( 5 4 )
i79?‘ refill a well-appointed enemy; nor could I reconcile the' defencelefs
y^ -i. Hale o f this valuable fettlement to the wealth ind importance o f it.
I At the end o f the ftreet leading from the Governor’s houfe, and in
a handfome fquare, hands .the ftadthoufe,’ .where thecoartsiof juftice
are held, and the fupreme council meet to proceed in their ■ "deliberations':
it is a very fine building, with an inferior' court fu'rrbundedhy
a At ,a;.fmaHdiftance from, the ftadtbosBfef isjthe1 principal
church,<?f dj.e.c.ity, which is furrounded. by a cemetery. It is, a large,
plain, fquare bqildjng, with; a dome in the center, .and a .lofty jtjurret
fpringing from^t's the jipfide is fitted up in a very beautiful manner:
the tribune .belonging to the Governor General is very much enrfcbed f
the pews are veiy commodioufly arranged j, and, indeed, every part, is.
admirably adapted to the purpofes o f that "religion fa which'it 4s ,deT
voted. The walls o f die church are entirely covered .with efcutcheons
and painted infcriptious^ lacred fa the 'memoryiof the dead; thefe in-
fcriptions are o f different fizes, but being painted in. the'fame, form*
endbfed in gilt frames, and. diipoled with judgment, produce a very
beautiful effect.
The civil government o f Batavia and the iflahcl o f Java is perfectly
arbitrary, and veiled-in the Goverqpr and Supreme Council irfall matters,
excepting thole o f trade and commerce, which are fiibjed: to an
officer, called a Direftor General,, ’from- whafe decifions Aere is no.
appeal,
; The feverity of Vffie jtnd the ngour with which they areexe--
cufed, could find ho jufiificationin a fettlement bdorigfegt4oan'^irb-
pbah governmentwere it not for the favage and ferocious :^KhfifiotL
of the natives of the country, whom. nS punifhments, however,‘fte-
qpent or fevere, ard able to maintain in that f^efpF'^cipKne'aii^
good order» whicly is lanecef&ry tq. the well-being hid ‘ comfort;of
civilifed lifet
The
I 'M )
The number o f regular Hoops quartered in the neighbourhood o f l »w»
Batavia, including both the ,European and Malty rqgitnents, amount« Much,
to about twelve thom&nd mefi: $e#p<are alfe upwards of twenty-
thoufand native militia, ,wfco are. uegylatlf 4 ®atbed and paid ; hut
though they-are *he Gpyer/ior, they
are never, a n a l ly embg§ied,. butan^ipae ofvw|r^pr ip confequence of
forpe civil coemption- The European troop,y sre cloatjapd^m a maimer
fuifebje to, the, climate, !afe allowe,d ta Scry; on^any trade or profeflton
for which dKy are apialified, and ^herwifejremuuerated by particular
privileges ; if any tping cam remunerate the»?i for the dangers and m-
r-efalt .from this ..ungepid cipajc. Th? Malay
tfeops, on the contrary, ;ar& defh±#q[#|.any. decent clofhjng^ jgone of
thepi a| lmftbeipg#ttowed fhoqs ar:ffe;j:ki®gSi .and in' d&ia tpifea^ble
flat# qf equiptpenttheydothoir'duty..
Batavia is extreimely populous j and among its ijahahhants pig^h?
found the natives g f every .Euxope^ Jarggr, proportion o f
them, bnw^yf r qrf.Cbipefe, who appear tojbe-q^ufet,and i?duihaot^
people^ It feemed to b,e‘ if general opiiuor(i'am^gJtho£e,,!©f.whom I
bad an opportunity ;to, inquiry,-, .that th if.fity contains (two
hundred thoufand fouls ; -one h a lf of^whichiMr.e fuppofed.to.be Chi*
nefe, .^nd tbe othery.^Europeans and aatiye^Maip;^: jior,.\yhen I ,con-
fiHpf the p-yfpr^t nf tfie dty<,and it6*mfeurbs, do I conceive it to h e an
.exaggerated cahula^cau .
'■ On my rdSiisn to the hotel aftey^he^o.mu^gV exaurfioo,,#/ which
] have given the information, it produced, I found, with great concern,
that Lord Macartney had been Sized,v,with a^vjglgnjt .gout,
and was returned.ch.board the Lion; jf^that.,a|iyt h e , e n t e r t a i n ment^
jwhich were preparing to have enlivened the time of o.ur flay at
Batavia, were fniflrated by this very unpleafant change in the health
o f the diftinguifired perfon w'ho was tile objcdl of tliem.
F 3 I fupped