in the fields, children played near the
roadways, or now and then assisted their parents.

We were surprised to see in these fertile plains how prevalent goitre is
amongst the women. In the drive from Moentilan to the Boro Budur, at
least one in twenty were so afflicted. We commented on this fact to a
native official while waiting for our tram at Moentilan, and he assured
us that it is remarkably prevalent amongst the common people, but that
the men do not suffer in the same proportion as the women. The disease
is named "kondo" by the Javanese. We do not know whether any scientific
investigations into the disease have been carried out by the Dutch
officials; but it would be interesting to know why it should be so
prevalent in this area. Goitre is usually associated with people living
in mountainous regions, yet we never noticed it in the Preanger and
scarcely at all on the mountains of East Java.

Since the above was written, we have had an opportunity of consulting
Sir Stamford Raffles' History of Java. He found goitre prevalent in both
Java and Sumatra, but is careful to explain that it was observed in
certain mountainous districts. The natives ascribed it to the quality of
the water, but, says Sir Stamford, "there seems good ground for
concluding that it is rather to be traced to the atmosphere. In proof of
this, it may be mentioned that there is a village near the foot of the
Teng'ger mountains, in the eastern part of the island, where every
family is afflicted by this malady, while in another village, situated
at a greater elevation, and through which the stream descends which
serves for the use of both, there exists no such deformity. These wens
are considered hereditary in some families, and seem thus independent of
situation. A branch of the family of the present Adipati of Bandung
(1811-15) is subject to them, and it is remarkable that they prevail
chiefly among the women of the family. They never produce positive
suffering nor occasion early death, and may be considered rather as
deformities than diseases. It is never attempted to remove them."

[Illustration: SULTAN OF DJOCJA'S SOLDIERS.]

We reached Djocjakarta in the ordinary way through Maos. It may be that
circumstances may take the traveller off the beaten track, and we are
indebted to a friend for the following brief description of the trip
from Samarang to Djocja over the mountains:--

"The usual journey from Samarang to Djocjakarta is made by