Batavia; “ small and -Ww, than twelve feet-the highest,-
'$$ and not alwaysf, cenneoted by Curtains* 'Aii^Sdr.fcat-
‘t•te.ries .-were ktelycanStrueted on the outside brf this
| « wotk, that bore : towards; the sea. On these and on
about forty guhs were mounted in diffe-
< = jjigfit. directions. South pfctheSe was another island,
at the distan®ii>f a few-hundred; yards, on which two
‘ ‘ battferies, mournting, -together twelve guns, had bheli
“ lately erected.”
The cakfcle is built of coral rock, broUghtofrom some
o f the adjoining islands; edmposed of that materiaLyi fiiitl
has the advarimgteof a fortification of brick, in whirch
cannon ball is apt to bury, ifelelf- without) spreading
splinters^ ^shattering the wall. A partuof the town
Wall is built of lava, 1 which is of a dark blue’ colour,; of
a ygfty bard dense texture; em i t ai metall ichsoundptftrd
resembles, very much, some of the lava of Vesuvius.
It is brought from the mountains in the centre of-Java,
whdre a crater still is smoking,: No stone; .of any kind,
is to be found for many miles behind the city of Batavia.
Matbleand granite are brought thither from Cbimalpin
vessels belonging to that country, commonly called junks,
which genemllyts&ilfof Bataviaifrom the ports of thalpre-
vinces of Gan ton and Fokien, on the southern'and south*
east coasts <6f that empire, laden chiefly with tea, porcelain,
and silks,
In these junks great n u m b e r s of Chinese come con*
stantlyltb Batavia, the isameyiews that
attract the natives of Holland to it, the desire of aeon- *
mufatingwealth in a foreign land. Both genesaliy-belonged
to the humbler ©tosses; of fife, and were bred in
similar habits of industry in their own country; but
the different circumskneesthat attend them, after their
priyal ift Bataviaiput an end to any further resemblance
between ^tbeaou The Chinese.; have,, there, no .way’ of
getting forward but by the continuance of their former
exertion! <m a place where they are more liberally re?
warded;; and by^ strlct economy in the preservation
of their gains. They have no chance of advancinglby
fay%ufr? nor #reipubliejoficesiopeh;to their ambition;
but f^eyt,apply to 'every industrious occupation, and
obtain whatever ,^itlrer;;care,or lalfour can .accomplish,
3 ^ ey-bect>me, in town, retailers, plqrks, and agptfe, in
the !CQU|)#i'yj|boy are farmers, and a.re ;tli.e principal eulr
tiyators-jofethe ^ugar-cane. They-innat length,;acquire
fortunes, which they vafee b y ,the time and labour re?
quiredtplsarn them. So gradual an acquisition makes
nojefe^g^in th®r disposition, or mode of life. Their in?
dustrydsnot diminished, nor their health impaired. The
Dutch, on the contrary ,owho are sentsout by the Company,;
to ■ admlnisfeB ^e%i affairs in Asia, become soon
sensible that they have the pnwer, wealth, .and possesr
sions of the-country at their disposal. They who survive
mount quickly into offices that are lucrative, and
Batavia.