Page:Life in Java Volume 1.djvu/27

Rh proverbial penchant for the turf is manifested here as in every other region where they are found.

We stayed in Batavia for about a fortnight, and were entertained by our friends with that hospitality which seems so natural to people in the East, and which can never be forgotten, suggested as it is by every recollection of the scenes we have passed through.

Next morning, being supplied with active Javanese ponies, we rode out soon after five o'clock, to make some pleasant suburban explorations, our friends accompanying us, and pointing out each object of interest we came across.

In the afternoon, near sunset, we took a drive in a phaeton, drawn by fast-trotting ponies, whose speed was really marvellous. We thus saw a great part of the town and its environs in a most expeditious and agreeable manner; for as we wished to proceed as soon as possible to the interior of the island, a visit to which was our main object in