GLOBE-TROTTER'S DIARY

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 261, 3 November 1928, Page 7 (Supplement)

GLOBE-TROTTER'S DIARY

OFF TO THE EAST INDIES.

A PIACID VOYAGE. LIFE ON A DUTCH SHIP.

(By FREDERICK STUBBS, F.R.G.S.)

"For to admire and for to see; For to be'old this world so wide."

This, as the reader of this journal is probably aware, has been my business for many years past. I have explored the labyrinthine streets of Benares; penetrated into Hindu palaces; Russian Nihilists and Hindu Sages have honoured me with their confidences; I have been in throne-rooms and green-room?, and taken tea with talented actresses; have seen the mighty peaks and precipices of the majestic Himalayas; walked in the pleasure grounds of the old king of j Oude; and now am on my way to dis-' cover "fresh woods and pastures new" in the Dutch East Indies. These comprise ! Java, Sumatra, the Celebes, the West of New Guinea, the larger part of Borneo and Timor, and numerous 6mall islands with a total area equal to about half that of Europe (excluding Russia), and a total population of 52,000,000, of whom 212,000 are Europeans, and nearly a million foreign Orientals (mostly Chinese). I shall not attempt to describe the whole of this territory, but will confine myself to Java, the Celebes, and Bali; and although these islands have attracted the attention of many other writers, I hope it may. be found possible to say something that is 6till fresh and interesting. One advantage the present writer has over many more capable writers is that whereas they must hurry over their work and get back to their journals, —, as a Free lance, am able to spend long weeks or months in a country, and thus obtain a more intimate knowledge than is possible to the sojourner of a few weeks. A Dutch Liner. I write on board the Tasman, a vessel of "about 6000 tons, belonging to the Dutch K.P.M. It was interesting to learn that this vessel was built in Britain and presented to the Dutch in exchange for one seized during the war, and subsequently sunk by the Germans. She is a credit to British shipbuilding, and carries a large cargo of flour, meat, hides, etc., and a full complement of passengers, 76 first class and 18 second. The great majority of the passengers are British. The bunks are not placed one above the other, but rest on the floor. I hardly need say that this is a great advantage when sailing in the tropics. The first thing that surprised me on taking possession of my berth was that no soap was supplied to the cabins. It was awkward for the moment, but on reflection appeared to me a sensible omission. Most people carry their own favourite soap in these days. I suggest to other companies that a quite unnecessary expense might be avoided in this item. My riext surprise occurred at table. Paper serviettes only were supplied at breakfast, and neither sugar nor milk were left on the tables for individual use. Some of the Dutch food, also, was too rich for the British palate, but there were plenty of British dishes, and on the whole the dietary was both agreeable and liberal. One item that was new to me, but not unpleasant, was the Dutch practice of serving canned fruit with roast chicken. The waiting was all done by Chinese, and could not have been better, being quick, cheerful, and polite. Each steward wore a metal plate, looking very much like a medal, on his breast, with his number inscribed, thus enabling the passengers to identify him readily. I wish the practice were common in restaurants, where it is often difficult to identify one's waiter when all are dressed alike. Yet other surprises: The use of the library is free, anid washing is done cheaper and better than on shore. June 2nd. —We are sailing day after day through calm, warm waters, nearly always within sight of land. There was no cold after leaving Brisbane, and the beauty of the Australian coast with the glorious Whitsunday passage is well known. The voyage from Biisbane to Java—sheltered for a thousand miles by the Great Barrier, is one of the most beautiful in the world. Bad weather is raTely experienced, and the vessel usually glides day after day almost without perceptible motion. I neither saw nor heard of any case of sea-sickness. Fur some travellers, indeed, the weather is monotonously calm. But it is hot. During the last week the thermometer in my cabin has kept steadily at bO to 82deg., and not a few of us have suffered from prickly heat. A Native Crew. June 4th.—We have passed the great island of Lambok and some smaller islands and are now sailing along the coast of the Celebes, where I am to leave the ship. We got an excellent view of Lombok Peak, an active volcano of 12,000 ft, and later of the mountain range of Celebes. I find much interest in watching our crew which is composed of East Indian natives. They are wiry little fellows, but one wonders how they could ever do any heavy work —they are so small! But they do manage, making up by numbers and co-operation for the lack of individual size and weight. The captain told me that they were quite satisfactory and caused no trouble. I never knew such an "honest" ship: In all vessels passengers carelessly leave wraps, books, etc., on deck, and not infrequently lose them. Written notices of loss are common and usually without satisfactory result. On the Taxman, too, various articles are carelessly left about, sometimes all night, and I was astonished to learn that they were almost invariably found where they had been left. This was no doubt partly due to the fact that such articles would have little attraction for Chinese and Malays, but still it was pleasant to feel that there was little likelihood of theft. Nor did I hear any passenger complain of the ship, of the stewards, or of the food. The Tasman is unfortunately not British-owned, but it is an excellent vessel in every respect, and it is only in "accord with the British spirit of fairplay that this should be acknowledged. Yet I call to mind one drawback, for which however, the passengers rather than the ship must be blamed. One of the pleasures of ship-life is that one sleeps for an hour after lunch, but on the Tasman line this was not permitted —the children saw to that! Their parents allowed them to rush round the decks shouting at the top of their voices; healthy young animals, very precious to their parents, one hopes; but a nuisance to those who wished to sleep or converse The Dutch, however, I noticed, never flinched They were evidently used to it and if the noise had been absent would doubtless have found ship-life dull I suggest that from two to three o'ciock there should be an armistics when, for a bnef season at all event*, peace should renjn.