BAT A VI A. 215 
weak, affording no bad illustration of an ancient doctrine re- 
corded by Pliny, " Somno concoqiiere corpulenticB quam firml- 
" tati utiliiis." — " Digestion in sleep is more conducive to 
" corpulency than strength." In fact, such habits of life, in 
such a climate, could not fail to exhaust the strength and en- 
feeble the constitution. The functions of life are fatigued, 
the powers of the body are worn out by luxur}^ indolence, 
and voluptuousness; and Avhen disease attacks them, the 
feeble victim, without nerves or stamina to resist it, fails a 
speedy sacrifice, and sinks into the grave. Deaths of this 
kind are so frequent at Batavia, that they scarcely make any 
impression upon the minds of the inhabitants. The fre- 
quency of the event has rendered it familiar ; and they shew 
no signs of emotion or surprize, beyond the shrug of the 
shoulder, when they hear in the morning of the death of the 
person with whom they supped in seemingly good health the 
evening before. 
Unexpected promotions and extraordinary removes to 
situations, different from what the successful candidates were 
originally designed, are not unfiequently the consequences of 
the great and rapid mortality of Batavia. Our friend Wee- 
german left his native country in the humble capacity of sail- 
maker to one of the Company ^s ships. The barber has more 
than once quitted the shaving profession for the pulpit. The 
physicians have almost invariably emerged out of that class 
of men whose original occupation was the handling of a razor, 
and who, in their native country, 
" 'shav'd, drew teeth, and breath'd a vein." 
