TRADE AND TRAVEL
IN THE
FAR EAST;
OR
RECOLLECTIONS OF TWENTY-ONE YEARS
PASSED IN
JAVA, SINGAPORE, AUSTRALIA,
AND CHINA.
BY G. F. DAVIDSON.
LONDON:
MADDEN AND MALCOLM,
LEADENHALL STREET.
1846.
LONDON:
PRINTED BY MADDEN AND MALCOLM,
8 LEADENHALL STREET.
PREFACE.
The following pages were written to beguile the tediousness of a long
voyage from Hong Kong to England, during the spring and summer of 1844.
When I state, that the whole was written with the paper on my knee, for
want of a desk, amid continual interruptions from three young children
lacking amusement during their long confinement on ship-board, and with
a perpetual liability to be pitched to leeward, paper and all,--I shall
have said enough to bespeak from every good-natured reader a candid
allowance for whatever defects may attach to the composition. It is
necessary, however, that I should also premise, that the sketches are
drawn entirely from memory, and that the incidents referred to in the
earlier chapters, took place some twenty years ago. That my recollection
may have proved treacherous on some minor points, is very possible; but,
whatever may be the merits or demerits of the work in other respects, it
contains, to the best of my knowledge and belief, nothing but truth in
the strictest sense of that term; and, as imbodying the result of my own
personal observations in the countries visited, it may possess an
interest on that account, not always attaching to volumes of higher
pretensions.
My wanderings have been neither few nor short, and, perhaps, verify the
old proverb, that a rolling stone gathers no moss. I have crossed the
Ocean in forty different square-rigged vessels; have trod the plains of
Hindostan, the wilds of Sumatra, and the mountains of Java; have
strolled among the beautiful hills and dales of Singapore and Penang;
have had many a gallop amid the forests and plains of Australia; have
passed through the labyrinth of reefs forming Torres' Straits; and have
visited the far-famed Celestial Empire. My first idea, in endeavouring
to retrace my journeyings and adventures, was, that the personal
narrative might serve to amuse a circle of private friends. But the
notices relating to the openings for Trade in the Far East, and to the
subject of Emigration, together with the free strictures upon the causes
of the recent depression in our Australian colonies, will, I venture to
hope, be not unacceptable to those who are interested in the extension
of British commerce, and in the well-being of the rising communities
which form an integral part of the mighty Empire now encircling the
Globe.
Some parts of the work refer to coming events as probable, which have
since become matters of fact; but I have not deemed it necessary to
suppress or to alter what I had written. I am more especially happy to
find that my suggestions respecting Borneo have, to some extent, been
anticipated; and that the important discovery of its coal-mines has been
taken advantage of by Her Majesty's Government in the very way pointed
out in observations written at sea fifteen months ago. Since my arrival
in England, I have learned also, that the feasibility of the navigation
of Torres' Straits from west to east, has struck others more competent
to form a correct judgment than myself. Captain T. Blackwood, commander
of Her Majesty's ship, Fly, at present employed in surveying the coast
of New Holland, the Straits, and parts adjacent, has expressed his
determination, after refitting at Singapore, to endeavour to enter the
Pacific Ocean, during the north-west monsoon, by sailing through Torres'
Straits from the westward. I trust that this enterprising Officer will
succeed in the attempt, and thereby put beyond question the
practicability of the passage; which would not only shorten the distance
between Australia and our Indian territories, but contribute, more than
any thing else could do, to facilitate the transit of the Overland Mail
to Sydney. The Australians, I find, are still sanguinely bent upon
discovering an overland route from the present frontiers of the Colony
to Port Essington; but, although I heartily wish them success, my
opinion, as expressed in the subsequent pages, remains unaltered.
I observe, that the Singaporeans are already complaining of the
decrease of the number of square-rigged vessels that have visited their
port during the recent season, and of the falling-off of the
Chinese-junk trade, which they correctly attribute to the opening of the
trade with China; thereby verifying my predictions. I fear that they
will have still greater cause for complaint before twelve months shall
have rolled away. But the merchants of Singapore, it gives me pleasure
to add, are taking advantage of the times, by entering upon the China
trade, and seem determined not to suffer loss, if they can help it, by
the effect of Sir Henry Pottinger's famous Treaty. This is as it should
be.
With these few remarks on the motives which have induced me to write and
give to the world the following sketches, I now commit them to their
fate; trusting that they may serve to beguile an hour, to some of my
numerous friends in the different parts of the world they refer to, and
that, to the reader unacquainted with those countries, they may prove
both useful and entertaining. Before taking leave of the reader,
however, I must apologize for an unfortunate error my printer has fallen
into, (at p. 3 note), in misprinting the name of Mr. Mercus, one of the
best men that ever ruled a Colony, whether Dutch or English. This name
has been converted into Minns; and the error was not detected, till the
sheet had passed through the press.
As for the critics.--for any kind or friendly remarks they may make, I
shall feel grateful; while any of a contrary nature will neither
surprise nor displease me.
HULL, _January 1846_.
CONTENTS.
PREFACE P. i
CHAPTER I.
JAVA.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF BATAVIA--NARROW POLICY OF
THE GOVERNMENT--DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWN AND
NEIGHBOURHOOD--ROADS AND POSTING SYSTEM--STATE
OF SOCIETY--CLIMATE AND SEASONS--TROPICAL FRUITS 1
CHAPTER II.
JAVA.
SAMARANG--A TIGER FIGHT--JAVA PONEYS--EXCURSION
TO SOLO--WILD SPORTS--DJOCKDJOCARTA--REMAINS OF
THE ANCIENT PALACE--IMPERIAL ELEPHANTS--EXPERIMENT
IN INDIGO-PLANTING--JAVANESE EXECUTION--A
PET BOA--ALLIGATORS--FOREST LABOUR--SLAVERY IN
JAVA--OPIUM-SMOKING--TEA--THE UPAS-TREE 16
CHAPTER III.
SINGAPORE.
ADVANTAGEOUS POSITION OF SINGAPORE--CULTIVATION
OF THE NUTMEG AND COCOA-NUT--ROADS AND SCENERY--
MOTLEY POPULATION--EUROPEAN RESIDENTS--CHINESE
EMIGRANTS--KLINGS--SAMPAN-MEN--PLACES OF
WORSHIP--TIGERS 39
CHAPTER IV.
SINGAPORE.
TRADE OF SINGAPORE--CHINESE TRADERS--BUGIS
TRADERS--SIAMESE AND COCHIN CHINESE--ARAB
SMUGGLERS--BORNEO--TRADE WITH CALCUTTA--
COMMERCIAL PROSPECTS. 53
CHAPTER V.
DUTCH SETTLEMENTS.
DUTCH SETTLEMENT OF RHIO--ISLAND OF BANCA--
BENCOOLEN--PADANG--CHINESE SLAVE-TRADE--NATIVE
TRIBES OF SUMATRA--PEPPER TRADE 73
CHAPTER VI.
MALACCA AND PENANG 94
CHAPTER VII.
CALCUTTA.
FIRST VIEW OF CALCUTTA--STATE OF SOCIETY--
MERCANTILE CHANGES--UNPLEASANT CLIMATE--SIGHTS
AT AND NEAR CALCUTTA--IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANSIT
AND NAVIGATION--CUSTOM-HOUSE NUISANCE--PILOT
SERVICE--CHARACTER OF THE BENGALEES--RIVER STEAMERS 101
CHAPTER VIII.
NEW SOUTH WALES.
VOYAGE FROM SINGAPORE TO SYDNEY--PORT JACKSON--FIRST
IMPRESSIONS PRODUCED BY SYDNEY--THE PUBLIC-HOUSE
NUISANCE--SYDNEY JURIES--CATTLE-DEALERS--TOWN
IMPROVEMENTS--LAWYERS, DOCTORS, AND CLERGY 117
CHAPTER IX.
NEW SOUTH WALES.
TOWNSHIP OF MAITLAND--THE PATERSON DISTRICT--WINTER
SPORTS--THE KANGAROO--AUSTRALIAN HUSBANDRY--CONVICT
SERVANTS--BENEFIT OF ENFORCING AN OBSERVANCE OF
SUNDAY--THE HOT SEASON 128
CHAPTER X.
NEW SOUTH WALES.
BUSH-RANGERS--THE DROUGHT OF 1838-9--THE SETTLER'S
TROUBLES--ORNITHOLOGY OF AUSTRALIA--ABORIGINAL
TRIBES 139
CHAPTER XI.
NEW SOUTH WALES.
THE HOT WINDS--PROJECTED MAIL-ROAD FROM SYDNEY
TO PORT ESSINGTON--SHEEP-FARMS--GRAZING IN
AUSTRALIA--HORSE-STOCK 155
CHAPTER XII.
NEW SOUTH WALES.
CAUSES OF THE RECENT DISTRESSES--CONDUCT OF
THE BANKS--MANIA FOR SPECULATION--LONG-ACCOUNT
SYSTEM--BAD SEASONS 169
CHAPTER XIII.
NEW SOUTH WALES.
ELEMENTS OF PROSPERITY STILL EXISTING--HINTS
TO THE COLONISTS--FUTURE PROSPECTS 182
CHAPTER XIV.
NEW SOUTH WALES.
CLASSES OF SOCIETY IN SYDNEY--DISAPPOINTMENT OF
EMIGRANTS--CHARACTERISTICS OF IRISH AND BRITISH
EMIGRANTS--AVAILABLENESS OF CHINESE
LABOURERS--AUSTRALIAN COAL MONOPOLY--TORRES'
STRAITS THE BEST PASSAGE FOR STEAMERS--BOTANY
BAY--PASSAGE FROM SYDNEY TO BATAVIA 195
CHAPTER XV.
CHINA.
DESCRIPTION OF MACAO--ITS MONGREL POPULATION--
FREQUENCY OF ROBBERIES--PIRACIES--COMPRADORE
SYSTEM--PAPUAN SLAVE-TRADE--MARKET OF MACAO--
NUISANCES--SIR HENRY POTTINGER'S REGULATION
DEFENDED--ILLIBERAL POLICY OF THE PORTUGUESE,
AND ITS RESULT--BOAT-GIRLS--BEGGARS--PICTURESQUE
SCENERY 216
CHAPTER XVI.
CHINA.
ADVANTAGEOUS POSITION OF HONG KONG--THE OPIUM
TRADE--IMPORTANCE OF THE STATION IN THE EVENT OF
A FRESH WAR--CHUSAN--HOW TO RAISE A REVENUE--
CAUSES OF ALLEGED INSALUBRITY--RAPID PROGRESS
OF THE SETTLEMENT--PICTURESQUE SCENERY--
MARKETS--SANATORY HINTS 237
CHAPTER XVII.
CHINA.
FIRST VIEW OF CANTON--DESCRIPTION OF THE EUROPEAN
QUARTER--HOSTILE FEELINGS OF THE PEOPLE--COMMERCIAL
PROSPECTS OF CANTON--AMOY--FOO CHOW--NINGPO--
SHANG-HAE--MR. MEDHURST--RESULTS OF THE TREATY
WITH CHINA 266
CHAPTER XVIII.
NECESSITY OF APPOINTING BRITISH CONSULS IN THE
SPANISH AND DUTCH COLONIES--NEW SETTLEMENT ON
THE WESTERN COAST OF BORNEO--IMPORTANT DISCOVERY
OF COAL ON THE NORTH-WEST COAST--CONCLUDING
REMARKS 287
APPENDIX I.
PLAN FOR THE ACCELERATION OF THE CHINA MAILS
(_i. e._ THEIR CONVEYANCE FROM _SUEZ viâ CEYLON_
TO _HONG KONG direct_) 303
APPENDIX II.
MEMORANDUM ON BORNEO, AND MR. BROOK'S SETTLEMENT
ON THAT ISLAND 305
TRADE AND TRAVEL IN THE FAR EAST.
CHAPTER I.
JAVA.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF BATAVIA--NARROW POLICY OF
THE GOVERNMENT--DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWN AND
NEIGHBOURHOOD--ROADS AND POSTING SYSTEM--STATE OF
SOCIETY--CLIMATE AND SEASONS--TROPICAL FRUITS.
Early in the year 1823, I left England, quite a youngster, full of life
and spirits, bound for that so-called grave of Europeans, Batavia. Of my
passage out, I shall say nothing more, than that it lasted exactly five
months, and was, in point of wind and weather, similar to nine-tenths of
the voyages made to the same region.
Well do I remember the 5th of October 1823, the day on which I first set
foot on the lovely and magnificent island of Java. How bright were then
my prospects, surrounded as I was with a circle of anxious friends, who
were not only able, but willing also, to lend me a helping hand, and
who now, alas! are, to a man, gone from me and all to whom they were
dear. I was then prepared--I might say determined--to be pleased with
every thing and every body. At this distance of time, I can scarcely
remember what struck me most forcibly on landing; but I have a vivid
recollection of being perfectly delighted with the drive, in a light
airy carriage drawn by two spirited little Java poneys, from the wharf
to the house of the friend with whom I was to take up my abode. The
pluck with which those two little animals rattled us along quite
astonished me; and the novel appearance of every thing that met the eye,
so bewildered and delighted me, that I scarcely knew how to think,
speak, or act.
What a joyous place was Batavia in those days, with every body thriving,
and the whole town alive and bustling with an active set of merchants
from all parts of the world! The Dutch Government, at that time, pursued
a more liberal system than they have of late adopted; and, instead of
monopolizing the produce of the Island, sold it by public auction
regularly every month. This plan naturally attracted purchasers from
England, the Continent of Europe, and the United States of America, who
brought with them good Spanish dollars to pay for what they purchased;
so that silver money was as plentiful in Netherlands India, in those
days, as copper doits have since become. The enlightened individual who
now governs Java[1] and its dependencies, is, I have good reason to
think, opposed to the monopolizing system pursued by his Government: his
hands, however, are tied, and he can only remonstrate, while the
merchants can but pray that his remonstrances may be duly weighed by his
superiors. Java exports one million _peculs_[2] of coffee per annum, one
million _peculs_ of rice, and one million _peculs_ of sugar; besides
vast quantities of tin, pepper, hides, indigo, &c. Were its trade thrown
open to fair competition, as formerly, it is as certain that His Majesty
the King of the Netherlands would be a gainer, as that his adopting the
more liberal system would give satisfaction to every mercantile man
connected in any way with his East-Indian possessions. The experience of
the last three years ought to have taught His Majesty this lesson; and
we may hope he will take warning from the miserable result of his
private speculations during that period.
Batavia is not the unhealthy place it has been usually deemed. The city
itself is certainly bad enough; but no European sleeps a single night in
it out of a twelvemonth.
[Footnote 1: 1845. His Excellency Mr. Minns, since dead.]
[Footnote 2: A _pecul_ is a Chinese weight used all over the
Eastern Archipelago, and is equal to 133-1/3 lbs.
avoirdupoise.]
From four to five o'clock every evening, the road leading from the town
to the suburbs is thronged with vehicles of all descriptions, conveying
the merchants from their counting-houses to their country or suburban
residences, where they remain till nine o'clock the next morning. These
country residences are delightfully situated to the south of Batavia,
properly so called, extending inland over many square miles of country.
Every one of them has a garden (called here a compound) of considerable
extent, well stocked with plants, shrubs, and trees, which serve to give
them a lively and elegant appearance, and to keep them moderately cool
in the hottest weather. Servants' wages being very low here, every
European of any respectability is enabled to keep up a sufficient
establishment, and to repair to his office in his carriage or hooded
gig, in which he may defy the sun. Many of them, particularly Dutchmen,
have an imprudent practice of driving in an open carriage, with an
umbrella held over their heads by a native servant standing on the
foot-board behind his master.
Having resided several years in the suburbs of Batavia, I have no
hesitation in saying, that, with common prudence, eschewing _in toto_
the vile habit of drinking gin and water whenever one feels thirsty,
living generously but carefully, avoiding the sun's rays by always using
a close or hooded carriage, and taking common precautions against wet
feet and damp clothing, a man may live--and enjoy life, too--in
Batavia, as long as he would in any other part of the world. Many people
may think this a bold assertion; nevertheless, I make it without fear of
contradiction from any one acquainted by experience with the country.
One great and invaluable advantage over all our Eastern Colonies,
Batavia, in common with every part of Java, possesses, in the facilities
that exist for travelling from one part of the Island to another.
Throughout Java, there are excellent roads, and on every road a post
establishment is kept up; so that the traveller has only to apply to the
post-master of Batavia, pointing out the road he wishes to travel, and
to pay his money according to the number of miles: he obtains, with a
passport, an order for four horses all along his intended line of route,
and may perform the journey at his leisure, the horses, coachmen, &c.
being at his command night or day, till he accomplishes the distance
agreed for. Thus, a party going overland from Batavia to Samarang, a
distance of three hundred miles, may either perform the journey in three
days, or extend it to three weeks, should they wish to look about them,
and to halt a day or two at various places as they go along. In no part
of British India is there any thing approaching to such admirable and
cheap facilities for travelling. And what an inestimable blessing they
are to the Batavian invalid, who can thus, in a few hours, be
transported, with perfect ease and comfort, into the cool and delightful
mountainous regions of Java, where he may choose his climate, by fixing
himself at a height varying from one thousand to seven thousand feet
above the level of the sea! Java, from east to west and from north to
south, is a favourite region with me, and, I believe, with every
Englishman who ever visited it. Gin and brandy have killed five-sixths
of all the Europeans who have died in Batavia within the last twenty
years; but with pleasure I can add, that this destructive habit has
almost entirely disappeared: hence the diminished number of deaths, and
the more robust and ruddy appearance of the European inhabitants. The
surrounding country is both salubrious and beautiful, rising gradually
as you proceed inland, till you reach Buytenzorg, forty miles S.S.E. of
Batavia, where the Governor-General of Netherlands India generally
resides, in a splendid palace, surrounded with extensive and magnificent
gardens. The climate is cool and pleasant, more particularly in the
mornings and evenings, and the ground is kept moist by daily showers;
for it is a singular fact, that scarcely a day in the year passes
without a shower in this beautiful neighbourhood.
Buytenzorg is a favourite resort of the merchants of Batavia, who take
advantage of the facilities for travelling to visit it on the Saturday
afternoon, remaining the whole of Sunday, and returning to town, and to
the renewal of their labours, on the following morning. The scenery is
magnificent; and the view (well known to every visiter) from the back
verandah of the inn, is the finest that can be imagined. Standing on the
steps of this verandah, you have, immediately under your foot, an
extensive plain, thoroughly cultivated, sprinkled with villages, each
village being surrounded with evergreen trees, and the whole almost
encircled by a river. To the left of this valley rises an extensive and
picturesque mountain, cultivated almost to the summit, and dotted here
and there with villages and gentlemen's houses. Looking into the valley
at early morn, you will see the lazy buffalo, driven by an equally
indolent ploughman, dragging a Lilliputian plough through the slimy
paddy-field; the lazy Javanese labourer going to his work in the field;
the native women reaping, with the hand only, and stalk by stalk, the
ripe paddy (rice) in one field, while those in the next are sowing the
seed; the adjoining fields being covered with stubble, their crops
having been reaped weeks before. Upon the declivity of the mountain is
seen the stately coffee-tree, the plantations of which commence about
1300 feet above the level of the sea, and proceed up the hill till they
reach the height of 4000 feet. Nothing can be more beautiful than a
full-grown coffee-plantation: the deep green foliage, the splendid
bright-red berry, and the delicious shade afforded by the trees, render
those spots altogether fit for princes; and princely lives their owners
lead. One is always sure of a hearty welcome from these gentlemen, who
are ever glad to see a stranger. They give him the best horse in the
stable to ride, the best room in the house to occupy, and express regret
when his visit is drawing to a close. I speak from experience, having
put the hospitality of several of them to the test.
During my first stay at Batavia, from 1823 to 1826, the celebrated Java
war broke out, the so-called rebel army being headed by a native Chief
of Djockdjocarta, named Diepo Nogoro. Shortly after the first outbreak,
the then Governor-General, Baron Vander Capellen, called on all
Europeans between the ages of sixteen and forty-five to serve in the
_schuttery_, or militia. An infantry and a cavalry corps were formed,
and I joined the latter, preferring a ride in the evening to a walk with
a fourteen-pound musket over my shoulder. After a probation of pretty
tight drilling, we became tolerable soldiers, on "nothing a day and
finding ourselves," and had the good town of Batavia put under our
charge, the regular troops being all sent away to the scene of war. As I
do not intend to return to the subject, I may as well mention here,
that the war lasted five years, and that it would have lasted five years
longer, had Diepo Nogoro not been taken prisoner--I fear by treachery. I
saw him landed at Batavia, in 1829, from the steamer which had brought
him from Samarang. The Governor's carriage and aides-de-camp were at the
wharf to receive him. In that carriage he was driven to gaol, whence he
was banished no one knows whither; and he has never since been heard of.
Such is the usual fate of Dutch prisoners of state! Diepo Nogoro
deserved a better fate. He was a gallant soldier, and fought bravely.
Poor fellow! how his countenance fell--as well it might--when he saw
where the carriage drew up! He stopped short on putting his foot on the
pavement, evidently unwilling to enter the gloomy-looking pile; cast an
eager glance around; and, seeing there was no chance of escape, walked
in. Several gentlemen followed, before the authorities had the door
closed, and saw the fallen chief, with his _two wives_, consigned to two
miserable-looking rooms. Java has been quite tranquil ever since.
The society of Batavia, at the time I am referring to, was both choice
and gay; and the influence of my good friends threw me at once into the
midst of it. The Dutch and English inhabitants did not then (nor do they
now) mix together so much as would, in my opinion, have been agreeable
and mutually advantageous. A certain jealousy kept the two parties too
much apart. Nevertheless, I have been present at many delightful parties
in Dutch families, the pleasures of which were not a little heightened
by the presence of some ten or a dozen charming Dutch girls. Charming
and beautiful they certainly are while young; but, ere they reach
thirty, a marvellous change comes over their appearance: the
fair-haired, blue-eyed, laughing romp of eighteen has, in that short
period of ten or twelve years, become transformed into a stout and
rather elderly-looking matron, as unlike an English woman of the same
age as one can well fancy. When I look back on those gay and pleasant
parties, and think how few of the individuals who composed them are now
alive, the reflection makes me sad. What a different class its English
inhabitants of the present day are from those of 1823-1826! I may be
prejudiced in favour of the former state of society; but, in giving the
preference to it, I shall be borne out by any of the few survivers who
knew Batavia at both periods. From 1823 to 1835, the Governor's parties
were thronged with our countrymen and countrywomen. Let any one enter
His Excellency's ball-room now-a-days, and he will not meet with more
than one or two English of the old school, and not one of the new. The
causes of this change are obvious: it arises from the different class of
people that now come out from Liverpool, Manchester, and Glasgow,
compared with the British merchant of former times, and from the total
deficiency of the most common civility, on the part of our countrymen,
towards the many highly respectable, agreeable, and intelligent Dutch
families that form the society of the place. It is with pain I write
this; but, as a citizen of the world, who has seen a good deal of life,
in recording my sentiments on these matters, I cannot avoid telling the
plain truth as it struck me from personal observation.
The vicinity of Batavia affords the most beautiful drives; and hundreds
of vehicles, from the handsome carriage and four of the Member of
Council to the humble buggy of the merchant's clerk, may be seen every
evening, from five till half-past six, that being the coolest and best
time for taking out-of-door exercise. The roads are excellent, lined on
both sides with trees, which keep them shaded and cool nearly all day.
The scene is altogether gay, and affords a gratifying indication of the
wealth and importance of this fine colony. By seven o'clock, the drives
are deserted; and, immediately afterwards, lights may be seen glittering
in every dwelling in the neighbourhood, while, in every second or third
house, the passer-by may observe parties of pleasure assembling for the
evening. The Dutch have adopted the social plan of exchanging friendly
visits in the evening, avoiding our more formal ones of the morning. At
these chance evening parties (if I may so term them), the company are
entertained with music and cards, and other diversions; and should the
visiter be too old to join the young folks in their gayety, he will find
one or two of his own standing snugly seated in the far corner of the
verandah, where he is sure to be supplied with a good cigar and the very
best wine. These groupes are perfect pictures of comfort and content.
With all his good qualities, however, "John Dutchman" is jealous of
"John Bull," and cannot help shewing it, particularly in commercial
matters. How short-sighted his policy is, in this point of view, it
would be no difficult task to prove.
The pleasantest months of the year, in Batavia, are, June, July, and
August, when the sun is to the northward. I have frequently found a
blanket necessary at this season: indeed, the nights, throughout Java,
are generally sufficiently cool to allow the European to enjoy a
refreshing sleep, after which he will find no difficulty in getting
through a hot day. The public health is generally very good from May
till September inclusive. In April and October, strangers, particularly
the recently arrived European, are apt to suffer from colds and fever,
caused, in a great measure, by the breaking-up of the monsoon, which
takes place in those months. In November or December, the north-west
monsoon brings on the rains, which certainly then come down in torrents,
and render the city of Batavia a perfect charnel-house for those poor
Natives and Chinese who are unfortunately compelled to remain in it. I
have seen it entirely flooded with water, to the depth of four or five
feet in some parts. The malaria occasioned by the deposit of slimy mud
left all over the town by the water, on its retiring, causes sad havoc
among the poorer Chinese and Malays, who reside in the lowest parts of
the town, and inhabit wretched hovels. These floods seldom annoy the
inhabitants of the suburbs; yet I well remember, in the season of 1828,
a friend of mine lay down on a sofa and went to sleep, about eight
o'clock in the evening: at three next morning, he awoke with the water
just reaching his couch, much to his surprise and no small alarm, till,
on becoming collected, he bethought him of the cause. The neighbouring
river had risen, from mountain rains, whilst he was asleep, and had
completely flooded his house, to the depth of eighteen inches, together
with the garden and neighbourhood.
I know no market, east of the Cape of Good Hope, better supplied with
fruit than that of Batavia. Among the choicest, I would name the
mangistan, the durian, and the pumaloe or shaddock. The first is unknown
beyond eight degrees from the Equator, and is, perhaps, the best fruit
with which nature has blessed the tropical regions. It is about the size
of an orange, its rind of a dark purple, and its pulp divided into parts
like the contents of an orange, as white as driven snow. Its taste I
cannot attempt to describe, knowing nothing to which I can compare it.
The best quality of the mangistan is its perfect harmlessness. The
patient suffering from fever, liver complaint, consumption, or any of
the numerous ills that flesh is heir to, may, with perfect impunity,
cool his parched tongue with a dozen of this delightful fruit; and no
one who has not been laid on a sick bed within the tropics, can
appreciate this blessing. The rind, when dried, and made into tea, is an
excellent tonic, and is often successfully used in cases of dysentery,
by Native as well as European practitioners. The durian is a favourite
fruit with most people who can overcome its smell, which certainly is no
very easy matter. Natives of all classes are passionately fond of this
fruit, and almost subsist on it when in plenty. Strange to say, goats,
sheep, poultry, and even the royal tiger, eagerly devour the durian, of
which I confess myself, notwithstanding the aforesaid smell, an admirer,
in common with many of my countrymen. Its size is that of a cocoa-nut,
husk and all; its rind is very thick, of a pale green colour, and
covered with strong sharp thorns; its interior is divided into
compartments, each of which contains three or four seeds about the size
of a pullet's egg; these seeds are covered, to the thickness of a
quarter of an inch, with a pale yellow pulp, which is the part eaten.
The taste resembles, according to the description of those who like the
fruit, that of a very rich custard, and, according to those who have
never succeeded in overcoming their antipathy to the smell, that of a
mixture of decayed eggs and garlic. This fruit cannot be eaten in large
quantities with impunity by Europeans, being of a very heating nature.
With me it never agreed; nor do I remember a single instance of its
agreeing with my countrymen, when eaten freely. Half a one is as much as
most people can manage at a time. The durian seeds, when roasted, make
an excellent substitute for chestnuts.
The shaddock of Java is a magnificent fruit, and surpasses those of any
other country with which I am acquainted. In addition to these three
prime fruits of Java, I may mention the pine-apple, soursop, rambutan,
rose-apple, guava, dookoo, and sixty different kinds of plantain and
banana. These, and many others, thrive and abound on this favoured
island. With poultry, butchers' meat, fish, and vegetables, Batavia and
Java generally are abundantly supplied; while the residents on its
mountains may enjoy strawberries and cream in perfection.