BUITENZORG, the capital of an assistant-residency in the island of Java, is situated in 6° 37' S. lat. and 106° 52' E. long., and is 66 miles S. of Batavia, with which it has been connected by rail since 1872. Lying 830 feet above the level of the sea, and possessing a salubrious climate, it is becoming a favourite place of residence for the Dutch of the greater city. Its principal buildings comprise the new church, which serves both for Protestant and Roman Catholic worship, a mosque, the regent’s mansion, excellent barracks for the garrison, a prison, built in 1848, a bathing establishment, and the country palace of the governor-general. This splendid edifice occupies the site of the old castle, which was founded in 1744 by Baron van Imhof, enlarged by Daendels in 1809, restored by Van der Capellen in 1819, and destroyed by an earthquake in 1834. The botanical gardens, laid out in 1817 by Van der Capellen, are among the finest and most extensive in the world. In the neighbourhood of Buitenzorg is Battou-Toulis-Coca-batou, a sacred wood held in high veneration by the natives.