An Historical Journal of the Transactions at Port Jackson and Norfolk Island Part 30

The next morning, the island of _Ternate_ bore south-south-east, and a little to the northward of it there appears to be a large and safe harbour, on the island of Gilolo, which now bore east by south five or six leagues distant. Ternate rises in a high conical mount; its lat.i.tude is 00 50' north, and the longitude 127 4' east. A very pleasant little island lies about two miles to the north-north west of Ternate, which, in the charts, is called _Heri_; it is pretty high, and not more than two miles in circ.u.mference. The cultivated spots on this island, contrasted with the brown shade of the trees, and the interspersed situation of the houses, give this little spot a most picturesque appearance: it appeared, as well as Ternate, to be in a perfect state of cultivation; and from the number of houses we saw, they must both be well inhabited. The lat.i.tude, at noon, was 1 2' north, and the longitude 126 49' west: Heri then bore south-east by east; the peak of Ternate, south-east half south; the south point of Tidere, south by east, and Makian, south-south-east.

All these islands are very high; they rise in peaks, and are well cultivated. We saw a vast number of fires on Ternate, which probably were lighted for a signal. Besides the island of Makian, which is not more than two miles in circ.u.mference, there are a number of other small islots, which form a considerable group, and they were all cultivated. A number of boats were pa.s.sing from one islot to another, with some Europeans in them. The weather was excessive hot and sultry; the thermometer, when in the open air and shade, being 91.

On the 19th, we perceived a great ripling on the water, which appeared to be a strong current, and we afterwards found it had set the vessel considerably to the westward. At noon, the north-west point of _Manere_ or _Batachina_ bore east-north-east nine leagues distant; its lat.i.tude is 0 16'

south, and the longitude 126 41' east. At noon on the 20th, an island a head, which we took to be _Pulo Oubi_, bore east half south about twelve leagues distant, and _Stemo Sulla_, south-south-west thirteen leagues: the lat.i.tude was 1 17'

south, and the longitude 126 22' east. Hitherto, we had found the currents set us to the westward; but in the morning of the 21st, a strong ripling of a current set the vessel considerably to the east-south-east, which may easily be accounted for: the pa.s.sage between New Guinea and Aigeu was quite open, and bore from us south-east, and I think that the current we now felt is an out-set; and as we had experienced a southerly current ever since we made the island of Morotia, it may be presumed that there is an indraught between the Celebes and Gilolo; and an out-set between Gilolo, New Guinea, and Aigeu, which is called "-Pitt's Pa.s.sage_."

In the afternoon, the boat was hoisted out in order to try the current, when it was found to set east by south, at the rate of a mile and an half an hour; however, the current among these islands is by no means certain, as we found, on the 22d, a strong current or tide setting to the north-west. A great number of very large whales were seen, which moved exceeding slow, and came very near the vessel. At noon, the center of _Burro_ bore south, and the south point of _Sulla Bessi_, north 76 west.

Burro is a very high island, and may be seen at the distance of twenty leagues with great ease.

As the following lat.i.tudes and longitudes were taken with great exactness, they perhaps may not be unacceptable.

South lat.i.tude. East longitude.

East point of Burro 3 7 126 38 West point of ditto 3 4 125 41 North-east point of Sulla Mangol 2 0 126 3 South point of Sulla Bessi 2 29 125 57

In the afternoon of the 23d, being clear of the south point of Burro, we found a strong south-east trade, with which we steered south-south-west. We pa.s.sed a great quant.i.ty of drift wood, and some very large trees with both roots and branches to them, some of which were so large as to be taken for vessels.

In the morning of the 25th, we saw two small islands bearing south-east about six miles distant; we imagined them to be the northernmost of the small islands, called _Touchaeilly_, in the charts: soon afterwards, we saw land bearing south-west, which we took to be _Bouton_, but we soon perceived it to be three islands lying nearly north and south. At this time, our longitude, by the time-keeper, was 123 39' east, and the lat.i.tude, by two alt.i.tudes, was 5 36' south.

Concluding the islands we saw in the morning were those of St.

Matthew's, and the others _Touchaeilly_, we bore up in order to run between the northernmost and middle of three islands in sight. In our run from Burro to St. Matthew's Island, we found a strong current setting to the south-east. St. Matthew's Islands are situated in 5 23' south lat.i.tude, and 123 51' east longitude. With a moderate breeze from the south-east, we steered west-south-west between the Toucaheilly Islands; and at noon on the 26th, we pa.s.sed a sandy key, which had a tuft of green bushes on its north end, and its south end runs off in a long spit for three or four miles, on which the sea breaks very high. These islands are covered with wood, and well cultivated.

At four o'clock in the afternoon we hove to, and soon afterwards a small proa came alongside loaded with cocoa-nuts, which we purchased. The people in this canoe gave us to understand, that the island on our starboard hand was called -Combado_, and that on the larboard _Toucambaso_. At half past four, we made sail, and soon afterwards, a man, who was stationed at the mast-head, said he saw a shoal a-head of the vessel; on this we looked out, and saw a reef about six miles distant, extending from the west-north-west as far as the eye could reach in a south-east direction: on this, we hauled the wind and lay under Combado during the night.

The next morning, we made sail and steered west-north-west, looking out for the shoal and running along its eastern side about four miles distant. This reef is very large, and its eastern side is bound with rugged rocks, and when the water is smooth there is no breaker on it. At four in the afternoon, we rounded the shoal at two miles distance, and steered for the south end of _Bouton_, which we pa.s.sed early the next morning, and soon afterwards pa.s.sed the streights, steering west half north. When you are to the eastward of Camborra, the entrance of the streights of Bouton may be known by three small islands which lie off the east point that forms the streights, one of which is large, and the other two are small: off the large one lie several rocks, but at no great distance. The only chart we had on board, which took any notice of these islands and the shoal, was one of Hamilton Moore's, which we found tolerably correct, except in some instances where the islands are misplaced, as _St. Matthew's Islands, Toucambessis_, the south end of _Bouton_ and _Kercolang_, with some other trifling differences; however, upon the whole, it may be called a good chart.

At day-light, the island of Salayer bore from south 40 west to north 80 east, and the entrance of the streights north 70 west. On entering the streights, we found a very strong ripling of the sea, which we were apprehensive were overfalls; but we found it was a strong current setting to the westward. At noon, being through the streights, we hauled up west by south. The best pa.s.sage through these streights is between the two small islands, the southernmost of which lies close to -Salayer_. The island of Salayer appears to be well inhabited, and cultivated to advantage, as each piece of ground was fenced in, and the houses appeared to be very good ones.

The course from the streights of _Salayer_ to -Cambona_ is east by south eighty-four miles: they lie west by north half north, and east by south half south, about five miles through: the entrance to the westward is in 5 45'

south lat.i.tude, and 120 3' east longitude. This lat.i.tude was determined by a good meridional alt.i.tude, and the longitude by the time-keeper and lunar observations, so that there is a very considerable mistake in Hamilton Moore's chart respecting the position of these streights. At three in the afternoon, a man, who was stationed at the mast-head, said he saw a great ripling, and on looking over the side, the bottom was distinctly seen; on this, we hauled off to the southward, and hove the lead, but got no ground, and the vessel going very fast, we immediately lost sight of the bottom, and soon afterwards steered west by south.

At the time we were on this bank, the south end of Salayer bore south-south-east, and the north end, east.

In my opinion, s.h.i.+ps going through the streights of Salayer from the westward, should bring the north point of _Salayer- to bear east, or east half north, with which course there could be no risk from that bank. We now steered west by south, and having run sixty-six miles in that direction from the streights of Salayer, on the morning of the 29th, we saw some high land on the Celebes, bearing north-east nine leagues distant; this must be the land between the south-west point of Celebes, and the islands called, by Captain Carteret, _Tonakiky_; so that the end of Celebes from the streights of Salayer to the south-west point cannot be more than twenty leagues, as Mr. Dalrymple has already observed in a small pamphlet.

Lieutenant Ball directed the vessel to be kept north-north-west, in order to make the land plainer; but the charts we had on board differed so much in the position and extent of the land, and some time might perhaps be lost in looking for Tonakiky, to take a departure from, Mr. Ball determined on bearing up and running in that parallel of lat.i.tude which was likeliest to keep the vessel clear of danger, viz.

5 45' or 5 50' south. At noon, the observed lat.i.tude was 5 48' south, and the longitude 118 44' east. At half past two in the afternoon, having steered west twelve miles since noon, we saw what we took for _Tonyn-'s Islands, or -Sarras_, bearing north. Hamilton Moore's chart places the south end of this shoal in 5 58' south, but it cannot be farther than 5 40' south at most, as we were now in lat.i.tude 5 48', and the island could only be seen from the mast-head, bearing north: the longitude of the south end of these islands and shoal (if there be any) is 118 11' east.

On the 30th, at ten in the forenoon, we saw the great -Solombo_ bearing north by west half west two leagues distant. On sounding, we struck the ground with 32 fathoms, over an oozy bottom. The next morning, the island of _Lubeck- bore from south 14 west to south 55 west, five leagues distant. This island is considerably misplaced in the charts. A very good alt.i.tude was got at eight in the morning, for the time-keeper, and a very good meridional alt.i.tude was also taken for the lat.i.tude; which, with the bearings of Lubeck in the morning and at noon, places it in 5 50' south lat.i.tude, and 112 22' east longitude.

On the 3d, at three o'clock in the afternoon, the isles of -Cariman Java_ were seen, bearing south 79 west. During the night, the weather was very squally, attended with much thunder and lightning. The lat.i.tude of Cariman Java is 5 56'

south, and the longitude 110 12' east.

At half past three o'clock in the morning of the 5th, we saw a small island bearing west half south, not more than a mile and a half from the vessel; on this we hauled our wind to the southward, and tacked occasionally until day-light. We sounded with twenty-six fathoms, over a bottom of blue mud. This island is called in the charts _Pulo Packit:_ it is very low and covered with trees. There are two islands laid down in Dunn's and Moore's charts, but we only saw one island, and a rocky reef: this island is laid down in Dunn's chart in 6 18 south, but its real lat.i.tude is 5 50' south: this mistake had very near proved fatal to the Supply, but it being a moon-light night, the danger was discovered, though at the distance of two miles only. s.h.i.+ps bound to the westward, or to Batavia from Carimon Java, should steer west half north, or west by north, to avoid the shoal to the northward of Pulo Packit.

In the afternoon, seeing a brig at anchor under the land, we bore up in order to speak her, and in standing in, had regular soundings to seven fathoms. I went with Mr. Ball on board the brig, where we learned that the point of _Pamonakan_ bore south-south-west from us; on this, we returned on board the Supply and made sail, and in the afternoon of the 6th, we anch.o.r.ed in Batavia Road. Upwards of thirty Dutch s.h.i.+ps were lying there, besides a number of snows and Chinese junks.

The next morning, I waited on the general, at the request of Lieutenant Ball, and settled the salute, which took place at five in the evening, when the Supply saluted the fort with nine guns, which were returned by an equal number.

On the 8th, Lieutenant Ball waited on the general, accompanied by the Shebander and myself. As the general could not speak any other language than Dutch, and the Shebander could not speak sufficient English to explain himself, I was obliged to interpret between Lieutenant Ball and the latter; and I beg here to remark, that during this conversation, which was in the general's office, we were not asked to sit down; indeed, had the general been polite enough to have made the offer, there was not a second chair in the room; so unusual a thing is it to be seated in the general's presence, when talking to him on business.

After Lieutenant Ball had signified his business, and the service he was sent on, a number of frivolous enquiries were made respecting the setlement at New South Wales, and much astonishment was expressed, that we came from that country and could not tell _what became of the Bounty, Lieutenant Bligh's s.h.i.+p_.

No other answer could be got, than that the council were to be requested to permit Lieutenant Ball to purchase whatever he wanted, and to hire a vessel to carry what he might want to Port Jackson: this being settled we took our leave. The Shebander drew up a request, which Lieutenant Ball signed, and the next day it was presented to the council, (at which the director-general presided, on account of the general's indisposition) when every thing was granted; but they refused to interfere in taking up a vessel, or in purchasing provisions, saying, that those matters were to be managed by Lieutenant Ball.

As every vessel here either belonged to the company, or were too flimsy to go on such a voyage, it was for a short time doubtful whether one could be procured: at length, the Shebander hearing that a snow of 250 tons or upwards lay at a port called -Samarre_, on the east side of Java, he offered her to Lieutenant Ball; saying that he would purchase her and fit her out completely, if Mr. Ball would contract with him to pay eighty rix-dollars a ton for the voyage; the Shebander to take all risques upon himself, with respect to the loss of the vessel. As the necessity for a supply of provisions was very great, and as there was no other vessel to be procured, Lieutenant Ball was obliged to make the agreement, and the snow was sent for.

Provisions were easily purchased, and at a cheap rate: very excellent beef and pork at six-pence per pound. Of flour, there was little to be procured, as all the people here eat rice, Europeans as well as natives.

Batavia has been so very well and so fully described in Captain Cook's first voyage, that any attempt of mine to describe this vast and splendid settlement may be deemed superfluous; however, as these pages may probably fall into the hands of some who have read no other account, I shall subjoin what few remarks occurred to me during my stay there.

According to the best accounts I could obtain, the city and its environs cover a s.p.a.ce of eight square miles: it is situated about half a mile from the sea-sh.o.r.e, and has communication with it by a ca.n.a.l, which will admit vessels of eight feet draught of water. The city stands on a flat, which extends forty leagues to the foot of the nearest mountains. Two large rivers, which are divided into a number of ca.n.a.ls, run through all the princ.i.p.al streets of the city, and on both sides of the different roads: these ca.n.a.ls are navigable for large boats; they are planted with trees on each side, which are kept cut in the form of a fan.

The streets are all drawn at right angles, and are in general wide, with very good pavements; along the sides of which a double row of trees are planted, which greatly prevents the circulation of air, and tends very much to increase the natural unhealthiness of the place. Within the past four years, most of the ca.n.a.ls which contained putrid water have been filled up, and great attention is now paid to removing dirt and other nuisances.

All the houses are well built; indeed, some of them are magnificent buildings, and are finished with elegant neatness; which, added to the great cleanliness observed by the inhabitants, renders them very agreeable retreats from the intense heat which is constant here.

No European can do without a carriage, the paint of which, and his other equipage, denote the rank of the owner; to whom the necessary respect must be paid by people of an inferior rank; for a noncompliance with this custom, a fine is levied by the Fiscal.

The town is but indifferently defended, as the fortifications are irregular and extensive, and the walls (which are painted) are very low: it is surrounded with a deep and wide ca.n.a.l, but the best defence of this settlement is its extreme unhealthiness. The citadel, or castle, stands on the right of the city: in it are deposited a vast quant.i.ty of cannon and other munitions of war: the governor-general, and the rest of the company's servants, have apartments in it, and here the governor and council meet twice a week, to transact public business.

The police of this city is strictly attended to, and is calculated to preserve great order and regularity; but it is attended with some mortifying and degrading circ.u.mstances, which Europeans find great difficulty and repugnance in complying with; however, the inhabitants and the company's servants must observe its rules with a scrupulous attention, not only to avoid paying the fines, but also to avoid the resentment of those who have it entirely in their power to advance or r.e.t.a.r.d their promotion.

The suburbs are inhabited by the Chinese and Portuguese: the houses of the former are very numerous, but they are low and dirty. The number of Chinese resident in and about Batavia in 1788, was 200,000: it is these people who are the support of this important settlement; and if they were obliged to abandon it by any impolitic measure, it would soon lose its splendor. The Chinese carry on every trade and occupation; the better sort are very rich, but they are subject to great exactions from the company, or their servants. They are suffered to farm the duties of exportation and importation, for which they pay the company 12,000 rix-dollars in silver money per month. All goods belonging to the company are exempt from duties, but those of every other person pay eight per cent.

About three quarters of a mile from the city is the Chinese burying-ground, consisting of fifteen or twenty acres: for the annual rent of this ground they pay 10,000 rix-dollars, and, at the end of every ten years, they repurchase it for a very great sum, which in general is regulated by the governor and council. A person of consequence a.s.sured me, that the Chinese pay a tax of 20,000 rix-dollars a year, for the privilege of wearing their hair queued; and, besides what I have already mentioned, these industrious people are subject to many more exactions.

The Chinese are subject to a set of officers (appointed by the governor and council) who are Chinese, and are previously chosen by that people: they are called captains and lieutenants, and hear all complaints, and their sentence is decisive; but cases of property, above a certain sum, and all felonies, are taken cognizance of by the fiscal and court of justices. The police established among them is so very good, that, except in cases of property, the fiscal or justices are seldom troubled with a Chinese criminal. They trade to every part of India, and the number of large junks which arrive annually from China, is between thirty and forty.

It is remarkable that the Chinese are the only strangers which are not affected by the unhealthiness of this place: indeed, much may be said in favour of their temperance and regular manner of living, although one would imagine that the close manner in which a number of them live together could not fail to produce diseases, but it certainly does not.

The roads, or rather handsome avenues, which lead from the different gates of the city, are lined with buildings, where nature and art have been exhausted to render them elegant and commodious beyond description: each house has a large garden, in which a degree of elegance and convenience is observable, equal to what there is in the magnificent piles which they surround.

These houses are inhabited by the princ.i.p.al people of Batavia, where they pa.s.s most of their time, and those amongst them who have no inducement to return to Europe, and who enjoy their health, may spend their days very comfortably here.

The government of this island, and indeed of all the Dutch possessions in India, is lodged in the governor-general, who is a.s.sisted by a number of counsellors, called "counsellors of India," or "-edele heerens:-" twelve of these counsellors must reside at Batavia, but the number is not fixed; at this time, there is one who governs at each of the following places, viz. Cochin, Ceylon, Maca.s.ser, and at the Emperor's court at -Jamarre_, or Java, where, I am told, 400 European cavalry are kept, to _do honour_ to the emperor.

The council meet every Tuesday and Friday in the council-room at the castle; the general presides, but, if prevented by ill health or any other circ.u.mstance, the director-general supplies his place, who, as well as the edele heerens, are received into the castle, and conducted to the council-room with great pomp and ceremony. Every thing relating to the civil and military government, commerce, and every other concern of the company, is transacted by this council, but the governor-general has a plenary power to put into execution any measure he may judge necessary for the good of the company.

The present governor-general, whose name is William Arnold Alting, has been resident upwards of thirty years at Batavia, eleven of which he has been governor-general: I am told his private character is very amiable and respectable, but how any man possessed of common feelings, can suffer such humiliations from those around him, I cannot conceive. When any person approaches the general to speak to him, his behaviour and address must be the most abject imaginable, and the respect and profound submission which every servant of the company, and every inhabitant must necessarily a.s.sume on these occasions, are little short of the adoration paid to the Divinity: this homage is carried to so great a height, that when the general enters the church, although the congregation may be at prayers, yet every person is obliged to get up and face him until he is seated in his pew, bowing as he pa.s.ses.

The deference paid to the several ranks, is not confined to carriages, but extends to the cloathing of individuals, as no person under the rank of an _edele heeren_ is permitted to wear velvet: there are a number of other distinctions in dress equally ridiculous, but they seem to be wearing away: a few years ago, the women were strictly forbid wearing any European dress, and ordered to conform to the Malay custom.

At the time I was at Batavia, there were only five European women on the island of Java, the rest being born of Malay or Creole mothers; and it is really distressing to see how much they affect the manners of their Malay slaves in chewing beetle, and other actions equally disagreeable. Their dress is a loose white or flowered muslin robe, which is open and large, reaching to the wrists and neck: but if the adjustment of their garments does not take up much time at the toilet, the arranging of their hair makes sufficient amends for it: they have in general very thick long black hair, which is gathered into a knot on the back part of the head, and is so nicely combed that not a single hair is out of its place; round this a wreath of diamonds is fixed, which is more or less valuable, according to the circ.u.mstances of the wearer. In the evenings, a large wreath of jessamine is also put round the hair, which gives a very agreeable perfume. Not more than two women in Batavia could speak any other language than Dutch or Malay, the former of which they understand very imperfectly, always preferring Malay.

The office of shebander is a princ.i.p.al one in this place, and is a situation of much profit; no stranger can transact the least business without his permission; the exports and imports are entirely regulated by him; every boat which goes into the road pays him a certain sum; he also regulates and comptrols the Chinese in the receipt of duties: this post is very laborious, but is also very lucrative.

Nineteen thousand pekul* of tin are brought every year from -Palambam_, or Sumatra, to the company's stores on -Onrust_, which is sent in their s.h.i.+ps to China. The company send annually from hence to Europe 20,000 pekul of pepper, for which they pay on an average two stivers and an half per pound, and sell it in Europe for fourteen stivers per pound: they also export annually 200,000 pekul of coffee, at two stivers and an half per pound, which is sold in Holland at ten stivers per pound.

[* A pekul is equal to 130 pounds.]

Onrust is a very small island, about a quarter of a mile in circ.u.mference, and situated about two leagues and an half from Batavia: here the company's s.h.i.+ps refit and heave down, there being very good wharfs for that purpose, at which five s.h.i.+ps may heave down at one time; there are also large machines for dismasting vessels. Small as this island is, there are generally from five to six hundred people on it; of which number, one hundred are European carpenters, but, excepting a few officers and a few other Europeans, the rest are slaves. The _baas_, or master carpenter, is the commandant of the island: an under merchant is also resident here, to receive and take care of the tin, pepper, and coffee, which is brought into the company's stores here, from Sumatra and different parts of Borneo and Java.