Page:Java, the wonderland, by Vereeniging Toeristenverkeer, Batavia, 1900.djvu/38

Rh have settled along the coast of most of the Indian islands, constitute the chief part of it.

Soendanese inhabitants of the back parts of Batavia, Bantamese from West-Java, also Javanese from the middle part of the island, settled here centuries ago, and with Chinese, Arabians, Klingalese, Madurese, from East-Java, and many who came from the opposite shore, fill the villages (kampongs) in and about the place, which now contains more than 116,000 souls.

The prosperity which this populations enjoys is evinced by the healthy and strong appearance of the men and women, and by the cleanliness and relative wealth of their dress and dwellings. Their continual contact with Europeans has led to those virtues and vices among them, which all civilisation brings with it.

Less impudent and proud, and clinging less to old customs (adat) than the inhabitants of the West-Coast of Sumatra, less cheerful, simple, and trustworthy than the Soendanese, from the highlands of the Preanger, less strong and fanatic than the uncivilized Bantamese, less outwardly submissive than the docile, and often more distinguished Javanese, and less rough and choleric than the seafaring Madurese, the population of Batavia affords an inadequate picture of those races in general.

With this verdict passed upon them, they cannot serve as an example of the many good qualities that the majority of the tribes possess, each in themselves. From the above description it will be seen how different are the characters of the natives.

Among the many national peculiarities which strike the foreigner in his walks along the broad roads of Batavia, may be mentioned the native dancer with her attendant musicians, (called "dansoe".)

The Hotels in Batavia are considered among the best in the Orient and are in almost every respect far ahead of the Hotels in British India.

They all lie along the tram line. The Hotel des Indes with its spacious gardens and dependance. the Hotel der Nederlanden situated near the palace of the governor-general, the Hotel Java and Hotel Wisse are in the order we have indicated the most frequented.

The Hotel tariff here and throughout Java is from 6 guilders a a day including meals; the "American plan", — without reduction for meals which are not taken.

The rooms are simply furnished, the beds very spacious and