JAVA. 33 



Marco Polo is very concife in his account of it, which lie names 



fimply Java^K In his days there was only one monarch. It was 



greatly frequented by merchants for the fake of tiie pepper 



and other fpices ; he mentions nutmegs, which probably have 



been fmce extirpated by the political Dutch. James BontiuSi a Bontius. 



phyfician of great eminence, who flourifhed here very foon after 



the foundation of Batavia by KoeUy has furniflied very good 



materials for the medical and natural hiftory of the illand. 



It is from a variety of authors I muft feledt accounts relative 



to other fubjedls. 



Java extends from Weji Point, in Lat. 6° 36' fouth, Long. Extent of 



T AV A 



121° 33' from Paris, to Eaji Point, in Lat. 8° 33', Long. 132°, near 

 feven hundred miles in length. The courfe is weft and eaft, 

 with an inclination to the fouth ; the greateft breadth is about 

 forty leagues, and nearly of equal diameter, except where the 

 bays make fome fmall contracftions. 



The land on the coafts varies ; at the weftern and eaftern ex- 

 tremities it is high, but I believe in general the fliores are 

 low, fwampy, and unhealthy. A lofty chain of mountains runs 

 from weft to eaft through the middle, with numbers of branches 

 ifTuing from each fide to uncertain diftances from the fea. Some 

 of the mountains are very lofty, and the air cool and falubrious ; 

 among them are very active volcanoes; the mountain oi Parang Volcanoes. 

 is the principal, and faid to be very produ<5live of gold ; the Dutch 

 fpent near a million in attempting the difcovcry, but were dif- 

 appointed in their fearch ; thefe mountains produce befides Ru- 

 bies and Sapphires. Earthquakes are frequent and dreadful. 



* Bergeron, p. 130^ 



Vol. IV. F I am 



