BATAVIA
Batavia, the residence of the Government of Netherlands-India, is situated in 1067 48′ E. longitude and 6° 7 S. latitude. The old city is built in the ancient Dutch style and was till the beginning of the 19th century surrounded by fortifications, which have since been demolished. It has always been unhealthy. In 1699 the unfavourable conditions were greatly increased by an eruption of Mount Salak, masses of mud and sand being washed up by the river Tjiliwong, so that drainage became very difficult. On account of this unhealthy condition only very few Europeans remain day and night in the old city. The fine large houses are employed for offices and godowns, and in the afternoon, when business is finished, most of the Europeans retire to the new town, which is situated south of the old city and built in modern style. Broad roads and spacious squares and nice bungalows surrounded by gardens form there a desirable place. It was Marshall Daendels who, in the first years of last century, began to build the new town with the construction of barracks and the palace that was designed to be the residence of the Governor-General, but has never been used as such. It is now utilised for Government offices. It contains the large assembly room for the Governor-General and the Council for India, which room contains the portraits of all the Governors-General of Netherlands-India. The palace is situated on the west side of the Waterloo Square, where are to be seen a monument of the battle of Waterloo, another monument to General Michiels, and a bronze statue of Jan Pieterszoon Coen, which was unveiled when the 250 years' existence of Batavia was celebrated. Ón the right and left of the palace are the Supreme Court and the Military Club Concordia. At a short distance from the Waterlooplein is another and larger square, the Koningsplein, each side of which is nearly one mile long. The square is surrounded by elegant comfortable houses, the residences of the higher officials and wealthy merchants. There is also a fine church, Willemskerk, near the railway station, and the museum of the Batavian Society of Arts and Sciences.
The old city and the new are connected by three railways, two tramways, and wide roads for carriages. Different Banks and Banking Corporations have agencies at Batavia, viz. - The Netherlands Trading Society (Nederlandsche Handel Maatschappij), with a paid up capital of f.60,000,000 and a reserve capital of f.8,813,612, paid a dividend of 15 per cent. for 1916. The Netherlands-India Commercial Bank (Nederlandsch Indische Handelsbank), with a paid up capital of f.30,000,000 and a reserve capital of f.14,000,000, promotes trade, industry, and agricul- ture in Netherlands-India, advances money to agricultural estates and stimulates agricultural enterprise. The Colonial Bank (capital f.10,000,000) also supplies capital to estates for the same purpose. The Netherlands-India Discount Company, with a paid up capital of f.15,000,000 and a reserve capital of f.3,450,000 does general banking business and advances money on shares, etc. There are also agencies of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, of the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China, of the International Banking Corporation and of the Taiwan Bank, Ltd.
The population of Batavia consisted on the 31st December, 1905, of 8,777 Europeans, 8,150 Chinese, 2,058 Arabs, 246 other foreign Orientals, and 99,320, natives; total 138,551.
BUITENZORG
The usual residence of the Governor-General is at Buitenzorg, at a distance of a little more than one hour by railway from Batavia. The population of Buitenzorg amounted in 1905 to 2,394 Europeans, 4,318 Chinese, 448 Arabs, 27 other foreign Orientals and 26,214 natives; total, 33,401. The botanical gardens near the palace of the Governor- General were made in 1817, and are well known not only for their beautiful arrange- ment, but especially for the great services rendered to science and agriculture under the management of the eminent directors, Teysmann, Dr. Scheffer, and Prof. Dr. Treub. All experiments for the introduction of exotic plants into Netherlands-India are made here, with the result that many useful plants from foreign countries are reared and flourish in Java as in their native soil.