ACCOUNT OF JAVA AND BATAVIA.

178

the whole quarter was made into a paflar, or market, where, at prefent, all kinds ofprovifions are every day expofed to fale.

The poundage, or affeflment, which is paid annually by every houfe, confifts in halfa month’s rent. This money is expended in dragging and cleanfing the canals, andin repairing the townhall, and other buildings belonging to the city. Permiffion mullbe requefted every year, of the Company’s government to levy this afieffment, inbehalf of the city, which is feldom refufed.

The houfes are not let by the year, but by the month ; the rents run from five toforty rix-dollars per month. A good houfe, in an agreeable fituation, may be hiredfor twenty or twenty-five rix-dollars *.

The churches are repaired out of the duties levied upon funerals.

A bank of circulation, has been eftabliflied here for fome years, which is united withthe lombard, or bank for lending money on pledges. It is under the adminiftration ofa director, who is generally a counfellor of India , two commiffaries, a calhier, anda book-keeper.

A fee of five rix-dollars is given at the opening of an account, and ftamped bank-bills, figned by the director and commilfaries, are delivered for the money placed in

charged with the execution of the order, and were only liberated on paying large fums of money. This©ccafioned great murmurings, and led the reft of the nation to credit a report which was fpread abroad,that thofe who were unable to pay would be drowned or otherwife put to death. They in confequenceretired by thoufands from the city, towards the interior parts, and ftrengthened themfelves fo much, as torender the fate of Batavia itfelf precarious. In this dilemma, the council firil offered an amnefty to thedifcontented Chinefe, but this they rejected with fcorn : and purpofing to exterminate the whole Chriftianfettlement, began by ravaging the country in the wildeft manner, burning the fugar-works, and marchingdown to the gates of the city. Here, however, they met with a fevere rebuff. The civil and militaryinhabitants united in repelling them, and drove the rebels back again into the country. During thefecommotiens the Chinefe who refided within the town kept themfelves perfedtly quiet; and in order thatthefe innocent people might not be expofed to infult, the government iffued an order, prohibiting themfrom leaving their houfes after fix o’clock in the evening, and ordering them to keep their doors (hut.This prudent precaution was not, however, fufficient to protedl them from the fury of the irritated fol-diery and failors who were in the city, and had witneffed the devaftations of the Chinefe without the gates.On a fudden, and unexpectedly, an inftantaneous cry of murder and horror refounded through the town,and the mod difmal fcene of barbarity and rapine prefented itfelf on all fides. All the Chinefe, withoutdiftindtion, men, women, and children, were put to the fword. Neither pregnant women, nor fuckinginfants, were fpaved by the relentlefs affaffins. The prifoners in chains, about a hundred in number, wereat the fame time flaughtered like ftieep. European citizens, to whom fome of the wealthy Chinefe hadfled for fafety, violating every principle of humanity and morality, delivered them up to their fanguinarypurfuers, and embezzled the property confided to them. In (hort, all the Chinefe, guilty and innocent,were exterminated. And whence did the barbarous order, by which they differed, emanate ? Here aveil has induftrioully been drawn, and the truth will probably never be known with certainty. The go-vernor-general Valkenier, and his brother-in-law Helvetius , were accufed by the public voice of dire&ingthe maffacre, but it was never proved upon them.” It is remarkable, that when Valkenier was afterwardscondemned to imprifonment for life, at Batavia, among the numerous charges brought a^ainft him for mal-adminiftration during his government, no notice was taken of his prefumed inftrumentality in this dreadfulmaffacre. Much apprehenfion was entertained that this occurrence would excite the indignation of the Em-peror of China , and deputies were fent to him the following year to apologize for the meafure. The letterwritten to the emperor on the occafion, is given at length by Huyfers : the only remarkable circumftance inwhich it differs from the above relation is the allegation, that fome Chinefe within the city,had fet fire to itin different places, and were preparing to rife upon the Europeans ; but the extermination of the innocentwith the guilty is acknowledged, and attempted to be excufed on the plea of neceffity, Thefe deputieswere agreeably furprifed on finding that the emperor calmly anfwered, that “ he was little folicitous forthe fate of unworthy fubjedts, who, in the purfuit of lucre, had quitted their country, and abandonedthe tombs of their anceftors.” Tr.

* A rixdollar at Batavia is worth forty-eight (livers, or about four (hillings and fourpence (lerling. Tr.

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