130 temminCk's general view of the dutch. 
and some public institutions, which rendered the preservation of the 
old tov.'ii necessary. These obstacles were removed by General 
Dacndels, wlio caused the old citadel and the greater part of the edi¬ 
fices it contained to he demolished, and new public buildings to he 
erected in the extensive suburbs, which now stretch in a radius of two 
leagues'from the old town ; this determined the abandonment of the 
latter as a place of residence. We only now find there the Go¬ 
vernment and commercial warehouses. A long street contains all 
the commercial establishments, such as the hank, and the bonded 
warehouse, the exchange, &c. From 9 in the morning until 4 in 
the afternoon, tins street is animated by the presence of a considera¬ 
ble crowd, who come to make their purchases and sales. Later, eve¬ 
ry one returns to his house in the suburbs, and the most profound 
solitude succeeds to the bustling scene of the forenoon. 
Thanks to the sanatory improvements begun by General Daendels, 
neglected bv the English, but actively renewed under the administra¬ 
tion of Baron Van der Capellen, and of his successors, the tow n of 
Batayia, or rather the immense village, which it is usual to call town, 
now enjoys a salubrious air; in its purified environs the servants of 
the English company come to seek health after a long sojourn in Bri¬ 
tish India. 
The roads of Batavia arc as safe as they arc beautiful; they arc 
strewed with a great number of small islands; the principal is On- 
rust, where are situated the dock yards of the marine; the others bear 
the names of some towns of Netherlands. 
I do not make special mention of the statistics nor of the chief 
places of the other 21 residencies of the island of Java; many French 
works may he consulted on these matters. The notices given by M. 
( le Baldi in his abridgment of geography, edition of 1844, offer on 
these heads a very exact precis, which he obtained in substance from 
our Minister of Colonies. 
The interior administration of each of the provinces has preserved, 
as much as could he done, the forms established by the ancient Java¬ 
nese Sovereigns. 
The villages (desa , more correctly dhcsoj are administered by a 
chief, assisted by a municipal council, composed of the oldest and 
more respectable of the inhabitants. The commune has the power 
of electing its chief, subject to the approbation of the superior autho¬ 
rity. The chiefs of communes (Petinggi or BekelJ are in direct 
connexion with the chiefs of arrondmement (Dhemang) . In mose 
parts of the island; a certain number of villages form a division of the 
