road in front of his house. The streets are kept clear of refuse, and
covered drains carry away all impurities into large open sewers, into
which the tide is admitted at high-water and allowed to flow out when
it has ebbed, carrying all the sewage with it into the sea. The town
consists chiefly of one long narrow street along the seaside, devoted to
business, and principally occupied by the Dutch and Chinese merchants'
offices and warehouses, and the native shops or bazaars. This extends
northwards for more than a mile, gradually merging into native
houses often of a most miserable description, but made to have a neat
appearance by being all built up exactly to the straight line of the
street, and being generally backed by fruit trees. This street is
usually thronged with a native population of Bugis and Macassar men, who
wear cotton trousers about twelve inches long, covering only from the
hip to half-way down the thigh, and the universal Malay sarong, of gay
checked colours, worn around the waist or across the shoulders in a
variety of ways. Parallel to this street run two short ones which form
the old Dutch town, and are enclosed by gates. These consist of private
houses, and at their southern end is the fort, the church, and a road at
right angles to the beach, containing the houses of the Governor and
of the principal officials. Beyond the fort, again along the beach,
is another long street of native huts and many country-houses of the
tradesmen and merchants. All around extend the flat rice-fields, now
bare and dry and forbidding, covered with dusty stubble and weeds. A few
months back these were a mass of verdure, and their barren appearance
at this season offered a striking contrast to the perpetual crops on the
same kind of country in Lombock and Bali, where the seasons are exactly
similar, but where an elaborate system of irrigation produces the effect
of a perpetual spring.
The day after my arrival I paid a visit of ceremony to the Governor,
accompanied by my friend the Danish merchant, who spoke excellent
English. His Excellency was very polite, and offered me every facility
for travelling about the country and prosecuting my researches in
natural history. We conversed in French, which all Dutch officials speak
very well.
Finding it very inconvenient and expensive to stay in the town, I
removed at the end of a week to a little bamboo house, kindly offered me
by Mr. Mesman. It was situated about two miles away, on a small coffee
plantation and farm, and about a mile beyond Mr. M.'s own country-house.
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