The　soil　throughout　the　island　is　exceedingly　fertile；　and　all　the　productions　of　the　tropics；　together　with　many　of　the　temperate　zones；　can　be　easily　cultivated。　Java　too　possesses　a　civilization；　a　history　and　antiquities　of　its　own；　of　great　interest。　The　Brahminical　religion　flourished　in　it　from　an　epoch　of　unknown　antiquity　until　about　the　year　1478；　when　that　of　Mahomet　superseded　it。　The　former　religion　was　accompanied　by　a　civilization　which　has　not　been　equalled　by　the　conquerors；　for；　scattered　through　the　country；　especially　in　the　eastern　part　of　it；　are　found　buried　in　lofty　forests；　temples；　tombs；　and　statues　of　great　beauty　and　grandeur；　and　the　remains　of　extensive　cities；　where　the　tiger；　the　rhinoceros；　and　the　wild　bull　now　roam　undisturbed。　A　modern　civilization　of　another　type　is　now　spreading　over　the　land。　Good　roads　run　through　the　country　from　end　to　end；　European　and　native　rulers　work　harmoniously　together；　and　life　and　property　are　as　well　secured　as　in　the　best　governed　states　of　Europe。　I　believe；　therefore；　that　Java　may　fairly　claim　to　be　the　finest　tropical　island　in　the　world；　and　equally　interesting　to　the　tourist　seeking　after　new　and　beautiful　scenes；　to　the　naturalist　who　desires　to　examine　the　variety　and　beauty　of　tropical　nature；　or　to　the　moralist　and　the　politician　who　want　to　solve　the　problem　of　how　man　may　be　best　governed　under　new　and　varied　conditions。

The　Dutch　mail　steamer　brought　me　from　Ternate　to　Sourabaya；　the　chief　town　and　port　in　the　eastern　part　of　Java；　and　after　a　fortnight　spent　in　packing　up　and　sending　off　my　last　collections；　I　started　on　a　short　journey　into　the　interior。　Travelling　in　Java　is　very　luxurious　but　very　expensive；　the　only　way　being　to　hire　or　borrow　a　carriage；　and　then　pay　half　a　crown　a　mile　for　post…horses；　which　are　changed　at　regular　posts　every　six　miles；　and　will　carry　you　at　the　rate　of　ten　miles　an　hour　from　one　end　of　the　island　to　the　other。　Bullock　carts　or　coolies　are　required　to　carry　all　extra　baggage。　As　this　kind　of　travelling　world　not　suit　my　means；　I　determined　on　making　only　a　short　journey　to　the　district　at　the　foot　of　Mount　Arjuna；　where　I　was　told　there　were　extensive　forests；　and　where　I　hoped　to　be　able　to　make　some　good　collections。　The　country　for　many　miles　behind　Sourabaya　is　perfectly　flat　and　everywhere　cultivated；　being　a　delta　or　alluvial　plain；　watered　by　many　branching　streams。　Immediately　around　the　town　the　evident　signs　of　wealth　and　of　an　industrious　population　were　very　pleasing；　but　as　we　went　on；　the　constant　succession　of　open　fields　skirted　by　rows　of　bamboos；　with　here　and　there　the　white　buildings　and　a　tall　chimney　of　a　sugar…mill；　became　monotonous。　The　roads　run　in　straight　lines　for　several　miles　at　a　stretch；　and　are　bordered　by　rows　of　dusty　tamarind…trees。　At　each　mile　there　are　little　guardhouses；　where　a　policeman　is　stationed；　and　there　is　a　wooden　gong；　which　by　means　of　concerted　signals　may　be　made　to　convey　information　over　the　country　with　great　rapidity。　About　every　six　or　seven　miles　is　the　post…house；　where　the　horses　are　changed　as　quickly　as　were　those　of　the　mail　in　the　old　coaching　days　in　England。

I　stopped　at　Modjokerto；　a　small　town　about　forty　miles　south　of　Sourabaya；　and　the　nearest　point　on　the　high　road　to　the　district　I　wished　to　visit。　I　had　a　letter　of　introduction　to　Mr。　Ball；　an　Englishman；　long　resident　in　Java　and　married　to　a　Dutch　lady；　and　he　kindly　invited　me　to　stay　with　him　until　I　could　fix　on　a　place　to　suit　me。　A　Dutch　Assistant　Resident　as　well　as　a　Regent　or　native　Javanese　prince　lived　here。　The　town　was　neat；　and　had　a　nice　open　grassy　space　like　a　village　green；　on　which　stood　a　magnificent　fig…tree　（allied　to　the　Banyan　of　India；　but　more　lofty）；　under　whose　shade　a　kind　of　market　is　continually　held；　and　where　the　inhabitants　meet　together　to　lounge　and　chat。　The　day　after　my　arrival；　Mr。　Ball　drove　me　over　to　the　village　of　Modjo…agong；　where　he　was　building　a　house　and　premises　for　the　tobacco　trade；　which　is　carried　on　here　by　a　system　of　native　cultivation　and　advance　purchase；　somewhat　similar　to　the　indigo　trade　in　British　India。　On　our　way　we　stayed　to　look　at　a　fragment　of　the　ruins　of　the　ancient　city　of　Modjo…pahit；　consisting　of　two　lofty　brick　masses；　apparently　the　sides　of　a　gateway。　The　extreme　perfection　and　beauty　of　the　brickwork　astonished　me。　The　bricks　are　exceedingly　fine　and　hard；　with　sharp　angles　and　true　surfaces。　They　are　laid　with　great　exactness；　without　visible　mortar　or　cement；　yet　somehow　fastened　together　so　that　the　joints　are　hardly　perceptible；　and　sometimes　the　two　surfaces　coalesce　in　a　most　incomprehensible　manner。

Such　admirable　brickwork　I　have　never　seen　before　or　since。　There　was　no　sculpture　here；　but　an　abundance　of　bold　projections　and　finely…worked　mouldings。　Traces　of　buildings　exist　for　many　miles　in　every　direction；　and　almost　every　road　and　pathway　shows　a　foundation　of　brickwork　beneath　itthe　paved　roads　of　the　old　city。　In　the