BAT 



Batavian republic. Cif. Com. 1. vii. Tacit. Hift. 1. v. 1. vli. 



Siieton. in ("ralb. . , , r tt' j r • r 11 ^ 



BATAVIA Castra, a citadel of Vmdelicia, lo caUtd 

 from tlK coiiovi Batavia, in gairifon under the commander 

 in Rhxtia; now Passau, fituated in Bavaria, at the con- 

 fluence of the Danube, Inn, and Ills. 



Batavia, in Gcosraphy, the cekbrated capital of the 

 Dutch poffeffioiis in the Ea!l Indies, and denominated the 

 «' Queen of the Eail," on account of the beauty of its build- 

 ing, and its immenfe trade, is a fca-poit town on the north 

 coaft of the ifland of Java, fuuated very near the fea, on a 

 fertile plain, bearing evident marks of having been left or 

 thrown up by the fea, in the kingdom of Jaccatra, upon 

 the river of that name, which, running through the middle 

 of the town, divides it into two parts. To the north of the 

 city is the fea-lliore ; behind it to the fouth, the land nfes 

 with a gentle, and fcarcely perceptible, acclivity towards the 

 mountains, which lie 15 or 16 Dutch miles, or leagues, in- 

 land ; one of which, as being very high, bears the name of 

 the Blue mountain. This city was founded in 1619 by the 

 governor-general, John Peterfon Koen, who captured and 

 dcftroyed the town of Jaccatra, near the fpot where the 

 former town was fituated ; and he gave it the name of Ba- 

 tavia, though it is faid he much wiflied to have called it 

 «' New Horn," from the place of his nativity, " Horn" in 

 North Holland. Although it was then an inconfiderablc 

 place, with reg-ird both to ilrength and beauty, he declared it 

 the capital of the Dutch fettleraents in India; and his choice 

 of the lituation wa8 fojuft, and his plan fo well contrived, that 

 it rofe with unparalleltdrapidity to that degree of magnilicence 

 and importance which has rendered it both the admiration 

 and terror of all the more eaftern nations of India. It ftiU 

 retains a very confiderable rank and influence ; although, for 

 the lail 50 years, it has much declined both as to opulence 

 and population. The form of the city is an oblong fquare, 

 i of a mile long, and I a mile broad, interfered by the river 

 already mentioned, which runs from north to fouth, and is 

 croffed by three bridges. The breadth of the river, within 

 the city,' is about \6o or 180 feet ; and paffing the calUe 

 and admiralty wharf, it difcharges itftlf into the fea. On 

 both fides of its mouth are long piers of wood and biick- 

 woik.'about 3,800 feet long, taken from the moat of the 

 city : between which, on the weft llde, the veffels belonging 

 to the free merchants are laid up and repaired ; but along 

 the eafl. fide, the paflage lies open for the lighters, which 

 go into and out of the city with the cargoes of the ihips. 

 Oppofite to the outward point of the eaftern pier is a horn- 

 work, commonly called the " Water-fort," conilruftcd of a 

 kind of coral rock, and having, mounted or diimounted, 

 fourtetn guns, and two howitzers. It confitls of a 

 parapet, retained by a wall ; but the parapet has been 

 raoch negleded, and the wall is nearly deltroyed by the 

 conftant working of the fea. This fort is protedted on the 

 land fide by a noxious fwamp, and towards the fe?, on the 

 north-weft, by extenlive flats, over which even boats cannot 

 pafs. The only good approach is that by the channel, which 

 it fees and defends. On the weft fliore, about a quarter of a 

 mile from the water-fort, is a battery, mounting feven guns, 

 bearing down the river ; and oppofite to this is a battery of 

 fix guns, facing the river, and two to the callward. Each 

 divifion of the city on cither fide of the river has two. canals, 

 running parallel with the longell fides, and interfe(iled at 

 right angles by crofs-canals. Thefe canals join the great 

 canal, or river, at the diftance of half a mile from the en- 

 trance ; and below their junftion is laid a boom of wood, 

 armed with iron fpikes. The city is encompalTcd by a 

 wall of coral rock, ferving as a facing to the rampart behind 



BAT 



it ; and alfo by a moat, having feveral fluicea, into which 

 water is conveyed from the river. Sir George Staunton 

 fnys, that a part of the town-wall is built of lava, which is 

 of a dark blue colour, and of a very hard denfe texture, 

 emitting a metallic found, and very much refembiing fome 

 of the lava of Vefuvius. It is brought from tht mountains 

 ill the centre of Java, where a crater is Hill fmoking. The 

 rampart is defended by twenty or twenty-one baftions, which, 

 as well as the wall, are in a ruinous ftate. Small projediions, 

 of various forms, are conftruftcd at intervals of about 350 

 feet, each of which generally mounted three guns. At fiiort 

 diftances from the town, three or four fmall ftar-foils of 

 earth are ercfted in particular palTes, probably for defence 

 againft the inhabitants of the idand. The caille or citadel 

 of Batavia, wliich was formerly on the fea- fide, is now, by 

 the continual increafe of the mud-banks before it, dillant 

 from the fea more than 100 roods, and is fcated on the eait 

 bank of the river. It covers about 200 roods of ground, 

 and is a regular fquare fortrefs, built of coral-rock brought 

 from fome of the adjacent iflands, compofed of that material. 

 It has neither ravelins nor outworks. Two guns are 

 mounted on each flank, and two, or fomctimes three, on each 

 face : neither " en barbette" ncr " en embrafure ;" but 

 in a fituation between both, having the difadvantages of both 

 ■without the advantages of either. The wall is of mafonry, 

 about 24 feet high. It has no ditch, but a canal encompaffes 

 it at fome diftance. It has no cordon ; and the length of the 

 exterior fide of tlie work is about 700 feet. Between the 

 moat and the buildings within the fort, on the fouth fide, is 

 a large area or efplanade. In the centre of the buildings- 

 that look towards the city, is a great gate, and then a broad 

 paflage, with warehoufes on each fide, leading to another 

 efplanade, on the north fide, enclofed between the ramparts 

 and the buildings, which are appropriated to the ufe of the 

 company. The government-houfe, which forms the left 

 wing of the buildings looking to the fouth, is provided with 

 numerous and convenient apartments, but uninhabited. In 

 it is a large hall, in which the council of India generally 

 affemble twice a week. Near this is a little church ojr 

 chapel, called the caftle church ; and at a fmall diilance is a 

 corps-de-garde, where a party of dragoons always mount 

 guard. Over the callle-biidge is a fpacicus plain or fquare, 

 planted with tamarind trees, which aflbrd an agreeable fhade ; 

 and the entrance into it from the city is over a bridge and. 

 through a large ftately gate, mounted with a lofty cupola, 

 from which arifes an odtagou turret with a large clock, the 

 only public one at Batavia. On the left fide of the gate i» 

 a Lu-ge building, ferving as a corps-de-garde, having in front 

 a long gallery, reiliug upon a row of pillars ; where is ufually 

 polled a captain's guard of grenadiers. On the well fide o£ 

 the fquare ftand the company's artillery-houfe, and the dif- 

 pcnfary or provifion-raagazir.e, both of which extend to the 

 fide of the river, fo that the goods are taken in and out of 

 the lighters v.ith the greatelt eafe. On the oppofite fide 

 is the iron-magazine, and the grafs-plat or place of execu- 

 tion, which is an artificial fquare eminence, upon which are a 

 gallows and fome polls ; and behind it is a fmall building, 

 with windows, opening towards the place of execution, 

 where the counfellors of juflice may behold the completion 

 of their fcntcfices. Upon the plain are arranged pieces of 

 iron and brafs artillery, and other wailike implements. 



Batavia has five gates ; and near to that on the north fide, 

 to the well of the river, is the admiralty wharf; and rear 

 this, the warehoufes forjiaval ftores, aiid the workfliops of 

 the carpenters, coopers, fail-makers, and fmiths, v.ith other 

 offces and houfes tlu.t relate lo the (hipping. In the fouth-eaft 

 corner of the city, clofe to the ramparts, "lies the workmen's 

 S quarter, 



