202

ACCOUNT OF JAVA AND BATAVIA.

Malacca is the fifth government, and a place of great importance, for it commandsthe pafiage through the ftraits of that name to the eaftern parts of Afia, as all fhipsgoing to China , Tonquin, Siam, the Molucca, and Sunda illands, muft either pafsby here, or elfe through the ftraits of Sunda ; both which palfages can be blocked up,by means of the Company’s poffeffions. The whole eftablilhment at Malacca is com-puted to amount to five hundred men * *. The revenues and charges of the govern-ment are each about one hundred thoufand gilders f.

The fixth government in order is that of the North-eaft Coaft of Java ; the head ofwhich generally refides at Samarang. The Company draw almoft all their rice andtimber from this province. All the fea-ports along this coaft, as far as Cheribon,where chiefs or refidents are ftationed by the Company, belong to it. This is faidto be at prefent the moft lucrative of all the governments in India J.

The feventh is that of the coaft of Coromandel. Befides the head fettlement, Nega-patnam j|, all the Company’s other factories along this coaft belong to it. Thefe are

Sadrafpatnam,

felves in a fmall fort, called Puntiana. fmiated on a river of the name of Lava. The eftabliihment, asmay be conceived, is not large, it remaining yet to be proved whether the commerce that may be carriedon here, will anfwer the expence. Between thirty and forty men are garrifoned here ; and in 1779 thecharges amounted to A9726, about 884I. and the profits which had then been made upon the fale of piece-goods, and other trifles, were no more than f 1764. about 160I. but hopes have been entertained that thefeplaces will in future be of great advantage to the Company, grounded upon the various articles of tradewhich Borneo is known to produce, namely rough diamonds, camphor, benzoin, canes, iron, copper, be-zoar, fago, wax, bird’s nefts, gold, &c. Yet, taking into confideration the propenfity of the Borneans totheft, and to illicit trade, as well as that feveral of the above productions are not to be met with withintwenty days’journey up the country, it may well be doubted whether any benefit can be fpeedily or ulti-mately derived from thefe fettlements. Tr.

* In 1776-1777 the eftablifhment at Malacca confided of 39 perfons in civil, and 3 in ecclefiaftical em-ployments, 7 furgeons and affiftants, 16 belonging to the artillery, 129 feamen and marines, 262 foldiers,and 43 mechanics, in all 499 Europeans. This city is fituated in three degrees ten minutes north lati-tude, and was taken from the Portuguefe by the Dutch in 1640, after a moft obftinate defence. It isreprefented as a ftrong place. It was taken poffeffion of by the Englifh in Auguft 1795.

f Governor Moffel ftated the charges of this fettlement in his time at /. 102, coo, and the revenues at/. 89,000 per annum; in 1779, however, the former amounted to/.i 13,235, and the latter to /. 162,520,leaving a balance in favour of the colony of /49,2S5, or about 4480k fterling. This revenue proceedsfrom the duties laid on imports and exports, a great trade being carried on here by the Indians, and freeEuropean merchants of all nations, and from the profits on the goods vended by the Company. Of theexport-duty of 6 per cent, one fourth is allowed, as a perquifite, to the Company’s fervants, of which thegovernor has40 per cent., the fecond in command 15, and the reft is diftributed, in different proportions,to the inferior officers. The governor has alfo an allowance of one gilder, .about is. 9d. per picol, onall the tin colleded. A large quantity of this article, three or four hundred thoufand pounds weight, ispurchafed here every year, at about /.30 per hundred pound, equal to about 56s.' fterling per hundredweight, which is generally difpofed of in Afia. In 1778, however, one hundred thoufand pounds was foldin Holland aty.40 per hundred pounds. This fettlement like wife yields fome gold, areca, brimftone, androfin, together with very good mails, for the fmall veffels which are built at Rembang and at the iflandOnruft. Upon all thefe the profits are not inconfiderable, as the whole of thefe articles are in great requeftthroughout the Indies. The commjfiioners for the trade on both fides of the ftrait have five per cent, onall puvchafes and fales, and one per cent, on the gold they colleft, out of which they muft defray theirown travelling expences. The territorial extent of this government is not very great; it is confined tothe city of Malacca , and the neighbouring fmall province of Pera, where the Company have a fort forprotecting the colle&ion of the tin, which is dug there. In 1783 Rio, or Riow, fituated near Malacca ,which was the refort of a notorious neft of fmugglers, was fubdued by Commodore Van Braam, and hasfince been added to the jurifdi&ion of Malacca . Tr.

!;* We refer the reader to ihe fecond voyage of Mr. Stavorinus, for particulars refpe&ing the Dutch fettlements along the north-eaft coaft of Java- Tr.

11 Negapatnam is a ftrong fortrtfs and walled town in the kingdom of Tanjore , and eleven degrees northlatitude. It was formerly the chief fettlement of the Dutch on this coaft, and coft them much money in

maintaining