384 DESCRIPTION OF BATAVIA CHAP, xvn 



The next island, which is indeed of more consequence 

 to the Dutch than all the rest, is Onrust ; here they heave 

 down and repair all their shipping, and consequently keep a 

 large quantity of naval stores. On this island are artificers 

 of almost all kinds employed in the shipbuilding way, and 

 very clever ones, so at least all our most experienced seamen 

 allowed, who said they had seen ships hove down in most 

 parts of the world, but never saw that business so cleverly 

 done as here. The Dutch do not seem to think this island 

 of so much consequence as they perhaps would do if all 

 their naval stores were here (the greater part are at Batavia) ; 

 it seems to be so ill defended, that one 60 -gun ship would 

 blow it up without a possibility of failure, as she might go 

 alongside the wharfs as near as she pleased. 



It is generally said in Europe that the Dutch keep a strong 

 fleet in the East Indies, ready and able to cope with any Euro- 

 pean Power which might attack them there. This is true thus 

 far and no farther : their Indiamen, which are very large ships, 

 are pierced for 5 or 6 guns each. Should they be attacked 

 when all these were in India, or indeed a little before the 

 sailing of the Europe fleet, they might, if they had sufficient 

 warning to get in their guns, etc., raise 40 or 50 sail; but 

 how it would be possible for them to man this fleet, if they 

 kept anybody at all on shore, is to me a mystery. Again, 

 should they be attacked after the fleet had sailed, they have 

 very few ships, and those terribly out of condition ; for they 

 keep no ships even in tolerable repair in India, except those 

 employed to go to Ceylon and the coast, which places indeed 

 are generally taken in the way to or from Europe. As for 

 the eastern islands, no ships of any force are employed 

 there ; but all the trade is carried on in small vessels, many 

 of which are brigs and sloops. 



The country round about Batavia for some miles is one 

 continued range of country houses and gardens, some of 

 which are very large, and all universally planted with trees 

 as close as they can stand by each other, so that the country 

 enjoys little benefit from being cleared, the woods standing 

 now nearly as thick as when they grew there originally, 



