Hamilton’s account "op thb east indies.

452 -

Diamond Point lies about 20 leagues to the north-weft of Pullo Verera, that fendsdangerous rocks above a league off Ihore. The inhabitants are uncivilized, murderingall whom they can furprife or mailer. And at Piffang, about 10 leagues to the weft-ward of Diamond Point, there is a fine deep river, but not frequented, becaufe of thetreachery and bloody difpofition of the natives. Twelve leagues farther weft liesPedier. It has the benefit of a good river, but being but eight leagues from Atcheen.it has no trade.

Chap. XLIV. — Treats of Java, and the Iflands near it; with an Account of the Garri-fons and Factories fettled on that IJland by the Dutch . — The Product and Commerce of'Java, Bally , Lombock , Flores, Solore , Leolana, Panterra , Mifcomby, Timore , Banda andMolucca Iflands, and the Iflands of Celebes ; their Product, Extent and Commerce.

AND now having ended my tour round Sumatra , I mull return to the fouthward,and travel to the eaftward of Sumatra , and to the fouthward of the equator, amongthofe famous iflands ; and Java being the weftmoft, I begin there, and march eaftwardamong iflands far from any continent.

Princes Ifland is clofe to the weft point of Java. It has a channel between it andJava, but there is fome danger in it. There are no inhabitants on it; but there arethree places that afford good water, and wood enough for fhips bound out of the Straightsof Sunda to Europe . There are feveral other iflands in the ftreights, as Caccotoa,Duars, in the way, the Button and Cape, and feveral others without name.

The firft place of commerce on the weft end of Java is the famous Bantam , wherethe Englilh and Danes had their factories flourifhing till anno 1682, at which time theneighbourly Dutch fomented a war between the old King of Bantam and his fon; andbecaufe the father would not come into their meafures, and be their humble Have, theyftruck in with the fon, who was more covetous of a croc, n than of wifdom. They,with the afliftance of other rebels, put the fon on the throne, and took the old Kingprifoner, and fent him to Batavia ; and, in 1683, they pretended a power from thenew King to fend the Englilh and Danes a-packing, which they did with a great dealof infolence, according to cuftom. They next fortified, by building a ftrong fortwithin a piftol-lhot of one that the old King had built before to bridle their infolence.

The only product of Bantam is pepper, wherein it abounds fo much, that they canexport 10,000 tons per annum. The road is good, and fecure for the fafetyof (hip-ping. It is in a pleafant bay, wherein are feveral fmall iflands, which retain theirEnglilh names Hill; and the natives Hill lament the lofs of the Englilh trade amongthem, but the King has much more reafon than his fubjedts to regret the lofs of theircommerce. The good-will the natives bear to the Dutch may be conjectured from theirtreatment, when they find an opportunity ; for if an Hollander goes but a mulket-lhotfrom their fort, it is five to one if ever he returns, for they are dextrous in throwing alance, or Ihooting of poifoned darts through a wooden pipe or trunk; and the Kingnever redreffes them, pretending the criminal cannot be found. *

Batavia is about 20 leagues to the eaftward of Bantam , and a great number of final!iflands lie fcattered in the way, too tedious to mention. Pullo-panjang off Bantam , andEdam off Batavia are the moll confpicuous, and the road of Batavia is almoft furroundedwith iflands, fome of them inhabited, and fome not. Its topography I will refer to anothertime, with fome hiftorical accounts of it, both ancient and modern.

Cheraboan is the next colony on the coaft, to the eaftward of Batavia, belonging t0the Dutch, where they have a fort and a fmall garrifon. .