The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-29
SOME NEW BOOKS.


The faded traveller in search OF
new scenes and new sensations. IL he
be equipped with abundant leisure.
GUhust health and strong nerves. can
hardly do better han follow in the
footsteps Of Mr.. ARTHUR S. WMCoTT
through Jana and Her NciDhbors,
published some time ago by G.. i.
Putnam's Sons. The land which Mr..
walcott describes is Of unsurpassed
natural beauty and varied historical.
archaeological and geological interest
It is, moreover a land which in spite OF
the comforts Of civilization established
Nv Dutch enterprise is still little visited
by pleasure seekers. The automobile
md the cinematograph have found
their way into Java, but the tourist ~
"a vet a negligible quantity. Durlhs
n two weeks voyage To the more
distant islands of the Dutch-MaIay
e~rchipelago by an interisland steam
ship line rejoicing In the phonetic
name OF the Koninklijke Paketvaart
Maatschappij Mr.. Walcott saw not a
single American or Englishman' a
little while. however. and all this may
be changed. We are old that very
recently there has been n complete
face about In the attitude or the
Dutch officials. Formerly travel In
lava was hedged about with n plen-
itude of restrictions and red tape
which made n trip through Russia
a,.yaN- 80 ffIR1Dm IN CONF
harrison. Now there is a bureau OF
Information Mt Batavia under the di-
rec,ion of the Dutch authorities, and
passports are easily obtained. Inc
Coyerrment mas even undertaken he
regulation of hotel and carriage
charges. establishing both at n mod
crate tariff.
Al weltevrcdcn. the modern section
of the city Of Batavia, where Is 10 ne
found the best hotel /" the Dutch
Fast indies. the traveller pays 81 a
day for accommodations, lud
meals and service. MIR. Walcott de-
scribes the plan Of this hotel, which
IA typical of modern hostelries through
out the archipelago. There Is "A main
building containing the dining room,
reading room. offices and Kitchens, with
q broad veranda equipped with the
marble topped tables dear to the heart
of the Partisan boulevardicr. Long.
one stored galleries stretching out on
either side contain bedroom apart
ments. Each traveller paying his mod
est 81 a day has a private porch fur
nished with easy chairs n electric
fights. a bedroom with running water
-.1 ., 4a1nn1,nnn a ranys Nsnr ri in which
20 dry the dampness from his clothes,
and a small bathroom with modern
plumbing. He has also abundant mos
quito MEETINGS. a mosquito broom and
a dutch wife" which. II may he hes
20 explain. is a huge hard bolster. ex-
trcmely useful on a tropical night.
He will find real English speaking
grub at table. and although the In
sulinde attendant exp CTS his per
cent" his expectations are not as
e%xorbitant as those of his Occidental
brother. From the high standard OF
this excellent hotel accommodations
throughout the islands dwindle to the
inconvenience and hazards of prim-
itive ms where one is likely upon
retiring to find a weighing something
inside the pillow case which proves
10 be n good sized lizard, to come late
for dinner and surprise a rooster wad-
ing in lhe soup. and to be forced &c
share a bedroom with colonies of RED
ants. poisonous looking spiders and
TO use Mr.. Walcott's adjective. "un-
Objectionable gekkos.
Hardly less alarming than resting
places of this character, which must he
anlttral 10 N Grim 90 .bn -a,-. si..l-
is undertaken. are the conditions un.
der which carriage riding must be g
toyed or endured, according TO the
temperament Of the traveller. A com
bination of half broken ponies. reCk-
less drivers n rotten harness seems
10 be the rule rather than the eX,
ception in this part of the world
Speaking of n certain drive in NORTH
Celebes, Mr.. Walcott says: MY out.
Mt was, | think. no worse than tn,
avera ge, yet twice : escaped an over.
turn by the narrowest margin. and w
finally arrived at the end of the TWEEN,
ty-two miles with the dashboard
Kicked to fragments. the traces broker
and the outside pony led behind tn,
cart an disgrace by a neck rope. tn,
remains or his harness reposinC OF
the bottom of the vehicle
Mr.. Walcott prefaces the account q
his personal impressions with a his.
forical sketch of the v1cissitudes of IN,
islands through successive Moham.
medan. Portuguese, Dutch, English
French and Dutch rule and of IN,
gradual weakening and subsection OF
the natives. of the present condition,
he reports that the inlquitous svs
tenn of forced cultivation" by which
the exploitation of the natives rough
no Holland yearly a surplus of som,
S12, 100000 gold has now almost dis
appeared from the %Insulindc. EChoe,
nj 1t are still heard in Sumatra I'M
in Java, in Cclebes, in the MIolucca,
free b is now practically univer
sal Income and capitatiOn taxes hay,
X the place of wholesale robber,
or dhe unfortunate natives, and the,
are now allowed IL lease land an,
profit by the results of their labor
DEVASTATING famincs are becoming in
frequent and the native population /
increasing rapidly.
With regard TO the moral and in.
tellectual characteristics Of these In
sulinde natives Mr.. Walcott spcaks /,
various fashions. lie does not wa,
enthusiastic over the inhabitants q
north SumatrTl, the most unprepos
sessing Of all the various ethnologica
specimens, in whom, he says. ever,
Oriental vice seems ahnormalIv over
developed and every Occidental virtu,
c~onspicuously lacking" The Javancs,