A TRIP TO PROBOLINGGO. 
Note to page 540. 
When Marshal Dacndels visited Sourabaya in June, and July, 1810 
he found a great deficit in the finances of the east end of Java, amounting 
for the department Sourabaya to ihe sum of 235,816 Rix dollars and for 
that of Samarang to 645,510 Rix dollars. To disentangle himself from 
this difficulty, without drawing from Batavia the little silver money which 
was in the treasury there, he resolved to part with government lands, and 
a number of lots were parcelled out around the towns of Samarang and 
Sourabaya and sold by auction to private individuals. A transaction, 
however of greater importance enabled the Marshal more effectually to 
compete with his financial difficulties. This consisted in the sale of the 
lands of Bezockie and Panarukan to the Captain Chinaman of Sourabaya 
Han Chanpit, who already possessed a lease farm of the same territory for 
as long as he lived, at a yearly rent of only 9,000 Rix dollars. The Mar¬ 
shal ordered Van Middlekoop the Landdrost of Java’s Oosthoek and Hes- 
selaar, Drostof Pasuruan, to value these lands and they reported that a sale 
at 400,000 Rix dollars would be advantageous for the government, but 
His Excellency succeeded in striking a bargain with Han Chanpit for 400,000 
Spanish dollars, or i more, thus 533,333 Rix dollars, for which the Captain 
Chinaman soon after settled, by taking over government debts and passing 
assignations to the amount of 503,959 Rix dollars and paying the balance 
of 24,374 Rix in specie. 
This, however, was not sufficient to cover the deficit and as it was ne¬ 
cessary to make provision for meeting not only the necessary expenses 
of Sourabaya and Samarang, but also to be in funds to pay for the Coffee 
which during the ensuing year would be delivered from the Jacatra and 
Cheribon Prianger Regencies, the Marshal, at the close of the same year 
1810, made up his mind to sell the Regency of Probolinggo. This extensive 
and fertile district, at that time produced very little for government, being 
only 2000 Spanish dollars for recognition money, 70| koyans of rice, 140 
Spanish dollars for the farm of 14 Birds nest caves, besides a trifling 
profit on the delivery of Coffee and teak timber cultivation was in a raise-* 
rable state. It was the Marshal’s opinion and argument that no great; 
or permanent improvement could be secured without giving to private indi¬ 
viduals a proprietory right to the soil, when they would be induced to lay 
out capital upon its improvement, and thus procure for the colony an in¬ 
crease of produce which could not but prove beneficial. The family of 
Han Chan pit were the only persons possessed of sufficient means for en¬ 
tering into such extensive operations as here contemplated. Han Chan pit 
himself immediately offered 600,000 Spanish dollars, which was more 
than the estimated value of the place, and more than it was likely to fetch 
at auction if put up in one lot or even divided into three. The Marshal 
being pinched for funds demanded a part payment within sixmonths olsale 
and the remainder in instalments of which the last should be due on the 
1st. July, 1812 $ the Chinaman proposed to pay off in ten years in suitable 
