->77°- Concerning the government of this place I can fay but
December. .
k— v— little. We obferved however a remarkable fubordination
among the people. Every man who is able to keep houfe
has a certain fpecific.rank-acquired by the length of his Cervices
to the company; the different ranks which are thus
acquired are diftinguifhed by the ornaments of the coaches
and the dreffes of the coachmen: fome are obliged to ride in
plain coaches, fome are allowed to paint them in different
manners and degrees, and fome to gild them. The coachman
alfo appears in clothes that are quite plain, or more or
lefs adorned with lace.
The officer who prefides here has the title of Governor
General of the Indies, and the Dutch Governors of all the
other-fettlements are fubordinate to him, and obliged to repair
to Batavia that he may pafs their accounts. If they appear
to have been criminal, or even negligent, he punifhes
them by delay, and detains them during pleafure,. fome-
times one year, fometimes two years, and-fometimes three;
for they cannot quit .the place till he,gives them a difmiffion.
Next to the Governor are the members of the council, called
here Edek Heeren, and by the corruption of the Englifh, Makers.
Thefe Idoleers take upon them _fo much ftate that
whoever meets them in a carriage, is expedited to rife up and
bow, then to drive on one fide of the road, and there flop till
they are paft: the fame homage is required alfo to their
.wives and even their children; and it is commonly paid them
.by the inhabitants. But fome of our Captains have thought
fo flavifh a mark of refpedt beneath the dignity which they
derived from the fervice of his Britannic Majelty, and have
refufed to pay it; yet, i f they were in a hired carriage, nothing
could deter the coachman from honouring the Dutch
Grandee at their expence, but the molt peremptory menace
of immediate death .
Juftice
Juftice is adminiftered here by a body of lawyers, who 1770-
have ranks of diftindtion among themfelves. Concerning —v— y
their proceedings in queftions- of property, I know nothing;
but their decilions in criminal cafes feem to be fevere with
refpedt to the natives, and lenient with refpedt to their own
people, in a criminal degree. A Chriftian always is indulged
with an opportunity of efcaping before he is brought
to a trial, whatever may have been his offence; and if he is
brought to a trial and convidted, he is feldom punifhed with
death: while the poor Indians on the contrary are hanged,
and broken upon the wheel, and even impaled alive without
mercy.
The Malays and Chinefe have judicial officers of their
own, under the denominations of Captains and Lieutenants,
who determine in civil cafes, fubjedt to an appeal to the
Dutch court.
The taxes paid by thefe people to the Company are very
confiderable; and that which is exacted of them for liberty
to wear their hair, is by no means the leaft. They are paid
monthly, and to fave the trouble and charge of colledting
them, a flag is hoifted upon the top of a houfe in the middle
of the town when a payment is due, and the Chinefe have
experienced that it is their intereft to repair thither with
their money without delay.
The money current here, confifts of ducats, worth a hundred
and thirty-two;.ftivers; ducatoons, eighty ftivers ; imperial
rixdollarSjftixiy; rupees of Batavia, thirty; fchellings,
fix; double che-ys, two ftivers.and a half; and doits, one
fourth of a ftiver.-; Spanifli dollars, when we were here, were
at five fhillings and'five pence; and we were told, that they
were never lower than" five fhillings and four pence, even at
Von. III. ’ ’ * ■ Z z ’ v the
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