PASSING ANJER.
We began our homeward voyage from Manila Jan. 20, and reached Anjer, Feb. 1. Anjer is the western point of Java; vessels pass it to and from the China seas. “Passed Anjer,” in the marine reports, signifies that a vessel has left the China seas on her homeward way, or has just entered them on her outward voyage. Anjer supplies vessels with poultry, vegetables, fruits and water. On enquiring for bananas, we were told by a man who came on board that he would get us “a fathom of them for a dollar.” It was a large Oriental statement, with a basis of truth; but six feet of bananas for a dollar seemed too good to be true.
Batavia is about seventy-five miles from Anjer; the road to it is characterized by Dutch solidity and thoroughness. Opposite the hotel at Anjer is a banian-tree, said to be the largest in diameter in that part of the world, composed of shoots which have descended from the top, taken root, and become principal parts of the tree. We saw from shore our ship under sail, waiting for us, beating about against a head wind and current. The sight was animating. We rowed off to her four miles, glad to be on board the noble thing which had borne us more than half round the world, and was waiting to complete the great circuit. As often as we now see in the marine record, “Passed Anjer,” we recall the sensations with which we looked off from that lighthouse, which is the first or last object of interest to all who navigate those East-Indian seas.