"The world forgetting, by the world forgot."
Don't know how long the feeling would have lasted had I indulged it ad libitum; but I certainly did enjoy the few hours passed there in a kind of dreamy abstraction, which approached the pleasure of the opium-eater's reverie.
The Island of Java, sometimes called "Great," on account of Balie having once been called by the same name, is nearly five hundred miles in length, and a place of considerable importance in the commercial world; that part of it occupied by the Dutch, producing coffee, rice, and "straits produce." Batavia, the principal settlement, is a city of considerable importance, only about sixty miles by land from Anger, a communication being kept up by post between the two places. It is described as a very populous and beautiful city, but of a climate, at certain seasons, deadly to Europeans. The Governor-General of the Dutch possessions in the East Indies, resides at Batavia, and it is the dépôt of the Dutch trade. It is well known that the English possessed themselves of this place after the provinces had declared war against Great Britain, and lost more men during its short occupancy, by disease, than by the casualties of war. Bantam is also neighboring to Anger, with which a post route is also kept up; it was once a place of considerable importance, but has fallen into decay, Batavia obtaining its trade, and rising upon its ruins.
Anger itself, from its advantageous position in the Straits of Sunda, with an enterprising population, might become a place of considerable importance, and rival in time its neighbor, Sincapore, in the Straits of Malacca. It is now the stopping place for nearly every vessel passing through these Straits for water and provisions, and there is nothing to prevent its becoming an emporium for the products of this fertile Island, excepting the short-sighted policy of the Dutch, who wishing to centre all the trade at Batavia, force the merchantmen to a sickly city for the pepper, coffee, rice, &c., raised upon it. Nothing is allowed to be exported from Anger, and when we wished to procure some coffee for use on board ship, found it only could be obtained in an underhand manner. If the English when they took possession of the island, had but made a settlement and retained this point, they would have found it greatly to their advantage, even more profitable than Sincapore.
CHAPTER XXVI.
Pass through Sunda Strait—H. B. M. S. Rattler—Catch the Trades—A learned opinion on Diaries—Extracts from Diary—Isle of France—Its Romance—Bourbon—Mauritius—Cape of Good Hope—Description—Trouble in getting in—Table Bay and Mountain.
In passing through the Straits, after leaving Anger, H. B. M. screw propeller "Rattler" went up on her way to China. Did not envy her officers, nor feel at all inclined to exchange with them.
Ran out of the Straits with a fine leading wind, taking our departure from Java-Head at early daylight on the morning of the 19th of March; struck the "trades" at once, and held them to the 28th, when had made 1550 miles.