The Principal Places On
This Side Of The Island Are Batavia, Bantam, Japara, Samarang, Surabon,
Taggal, Quale, And Rambang; All
Of which are possessed by the Dutch.
These settlements afford abundance of rice, with which the Dutch supply
all their
Out-factories near Java, and also produce excellent plank for
ship-building. The principal place for ship-building is Rambang, where
the free burgesses of Batavia usually go to build their small vessels,
as sloops and brigs. Ships of five, six, and seven hundred tons, often
load with timber at Rambang, Quale, Japara, and other places; and each
ship, after being fully laden, takes a great raft or float of the
largest timber, which she tows along with her to Batavia. Some of these
rafts are said to be thirty feet square, and draw twenty feet water.
There are commonly six ships employed in this timber trade, and they
usually make four voyages yearly in the good monsoon, for in the bad
they cannot do any thing. Ail this timber is for the most part landed on
the island of Ormrust, between four and five leagues from Batavia,
where there are about 200 ship-carpenters, who are constantly in full
employ, and here the Dutch careen their ships. This island is well
fortified, being, to use a sea phrase, all round a bed of guns.
We had notice on the 2d December, 1705, that all of us who wished to
return to England should immediately go on board the homeward-bound
Dutch East India fleet, which we did accordingly, and sailed next day.
This fleet consisted of twelve ships, as well provided in all respects
as any I had ever seen, and we made the voyage in good order. We arrived
at the Cape of Good Hope on the 3d February, 1706. The Dutch have here a
strong fortress, and about half a mile from this is a fine town of 150
houses, with a small church. The country in the neighbourhood is very
high, and the mountains are mostly barren, producing only a few shrubs;
but the country is full of lions, tigers, elephants, and other wild
beasts, which give great disturbance to the settlers, for which reason
the government gives a reward of fifty-two guilders for killing a lion,
equal to four pounds six and eight-pence, and twenty-four guilders, or
forty shillings, for killing a tiger. While we were there, a certain
Scotsman killed four lions, three tigers, and three wild elephants, for
all of which he got the rewards. The Dutch make here a great quantity of
an excellent wine, called Cape wine, which is sold by retail at
eight-pence a quart.
We sailed from the Cape the 24th of March, excellently provided with
every thing requisite for the voyage. We were now twenty-four sail,
having nine English and fifteen Dutch ships. On the 17th April we made
the island of Ascension, but did not touch there even for turtle,
although their season of laying, having been so well provided with fresh
provisions at the Cape that we had no occasion for more.
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