Justice, held in an open building, called Pendoppo, a
large roof supported by pillars, erected upon a platform
a few feet above the ground. I t had fine rice-
straw hangings all round to shut out rain or sun from
a,ny part of it. The European judge presided at a
table covered with documents and law books as elsewhere,
to his right and left native dignitaries were seated
to watch the proceedings, and assist in propounding
knotty questions according to Mahomedan law, whilst
the prisoners squatted upon the steps in front. I was
much interested in the proceedings,which, however, being
carried on mostly in Malay, and translated to me into
French, lost much of their importance by this process.
I was, however, struck by the ready and even justice
meted out with due regard to native habits and prejudices,
and the punishments, in case of conviction, were
far from excessive.
Having seen enough of Buitenzorg to leave a very
pleasant impression upon my mind, I returned to
Batavia for a night only, which, however, seemed to
me the longest I had ever spent, owing to fearful sufferings
from prickly heat, by the Dutch in their euphonic
language called “ rooye hund,” (red dog), which here
takes the form of red blotches, as large as a hand, quite
unlike the spotty appearance of the same disorder so
frequent in the Levant and in India.
At the last moment, in consequence of heavy rains, I
was advised to renounce my intention of travelling
overland to some of the native states I meant to visit,
as in all probability the roads would be knee-deep, and
the rivers unfordable, and as a steamer was to start
on the following morning for Samarang, I was not long
in making up my mind, and prepared to go by her.
The “Koningin Sophia” a fine new boat of a thousand
tons, specially built and well-adapted for the tropics,
started at eight a.m. There were not many passengers;
and although we encountered several tremendous gusts
of wind accompanied by heavy rain, the voyage was a
very pleasant one. Even their extraordinary rice messes
I began to appreciate, but I confess the Dutch people
astonished me with their appetites.
At Cheribon and at Tagal, whence we had a fine
view of the Slamat volcano, 10,500 feet high, we
stopped for a few hours to land and embark cargo.
This part of the coast, however, being very unhealthy,
I did not leave the ship, and late in the afternoon of
the following day we reached the open and dangerous
roadstead of Samarang. The landing, by means of a
small steam tender, up a muddy estuary was with
difficulty, but at last successfully accomplished, and
the “ Heerenlogemente ” condescended to house me for
the night.