380 DESCRIPTION OF BATAVIA CHAP. XVII 
ever, built with a dome (which is seen very far out at sea), 
is certainly far from an ugly building on the outside, though 
rather heavy, and in the inside is a very fine room. Its 
organ is well proportioned, being large enough to fill it, 
and it is so well supplied with chandeliers that few churches 
in Europe are as well lighted. 
From buildings I should make an easy transition to forti- 
fications, were it not a subject of which I must confess 
myself truly ignorant. I shall attempt, however, to describe 
what I have seen in general terms. The city of Batavia is 
enclosed by a stone wall of moderate height, old, and in 
many parts not in the best repair; besides this, a river in 
different places from fifty to one hundred paces broad, whose 
stream is rather brisk but shallow, encircles it without the 
walls, and within again is a canal of very variable breadth, 
so that in passing their gates you cross two draw-bridges. 
This canal, useless as it seems, has, however, this merit, that 
it prevents all walking on the ramparts, as is usual in fortified 
towns, and consequently all idle examination of the number 
or condition of the guns. With these they seem to be very 
ill provided, all that are seen being of very light metal; and 
the west side of the town, where alone you have an oppor- 
tunity of examining them, being almost totally unprovided. 
In the north-east corner of the town stands the castle or 
citadel, the walls of which are higher and larger than those 
of the town, especially near the boats’ landing-place, which 
it completely commands, and where are mounted several very 
large and well-looking guns. The neighbourhood, however, 
of the north-east corner seems sufficiently weak on both 
sides, especially on the east. 
Within this Castle, as it is called, are apartments for the 
Governor-General and all the members of the Council of India, 
to which they are enjoined to repair in case of a siege; here 
are also large storehouses, where are kept great quantities of 
the Company’s goods, especially European goods, and where 
all their writers, etc., do their business. Here are also stored 
a large quantity of cannon, but whether to mount on the 
walls or furnish their shipping in case of the approach of an 
