The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1861-04-03
Life on the other side of the World.

/
A correspondent who went out in tho
United States steamer Niagara, in com
pany with the Japanes Embassy, write:
as follows, of hotel life in Batavia, on the
island of Java:
Now about Batavia and The hotel where
| am stopping. How many in New York
believe that on the opposite side of the
globe, ten thousand miles nearer the sun,
hotels to compare with the oriental mag
nifcence of New York hotels can be
found? But such is the fact.
Everything we see here is so entirely
different from what l have seen or ever
imagined before, il is hard to tell where or
how to begin. In all the imaginary wilds
of speculative fancy l had never dreamed
of anything TO come up to or compare
with Batavia. The place approaching the
nearest to it in the East Indies, or, in
fact, any other part of the world, is Cal
cutta, and that by many is not considered
equal to Batavia.
The hotel at which l am stopping is
the Hotel dies Indies, situated in the new
or upper town, some half dozen miles
from the water. This is fair specimen
of five or six others, within half mile OF
each other. My hotel and grounds cover
ten acres. The whole ground, like the
rest of the city, is one immense forest of
trees and canals. The trees remind one
very much Of the elms of New Haven.
Houses are placed two or rhree hundred
feet back from the street; in front the
yard is filed with trees, literally alive
with birds, and every variety of plants
and flowers. Every house has stoop or
piazza in front, on which, mornings and
evenings, sit beautifully dressed ladies and
children. The houses are white rs the
driven snow. In front bird cages, elegant
lamps, beautiful pictures and steel en-
cravings, handsome marble-top tables,
rocking chairs, lounges, &c. These arti-
cles are mostly of French manufacture,
of the incest description.
One can ride here for miles, on roads
as smooth as floor, and see nothing diff,
ferent from what have described. AT
night the city is one blaze Of light from
lamps-no gas is allowed. The streets
swarm with Malays, japanese and China
men, but no negroes. They are very civ
il and attentive as walters, and generally
honest. Rooms arc left open, and arti-
cles of all kinds left exposed without be-
ing stolen. There arc no beggars to be
met wilfist The streets.
The hotel at which / am stopping
the nam building two stories high, with
an immense piazza in fronts connected
on each side by buildings like railroad de-
pots, three or four hundred feet long
Each suit of rooms contains room enough
TO make two, three, or even half dozen
ordinary rooms, such as we get at hotels
in the United States. In front and back
are lighthouses, fowcr-gardens and out
houses for cooking and servants, Marble
floors, tiled roofs, ceilings from twenty to
twenty five feet high, no carpets and but
few curtains.
Meals are served in about the same
style as at frst-class hotels in New York.
The habits of living are quite different.
AT daylight coffee and tea are taken to
your room; at eight, the same, with light
refreshments; at twelve, breakfast, and at
seven, dinner Coffee and tea are always
ready, day or night, the same as baths.
No extra charge-take them or not, as
you please. No business is done in the
streets in the middle of the day, on ac-
count of the heat. Nights and mornings
are cool and delightful; birds are singing
all night. Exchange.