B A T A V I A. 207 
the East, and combining every tinge of complexion from the 
sickly faded hue of a dried tobacco leaf to the shining polish 
of black marble. A band of Malay musicians played in the 
viranda during dinner. 
From table the Dutch part of the company retired to their 
beds, in order to recover, by a few hours sleep, the fatigues 
of eating and drinking, and to prepare for those of a far 
more serious meal which was to follow. The dinner, in fact, 
is ' considered only as a whetter of the appetite for supper. 
The day of our landing happened to be, at the time when we 
visited Batavia, a day of general festivity. It was the 8th of 
March, the anniversary of the birth of the Prince of Orange, 
and a most magnificent entertainment was prepared on the 
occasion at the Governors country-house. Here we had an 
opportunity of witnessing as grand a display of splendour 
and luxury as the wealth and the productions of the East 
could supply or suggest. The amusements out of doors con- 
sisted of a brilliant exhibition of fire-works, partly European 
and partly Chinese, which were let off in the midst of a large 
garden, whose avenues were fancifully lighted up by thousands 
of Chinese painted lanterns, hanging in festoons from the 
branches of the trees, and connected with wreaths of natural 
and artificial flowers. To those who had never had an op- 
portunity of visiting Vauxhall, these illimiinations were gazed 
on with rapture ; but, dazzling and splendid as they certainly 
were, their brilliancy could not be put in competition with 
that which lights up and enlivens the joyful scene of pleasure 
on the banks of the Thames. In different parts of the Bata- 
vian garden were stationed bands of musicians, some ot 
which were Malays, and others Germans belonging to the 
