228 MUM AND KFIP. [1697, 



but Eain little, or not at all, the Earth abounds so with 

 Insects that the Fruits, Herbs, Pulse, and particularly the 

 Eice are so eaten by them, that they are altogether spoiPd. 



Eice is so common throughout all this Island, which has 

 about two hundred Leagues in Length, to fifty in Breadth, 

 that a Man can hardly eat a Farthings-worth in a Day, altho' 

 great quantities are eaten there, Eice being the ordinary 

 Bread of this Country. No other sort of Corn v/ili grow 

 here. That which they have is brought from Bcngala, where 

 it costs but a Farthing a Pound. There is a great deal 

 brought to Batavia, from that Province of the Great Mogul ; 

 and Wheat-Bread is not sold dearer here than in Holland. 

 The Natives do not at all care for it. 



There are no Vine-yards in any part of Java ; but at 

 Batavia, and thereabouts, there are a great many Vine- 

 Arbours,^ whose Grapes are good enough to eat, but 'tis 

 observ'd they come to no great ]\Iaturity. These Vines produce 

 Fruit seven times in two years. As soon as the Grapes are 

 gathered you cut the Vine, and in about three Months and a 

 half, you will have new ones, that will be as ripe as can be 

 here. These Vines bear Grapes the first year they are 

 planted, and shoot more in one year, as do likewise all other 

 Trees, than they would do in eight in Europe. For all this 

 no Wine is made here, and that which is drunk comes either 

 from Persia or Spain, and costs near a Crown a Pint.^ 

 Beer from Bric7isivick, call'd also Mum, is very dear here, 

 but there is a sort made in the Country, which is tolerably 

 good, that does not cost above a Penny a Pint. The Soldiers 

 drink, for the same Price, a sort of Liquor call'd Knip, 

 made of Brandy distill'd from Fruit and a certain Sea-froth. 

 This is a more pernicious Potable than Araque at Isle 

 Maurice, especially when it is new. 



The ordinary Drink at Batavia, and the most cheap, is 



1 In orig. : " Vignes en treilles." 



2 In orig. : ("la quarte d'Angleterre)," omitted by translator. 



