Across the Equator

Thomas H. Reid turns a holiday in Java into a west-to-east route through ports, hill resorts and ancient temple sites. His account grew from newspaper articles written after a visit in September 1907, then revised for travellers planning a stay of two or three weeks. The opening follows the sea passage from Singapore to Batavia, where harbour arrangements, hotels, customs inspections and local transport all draw his attention.

Around Djocjakarta, practical travel advice shares space with reflections on religious buildings and the investigators who studied them. Reid explains how to reach the Boro Budur by tram and cart, while recording the rough roads and awkward crossings encountered along the way. The book's interest lies in this mixture of sightseeing and everyday arrangements. Read today, it offers a view of tourism in Java under Dutch colonial rule, including the comparisons and assumptions through which a British visitor understood his surroundings.