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NETHERLANDS INDIES
Island of Celebes
€289
Makasser.---Makasser, the most important harbour in the eastern part of the Archipelago is situated on the south-west point of Celebes. It possesses a road well protected by several coral islands and two breakwaters, approximately parallel with wharves at the shore, at a distance of about 1,200 metres. The wharves consist of a quay-wall with a length of 1,340 metres where ships of 9 metres draught can moor even at low tide and a screw pile wharf, 500 metres long and 10 metres broad, with a depth alongside of 7.50 metres at low tide. A harbour for sailing boats and native vessels with an area of 20,000 square metres and 26 little screw pile jetties has been made. The harbour is equipped with sheds; liquid fuel and coal can be obtained. At the end of the year 1932 altogether a sum of Fls. 14,000,000 had been devoted to the construction of the Makasser harbour works apart from the costs of the railway con- nections.
Island of Borneo
Pontianak.-Pontianak, which is situated at the Kapoeas river, is the principal trading centre of the West Coast of Borneo. There is a wharf nearly 300 metres long behind which sheds are built.
Bandjermasin.-Bandjermasin is situated near the South Coast of Borneo on the Martapoera-river, a few kilometres above the junction of that river with the Barito river. The accommodation exists of a screw pile wharf with a length of 150 metres and sheds behind it.
CIVIL AVIATION
The civil airlines, which are run by the Royal Netherlands Indian Airlines Com- pany (K.N.I.L.M.) form an important and valuable supplement to the other means of transport. The following lines are now in regular exploitation:
Batavia-Sydney, vice-versa: twice weekly; this service provides a through con- nection with the Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij service from Batavia to Amsterdam.
Batavia-Saigon, vice-versa; weekly
Batavia-Bandoeng vice-versa; twice or thrice daily according to season (70 miles).
season(70 Batavia-Samarang-Surabaya, vice-versa; once or twice daily (420 miles). Batavia-Palembang-Singapore, vice-versa; weekly (700 miles). Batavia-Palembang-Pakanbaru-Medan, vice-versa; weekly (1, 080 miles). Batavia-Surabaya-Bandjermasin-Balikpapan, vice-versa; twice weekly (585
miles) with weekly extension to Tarakan (363 miles) from Balikpapan. Surabaya-Den Pasar (Bali), vice-versa; twice weekly (237 miles). Surabaya-Macassar, vice-versa; weekly (500 miles). Besides operating airlines the K. N. I. L. M. engages in aerial cartography and photography; also taxi-flying, joy-riding, etc.
Douglas, three-engined Fokkers and De Havilland Dragon Rapide machines are used, while several Lockheed Super Electras operate the Australian route. The K. L. M. (Royal Dutch Airlines) maintain a thrice-weekly service between Amsterdam (Holland) and Batavia. The planes leave Batavia on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, covering a distance of about 9,000 miles in 5 days.
The Empire Flying Boats carrying the all-up air mail provide a thrice-weekly service between Sydney and Southampton, the Singapore-Sydney section being operat ed by Qantas Empire Airways in conjunction with Imperial Airways. These Short Flying Boats have aroused considerable interest in the Netherlands East Indies by their size and comfort and the inter-continental traffic is rapidly increasing.
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