Near The Castle Is A Small Town Of About 100 Houses, Of
Stone, Brick, Or Timber, Inhabited By The Dutch.
None of the houses
exceed one storey, as the place is subject to earthquakes, which would
endanger the houses
If higher, and even low as they are they often fall.
While we were there we had a great earthquake for two days, which did
much mischief as the ground opened in several places, and swallowed up
several houses with their inhabitants. Several of their people were dug
out of the ruins, but most of them dead, and many others had their legs
and arms broken by the fall of the houses. Where we were, the ground
swelled up like a wave of the sea, but no damage was done.
This island is governed by a council of five, consisting of the
governor, the senior merchant, or ober koop-man, the Malay king, the
captain of the fort, and the fiscal, which last is the judge. There are
said to be on the island 350 Dutch soldiers, with 120 or 130 Dutch
freemen and petty officers, and about as many Chinese, who reside here
for the benefit of trade, though not allowed to participate in the spice
trade, which the Dutch reserve entirely to themselves. I thus estimate
that the Dutch are able to muster in this island about 550 fighting men,
including themselves and the Chinese; for they can count very little on
the Malays, who would gladly join any other nation against them.
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