CAB7-4 — Page 556

Page 556

Appendix No. 9.

NETHERLANDS.

528

As the floating docks appear to be towed from one station to another as convenience demands, they may be classed as belonging to the ports in general. Of Government docks, the following appear to be in working order: two teak docks, 79 metres by 22, and another, dimensions unknown, but about the same size; three iron docks, 100 metres by 27 and 90 metres by 24, and another, dimensions not known, but classed as small. At present the great iron, one small iron, and one wooden dock are at Batavia, one small iron and one wooden at Soerabaia.

The private Dock Companies have been very unfortunate, two of their docks having sunk, after being towed out from Europe. It appears, however, that at last a private floating dock has been successfully established at Amsterdam Island; its dimensions are not known. It appears from the fact that the two largest iron-clads are quite recently returned as being always repaired at Singapore, that no dock at present in existence in the Dutch Indian ports is capable of containing them.

Batavia.

Admirable recent maps exist of this port, and in the discussions of Dutch military writers, especially Von Brackell, who commanded the Engineers there, in his "Defence of the Dutch East Indies" ("De Verdediging van Nederlandsch Indie "), almost every possible contingency in connection with the natural situation of Batavia is discussed; it will, therefore, be sufficient for our present purpose to select the most important points, recommending that, in the event of actual operations being thought of, these maps and memoirs should again be studied.

Batavia, the capital of Java and the Dutch East Indies, contains, including its suburbs, a popula- tion of 6,000 Europeans, 24,000 Chinese, and 140,000 Javanese Malays and other natives.

Batavia is the usual terminus of the traffic of European ships, from whence goods are distributed in country ships, a large proportion of which were formerly owned, officered, and commanded by British subjects, but of late years gradually falling into Dutch hands. The commerce of Batavia, always in recent times considerable, has lately suffered from the rivalry of the port of Singapore, but is developing once more under the influence of the Suez Canal; but we do not propose to enter into details of the ordinary statistics of productions, commerce, trade, and supplies of Batavia; they are easily accessible in many gazetteers, while information of military and naval value is seldom given.

Along the sea-shore, in the immediate front of Batavia, extends for miles a muddy marsh, covered with rank weeds, from a mile to a mile and a-half in width, interspersed here and there with fish-ponds, rendering the shore almost inaccessible except at the entrances of the shallow channels or streams which issue from it. Some of these have been embanked or improved into artificial canals. Along this portion of the shore there is no road, and the channels are only accessible to small craft.

The prin- cipal channels or canal mouths are, commencing from the west, the Angke, Karang, Baroe (then comes the harbour channel and piers), the Embrat, Tjiliwong, Autjol, Petjah, Bamboe.

Beyond the sea-coast marshes, extending southwards for 5 or 6 miles on the cast and west of Batavia, are low-lying lands, rice-fields, and pastures, and native gardens and hamlets, crossed and intersected by boat and irrigation channels, and the embankments of numerous roads. Thrust into this "U" shaped lowland, is the space occupied by the long irregular oblong which forms the old and new towns of Batavia.

rr

To a distance of about 6 miles from the beach, as far as the suburb of Parapatan, it is said the whole town can be inclosed by inundations, but the place extends in the shape of suburban villas for some miles further up the gradually-rising ground along the road towards Meister, Cornelis, and Buitenzorg,

Having described the general situation of the whole town, we may now proceed to give a short account of its separate portions. The old town, which is nearest the sea-shore, commences about a mile from the actual sea. It is an oblong of about three-quarters of a mile in length and half-a-mile in width, covered pretty closely with stone buildings arranged in squares and intersected by canals faced with free-stone, traversed by numerous bridges. The principal channel, which runs through the middle of Old Batavia, is from 160 to 180 feet wide. Formerly the canals were far more numerous, and many of them stagnant, but many were filled up during the English occupation, and those which now exist are of more or less running water. This has improved the air of the town, but it is still unhealthy, and the merchants and officials, as soon as the day's business is over, retire to the southern suburbs.

South of Old Batavia comes next the closely-packed Chinese and native town, covering about a square mile. It is also intersected by canals, but the streets are not laid out in any regular shape.

For about a mile along the main road and the Molenvliet Canal, which runs parallel with it, the town now becomes a mere strip, and there is a considerable breadth of open ground between the old town and the suburbs, an important feature to be noticed hereafter in discussing the defences. Between the 4th and 6th mile from the beach, and extending also to 2 miles in breadth, is the great suburb of New Batavia, a wide-spreading collection of villas, gardens, patches of more dense native bazaars, and the drill-ground and barracks of the troops. This portion of the town is also intersected by canals and water-courses, but they become less numerous. These suburbs are named in succession, commencing with the most northerly, Molenvliet, Nordwyk, Rijswyk, Weltewreden, and Parapatan, with which the town proper may be said to end. The distinctly suburban character begins with the now rising ground, which cannot be inclosed by inundation. The villas and gardens extend on each side of the road for several miles. There are also some barracks and military buildings, but no longer intersecting canals. The Tjiltjong runs on the west of the main road; the smaller stream of the Baroe on the east.

The land on which Batavia stands is very little raised. The city, as seen from the sea, appears almost sunk in a flat beach. The Weltewreden parade is only between 16 and 17 feet above the sea level.

Page 556

Page 556

Page 556