ACCOUNT QF JAVA AND BATAVIA.

196

When their number is complete, there are twelve clergymen of the reformed reli-gion at Batavia, fix of whom preach in the Dutch , four in the Portuguefe, and twain the Malay languages; there are likewife three Lutheran minifters, who preachin Dutch .

Service is performed every Sunday in the above three languages; in Dutch , at twochurches in the morning, but only at one in the afternoon. An examination of cate-chumens takes place every Wednefday evening. So that upon the whole thefereverend gentlemen need not complain, when their number is complete, of too feverelabour in the vineyard of the Lord. The morning fervice commences at half palleight o’clock, and is generally over by ten, when the greateft heat of the day beginsto come on.

Ecclefiallical difputes are never heard of here. The Company’s government, whoare extremely anxious to avoid every thing that could interrupt the public tranquillity,would foon terminate the quarrel, by the fummary argument of force; an examplewhereof is to be met with in Valentyn.

It is much to be wilhed, that upright and learned clergymen wereTilone fent hither.Yet that this is not always the cafe, appears from a refolution taken by the governmentthere in the year 1768, earneftly to requell that the aflembly of feventeen would dif-patch fome minifters of the gofpel, poffefled of virtue and learning, to Batavia, with anaugmentation of falaries and emoluments. Their falary was then one thoufand eighthundred gilders per annum, but with their allowances for houfe-rent, board, &c. theycould reckon upon three thoufand # , which is certainly not enough to live upon atBatavia, with a family, and on an equal footing with the fenior merchants.

Once in every year, or fometimes only once in two years, one of the clergymen ofBatavia, goes upon a vifitation to the Company’s pofl'effions on Sumatra ’s weft coaft.

little chaifes for children, drawn by the hand, mull not be gilt, or painted, but in the exaft proportion ofthe rank of the parents. By the 31ft, it is ordained, that no one lower in rank than a merchant Ihallmake ufe of a parafol, or umbrella, in the neighbourhood of the caltle, except when it rains. Ladies,whofe hufbands are below the rank of counfellors of India , may not wear at one time jewels of more invalue than fix thoufand rix-dollars ; wives of fenior merchants are limited to four thoufand, others to threethoufand, and a thoufand. Article 49th, permits ladies of the higher ranks to go abroad with three femaleattendants, who may wear “ ear rings of lingle middle-fized diamonds, gold hair-pins, petticoats of clothof gold, or filver, or of filk, jackets of gold or filver gauze, chains of gold, or of beads, and girdles of gold,but neither pearls, nor diamonds, nor any other kind of jewels in the hair.” Wives of fenior merchantsmay have two, and ladies in an inferior flation one maid, who may wear “ ear-rings of fmall diamonds, goldhair-pins, a jacket of fine linen, and a chintz petticoat, but no gold or filver fluffs or filks, or any jewels,true or falfe pearls, or any other ornaments of gold.” By article 65, none but perfons of the highelt rankare allowed to have any trumpets, clarions, or drums among the mufic, with which it is cuftomary to enter-tain guefts during dinner. There is a wife recommendation in the 83d article, to the officers of the Com-pany in Bengal, not to furpafs their predecelfors in pomp of drefs or appearance, and efpecially not thegovernors or chiefs of the other European fettlements. Perhaps the 110th article is the mod curious ofall. It allows to the director at Surat when he goes out in ftate, among other things, four fans, madeaccording to the fafhion of the country, with the feathers of birds of paradife, and cow-hair, with goldencafes and hardies. It is in this fame a£t of the council that the orders before noticed, rcfpecting thehomage to be paid by every one on meeting the members of the government in their carriages, or whenthey enter the churches are inferted. It likewife fixes the duties to be paid upon all carriages, horfes, See.It is worthy of obfervation, that thofe upon carriages increafe downwards, from the higher to the lowerrallies ; members of the government pay fifty rix-dollars per annum, captains of the military, merchants, &c.IOO, junior merchants, &c. 125, book-keepers, &c. 180, citizens of no fpecial rank, and native inhabitantsof confideration 200, and the common natives 300 rixdollars, for keeping of carriages. Larger or fmallerfines are the penalties attached to the infraction of almoft all thefe fumptuary regulations. Where wealthand pride unite, they are therefore of little avail to reftrain an excels of luxury. Tr.

* About 275I. fterling. Tr.

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