CHAP. XI.
!TranfaElions at Bontbain, labile the V ffel was waiting for
a Wind to carry her to Batavia, with fome Account of
the Place, the 'Town o f Macafiar, and the adjacent
Country.
1767.
December.
Sunday 20.
Monday 21.
T HE next morning at day-break we failed, and the
day following in the afternoon we anchored in Bon-
thain road with our two guard-boats, which were immediately
moored clofe in to the ftiore, to prevent the country
boats from coming.near us, and o u f boats from going near
them. As foon as I arrived at this place, I altered our reckoning.
I had loft about eighteen hours, in coming by the
weft, and the Europeans that we found here having come
by the eaft had gained about fix, fo that the difference was
juft a day.
I immediately waited upon the Refident, Mr. Swellingrabel,
who fpoke Englifh but very im perfe&ly, and having fettled
with him all matters relating to money and provifions, a
houfe was allotted me near the fea-fide, and clofe to a little
pallifadoed fort of eight guns, the only one in this place,
which I converted into an hofpital, under the direction o f the
Surgeon ; to this place I immediately fent all the people who
were thought incapable o f recovering on board, and referved
the reft as a fecurity againft accidents. As foon as our people
were on fhore, a guard o f thirty-fix private men, two Serjeants,
and two Corporals, all under the command of Enfign
6 Le
Le Cerf, was fet over them; and none o f them were fuffered
to go more than thirty yards from the hofpital, nor
were any o f the country people allowed, to come near
enough to fell them any thing ; fo that our men got nothing
o f them, but through the hands o f the Dutch foldiers, who
abufed their power very fhamefully. When they faw any
o f the country people carrying what they thought our invalids
would purchafe, they firft took it away, and then afked
the price: what was demanded fignified little, the foldier
gave what he thought proper, which was feldom one fourth
o f the value j and if the countryman ventured to exprels any
difcontent, he gave him immediately an earneft o f perfect
fatisfaCtion, by flouriftiing his broad-fword over his head 5
this was always fufficient to filence complaint, and fend the
fufferer quietly away ; after which the foldier fold what he
had thus acquired for profit o f fometimes m ore than a thou-
fand per Cent. This behaviour was fo cruel to the natives,
and fo injurious to us, that I ventured to complain o f it to
the Refident, and the other two Gentlemen, Le Cerf and the
Secretary. The Refident, with becoming fpirit, reprimanded
the foldiers j but it produced fo little effeCt that I could not
help entertaining fufpicions that le Cerf connived at thefe
practices, and ftiared the advantages which they produced.
I fufpeCted him alfo of felling arrack to my people, o f which
I complained, but without redrefs, and I know that his
flaves were employed to buy things at the market which
his wife afterwards fold to us for more than twice as much
as they coft. The foldiers were indeed guilty o f many other
irregularities: it was the duty of one o f them by rotation
to procure the day’s provifion for the whole guard, a fervice
which he conftantly performed by going into the country
with his mufquet and a bag ; nor was the honeft providetor
always content with what the bag would contain, for one o f
3 H 2 them,