pining?
But where is the man that can live without dining?

Here the poet leaves the realms of poetic fantasy to record a simple
fact of everyday life--one which is appreciated by every man and woman
irrespective of nationality or temperament. As in all other matters
pertaining to the comfort of the European in the tropics, the Dutch, in
the matter of food, seem to us to have achieved better results than we
have in the British Colonies. The "riz-tafel" may not appeal to the
English palate, but there is no lack of clean, wholesome dishes, and
side dishes that make us wonder at the toleration of the traveller with
the Indian and Colonial caravanserai. The tourist who visits Java after
traversing India will be agreeably surprised at the difference in favour
of the Dutch Colony in this respect.

In the matter of the personal attention to their guests by the
management of some of Hotels in the interior, and the supply of
information, there could easily be an improvement, and doubtless there
will be a great change when tourist traffic becomes more general, as it
promises to do in the near future. Our own experience was that we were
left, almost invariably, to the tender mercies of the servants, and as
one's Malay was limited this led to avoidable inconvenience.

Nothing, however, could exceed the courtesy and attention of the
management at the Hotel des Indes, in Batavia, and the Hotel du Pavilion
in Samarang, and the Manager of the Hotel at Sindanglaya.

We have already mentioned Stamm and Weijns Restaurant in Batavia.
Coupled with it for excellence of table is Grimm's famous restaurant in
Sourabaya.

This year, thanks to the efforts of some of the leading hotel
proprietors, the government of Netherlands India has awakened to the
possibilities of Java as a country for tourists. Co-operating with the
Hotels and steam-ship companies, special inducements were held out to
visitors during the months of May and June, in the way of reduced fares,
and the success of the venture will doubtless lead to its continuance.

The Koninklyke Paketvaart Maatschappij (Ship's Agency, late J. Daendels
and Co.) issues tickets at single-fare rates to Batavia and Sourabaya,
the fare to Batavia and back being $45; to Sourabaya and back $63; and
to Batavia and along the Coast Ports to Sourabaya and back to Singapore
(sixteen days on board ship) $74. The tickets are available by the
steamers of the Royal Nederland Line and the Rotterdamsche