A Young Man Belonging To The
Duchess, Having Ventured Into The Sea To Swim, Had Both His Legs Snapped
Off By A Shark, And While Endeavouring To Take Him On Board, The Shark
Bit Off The Lower Part Of His Belly.
We were allowed free access to the
town and markets, yet found it difficult to procure salt-meat, so that
we had to kill bullocks for ourselves, and pickled the flesh, taking out
all the bones.
Arrack, rice, and fowls were very cheap, and we bought
beef for two stivers, or two-pence a pound.
There are various descriptions of this famous city, yet, as what I have
to say may serve to exhibit a state of things as they were when we were
there, I flatter myself that the following succinct account may neither
be found useless nor disagreeable. The city of Batavia is situated on
the N.W. side of the famous island of Java, in lat. 5 deg. 50' S.[232]
During the whole year the east and west monsoons, or trade-winds, blow
along shore; besides which it is refreshed by the ordinary land and sea
breezes, which greatly cool the air, otherwise it would be intolerably
hot. The summer begins here in May, and continues till the end of
October, or beginning of November, during all which period there is a
constant breeze from the east, with a clear serene sky. The winter
commences in the end of October, or beginning of November, with
excessive rains, which sometimes continue for three or four days without
intermission.
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