Page:Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.djvu/442

384 The next island, which is indeed of more consequence to the Dutch than all the rest, is Onrust; here they heave down and repair all their shipping, and consequently keep a large quantity of naval stores. On this island are artificers of almost all kinds employed in the shipbuilding way, and very clever ones, so at least all our most experienced seamen allowed, who said they had seen ships hove down in most parts of the world, but never saw that business so cleverly done as here. The Dutch do not seem to think this island of so much consequence as they perhaps would do if all their naval stores were here (the greater part are at Batavia); it seems to be so ill defended, that one 60-gun ship would blow it up without a possibility of failure, as she might go alongside the wharfs as near as she pleased.

It is generally said in Europe that the Dutch keep a strong fleet in the East Indies, ready and able to cope with any European Power which might attack them there. This is true thus far and no farther: their Indiamen, which are very large ships, are pierced for 50 or 60 guns each. Should they be attacked when all these were in India, or indeed a little before the sailing of the Europe fleet, they might, if they had sufficient warning to get in their guns, etc, raise 40 or 50 sail; but how it would be possible for them to man this fleet, if they kept anybody at all on shore, is to me a mystery. Again, should they be attacked after the fleet had sailed, they have very few ships, and those terribly out of condition; for they keep no ships even in tolerable repair in India, except those employed to go to Ceylon and the coast, which places indeed are generally taken in the way to or from Europe. As for the eastern islands, no ships of any force are employed there; but all the trade is carried on in small vessels, many of which are brigs and sloops.

The country round about Batavia for some miles is one continued range of country houses and gardens, some of which are very large, and all universally planted with trees as close as they can stand by each other, so that the country enjoys little benefit from being cleared, the woods standing now nearly as thick as when they grew there originally,