of this hall into smaller rooms, each of which was furnished
with a straw carpet, and in the centre a small,
square Brussels carpet, on which was a table ornamented
with carved-work, and surrounded with a row
of richly-cushioned chairs. Along the sides were similar
chairs and small, gilded tables. On the walls
hung large steel engravings, among which I noticed
two frequently seen in our own land: “ The Mohammedan’s
Paradise,” and one of two female figures
personifying the past and the future. In front of the
palace the grounds were tastefully laid out as small
lawns and flower-plats, bordered with a shrub filled
with red leaves. An accurate idea of the harmonious
proportions of this beautiful palace is given in the
accompanying cut. It is the richest residence owned
by any native prince in the whole East Indian Archipelago.
The Rahden at the time was in the adjoining
grounds, which he is now forming into large zoological
gardens for the government at Batavia.
When a youth, he was sent to Holland, and educated
at the expense of the Dutch Government. While
there, he acquired a good command of the German
and Erench languages, was received as a distinguished
guest at all the courts, and associated with the leading
literati. In this manner he became acquainted
with Eugene Sue, who was then at work on his
“ Wandering Jew,” and—as is generally believed—
at once chose the Rahden as a model for his “ Eastern
prince,” one of the most prominent characters in
that book. But it is chiefly as a landscape-painter
that the Rahden is most famous. A few years ago
there was a great flood here at Batavia, which proved
a fit subject for his pencil; and the painting was so
greatly admired, that he presented it to the King of
Holland. When I was introduced to him, he at once,
with all a courtier’s art, inquired whether I was from
the North or the South; and on hearing that I was
not only from the North, but had served for a time
in the Union army, he insisted on shaking hands
again, remarking that he trusted that it would not be
long before all the slaves in our land would be free.
I had not been out many times collecting before I
found myself seized one night with a severe pain in
the back of the neck and small of the back—a sure
sign of an approaching fever. The next day found me
worse, then I became somewhat better, and then worse
again. The sensation was as if some one were repeatedly
thrusting a handful of red-hot knitting-needles
into the top of my head, which, as they passed in, diverged
till they touched the base of the brain. Then
came chills, and then again those indescribable darting
pains. It seemed as if I could not long retain
the command of my mind under such severe torture.
At last, after seven days of this suffering, I decided
to go to the military hospital, which is open to citizens
of all nations on their paying the same price
per day as in the best hotels. The hospital consisted
of a series of long, low, one-story buildings placed at
right angles to each other, and on both sides facing
open squares and wide walks or gardens, which were
all bordered with large trees and contained some
fine flowers. In each of the buildings were two
rows of rooms or chambers of convenient size, which