six knots an hour, that we approached the coast of
Java, greeted by the appearance of floating islands,
which became more frequent as we reached the roadstead
of Batavia. These were large masses of soil
covered with upright trees, ferns and grass, which
annually, by the rapid descent of large volumes of
water, become detached in the interior of the island,
and are swept down by the current of the river
Jaccatra into the sea, where they float along until
they come into contact with the shore of some
neighbouring island; there they attach themselves,
and by these means many of the latter slowly change
their outline. Thus, by the whim of nature, the very
charming phenomenon of these floating islands is
produced ; which, however, occurs only at certain
periods, and after an unusually heavy downpour,
say towards the end of the monsoon, which in Java
lasts from November until March.
CHAPTER VIII.
B a t a v ia . G o v e r n o r - G e n e r a l ’s R e c e p t io n — B u it e n z o b g— B o t a n ic a l
G a r d e n s— E t h n o l o g ic a l a n d G e o l o g ic a l M u s e u m s— J a v a E b u i t
"Vi s i t to R a d e n S a l e h , N a t iv e A r t is t— B a t o e - T o u l i s , S i t e
o p O l d T o w n— F e t i s h M o n u m e n t— C o u r t o f J u s t ic e .
On reaching the roadstead of Batavia, we anchored
some two or three miles from the town, and a single
boat made its appearance to take passengers and
luggage ashore, where the vexatious process of examining
the latter at the custom house proceeded with admirable
punctiliousness, after which, and the inspection of
passports, I was allowed to proceed on my way by a small
open conveyance, the baggage being separately con