366 BATAVIA CHAP. XVI 
9th. Before four we were at anchor in Batavia road. A 
boat came immediately on board us from a ship which had 
a broad pendant flying; the officer on board inquired who 
we were, etc., and immediately returned. Both he and his 
people were pale almost as spectres, no good omen of the 
healthiness of the country we had arrived at. Our people, 
however, who might truly be called rosy and plump (for we 
had not a sick man among us), jeered and flaunted much at 
their brother seamen’s white faces. By this time our boat 
was ready and went ashore with the first lieutenant, who 
had orders to acquaint the commanding officer ashore of our 
arrival. At night he returned, having met with a very civil 
reception from the Shabandar, who, though no military 
officer, took cognizance of all these things. I forgot to men- 
tion before that we found here the Harcourt Indiaman, Captain 
Paul, and two English private traders from the coast of 
India. 
10th. After breakfast this morning we all went ashore 
in the pinnace, and immediately went to the house of Mr. 
Leith, the only Englishman of any credit in Batavia. We 
found him a very young man, under twenty, who had lately 
arrived here, and succeeded his uncle, a Mr. Burnet, in 
his business, which was pretty considerable, more so, we 
were told, than our new-comer had either money or credit to 
manage. He soon gave us to understand that he could be 
of very little service to us either in introducing us, as the 
Dutch people, he said, were not fond of him, or in money 
affairs, as he had begun trade too lately to have any more 
than what was employed in getting more. He, however, 
after having kept us to dine with him, offered us his assist- 
ance in showing us the method of living in Batavia, and in 
helping us to settle in such a manner as we should think 
fit. We had two alternatives. We could go to the hotel, a 
kind of inn kept by order of the Government, where it seems 
all merchant strangers are obliged to reside, paying 4 per 
cent for warehouse room for their goods, which the master of 
the house is obliged to find for them. We, however, having 
come in a king’s ship, were free from that obligation, and 
