ACCOUNT OF JAVA AND BATAVIA. X87

The orphan-chamber at Batavia ferves at the fame time for the whole of the Dutch poffeffions in India. Every out-faCtory has, it is true, its own orphan-chamber, but;they muff render account of their adminiftration, to that of the capital, and remit theeffects which are not claimed, or the heirs to which do not refide on the fpot. That ofBatavia correfponds with the orphan-chambers of the different cities where the chambersof the Eaft India Company are eftablifhed *.

The board confifls of a prefident, who is a counfellor of India , and fix weeftneefters,Or regents, who are appointed by the council of India ; with a fecretary, and a fworaclerk. The capital flock, remaining in the hands of the orphan-chamber, amountedin the year 1766 to f. 2,393,566 f.

There are feveral other courts, or boards, as the commiffioners of dikes and Iluices,thofe of bankruptcies, a court of common pleas, a board of controul over marriages,and others.

A fociety was eftablifhed at Batavia, during the government of Baron Van Imhof,for the opium-trade, which is ftill in exiflence.

The flock of the fociety is divided into fhares of two thoufand rix-dollars each, onwhich the half has hitherto only been furnifhed, but the remainder may be requiredat any time.

The dividends are unequal, yet very large, and the fhares are fold at a high pre-mium ; they are generally in the hands of the counfellors of India .

The management of this trade is entrufled to a director, who is a counfellor of India ,two acting proprietors, a cafhier, and a book keeper.

Every cheft of opium ftands the Company in two hundred and fifty, and fometimesin three hundred rix-dollars, and is delivered to the fociety for five hundred, andfometimes more. On the other hand, the Company is bound to fell this drug to noother. The retail of it produces large profits, as the fociety make eight or ninehundred rix-dollars, and more, of every cheft. The gain would be more confider-able, if this monopoly could be ftrictly enforced, for the whole quantity of opium,confumed in the eaftern parts of India ; but, notwithflanding the Company have in-terdicted this trade to their fervants, and efpecially to the feamen, upon pain of death,and have prohibited the importation into any of their poffeffions, by foreign nations,u pon pain of confifcation of fhip and cargo, yet very great violations of thefe laws aredaily praCtifed in fecret on account of the important profit which this branch of tradeaffords; by which the fociety is much injured, although on their part they do all theyDan, on the arrival of fhips from the Ganges , to difcover if any contraband opium be°n board: but thofe who engage in this illicit trade take too many precautions to runa _ny danger of detection. The fmuggling trade which the Englifh carty on in this ar-dcle, in the eaftern iflands and by way of Malacca, is alfo extremely detrimental tothe fociety.

na t ura l ferocity of their difpofition, than from the qualities of any drug whatever. At Batavia, if an°«icer take one of thefe amoks, or mohawks as they have been called by an eafy corruption, alive hisreward is very confiderable, but if he kill them nothing is added to his ufual pay; yet fuch is the^nry ot their defperation, that three out of four are of neceffity deilroyed in the attempt to fecure

, * Weefkamers, or orphan-chambers, are eftablifliments which are difperfed throughout the United Pro-vinces , for the adminiftration of the eftates of all who die inteftate, and the apportionment of them amongth e heirs. Tr.

t About two hundred and twenty thoufand pounds fterling. Tr.

B B 2

When