Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 11.djvu/172

* JAVA. 152 JAVA. the best harbor in Java. The third important liver is the Tji JIanuk, which nearly traverses the island, and the fourth is the Tji Tarun. Climate. Though so near the equator, Java is, to those who avoid excess in eating and drink- ing, and refrain from exposure after sunset to the air of the lowland marshes, quite healthful. From April to October there is perpetual sun- shine, with only occasional light showers, and the Western white man must avoid the direct rays of the sun during the heat of the day. From October to April there is almost a steady rainfall, e.xcept that the sun shines for a while daily, generally during the morning. In the west, however, no part of the year is free from rain. Land and sea breezes render life com- fortable all the year round. Violent storms, winds, or hurricanes are unknown, though near the high peaks rains, with terrific lightning and thunder, are frequent. The annual rainfall is about 80 inches, the heaviest rainfall occurring in December, January, and February. The aver- age temperature at Batavia is 78.69° F. (the average of twelve 3-ears), and the extreme range on the lowest levels is 26°. Flora. Java is an island with many botanical zones. The deep black soil produces a richness and an abundance of products in the vegetable kingdom that is absolutely without parallel in any other part of the world within an area so limited. Almost all the plants are evergreen, and most of the villages seem to be concealed by the perpetual venlure. The lowest zone, from sea-level to 2000 feet, has the most extensive area. Here the heat is tropical, and here we find rice, sugar, cotton, indigo, mangoes, and palm- trees. The swamps and plains are covered by cultivated areas, thickets of bamboo, patches of grass, and a profusion of flowers. The second level, which extends from 2000 to 4500 feet (the heat is moderate), produces coffee, tea, cinchona, dozens of varieties of palms, fruits, vegetables, teak, mahogany, sandalwood, rubber and cam- phor trees, rattan, bamboo, many fancy and rare woods, and thousands of vines and flowering shrubs. The third zone, from 4.')00 to T.iOO feet, is moderately cool, and produces maize, tobacco, cabbages, potatoes, etc. : and in the fourth zone (7.500 to 12.000 feet) the flora is European in character, including violets, daisies, buttercups, honeysuckle, royal cowslip, lily of the valley, etc. The fruit-s are abundant, and include oranges, limes, pumelos, the cocoanut, banana, mango, mangosteen. the duku, the rambutan. and the durian. In the gardens near the houses of the natives the odors of the blooming flowers load the air. About one-fourth of the area of .Jav.a is reckoned as forest, and only in recent j-enrs has this source of wealth been taken advantage of. Teak is the chief wood exported. F.i x.v. Fifty species of mammalia are found in .Java. Of the larger animals the tiger, leop- ard, rhinoceros, wild sheep and deer, two species of wild boar, the jackal, and many species of monkey are found in the forests. The bufTalo, next to the native pony, is the most valuable ani- mal, being used both for draught and for food. Do- mestic animals, such as sheep, goats, cows, and swine, though below the ordinary size, are not scarce. Horses from Arabia and pigs from China have been introduced and thrive. The smaller game in forest and marsh is numerous. In the water- courses are the crocodiles, from 20 to 30 feet in length, and always ravenous and dangerous. Large troops of wild dogs are found in the jun- gles. Among birds, the peacock and pelican are the largest, the former being found in flocks. There are nearly 300 species of land birds, includ- ing jungle fowl, various species of woodpeckers and kingfishers, the hornbill, the black ami crim.son oriole, the minaret flycatcher (which looks like a flame of fire as it flutters among the bushes), the yellow and yellow-green trogon. etc., and the 'swift' [CoUocalia iscutenia), which in- habits deep caverns near the .sea and cliffs, and furnishes the edible birds' nests so much prized by the Chinese for soup. Land and water turtles abound. The varieties of snakes are almost ' countless. The python is quite common. The insects are without number, but not many of them over-troublesome or venomous. Many rare and beautiful l)utterflies are found, including the calliper butterfly. The sea abounds in fish, and six hundred species are known, besides thirty- four species of river fish. Geology and Mineral Resoltices. .Java has been for so many ages under a stress of volcanic action that the strata anciently deposited have been again and again disturU'd; yet it appears that the underlying rocks are for the most part granite and senite, and on these rest setlimen- tary rocks of the Tertiarj- period. Though the absence of the fossils of vertebrates is noticeable, the rocks containing the invertebrates arc very abundant: but the volcanic deposits have cov- ered up or disturbed the older formations in ever/ part of the island. Coal is found in many places, but not in quantity making it worth while to work the thin strata. The best mineral fuel, lignite, is found in Bantam. Asphalt, clay (ex- cellent for bricks and earthenware), limestone, marble, manganese, sulphur, salt, and saltpetre are obtained, but are not reckoned among the sources of great wealth. .Java is thus the poor- est of the East Indian islands in minerals, na- ture making compensation in the wealth of vege- table products, AGRicrLTTRE, The great majority of the na- tives are farmers or agricultural laborers. Rice is the chief article of food, and its production the chief industry. By gift from the last Mo- hammedan emneror, who abdicated in 1749 in fa^nr of the Dutch, and by purchase from the native princes since then, the Dutch Government now owns almost all the land, .long with the Mohammedan gift they secured the right to re- ceive one-fifth of the produce and of the labor of the peasant. This made easy the introduction in 1832 of the 'culture system.' which has since pre- vailed. This consists in obligatory service on the part of the peasant, under oflScial superintendence, in the cultivation of tobacco. coflTee. sugar, indigo, tea. pepper, etc. Since 1870 this has been modi- fied, and now coffee only is produced by enforced labor, .bout 7.000.000 acres are under native cultivation. The lands now held by Europeans cover 2,120,584 acres: by Chinese. 471.418 acres: and by other foreign Orientals. 32.583 acres. The chief products for 1899 were as follows: Sugar. 79.324 tons: coffee. 44.900 tons: cinchona. 11.160.926 pounds: tobacco, 53.417.672 pounds: tea, 12,841.702 pounds: indigo. 1,784.553 pounds: cocoa, 2,116.976 pounds: and pepper. 18.840.272 pounds. In 1895 there were in .Java and Madura 2. 643.223 buffaloes, 2,572,231 oxen and cows, and 485,567 horses.