, 1864-01-16

A BEAUTIFUL .--Batavia--the cap
ital city of the Island of Java-according
to the description of newspaper CORES
pondent is brilliant specimen of oriental
splendor The houses-which are as white
as snow-are placed one hundred feet back
from the street, the intervening space being
filled with trees, literally alive with birds,
and every variety of plants and flowers
Every house has piazza in front, and is
decorated with beautiful pictures, elegant
lamps, cages &C., while rocking chairs, loun-
ges, and ottomans, of the incest description,
furnish luxurious accommodations for the
amily-who sit here mornings and eve
nings. AT night the city is one blaze of
light from the lamps. The hotels grounds
of eight and ten acres in extent around
them, covered with fine shade trees, with
fountains, flower gardens, &C. Indeed, so
numerous are the trees, the city almost re-
sembles forest. The rooms are very high
and spacious, without carpets, and but few
curtains. Meals are served up about the
same as the frst-class hotels in the United
States, although the habits of living are
quite different AT daylight coffee and tea
are taken to the guests room, and again at
eight o'clock light refreshments. AT twelve
breakfast is served, and at seven, dinner
Coffee and tea are always ready day and
night. No business is done in the streets
in the middle of the day, on account of the
heat. The nights and mornings are cool
and delightful; birds are singing all night.
The thermometer stands at about $50 de-
grees throughout the year. The island of
Java contains a population of 10000. The
Island abounds with tigers, leopards, ana
condas, and poisonous insects Of all kinds.
The finest fruits in the world are produced
in great profusion Scientific american
WOMEN CoURrING MEN.-And why
not Why should all the business of court
ship devolve upon man It is only fair
that woman should do her share Of the
work. Besides many match that would
have proved a happy one has been broken
off because the custom of society restrained
the woman from saying the right word at
the right moment. What is the bashful
lover to do, if the lady of his choice will
not help him out of the difficulty of popping
the question The fact is, the ladies do
perform their share Of the courting, not only
in semi-civlized communities, as in the in
stances spoken Of below, but in our own en-
lghtened land
"a most extraordinary custom prevails
among the Wires, powerful tribe, occupy
ing an extensive district in Cabul, among the
mountains, between Persia and India. 1t is
in fact female prerogative that has no par
allel among any other people upon the earth
and reverses what we are in the habit Of
considering the natural order of things
the women choose their husbands, and not
the husbands their wives If woman be
pleased with man, she sends the drummer
of the camp to pin a handkerchief to his
cap with the pin she used to fasten her hair.
The drummer watches his opportunity, and
does this in public, naming the woman, and
the man is obliged to marry her if he can
pay the price to her father
A custom substantially the same prevails
among the Sandwich Islanders. We re-
member once to have asked good looking
Hawaiian bachelor why he did not get mar
ried, and he replied with a look of innocent
simplicity, that None of the girls had asked
him.-Pacifc Monthly.