The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-09-12
The Island OF Java.


The great events of the day. like the volcanic
eruptions in Java, are very practical instructors
in history and geography, il the daily record
is read, as it should be. with an atlas at the
elbow. The following from the New York San
gives a comprehensive and intelligent descrip
ton of the scene of the late terrible disaster:
" The southernmost portion of Asia runs ont
from Siam into peninsula called Malacca. To
the southeast lie the islands which together
form that division of Oceanica known as Ma
laysia. Those nearest to the island of Malacca
are called the Sunda Islands, and together con-
tain between eighty and ninety volcanoes. The
principal islands of the Sunda group are Bor-
neo Sumatra and Java. Borneo is the largest
island on the globe except Australia. 1t is
more than three times as large as Great Britain,
but so much of it is low, marshy ground, liable
to inundation and the interior is so covered
with dense jungle, that it has not invited set
tiers to any large extent, and the population is
not more than about :, 600 600, and mostly half
civilized people. Sumatra lies nearest to Ma
lacca, and the strait which runs between them
Straits of Malacca) connects the Indian Ocean
and the China Sea. 1t is 500 miles long, and
from twenty-five miles Opposite Naning) to 200
miles broad. Sumatra is about / 900 miles in
length, running east and west, and its greatest
breadth is 240 miles 1t has several volcanoes
which rise from 900 to IL 900 feet above the
level of the sea. But the great volcanic island
Of the Malaysian group lies almost due east Of
Sumatra. and is Just now an object of great in
terest all over the world-the island of Java.
There are about fifty volcanoes on this island,
which is $50 miles long by thirty-fv to 100
miles broad. Earthquake shocks are fire.
quent, and volcanic eruptions have from time
TO time spread death and disaster around.
| In 1922 an eruption OF Mount Galung-gung
| destroyed ia villages and 1000 people. In
| 1843 Mount Guntur threw out sand and ashes
day and night, covering plantations and viii
| lagos, and causing an awful destruction of hui
man life. In 1867 earthquake shocks rocked
| and rent the island, and in the town OF
Jokjokarba alone thousands Of lives were
lost In 1873 and in 1879 there were de-
structive earthquakes. All the legends OF
the natives are of terrible disasters occasioDed
| by eruptions of some of the volcanoes. On
the eastern end Of the island, toward the
shores OF the Strait of Bali, there Is an extinct
volcano the crater of which forms valley
half mile round. 1t is called the Vale of Poi
son. Birds flying over 1t drop dead and moth
ing can pass through it and live. The natives
believe it to be the abode of evil spirits. 1t is a
vent for the deadly gases generated by the great
fires which shoulder and burn beneath the sur
face all over the island. Not very pleasant
place ofabode one would say, this island of Java
And yet it contains larger population than all
the other islands of the Malaysian group put
together. The great island OF Borneo contains
only little more than two millions of people
and has no volcanoes. Sumatra is much larger
than Java, aud has only two volcanoes and moi
more than five millions Of inhabitants. Java
third in size of the Malaysian group is 90.
miles long, 121 miles broad, and in 1871 con
tanned over nineteen millions Of people. OF
these IL, 824, 674 were Malays, 2003 1903 Chinese
900 Arabs and others and 29,99S Europeans
1t is the point from which the Dutch govern
ment rules all its Eastern dependencies, and
1t is governed by regent who resides at the
capital, Batavia. town of Importance ON the
northwestern shore of the island. Divided into
twenty-fonr RESIDENCES, with q governor ant
inferior officers administering the laws in each
and including the island of Madura, the islant
of Java il the most valuable OF all the Dutch
dependencies In the East, and In the production
of sugar, coffee rice tea, and bamboo, the man
ufacture Of paper and various kinds OF carved