Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
not myself seen; but, having been led to mention them, I felt bound to do something to call
attention to these marvellous works of art. One is overwhelmed by the contemplation of
these innumerable sculptures, worked with delicacy and artistic feeling in a hard, intract-
able, trachytic rock, and all found in one tropical island. What could have been the state of
society, what the amount of population, what the means of subsistence which rendered such
gigantic works possible, will, perhaps, ever remain a mystery; and it is a wonderful example
of the power of religious ideas in social life, that in the very country where, five hundred
years ago, these grand works were being yearly executed, the inhabitants now only build
rude houses of bamboo and thatch, and look upon these relics of their forefathers with ig-
norant amazement, as the undoubted productions of giants or of demons. It is much to be re-
gretted that the Dutch Government do not take vigorous steps for the preservation of these
ruins from the destroying agency of tropical vegetation; and for the collection of the fine
sculptures which are everywhere scattered over the land.
Wonosalem is situated about a thousand feet above the sea, but unfortunately it is at a dis-
tance from the forest, and is surrounded by coffee-plantations, thickets of bamboo, and
coarse grasses. It was too far to walk back daily to the forest, and in other directions I could
find no collecting ground for insects. The place was, however, famous for peacocks, and my
boy soon shot several of these magnificent birds, whose flesh we found to be tender, white,
and delicate, and similar to that of a turkey. The Java peacock is a different species from that
of India, the neck being covered with scale-like green feathers, and the crest of a different
form; but the eyed train is equally large and equally beautiful. It is a singular fact in geo-
graphical distribution that the peacock should not be found in Sumatra or Borneo, while the
superb Argus, Fire-backed, and Ocellated pheasants of those islands are equally unknown in
Java. Exactly parallel is the fact that in Ceylon and Southern India, where the peacock
abounds, there are none of the splendid Lophophori and other gorgeous pheasants which in-
habit Northern India. It would seem as if the peacock can admit of no rivals in its domain.
Were these birds rare in their native country, and unknown alive in Europe, they would as-
suredly be considered as the true princes of the feathered tribes, and altogether unrivalled
for stateliness and beauty. As it is, I suppose scarcely any one if asked to fix upon the most
beautiful bird in the world would name the peacock, any more than the Papuan savage or the
Bugis trader would fix upon the bird of paradise for the same honour.
Three days after my arrival at Wonosalem, my friend Mr. Ball came to pay me a visit. He
told me that two evenings before, a boy had been killed and eaten by a tiger close to Modjo-
agong. He was riding on a cart drawn by bullocks, and was coming home about dusk on the
main road; and when not half a mile from the village a tiger sprang upon him, carried him
