The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1908-07-11
JAVA, THE QUEEN
ISLAND OF ORIENT


Every year the globe trotter roams
further afield. For the tourist" is
never completely satisfied with the
present. He
Never is, but always to be, blest.
France, Italy, Switzerland, the Con-
tinent generally and the British Isles;
Florida, the West Indies, Madeira,
Egypt and Ceylon, all these are but
stepping stones to him. Like Alex
ander, he ever signs for fresh worlds
to conquer. And, being an out and
out optimist, he believes firmly, not
Withstanding many disillusions, that
his quest of the ideal holiday resort"
will finally prove successful. He is
Convinced that he will one day stun
BILE upon the authentic Garden of Eden
with first-class hotel annexed.
He could realize that ambition i'm
mediately by going to- Java. AS yet
this place lies little off the patch of
routine travel, with the exception of
Dutch officials and the representatives
of European business firms, foreign
visitors to Java are far from numer-
Gus. Why this should be the case is
a mystery. 1t Is certainly not be-
cause transport facilities are lacking.
Several lines Of magnif1cently appoint
ed steamships keep the island in d.
rect, regular and rapid communication
with Europe and the United States.
Is it because people imagine the long
sea voyage must be monotonous, con-
sequently wearisome? No idea could
be further from the truth. It would
be difficult to conceive of more at
tractive and diversified journey than
the one to the Dutch Indies, whether
the eastward or westward route be
chosen. The traveller by the former
will find the voyage agreeably broken
by stopping places replete with inter-
est-Naples, Port Said, Alden, Colon
DO, Singapore-while the latter passes
through San Francisco, Japan, Hong
Kong and the Malay Archipelago.
Java's resources as regards objects
OF interest and means of recreation
are too great to be exhausted in a few
weeks, indeed months. There is some
thing here for every taste. The sports
man will find excellent big game
shooting in the southern province Of
Preanger. The admirer of noble arch
itecture and the student Of ancient
art and ancient civilizations will de.
light in exploring the ruined Hindoo
temples of Prambanan and Boro Boe-
doer. Those curious about social con-
ditions and the customs of primitive
peoples will find an inexhaustible mine
In the native quarters, Or Kampongs,
in the Javanese villages, the Malay
communities, the Chinese settlements.
Those interested in the political prob
lens that result from Colonial posses
sions can study here in full operation
one of the most successful systems
that human ingenuity has yet devised,
the Dutch residents governing a sub
ject race through the fundamentally
of native regents. The geologist will
grow enthusiastic over the majestic
chain Of volcanoes, active or quies-
cent, that extends like monstrous
backbone through the center Of the
island from east to west and provides
an unr1yaled series of craters for the
investigation of the scientist. At But
tenzorg, an hours journey from Ba-
tavia, the botanist has at his DISPOSE
'tion the biggest and most famous
botanical garden in the world, contain
ing specimens of some 10000 species
of trees and plants.
And to close this incomplete list of
Java's advantages, it is singularly &C.
commodating as regards climate.
Thanks to the mountainous character
of its physical conformation and the
different attitudes of it's towns and
hill stations, the visitor can select the
climate best suited for his constitu-
ton. In few hours he may change
from the tropics to the temperate
zone, may migrate from Batavia to
Sindanglaja, 3,4S3 feet above the sea
level, or from Soerabaja to Tosari, at
an altitude OF 5,776 feet, and famous
for its bracing air.
Few tourist Fairgrounds, in fact, are
SO favored to possess greater varie-
ty or attractive features. Furthermore,
the hotel accommodation, an essential
detail, is excellent. Indeed, in this re-
spect Batavia, the most convenient
center for a soiourn in Java, is not
behind the European capitals Per-
haps it is in advance of them. At the
Hoted Des hides, the principal hotel
there, the director, Mr.. J. M. Cant
WORT, has made a very ingenious and
successful attempt to combine for the
visitors the advantages of existence in
common with the charms of home life.
Each room of the 'hotels is really
a little villa, or bungalow, one story in
height, completely detached from it's
fellows, preceded by an airy veranda
that can be shut in by screens, lit by