ACCOUNT OF JAVA AND BATAVIA.

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The above-mentioned bank, or bar, lies diredly before the mouth of the river, andextends a great way to the weft, and but a little to the eaft, for which reafons fuchvefiels as are deeply laden muft go round by the eaft fide, clofe along the eaftern pier,,in order to get within the bar. It is continually increafing towards the road, by whichthe place where the Ihips lie is more and more removed from the city. To the weft-ward it is dry in fome places.

Right before the mouth of the river, from which the {hallowed: part of the bank isdiftant about fix hundred or fix hundred and fifty feet, there is at low water no more,than one, or one and a half foot; fo that a common {hip’s boat cannot get over it,,but muft alfo go round its eaft end. When the fea-breeze blows frefh, it makes atroublefome and cockling fea; and a weft or bad monfoon feldom paflfes without thelofs of fome vefiels upon it.

This Ihoalnefs of the water is faid to be the confequence of a violent earthquake* *which took place in Java in the latter end of the laft century, and by which the river,of Jaccatra was partly flopped up. Yet the greateft increafe of the bank has been,fince the year 1730 ; and it is to be apprehended, that the river will in time becomewholly unnavigable and ufelefs by it.

The caftle or citadel of Batavia, which forms the north boundary of the eafterndivifion of the city is a regular fquare fortrefs, with four baftions, which are connectedby high curtains, except on the fouth fide, where the curtain was broken down duringthe government of Baron Van Imhof. The walls and ramparts are built of coral-rock,and are about twenty feet in height. It is furrounded by a wet ditch, over which,, onthe fouth fide, lies a drawbridge. Between the moat and the buildings within the fort,,on this fide there is a large area or efplanade. In the centre of the buildings thatlook towards the city is a great gate, and then a broad, paflage,. with warehoufes oneach fide, leading to another efplanade on the north fide, enclofed between the ram-parts and the buildings, all of which is appropriated to the ufe of the Company. *.

The government-houfe, which forms the left wing of the buildings looking to the,fouth, is provided with numerous and convenient apartments, but is at prefent uninha-bited. In it is a large hall, in which the council of India generally affemble twice aweek; this is adorned with the portraits of all the governors general, who,have ruled,in India , fince the eftablifhment of the Company.

Clofe by is a little church, or chapel, ufually called the Caftle-church, and a little,more forwards is a corps-de-garde, where a party of dragoons always mount guard.

Over the caftle-bridge there is a great plain, or fquare, planted with tamarind-trees, which afford a very agreeable {hade. The entrance to it from the city is over a.bridge, and through a large and {lately gate. This is mounted by a bold cupola, fromwhich an odagon turret rifes, containing a large clock, which is the only public one

covered by the forts at Jaccatra, the watering-place, Ryfvvick, &c. ;• though thefe are merely defencesagaiuil the natives, and are molt of them little better than fortified houfes. Tr>

* Captain Parifh’s account of this fortrefs in. Macartney’s Embafly to China , 1793, is as f°M° ws : — 1“ A little above was the caftle ; a regular fquare fort, but without ravelins or other out works. It had twoguns mounted on each flank, and two or fometimes three on each face ; they were not en barbette, norproperly en embrafure, but in a fituation between both, having both their difadvantages, without the.advantages of either. The wall was of mafonry, about twenty-four feet high. It had no ditch, buta canal lurrounded it at fome diftance. It had no cordon. The length of the exterior fide of the workwas about feven hundred feet.” Some further particulars, both of the town and of the caftle,. are given,n Mr. Stavorinus’s fecond voyage. Tr.

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