7 ° A V O Y A G E ROUND THE WORLD.
November, discovered in later times, by Bartolomeo Diaz, a Portuguefe
navigator, in the year 1487. Vafco de Gama was the firft
who made a voyage to India round it in 1 497, which was
looked upon as a kind of prodigy. It remained however
ufelefs to Europeans till the year 1650, when Van-Riebeck,
a Dutch furgeon, firlt faw the advantage that would accrue
to the Eaft-India Company in Holland, from a fettle-
ment at fo convenient a diftance both from home and
from India. The colony which he founded, has ever fince
continued in the hands of the Dutch, and increafed in
value for a confiderable time after his deceafe.
The governor depends immediately upon the Eaft-India
Company, and has the rank of an Edele Heer, the title
given to the members of the fupreme council of Batavia.
He prefides here over a council confifting of the fecond,
or deputy governor, the fifcal, the major (who commands
the fort), the fecretary, the treafurer, the comptroller of
provifions, the comptroller of liquors, and the book keeper;
each of which has a branch of the Company’s commerce
afligned to his care. This council has the whole management
of the civil and military departments, but the deputy
governor prefides over another, named the court of
the coaft of that continent. Hilt, Nat. lib, ii. cap. 67. E t Hanna, Carlhagmis.
potentia flarmie, circumveblus a Gadibus ad Jinan Arabia, navigationem earn prodidit
. fcripto.
juft ice,
A VO Y A GE ROUND THE WORLD. Z*.
juftice, which tries all offences and crimes, and confifts of
fome of the members of the former ; but no two relations-
can fit and have vote in the fame council, to prevent the
influence of. parties.
The income of the governor is very confiderable, for
befides a fixed appointment, and the ufe of houfes, gardens,
proper furniture, and every thing that belongs to his table,
he receives about ten dollars for every leagre of wine
which the Company buy of the farmer, in order to be
exported to Batavia. The company allows the fum of
forty dollars for each leagre, of which the farmer receives
but twenty-four j what remains is fhared between the governor,
and fécond or deputy, the former taking two thirds,
which fometimes are faid to amount to 4000 dollars per
annum. The fecond governor has the direction of the
company’s whole commerce here, and figns all orders to
the different departments under him, as well as the
governor to others. He and the fifcal have the rank of
upper koopman. The fifcal is at the head of the police, and
fees the penal laws put in execution ; his income confifts
of fines, and of the duties laid on certain articles of commerce,
but if he be ftridt in exatting them, he is univerfally
detefted. The found policy of the Dutch have likewife
found it neceffary to place the fifcal as a check, to over-awe-
the other officers of the company, that they may not
counteract the interefts of their matters, or infringe the
la wsj