The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-07-04
AMONG THE ISLES OF THE SEA.
The Island of Java 60 OespOiled by a
Tidal Wave - BatavaiR and Soura-
baya In the Indian NetherIand -
Among the JaVanese.
ESPECIAL CoRREsPoNDENCE.l

ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
BATAVIA, Java.-Like the birds of pas
sage in their flight, famed in story and
song, our good ship dropped down
through the Oriental seas some three
myrIads of islands in the Indian Archi-
pelago, and passed below the equator.
The Philippine Islands sped away, the
" lid BorneO and the Celebes sank in the
Ocean, and the green hills of the Dutch
Province of Bavaria came IN sight, as
we drew near the worth western coast
of Java. StIawn over the emerald wa
ters, some of them continent-lIke and
others the merest dots on the map, this
world of islands unfolds vision upon vis-
ion of tropical luxuriance, reefy barren
ness and wild picturesqueness.
As will be remembered, it was here, in
the straights of Sunda and on the west
eru extremity of Java, a few years ago
that an earthquake and tidal wave
wrought such widespread destruction
and desolaion. AMER Point, a pretty
and pOpulous town, overlooking the mar
rowest part Of the strait, where ships
we're accustomed TO put IN port for mail,
water and provision, with its industries
and Inhabitants, in an instant was blot
ted from the map of the island by the
great catastrophe, in which sixty thou
sand human beings lost their lives.
Trees and houses, men and animals and
all things movable were carried out into
the sea, the surface of which for leauges
around was literally covered with float
ing bodies, clumps of bushes, pieces of
household furniture and pumlce stone,
for weeks afterwards. The walls of the
fort, which were of immense thickness,
were completely demolished, and huge
ma. ses of masonry and pieces of timber
were carried far from their original po-
sition. The great Waringin tree, the
glory of AMER and the finest of its spe-
cies in this part of the world, which
twelve men could hardly encircle, was
uprooted, and its MANNED trunk was
found mile from the spot where it had
stood for ages. AT Athwart-the way
island, the hills, some of which are five
hundred feet high, bore witness of the
height of the tidal wave, for they were
denuded of trees and shrubbery and COW
cred with mud and ashes half way to
their tops. The island of Krakatoa, on
which is situated the volcano that was
in eruption at the time of the earth
quake, was torn in pieces by the convul-
sion of nature. Its crater was split as
sunder. and half of the volcano disap-
peared beneath the water.
AT the time of the catastrophe, which
| wildly recall, l was at Singapore
where the ship to which | was attached
was lying, and which was instructed to
proceed TO the Straits for the purpose of
lending assistance to the distressed.
warning vessels Of the danger, and max.
ing surveys in the channels and passages
in the vicinity. We rendered our ship
to the authorities as a transport vessel
for supplies to the unfortunates, but
found that the Dutch government had
made complete arrangements for the re-
lief of the survivors of the disaster. On
our way down, we overhauled British
bark, whose captain gave thrilling &C
count of the scene as witnessed from his
ship fifty miles from Sunda. At the mo-
ment of the occurrence, early in the af-
ternoon, the air palpitated, the sky dark.
ened, and deep pail Of night was
spread over the sea. The lamps on ship
board were lighted. and the ship lay to
in the gloom. 1t was portentous hour
in which terror seized the crew. Clouds
of smoke and ashes rolled up on the
horizon, and filled the air with their
cindery particles. The ashes fell in
showers, and covered the decks to the
depth of three inches. The next morn
ing the waters were strewn with corpses
and fragments of a once habitable land,
which fairly impeded the progress of
IL VI TannA hn aNa
fled upon our arrival in the Straits, and
bore witness in cur official reports to the
widespread disaster which was visited
not only upon Java and the outlying
Islands, but on the opposite coast Of Su-
matra. The loss of life and property
was appalling and calamitous, and the
horrors of many of the scenes were be-
yond endurance. Eyen to-day the peo-
pie of this fair island have not recovered
from the terrible visitation of the mem-
orable earthquake and tidale wave, that
came upon them with the Bosom of dt =
The city of Batavia, the capital Of
Java, lying on the northwestern shore, |
is situated two miles from the landing
place, and cannot be seen from the bar |
Dor. The bills, clothed in bright yege. |
tation, stretch away in the distance. and |
large coffee plantations dot the land
scape. The Jaccatra river, upon which |
the city stands, pourJ its quiet waters in |
the bay in which we cast anchor. On |
the shore the traveller finds numerous
twO-wheeled carriages drawn by ponies, |
which are used in carrying passengers
into town. The ride in one of these
vehicles, on a seat facing the rear, is de-
cidedly novel, and is pretty apt to be at |
tended with some discomforts, although |
through pleasant country and over
smooth roads. Many large estates of
Dutch burgbers and thousands of small
cultivated fields of Chinese gardeners
give a charm to the view along the way, |
on all sides of which lie the same CHEEKY
scene,
Every appearance about Batavia is
suggestive of the Netherlands, from
which it was colonized and settled. Its
streets are narrow, and canals traverse
the city in all directions, alive with
boats and washerwomen. It's architec.
ture is copied after that Of Holland, and
one might almost fancy himself in the