2 79
And although the old fort of Victoria is not to be compared in point of ftrengthto the prefent one, I do not believe that our people would ever have fucceeded in theyear 1605, in getting poffeffion of Amboyna, or rather of the peninfula of Leytimor,attacking it at leaft as they did at this place, had the Portugufe defended this fetile-ment with the fame bravery as they did their other poffefiions, and not given it up info cowardly a manner.
There is another great defect, at leaft it appeared in that light to me, namely, thegreat extent of the fort. It is fo large, that if all the works were to be properly man-ned, all the military to be found here would fcarcely be fufficient to defend one half°f them. Moreover, no lefs than a hundred pieces of cannon are requifite to providea ft the batteries as they ought to be, and there are no more than fifty or fixty can-noneers in the whole province.
In order to fortify the bay ftill more, the engineer, Von Wagner, has propofed toere£t two new batteries, viz. one a fliort mile l'outh-weft of Victoria, at the mouth ofthe Elephant’s river, to command the part of the bay called the Vryman’s, or FreeMerchant’s Road, and to be able to rake the fhips which may lie to the weftward ofthe caftle; and another upon the point of the Laha, for which all fhips coming upthe bay muft fteer in a ftraight direction, in order to keep clofe in with the windwardIhore; which propofal has met with the approbation of the fupreme government at
Batavia.
Perhaps another battery near or upon the point of Alang, would be of ftill greaterutility ; for fhips entering the bay muft equally fteer ftraight for and very clofe alongtt 5 in order not to be in danger of being driven to leeward of the bay by the
currents.
I did not fee any of the other little forts -which the Company have at Hila, Sapoura,hlarouko, and Larike; but according to the information I received refpefting them,l hey are of little confequence, and at tnoft ftrong enough to keep the natives in.awe *.
The buildings within the fort of New Victoria are not yet all finifhed; there are,however, already two powder magazines, the rice and fpice warehoufes, the navaltofehoufe, the provifion-warehoufe, the dwelling-houfe of the comptroller of equip-ment, and the guard-houfe at the land-gate j but no beginning has yet been made withme government-houfe, or the dwellings for the fenior merchant, and the captain-com-mandant of the military; the water-gate is likewife not entirely completed.
Mr. Van der V-told me, that the ereftion of this fortress had already coft the
ornpany two million of gilders f: but the engineer Von Wagner ftated the expence
confiderably lower
£ other forts in this province are : upon the ifland of Amboyna , Fort Amfterdam, which mounts
an( j ee " goas, at Hila; Fort Rotterdam, at Larike; the redoubt Middleburg, at the pafs of Baguewala;in f triangular fort near Oerien, called Flufhing : upon Bouro, the palifadoed fort Defence, mmint-S °urteen iron guns: upon Manipa, the redoubt Wantrouw, or Diitruft, of the fame force; upon Hce-rooehi^ Fort Hardenberg at Cambello, and Fort Overburg at Loehoe : upon Nouffalaut, a fmail redoubt'p '° Ur guns, called Beverwyck : upon Honimoa, the redoubt Velfen, having five guns, at the point of.p 0 J 1 '!L aroc i 'he redoubt Delft , of fix guns, at Porto, and Fort Duurlleede at Sapoura ; and upon Oma,n 'ties ^ Ct ^ an ^ la at Harouko. The capture of Amboyna and Banda by the Englilh. will afford opportu-
!, n ‘ ereft!n g fettle
of becoming fully acquainted with every particular refpefting thofe remote but valuable and
Upon , & •^'■“tments. It is to be hoped that fome of the gentlemen of the navy or army who wentf erv . at expedition, will favour the public with an account ol thefe acquifitions; men of genius and ob-a]l u A Ja" are not wanting either among our naval or military officers, and a narrative of the expedition+ a 1*°’ ma f not on ly he faid t be defired, but alfo to be expected, from fome of them. Tr.
T A bout 18r^coUterling. Tr.
CHAP.