2o 5 C O O K’s V O Y A G E. 
But if it is difficult to attack Batavia by land, it is utterly 
impoffible to attack it by fea : for the water is fo fhallow, that 
it will fcarcely admit a long boat to come within cannon fhot 
of the walls, except in a narrow channel, called the river, 
that is walled on both fides by ftrong piers, and runs about 
half a mile into the harbour. At the other end, it terminates 
under the fire of the flrongefl part of the caftle ; and here its 
communication with the canals that interfeft the town is cut 
off by a large wooden boom, which is fhut every night at lix 
o’clo k, and upon no pretence opened till the next morning. 
The harbour of Batavia is accounted the finef in India, and to 
all appearance with good reafon ; it is large enough to con- 
tain any number of mips, and the ground is fo good that one 
anchor will hold till the cable decays : it never admits any fea 
that is troublefome, and its only inconvenience is the fhoal 
water between the road and the river. When the tea breeze 
blows frelh, it makes a cockling fea that is dangerous to beats : 
our long boat once flruck tv/o or three times, as fhe was at- 
tempting to come out, and regained the river’s mouth with 
fome difficulty. A Dutch boat, laden with fails and rigging 
for-one of thelndiamen, w'as entirely loft. 
Round the harbour, on the outfide lie many iflands, which 
the Dutch have taken poffeffion of, and apply to different ufes. 
To one of them, called Edam, they transport all Europeans 
who have been guilty of crimes that are not worthy of death : 
fome are fentenced to remain there ninety-nine years, fome 
forty, fame twenty, fome lefs, down to five, in proportion to 
their offence ; and during their banifhment, they are employ- 
ed as flaves in making ropes, and other drudgery. In another 
ifland, called Purmerent, they have an hofpital, where people 
are faid to recover much fafler than at Batavia. In a third, 
called Kuyper, they have warehoufes belonging to the Com- 
pany, chiefly for rice, and other merchandize of fmall value ; 
and here the foreign fhips, that are to be laid down at Ourufl, 
another of thefe iflands, which with Kuyper has been men- 
tioned before, difeharge their cargoes at wharfs which are ve- 
ry convenient for the purpofe. Here the guns, fails, and other 
ftores of the Falmouth, a man of war, which was condemned 
at this place, when fhe was returning from Manilla, were de- 
pofited, and the fliip herfelf remained into the harbour with 
the only warrant officers on board for many years. Remit- 
tances were regularly made them from home ; but no notice 
was ever taken of the many memorials they fent, defiring to 
be recalled. Happily for them, the Dutch thought fit, about 
fix months before our arrival, to fell the veffel and all her 
fores, by public auftion, and fend the officers home in their 
own fhips. At Ourufl, they repair all their own flipping, 
puad keep a large quantity of naval fores. 
