1770* ROUND THE WORLD. 303 







they are among morasses where the roads, which are 

 nothing more than a bank thrown up between a canal 

 and a ditch, may easily be destroyed, and conse- 

 quently the approach of heavy artillery either totally 

 prevented or greatly retarded : for it would be ex- 

 ceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to transport 

 them in boats, as they all muster every night under 

 the guns of the castle, a situation from which it would 

 be impossible for an enemy to take them. Besides, 

 in this country, delay is death ; so that whatever re- 

 tards an enemy, will destroy him. In less than a week, 

 we were sensible of the unhealthiness of the climate ; 

 and in less than a month half the ship's company 

 were unable to do their duty. We were told, that 

 of a hundred soldiers who arrive here from Europe, 

 it was a rare thing for fifty to survive the first year ; 

 that of those fifty, half would then be in the hospital, 

 and not ten of the rest in perfect health : possiby this 

 account may be exaggerated ; but the pale and feeble 

 wretches whom we saw crawling about with a mus- 

 ket, which they were scarcely able to carry, in- 

 clined us to believe that it was true. Every white 

 inhabitant of the town indeed is a soldier; the younger 

 are constantly mustered, and those who have served 

 five years are liable to be called out when their as- 

 sistance is thought to be necessary ; but as neither of 

 them are ever exercised, or do any kind of duty, 

 much cannot be expected from them. The Portu- 

 guese, indeed, are in general good marksmen, because 

 they employ themselves much in shooting wild hogs 

 and deer : neither the Mardykers nor the Chinese 

 know the use of fire-arms ; but as they are said to be 

 brave, they might do much execution with their own 

 weapons, swords, lances, and daggers. The Mar- 

 dykers are Indians of all nations, who are descended 

 from free ancestors, or have themselves been made 

 free. 



But if it is difficult to attack Batavia by land, it is 

 utterly impossible to attack it by sea : for the water 



