[53] Called in the Sunda dialect Gunung Masigit, or Hill of the Mosque, in consequence of the chalk, of which it is composed, being broken into pinnacles of remarkable uniformity, and strongly resembling the appearance presented by the minarets of a mosque.
[54] As these edible swallows'-nests form a very important article of commerce among the Colonial products, and their collection provides the means of subsistence to a considerable section of the population of Java, we shall follow here the description given by Dr. Junghuhn, in his truly classic Monograph upon Java, in which (Book I. p. 468) he speaks as follows respecting the marvellous abodes selected by this species of swallow, and the perils dared by the native in obtaining their nests. "In Karangbólong, a portion of the entrance to the holes where the swallows breed is on a level with the surface of the water, and at times covered by the sea. In one of these cavities, the Gua Gedé, the edge of the coast-wall rises 80 Paris feet above low water, in a concave form, so that it actually overhangs; however, at an elevation of about 25 feet there occurs a projection, which the Rotang-ladder reaches by being suspended perpendicularly. The ladder is made by two side ropes of reed, which every inch-and-a-half, or two inches, are bound to each other by cross-bars of wood. The roof of the entrance to the cave is only 10 feet above the sea, which even at ebb-tide washes the flow throughout its extent, while at flood-tide the mouth of the cave is entirely closed by the sweep of the rollers. Only during ebb-tide therefore, and with perfectly smooth water, is it possible for any one to penetrate into the interior. Even then this would be impossible, were not the rocky vault, or roof of the cavern, pierced through, eaten away, and corroded into innumerable holes. By the projecting angles of these holes it is that the strongest and most daring gatherer who first makes his way in, has to hold on, while he attaches to them ropes made of Rotang, which thus hang from the roof to a length of four or five feet. At their lower extremities other Rotang ropes are securely fastened crosswise, thus running, rather more horizontally, parallel with the roof, so that they form a hanging bridge as it were along the whole length of the roof. The roof is about 100 feet wide, and from the entrance at the south to the deepest recess in the north end, the cave is about 150 feet in length. Although only 10 feet high at the entrance, the roof becomes gradually more and more lofty as the cavern retreats, till at the farthest extremity it is about 20 to 25 feet above the sea-level. Before any one of the nest-hunters proceeds to erect his ladder, and again before proceeding to climb up upon it in such fearful proximity to the thundering swell, a solemn prayer is proffered to the goddess or queen of the sea-coast, whose blessing is invoked. At this place she bears the name of Njaï-Ratu-Segor-Kidul, or sometimes Ratu-Loro-Djunggrang, and has dedicated to her in the village of Karangbólong a temple, which is kept scrupulously clean. Occasionally the gatherers make also a solemn sacrifice at the tomb of Serot, who, according to a Javanese legend, is revered as the first discoverer of the bird-nest caves." (The meaning of the above Javanese words is as follows: Njaï, the title of honour of a female, corresponding to our "Madame:"—Ratu, Queen:—Segoro, ocean:—Kidul, south:—Lero, maiden:—Djunggrang is a surname.) Compare "Java, its physical Features, Vegetation, and internal Structure," by Franz Junghuhn. Leipsig, Arnold, 1842.
[55] The picul varies in weight between 125 and 133 1⁄3 pounds.
[56] Toestand der aangeweekete Kinabomen op het eiland Java in het laatst der Maand Julij, en het begni van Augustus, 1857. Kort beschreven door F. Junghuhn, 116 pp.
[57] At all events, among the planters up the country the opinion prevails that the coffee beans prepared by the native population on what is called the parching method are of far finer and more durable quality than those prepared by the former process.
[58] Professor Vriese, besides having all expenses paid, drew a salary of £1000 per annum, besides 10 guilders (16s. 8d.) a day for every day passed by him in the interior of the island while engaged in its explorations.
[59] The commercial and statistical particulars of Java, for which we are mainly indebted to the kindness of Mr. Fraser, the Austrian Consul in Batavia, will be specially considered in a different part of the work.
[60] The Javanese agriculturist, especially the coffee planter, is sadly tormented by three kinds of grass, which Dr. Junghuhn has named the Javanese Trinity, and which are invariably found with the coffee plant—Erichthitas Valerianifolia (which was introduced from Mocha with the coffee-shrub, and was never before known in Java), Agerahun Conisoïdes, and Bideus Sundaica. The civet-cat, too (called Luah in Javanese, Jjáruh in the Sunda language), does great damage to the coffee plantations, just as the crop is being collected. It eats only the fleshy part of the brown berry, the beans, at least according to what the Javanese say, actually gaining a flavour by the process to which they are subjected in the maw of the animal!
[61] In 1859 the most important of the colonial products, grown for account of the Government, presented the following quantities:—
| Coffee | piculs | 727,000 (of 125 lbs. each) | ||
| Sugar | " | 901,000. | ||
| Indigo | 558,800 | lbs. | ||
| Cassia | 256,000 | " | ||
| Cochineal (a failure in the crops owing to incessant rains) | 6,700 | " | ||
| Tea | 2,057,400 | " | ||
| Pepper | 45,000 | " |