before this time the empire had been nominally divided,
the hereditary prince being styled Susunan,
or “ object of adoration,” whose descendants now reside
at Surakarta, near Solo; and a second prince,
who was styled Sultan, and whose descendants reside
at Jokyokarta. Each receives a large annuity
from the Dutch Grovernment, and keeps a great number
of servants. Their wives are chosen from all the
native beauties in the land, and the engraving we give
from a photograph represents those of one of the
highest dignitaries in fall costume, but barefoot, just
as they dress themselves on festive occasions to dance
before their lord and his assembled guests.
The next day when the sea-breeze came, about
one o’clock, we sailed up through the many islands
of this part of the coast of Java. They are all very
low and flat, and covered with a short, dense shrubbery,
out of which rise the tall cocoa-nut palm and
the waringin or Indian fig. This green foliage is
only separated from the sea by a narrow beach of
ivory-white coral sand, which reflects the bright light
of the noonday sun until it becomes positively dazzling.
"Where the banks are muddy, mangrove-trees
are seen below high-water level, holding on to the
soft earth with hundreds of branching rootlets, as if
trying to claim as land what really is the dominion
of the sea.
This dense vegetation is one of the great characteristics
of these tropical islands; and the constantly
varied grouping of the palms, mangroves, and other
trees, and the irregular contour and relief of the
shores, afford an endless series of exquisite views.