and great number. There are, however, a few exceptions in favour of some of the
larger, as the Sàraya, a river of the province of Bafiumas and the Praga, with its
tributary, the Elo rivers of Kâdu, all debouching on the southern coast. In the
Javanese part of the island we have such names as Kali-putih, the white river, Kali-
pait, the bitter river, Kali-asam, tamarind river, and in the Sunda part, Chai-manuk,
bird river, Chai-wulan, moon river, and Chai-tarum, indigo plant river.
The largest and most useful river of the island is that usually called that of Solo,
from its passing the native capital, of which this is the popular name. This has its
source in one of the low ranges of mountains towards the southern side of the island,
and after a tortuous course of 350 miles, reckoning only from the native capital of
Solo or Surakarta, empties itself in the sea by two mouths in the narrow strait formed
between Java and the western end of the island of Madura. This river is usually
known to the Javanese by the name of the Bangawan, but this word usually means
“ large river,” is not a proper name, and may be applied to any considerable stream.
Except for the three months beginning with August, being the three last of the dry
season, it is navigable for large boats, and for the whole year for small ones.
The second river in magnitude is called by the natives the Brantas, but usually by
Europeans the river of Surabaya. This also has its origin in one of the low mountain
ranges towards the southern coast, receives many affluents, and dividing itself into
two branches enters the sea by two mouths, one in the province of Pasuruhan, and
the other in the narrow part of the strait between the main island and Madura,
passing by the town of Surabaya and contributing to form its harbour.
The climate of Java is what may be expected in a narrow sea-girt country between
five and eight degrees south of the equator, having plains, almost on a level with
the sea, habitable and inhabited land 5000 feet above it, with every variety between
them. The wet season, or summer, begins with October and ends with March, and
the dry, or winter, with April and ends with September. The monsoons are those
of the southern hemisphere, the north-western corresponding with the wet season,
and the south-eastern with the dry, instead of the south-western and north-eastern,
which blow on the opposite side of the equator. The setting in of these monsoons
is irregular, and, even during their prevalence, there is some dry weather in the wet
and not unfrequent rain in the dry. At the equinoxes, when the monsoons change
the weather is most unsettled, and most tempestuous at the commencement of the
winter solstice in September and October. Thunder storms are then frequent, and
in the vicinity of the hills often destructive to life. Land and sea breezes are
experienced within fifteen miles of the northern and southern coasts, and in particular
localities of its eastern and narrowest extremity, the south-eastern monsoon blows
with great force across the whole island.
The temperature, so far as the seasons are concerned, is equable, that is, the whole
year is one continued summer. Near the level of the sea, which is that of the great
alluvial band, which runs along the northern side of the island, and of the wide
plains of the interior, Fahrenheit’s thermometer seldom falls below 70°, and seldom
rises above 90°. According to the elevation of the land, every variety of temperature
is experienced from this last heat to five degrees below the freezing point. Snow never
falls, even on the highest peaks, but at the height of the nominal winter, in July and
August, ice a few lines thick is formed, and hoar-frost is seen every morning, called
by the natives, poison-dew (âmbun-upas), from its pernicious effect on vegetation.
In the inhabited mountain valleys, at the height of 4000 feet, the thermometer is
usually about 20° below what it is at the level of the sea, and here is experienced a
climate agreeable and congenial to the European constitution, and where the corns,
fruits, flowers, and esculent vegetables of temperate regions, have long been
acclimated.
In point of salubrity, the climate of the high lands of Java is unexceptionable, and
that of the low, containing the mass of the population, is generally equal to that of
any other tropical country. In a few spots of the alluvial band of the northern
coast, such as Batavia and Cheribon, deleterious malaria have occasionally prevailed,
arising from the neglect of canals and water-courses, or from these being obstructed
by volcanic débris ; but these are exceptions, as are also a few forest tracts of the
interior of the island. The extensive cultivation of rice by irrigation, might, as it is
alleged to have done in temperate regions, have been expected to generate malaria,
but such is not the case, nor has it ever been even supposed to do so in the country
itself.
The botany of Java is rich and diversified. The whole island, in fact, presents
throughout, few of the plants being deciduous, the same appearance at all times, as the
most fertile temperate regions at the height of summer. Its villages and even its
towns are, in a great measure, concealed from view, by the luxuriant abundance,
and perpetual verdure of its vegetation. Patches of sandy shore and lava-
covered peaks of mountains are the few exceptions. The vegetation vanes a
good deal with the soil, whether composed of the dibris of volcanic matter
by far the most prevalent one, or of calcareous rock, or of sand-stone But it
varies far more, according to the elevation of the land, which gives rise to, a t least,
six different botanical zones: of these, the learned Dr. BleekergivestheioUowmg
succinct, but spirited description. “ I t is more especially on the low coast lands
that we find superb palms, bananas, aroids, amaranthaoese poiBonons eupWb^e®,
and papilionaceous legumens. Scarce have we reached the height of 10°0
the level of the sea, when our eyes are struck by the quantity of ferns which aliea y
preponderate over the other plants. Here, too, we are surprised by magnificent
forests of slender bamboos growing spontaneously. The farther we ascend, the
greater is the change in the aspect of vegetation. Palms and leguminous plants
become rare, and bamboos are less abundant. In recompense, we find forests of hg
trees with their tall trunks, spreading branches and thick foliage, envelopmg more
lowly trees and humbler plants, and exhibiting a majesty which even surpasses the
splendour of the palms of the coast. Here, too, the ferns increase iu number and
extent, often with trunks several yards in height. Orchideous plants also present
themselves in considerable numbers. Sometimes, these are found solitary and
independent, but more generally as pseudo-parasites, forming, in this case, along
with an infinite variety of other plants, an additional vegetation on old trees, hardly
distinguishable on this account on first view. „ .
“ At a height considerably higher, the vegetation still loses nothing of its imposing
aspect. The figs here fraternise with gigantic rasimalas (Liquidambar astingiara)
with white trunks. To the orchidese are added Nepenthes, with calyciform flowers
(Nepenthes gymnamphora), while numerous species of ferns are accompanied y
Loranthaceae and elegant Melastomas. The region of figs and rasimalas is bordered
above by that of oaks and laurels, and here the Melastomas and orchideous plants
become still more abundant, while the vegetation receives a new ornament m
numerous Pandans, particularly the Frecinatias, which are found as pseudo-parasites,
rubiaceous plants being at the same time abundant, growing by themselves and
flourishing in the shade. There is but one region higher than that of oaks and
laurels where the magnificence of the trees begins to decline. I t would seem as it
nature, at the height of 5000 and 6000 feet, having accomplished her master-piece,
becomes powerless to maintain the tropical character of the vegetation. Iheretore,
rubiacese, heaths, coniferous and other plants familiar to countries beyond the
tropics, present to us the Flora of higher latitudes. Cryptogamous plants, especially,
are infinitely multiplied; mushrooms are abundant, and mosses cover the ground
and invest the trunks and branches of trees. The ferns are now smaller in size,
but play an important part, being of an infinite variety of forms, and constituting
the mass of the vegetation.” Such is the botanical character of the western 01
Sunda portion of the island, and although there be several plants peculiar to each,
that of the central and eastern or Javanese portion does not materially differ
The Fauna of Java is proportionally as varied as its botany. ^ Of mammiferous
animals, alone, it is thought to have no fewer than a hundred species, several of them
peculiar to it. It has four species of monkey, each with its proper name, with no
fewer than eight generic names for the family, whether belonging to the popular,
the court, or the recondite language. It has one sloth peculiar to itself, the Kukang
or Steiiops Javanicus. The species of bats are numerous. One of these, the
of the Javanese, or Pteropus adulis, is remarkable for its size and numbers. A flock
of these is easily mistaken by a stranger for crows, and they are chiefly to be distinguished
by their larger size and heavier flight. They feed on fruit, and in the
course of a night will devour the produce of several trees. Their flesh is considered
esculent, but 1 never saw it eaten. The dung of another species, together with that
of swallows that dwell in caves and old buildings, affords the only supply of saltpetre
in Java and the other islands. ,
In Java, although the most populous and cultivated island of the Archipelago, wild
feline animals are still numerous, and likely to continue so for indefinite ages. The
tiger, known to the Javanese by the five different names, machan, mong, sima, uraga,
and sradula, the same as that of Sumatra, of the peninsula, and of Continental India,
abounds in all the forests of Java, from one end to the other, although nearly unknown