The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1861-08-02
LIFE In JAVA.

| NANAHA SAN luz OAt1EA SlDE W 1hE WOhLD.
A correspondent who went out in the Unl-
ted States steamer Niagara, IN company with
the Japanese Embassy, writes as follows oi
hotel life in Batavia, Island of Java:
| Now, about Batavia and the hotel at which
l am stopping. How many in N. York believe
that, on the opposite side of the globe, ten
| thousand miles nearer the sun, hotels to COM
pare with the Oriental magniicrnce of New
| York hotels can be found But such is the fact.
Everything We see here is 80 entirely differ
ent from what l have seen, or ever imagined
before, it is hard to tell where, or how TO begin.
In all the imaginary wilds of speculative fan
cy had never dreamed OF any thing to come
up to, or compare with Batavia. The place
| that approaches nearest to it in the East Indies
or, in fact, in any part of the world, is Calcut-
| ia, and that by many Is not considered equal to
| Batavia.
The hotel at (which am stopping Is the Ho-
| tel des 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. Ny 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 three hundred feet
back from the street. In front, the area is fill
ed with trees, literally alive with birds, and ev-
cry variety of plants and flowers. Every house
has stoop or piazza IN front, on which, morn
Ings and evenings, sit beautifully dressed ladies
and children. The houses are white as the
driven snow. In front are bird cages, elegant
lamps, beautiful pictures and steel engravings,
handsome marble top tables, rocking chairs,
lounges, &c. These articles are mostly OF
French manufacture, OF the incest description.
One can ride here for miles on roads as
smooth as floor, and see nothing different from
what | have described. At night the city is in
one blaze OF light from lamps, no gas being al
lowed. The streets swarm, with Malays, JAP
aneSe, and Chinamen but no negroes. They are
very civil and attentive as walters, and gener-
alIV uuueSt. ISoOurs OpVII5 ~!?-r-.-
of all kinds left exposed, without beng stolen.
There are no beggarsto be met with in the streets.
The hotel at which am stopping-the main
building two stories high, with an immense pi-
aZza in front, is connected on each side by bull
dings like railroad depots, three or four hun
feet long. Each suite of rooms contains room
enough to make two, three, and even a half
dozen ordinary rooms, such as we get at hotels
in the United States. In front and back are
5ath-houses, fountains, flower gardens, and out
houses, for Cooking and for servants, marble
floors, tiled roots, ceilings from 90 to 25 feet
high, no carpets, and but few curtains.
Meals are served up in about the same style
as at the first class hotels in New York. The
habits of living are quite different. AT day.
light coffee and tea are taken to your room at
eight, same, with light refreshments; twelve,
breakfast and at seven dinner. Coffee and tea
are always ready, day or night, same as baths.
No extra charge take them or not, as you
please. No business is done in the street in
the middle of the day, on account of the heat.
Nights and mornings are cool and delightful
Birds are singing all night.