Evening star., 1901-11-16

HE THOUSAND TEMPLES.
took possession of the island and kept it
for several generations and did not discover
them. Then the English conquered the
Dutch, and during their short rule in Java
found these temples. Sir Stamford RaffleS
kept two hundred men busy for forty-five
days digging out one of them, and since
then, the Dutch having again taken pos
session of the island, have made further ex-
cdYations.
From DjOkja to BorO BOedOer.
But let me describe my trip to Boro Zoe
doer- L went a half hour by rail, and then
took a carriage hauled by four ponies.
L had a coachman and footman, and the
duty of the latter was to jump from his
perch on the rear of the carriage and
thrash the ponies into a gallop at every
long hill. He sometimes allowed the team
to walk on the level, but never when going
up or down grade, and We went almost on
the gallop over one hill after another until
at last We came into beautiful valley sur
rounded by mighty volcanoes. We dashed
through a village of bamboo huts, stopping
outside to see the statue of Mcndoet, and
then went on through the valley until we
came to the great hill upon which the tenn
pie stands. The hill is about 80 feet above
the plain. 1t is just about large enough to
hold the temple and the government Pest
House, and it looks though it were erect
ed for the temple by the hands of man.
The only stopping place is at the Pest
House. There are but few travellers who
get so far into the interior. and as no one
was expected the manager of the Pest
House was absent 1 found half a dozen
servants, however, and finally managed to
scare up bed and a dinner Of rice, fried
eggs and coffee.
[ drove around and around the hill going
up It, and got my first sight of the monu-
mo amt fr0 tha - 81, De- L
There is wide avenue of kanari trees
leading from the hotel to the temple. The
trees overhang, making a great arbor reach
ing perhaps half a mile to where the tenn
pie begins Between the trees all along
this wide avenue are gigantic stone Budd-
has sitting cross-legged, with their feet ly-
ing on their knees, and / looked past their
peaceful faces through the trees at what
seemed in the dusk of the early evening a
mighty pyramid of carved greenish-gray
stone. As 1t stood out against the blue sky
1t appeared to be cut from one solid block
its ruined and broken condition being lost
in the distance.
Moonlight on BOrO BOedoer.
My visit to the temple was made In COM
pany with DUTCH civil engineer who went
with me from Djokja. After dinner we sat
and smoked until the moon rose, and then
strolled down through the avenue and took
our first view of the great temple by moon
NSAt- " ndu the Iuli moon or the tropics,
under which everything about the temple
was plainly visible, but softened and mel
lowed by it's rays. We had to walk care
fully for fear of stepping on poisonous CO.
darker shadows before entering the ter
| races, expecting that we might see the
fierce eyes of tiger staring al US.
we stopped moment at the steps of the
pyramid TO admire the giant statue OF
Buddha which sits there. Its beautiful
features were life-like and peaceful in the
moonlight 1t seemed as pure and fresh
as though 1t had been carved yesterday
and We could not realiez it's age.
Passing up the steps, we climbed from
terrace to terrace to one gallery after an
| other, tracing the carvings by the light OF
the moon, and at last reached the platform
covering perhaps five acres upon which
are great cones or mounds of stones, in
each OF which was a sitting Buddha We
mounted higher and higher up rough stone
steps, and finally stopped the very top
with the vast monument below u.s.
What a place for a temple or a tomb,
We were on hill in the center of a great
plateau surrounded by mountains, in an
amphithedter of the gods, on the very tor
of the greatest monument ever made to
the gods. AT one side of us were two vol
canoes and all about We're cloud-capped
mountains, the plain at their feet extending
around the little hill upon which the tenn
pie stands.
AS we stood there the full moon was inst
overhead. Clear and beautiful it seemed
II me that it looked down pityinglv on that
mighty work of man once so splendid but
now fast falling to ruins. 1t touched the
rough outlines with tender hands and an
parenty smoothed them out and made the
great pile new again. Under it's rays the
Buddhas became life-like. The lines of
carvings were vivifed and the whole was
much more grand than when we saw it on
the following day in the garish light of the
tropical sun.
The scene was strangely peaceful. the
ar was as sort as that of an Ohio June
and the night breezes from the volcanic
ranges about us whispered stories of the
past as they swept over the ruins We
could hear the chirpng of the crickets,
tne chat1erlns OF the lizards and now and
then the beat, beat, beat of the policemen
on their wooden drums marking the hours
A Wilderness of Broken Statues,
Coming down from the summit we walk
ed for miles about the carvings, studying
the various characters and looking at the
peace-loving Buddhas in their inches above
u:'. Everywhere We went we saw the work
OF the iconoclast. There were hundreds of
beautiful statues without heads Here a
great sitting figure was overthrown there
was one with its arm broken, and farther
on another which had lost its toes and
nngerS, In order that some relic hunter
might add to his collection. For genera
tlcns both natives and foreigners have been
rohbfng the monument. The lawns of some
of the Dutch have been decorated with its
statues, and the foreign soldiers have anus
ed themselves by decapitating the Buddhas
and carrying their heads away to use for
target practice with rifles and pistols /
found beautiful hand lying. on the top
OF the structure. and had l wished could
easily have carried it off without discovery.
My next view of the mighty monument
was at daybreak. We had the servants call
US a, O'Clock, and, after a cup of coffee
as black as ink and as thick as molasses.
We walked down to the temple. The day
was Just breaking. and the huge pile looked
| ghost-like In the light Of the early morn
| ing. 1t seemed half fort, half palace. and
had been, in China should have imagined
myself In front Of some mighty city.
i climbed to the top to watch the sun
| rise. AS l stood there l could see it red
den the clouds upon the volcano of Me-
! rapf. Its rays struck the steam rising out
| OF the volcano and turned 1t to gold As