242 COOK’s VOYAGE, 
principal ftreet there is a canal, on each fide of which is plant- 
ed a row of oaks, that have flourifhed tolerably well, and yield 
an agreeable fhade : there is a canal alfo in one other part of 
the tewn, but the Hope of the ground in the courfe of both is 
fo great, that they are furnilhed with flood-gates, or locks, at 
intervals of little more than fifty yards. 
A much greater proportion of the inhabitants are Dutch in 
this place than in Batavia ; and as the town is fupported prin- 
cipally by entertaining ftrangers, and fupplying them with 
neceiTaries, every man, to a certain degree, imitates the man- 
ners jand cuftoms of the nation with which he is chiefly con- 
cerned. The ladies however are fo faithful to the mode of 
their country, that not one of them will ftir without a chaud- 
pied or chaufFet, which is carried by a fervant, that it may be 
ready to place under her feet whenever fhe fhall fit down. 
This practice is the more remarkable, as very few of thefe 
chauffets have fire in them, which indeed the climate renders 
•unneceflfary. 
The women in general are very handfome ; they have fine 
clear Ikins, and a bloom of colour that indicates a purity of 
conllitution, and £igh health. They make the befl: wives in 
the world, both as.miftrefles of a family and mothers ; and 
there is fcarcely ahoufe that does not fwarm with children. 
The air is falut'Sry in a high degree ; fo that thofe who 
bring difeafes hither from Europe, generally recover perfedl 
health in a fhort time ; but the difeafes that are brought from 
India are not fo certainly cured. 
Notwithfianding the natural fterility of the climate, induf- 
try has fupplied this place with all the neceiTaries, and even 
the luxuries of life in the greateft profufion. The beef and 
mutton are excellent, though the cattle and Iheep are natives 
of the country; the cattle are lighter than ours, more neatly 
made, and have horns that fpread to a much wider extent. 
The Iheep are cloathed with a fubftance between wool & hair, 
and have tails of an enormous fize ; wefaw fome that weighed 
twelve pounds, and were told that there were many much 
larger. Good butter is made of the milk of the cows, but the 
cheefe is very much inferior to our own. Here are goats, but 
they are never eaten, hogs, and a variety of poultry. Hares 
are alfo found here, exactly like thofe of Europe ; antelopes 
of many kinds, quails of two forts, and buftards, which are 
well flavoured, but not juicy. The fields produce European 
'►heat and barley, and the gardens European vegetables, and 
fruitof all kinds, befides plantains, guavas, jambu, and fome 
other Indian fruits, but thefe are not in perfection ; the plan- 
tains in particular^ are very bad, and the guavas no larger 
than goufeberries. The vineyards alfo produce wine of va- 
rious forts. but net equal to thofe of Europe, except the Con- 
