226 THE GENEEAL MAGAZINE. [1697. 



The Bay of Batavia is the finest and most secure of any 

 in the World : Ships ride there without any danger all the 

 year round ; for that Sea is hardly ever agitated, as well 

 because there are a great number of little Islands that break 

 the Waves, as because the Winds there are never Violent. 

 Every day, without ever failing, there rises about ten a 

 Clock in the Morning a Sea-gale, which serves to carry the 

 Chaloupes into the City, and at ten at Night there comes 

 one from the Land, that carries the same Chaloupes out 

 again to Sea. One belongs to the North, and the other to 

 the South.i 



These Chaloupes and some Fisher-boats go and come by a 

 streight Canal that comes out of the Eiver, and which is 

 form'd by two Paralel-Lines supported by Piles, and fill'd 

 with Earth, in like manner as the Dikes in Holland, or rather 

 those of DunJcirlx^ are. 



This Canal is twelve hundred common Paces long, and 

 each Dike is about five and twenty foot broad. They would 

 be wonderful fine Walks, if they were shaded with a double 

 row of Trees. As there are no bad Winds there, those Trees 

 would undoubtedly grow well, and I fancy their Eoots would 

 bind the Earth of the Dikes together, rather than loosen it. 



Batavia being not only the general Magazine of the 

 Company, and the Place from whence she sends most of her 

 Fleets to all Parts of the World ; and being likewise the 

 place of Piefuge and oftentimes the Asyhim for the ships of 

 other Nations ; it is easie to imagine that the view of this 

 Bay fiU'd witli so many large Vessels must be wonderfully 

 pleasant, especially if you consider that you see at the same 



1 The regular tropical land and sea-breezes. 



2 Dunkirk^ in 1702, was thus described by Dr. John Northleigh : 

 "Its situation is on the North side of the Canal, environ'd by the Sea in 

 form of a Half moon, the Breach of which is us'd to fill the Works with 

 Sand, but this is resisted now by a long Bank of Timberwork, Faggots, 

 and Fascines, that run for half a mile into the Sea." (Harris's Voyages^ 

 vol. ii, p. 721.) 



