Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks/Chapter 16
CHAPTER XVI
SAVU ISLAND TO BATAVIA
Sept. 21—Dec. 24, 1770
Leave Savu—Arrive off Java—European and American news—Formalities required by Dutch authorities—Mille Islands—Batavia road—Land at Batavia—Prices and food at the hotel—Tupia's impressions of Batavia—Introduction to the Governor—Malarious climate—Bougainville's visit to Batavia—Orders given to heave down the ship—Illness of Tupia, Dr. Banks, Dr. Solander, etc.—Death of Mr. Monkhouse, Tayeto, and Tupia—Remove to a country-house—Malay women as nurses—Critical state of Dr. Solander—Ship repaired—Captain Cook taken ill—Heavy rains—Frogs and mosquitos—Return to the ship.
21st. Notwithstanding that our friend Mr. Lange invited us very kindly last night to come ashore again in the morning, and that we saw divers jars of syrup, a sheep, etc., waiting for us upon the beach, a sure sign that the Radja's prohibition was not intended to prejudice trade in the least, we, who had now got plenty of all the refreshments which the isle afforded, thought it most prudent to weigh and sail directly for Batavia; all our fears of westerly winds being dissipated by Mr. Lange assuring us that the easterly monsoon would prevail for two months longer. Accordingly we did so, and soon passed by the small island lying to the west about a league from Savu; its name I have unluckily forgotten (Pulo Samiri, or something like it, maybe). One of the buffaloes which was killed weighed only 166 lbs., which was a great drawback on our expectations, as we had thought that even that, though much the smallest of our stock, would not weigh less than 300 lbs.
1st October. About midnight land was seen, which in the morning proved to be Java Head and Prince's Island. At night we had passed Cracatoa.
2nd. We espied two large ships lying at anchor behind Anger Point; we came to an anchor, and sent a boat on board the ships for news. They were Dutch East Indiamen; one bound for Cochin and the coast of Coromandel; the other for Ceylon. Their captains received our officer very politely, and told him some European news; as, that the government in England were in the utmost disorder, the people crying up and down the streets "Down with King George, King Wilkes for ever," that the Americans had refused to pay taxes of any kind, the consequence of which being that a large force had been sent there, both of sea and land forces; that the party of Polanders, who had been forced into the late election by the Russians interfering, had asked assistance of the Grand Signior, who had granted it, in consequence of which the Russians had sent twenty sail of the line, and a large army by land to besiege Constantinople, etc. etc. etc. With regard to our present circumstances, they told us that our passage to Batavia was likely to be very tedious, as we should have a strong current constantly against us, and at this time of the year calms and light breezes were the only weather we had to expect. They said also that near where they lay was a Dutch packet boat, whose business it was to go on board all ships coming through the straits to inquire of them their news, and carry or send their letters to Batavia with the utmost despatch, which business they said her skipper was obliged to do even for foreigners, if they desired it. This skipper, if we wanted refreshments, would furnish us with fowls, turtle, etc., at a very cheap rate.
3rd. The Dutch packet of which we had been told yesterday, and which proved to be a sloop of no inconsiderable size, had been standing after us all the morning, and still continued to do so, gaining however but little, till a foul wind sprang up, on which she bore away. At night an Indian proa came on board, bringing the master of the sloop. He brought with him two books, in one of which he desired that any of our officers would write down the name of the ship, commander's name, where we came from, and where bound, with any particulars we chose relating to ourselves, for the information of any of our friends who might come after us, as we saw that some ships, especially Portuguese, had done. This book, he told us, was kept merely for the information of those who might come through these straits. In the other, which was a fair book, he entered the names of the ships and commanders, which only were sent to the Governor and Council of the Indies. On our writing down Europe as the place we had come from, he said: "Very well, anything you please, but this is merely for the information of your friends." In the proa were some small turtle, many fowls and ducks, also parrots, parroquets, rice-birds and monkeys, some few of which we bought, paying a dollar for a small turtle, and the same, at first for ten, afterwards for fifteen large fowls, two monkeys, or a whole cage of paddy-birds.
4th. Calm with light breezes, not sufficient to stem the current, which was very strong. To make our situation as tantalising as possible, innumerable proas were sailing about us in all directions. A boat was sent ashore for grass, and landed at an Indian town, where by hard bargaining some cocoanuts were bought at about three halfpence apiece, and rice in the straw at about five farthings a gallon. Neither here, nor in any other place where we have had connections with them, would they take any money but Spanish dollars. Large quantities of that floating substance which I have mentioned before under the name of sea-sawdust, had been seen ever since we came into the straits, and particularly to-day. Among it were many leaves, fruits, old stalks of plantain trees, plants of Pistia stratiotes, and such like trash, from whence we almost concluded that it came out of some river.
5th. Early in the morning a proa came on board, bringing a Dutchman, who said that his post was much like that of the man who was on board on the 3rd. He presented a printed paper, of which he had copies in English, French, and Dutch, regularly signed in the name of the Governor. These he desired we would give written answers to, which he told us would be sent express to Batavia, where they would arrive to-morrow at noon. He had in the boat turtle and eggs, of which latter he sold a few for somewhat less than a penny apiece, and then went away.
The day was spent as usual in getting up and letting down the anchor. At night, however, we were very near Bantam Point.
8th. At eight Dr. Solander and I went ashore on a small islet belonging to the Mille Isles, not laid down in the draught, lying five miles N. by E. from Pulo Bedroe. The whole was not above 500 yards long, and 100 broad, yet on it was a house and a small plantation, in which, however, at this time was no plant from whence any profit could be derived, except Ricinus palma Christi, of which castor-oil is made in the West Indies. Upon the shoal, about a quarter of a mile from the island, were two people in a canoe, who seemed to hide themselves as if afraid of us; we supposed them to be the inhabitants of our island. We found very few species of plants, but shot a bat, whose wings measured three feet when stretched out (Vesp. vampyrus), and four plovers exactly like our English golden plover (Charadrius pluvialis). With these and the few plants we returned, and very soon after a small Indian boat came alongside, having in her three turtles, some dried fish, and pumpkins. We bought his turtles, which weighed altogether 146 Ibs. for a dollar, with which bargain he seemed well pleased, but could scarce be prevailed upon to take any other coin for his pumpkins, after desiring that we would cut a dollar and give him a part. At last, however, a petack, shining and well-coined, tempted him to part with his stock, which consisted of twenty-six. He told us that the island, called in most draughts Pulo Babi, was really called Pulo Sownda, and that called Pulo Bedroe, Pulo Payon. At parting he made signs that we should not tell at Batavia that any boat had been on board us.
9th. Before four we were at anchor in Batavia road. A boat came immediately on board us from a ship which had a broad pendant flying; the officer on board inquired who we were, etc., and immediately returned. Both he and his people were pale almost as spectres, no good omen of the healthiness of the country we had arrived at. Our people, however, who might truly be called rosy and plump (for we had not a sick man among us), jeered and flaunted much at their brother seamen's white faces. By this time our boat was ready and went ashore with the first lieutenant, who had orders to acquaint the commanding officer ashore of our arrival. At night he returned, having met with a very civil reception from the Shabandar, who, though no military officer, took cognizance of all these things. I forgot to mention before that we found here the Harcourt Indiaman, Captain Paul, and two English private traders from the coast of India.
10th. After breakfast this morning we all went ashore in the pinnace, and immediately went to the house of Mr. Leith, the only Englishman of any credit in Batavia. We found him a very young man, under twenty, who had lately arrived here, and succeeded his uncle, a Mr. Burnet, in his business, which was pretty considerable, more so, we were told, than our new-comer had either money or credit to manage. He soon gave us to understand that he could be of very little service to us either in introducing us, as the Dutch people, he said, were not fond of him, or in money affairs, as he had begun trade too lately to have any more than what was employed in getting more. He, however, after having kept us to dine with him, offered us his assistance in showing us the method of living in Batavia, and in helping us to settle in such a manner as we should think fit. We had two alternatives. We could go to the hotel, a kind of inn kept by order of the Government, where it seems all merchant strangers are obliged to reside, paying ½ per cent for warehouse room for their goods, which the master of the house is obliged to find for them. We, however, having come in a king's ship, were free from that obligation, and might live wherever we pleased. After having asked leave of the Council, which was never refused, we might therefore, if we chose it, take a house in any part of the town, and bringing our own servants ashore, might keep it, which would be much cheaper than living at the hotel, provided we had anybody on whom we could depend to buy our provisions. As this was not the case, having none with us who understood the Malay language, we concluded that the hotel would be the best for us, certainly the least troublesome, and maybe not much the most expensive; accordingly, we went there, bespoke beds, and slept there at night.
The next day we agreed with the keeper of the house, whose name was Van Heys, as to the rates we should pay for living, as follows (for this he agreed, as we were five of us, who would probably have many visitors from the ship, to keep us a separate table). For ourselves we were to pay two rix-dollars a day each; and for each stranger we were to pay one rix-dollar (4s.) for dinner, and another for supper and bed if he stayed ashore. We were to have also for ourselves and friends, tea, coffee, punch, pipes and tobacco, as much as we could consume; in short, everything the house afforded, except wine and beer, which we were to pay for at the following rates:—
| s. | d. | ||
Claret . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
39 stivers | 3 | 3 |
Hock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
1 rixʳ | 4 | 0 |
Lisbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
39 stivers | 3 | 3 |
Sweet wine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
39 stivers„ | 3 | 3 |
Madeira . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
1 rupee | 2 | 6 |
Beer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
1 rupee„ | 2 | 6 |
Spa water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
1 rixʳ | 4 | 0 |
Besides this we were to pay for our servants ½ a rupee (1s. 3d.) a day each.
For these rates, which we soon found[1] to be more than double the common charges of boarding and lodging in the town, we were furnished with a table which under the appearance of magnificence was wretchedly covered; indeed, our dinners and suppers consisted of one course each, the one of fifteen, the other of thirteen dishes, of which, when you came to examine them, seldom less than nine or ten were of bad poultry, roasted, boiled, fried, stewed, etc. etc. So little conscience had they in serving up dishes over and over again, that I have seen the same identical duck appear upon the table three times as roasted duck, before he found his way into the fricassee, from whence he was again to pass into forcemeat.
This treatment, however, was not without remedy; we found that it was the constant custom of the house to supply strangers at their first arrival with every article as bad as possible; if through good nature or indolence they put up with it, it was so much the better for the house, if not it was easy to mend their treatment by degrees, till they were satisfied. On this discovery we made frequent remonstrances, and mended our fare considerably, so much so that had we had any one among us who understood this kind of wrangling, I am convinced we might have lived as well as we could have desired.
Being now a little settled, I hired a small house next door to the hotel, for which I payed 10 rixʳ (£2) a month. Here our books, etc., were lodged, but here we were far from private, almost every Dutchman that came by running in and asking what we had to sell; for it seems that hardly any individual had ever been at Batavia before who had not something or other to sell. I also hired two carriages, which are a kind of open chaise made to hold two people and driven by a man on a coach-box. For each of these I paid 2 rixʳ (8s.) a day, by the month. We sent for Tupia, who had till now remained on board on account of his illness, which was of the bilious kind, and for which he had all along refused to take any medicine. On his arrival, his spirits, which had long been very low, were instantly raised by the sights which he saw, and his boy Tayeto, who had always been perfectly well, was almost ready to run mad; houses, carriages, streets, and everything, were to him sights which he had often heard described but never well understood, so he looked upon them with more than wonder, almost mad with the numberless novelties which diverted his attention from one to the other. He danced about the streets examining everything to the best of his abilities. One of Tupia's first observations was the various dresses which he saw worn by different people; on his being told that in this place every different nation wore their own country dress, he desired to have his, on which South Sea cloth was sent for on board, and he clothed himself according to his taste. We were now able to get food for him similar to that of his own country, and he grew visibly better every day, so that I doubted not in the least of his perfect recovery, as our stay at this place was not likely to be very short.
Ever since our arrival at this place, Dr. Solander and I had applied to be introduced to the General, or Governor, on one of his Public or Council days; we had been put off by various foolish excuses, and at last were told plainly that as we could have no business with him, we could have no reason to desire that favour. This did not satisfy us, so I went myself to the Shabandar, who is also master of the ceremonies, in order to ask his reasons for refusing so trifling a request, but was surprised at being very politely received, and told that the very next day he would attend us, which he did, and we were introduced, and had the honour of conversing for a few minutes with his high mightiness, who was very polite to us.
Ever since our first arrival here we had been universally told of the extreme unwholesomeness of the place, which we, they said, should severely feel on account of the freshness and healthiness of our countenances. This threat, however, we did not much regard, thinking ourselves too well seasoned to variety of climates to fear any, and trusting more than all to an invariable temperance in everything, which we had as yet unalterably kept during our whole residence in the warm latitudes. Before the end of the month, however, we were made sensible of our mistake. Poor Tupia's broken constitution felt it first, and he grew worse and worse every day. Then Tayeto, his boy, was attacked by a cold and inflammation in his lungs; then my servants, Peter and James, and I myself had intermittent fevers, and Dr. Solander a constant nervous one. In short, every one on shore, and many on board, were ill, chiefly of intermittents, occasioned no doubt by the lowness of the country, and the numberless dirty canals, which intersect the town in all directions.
Some days before this, as I was walking the streets with Tupia, a man totally unknown to me ran out of his house, and eagerly accosting me, asked if the Indian whom he saw with me had not been at Batavia before. On my declaring that he had not, and asking the reason of so odd a question, he told me that a year and a half before, Mr. De Bougainville had been at Batavia with two French ships, and that with him was an Indian so like this that he had imagined him to be the identical same person, until I informed him of the contrary. On this I inquired, and found that Mr. De Bougainville was sent out by the French to the Malouine or Falkland Isles (in order, as they said here, to sell them to the Spaniards), had gone from thence to the River Plate, and afterwards having passed into the South Seas,—maybe to other Spanish parts, where he and all his people had got an immense deal of money in new Spanish dollars—came here across the South Seas, in which passage he discovered divers lands unknown before, and from one of them he brought the Indian in question.
This at once cleared up the account given us by the Otahite Indians of the two ships which had been there ten months before us (p. 96 of this journal); these were undoubtedly the ships of Mr. De Bougainville, and the Indian was Otourrou, the brother of Rette, chief of Hidea. Even the story of the woman was known here; she, it seems, was a Frenchwoman, who followed a young man sent out in the character of botanist, in men’s clothes.[2] As for the article of the colours, the Indians might easily be mistaken, or Mr. De Bougainville, if he had traded in the South Seas under Spanish colours, might choose to go quite across with them. The iron, which most misled us, had undoubtedly been bought in Spanish America. Besides the botanist mentioned above, these ships were furnished with one or more draughtsmen, so that they have probably done some of our work for us.
21st. After petitioning and repetitioning the Council of the Indies, our affairs were at last settled, and orders given to heave down the ship with all expedition; so she this day went down to Kuyper, called by the English Cooper's Island, where a warehouse was allotted for her to lay up her stores, etc.
We now began sensibly to feel the ill effects of the unwholesome climate we were in. Our appetites and spirits were gone, but none were yet really sick except poor Tupia and Tayeto, both of whom grew worse and worse daily, so that I began once more to despair of poor Tupia's life. At last he desired to be moved to the ship, where, he said, he should breathe a freer air clear of the numerous houses, which he believed to be the cause of his disease, by stopping the free draught. Accordingly on the 28th I went down with him to Kuyper, and on his liking the shore had a tent pitched for him in a place he chose, where both sea and land breezes blew right over him, a situation in which he expressed great satisfaction.
The seamen now fell ill fast, so that the tents ashore were always full of sick. After a stay of two days I left Tupia well satisfied in mind, but not at all better in body, and returned to town, where I was immediately seized with a tertian, the fits of which were so violent as to deprive me entirely of my senses, and leave me so weak as scarcely to be able to crawl downstairs. My servants, Peter and James, were as bad as myself, and Dr Solander now felt the first attacks of the fever, but never having been in his lifetime once ill, resisted it, resolved not to apply to a physician. But the worst of all was Mr. Monkhouse, the ship's surgeon; he was now confined to his bed by a violent fever, which grew worse and worse notwithstanding all the efforts of the physician.
4th November. At last, after many delays caused by Dutch ships which came alongside the wharfs to load pepper, the Endeavour was this day got down to Onrust, where she was to be hove down without delay, most welcome news to us all, now heartily tired of this unwholesome country.
Poor Mr. Monkhouse became worse and worse without the intervention of one favourable symptom, so that we now had little hopes of his life.
6th. In the afternoon of this day poor Mr. Monkhouse departed, the first sacrifice to the climate, and the next day was buried. Dr. Solander attended his funeral, and I should certainly have done the same, had I not been confined to my bed by my fever. Our case now became melancholy, neither of my servants were able to help me, no more than I was them, and the Malay slaves, whom alone we depended on, naturally the worst attendants in nature, were rendered less careful by our incapacity to scold them on account of our ignorance of the language. When we became so sick that we could not help ourselves, they would get out of call, so that we were obliged to remain still until able to get up and go in search of them.
9th. This day we received the disagreeable news of the death of Tayeto, and that his death had so much affected Tupia, that there were little hopes of his surviving him many days.
10th. Dr. Solander and I still grew worse and worse, and the physician who attended us declared that the country air was necessary for our recovery; so we began to look out for a country house, though with a heavy heart, as we knew that we must there commit ourselves entirely to the care of the Malays, whose behaviour to sick people we had all the reason in the world to find fault with. For this reason we resolved to buy each of us a Malay woman to nurse us, hoping that the tenderness of the sex would prevail even here, which indeed we found it to do, for they turned out by no means bad nurses.
11th. We received the news of Tupia's death; I had quite given him over ever since the death of his boy, whom I well knew he sincerely loved, though he used to find much fault with him during his lifetime.
12th. Dr. Solander, who had not yet entirely taken to his bed, returned from an airing this evening extremely ill. He went to bed immediately. I sat by him, and soon observed symptoms which alarmed me very much. I sent immediately for our physician, Dr. Jaggi, who applied sinapisms to his feet, and blisters to the calves of his legs, but at the same time gave me little or no hopes of even the possibility of his living till morning. Weak as I was I sat by him till morning, when he changed very visibly for the better. I then slept a little, and on waking found him still better than I had any reason to hope.
13th. As Dr. Jaggi had all along insisted on the country air being necessary for our recovery, I at once agreed with my landlord, Van Heys, for his country house, which he immediately furnished for us; agreeing to supply us with provisions, and give us the use of five slaves who were there, as well as three we were to take with us, for a dollar a day (4s.), more than our common agreement. This country house, though small and very bad, was situated about two miles out of the town, in a situation that prepossessed me much in its favour, being upon the banks of a briskly running river, and well open to the sea breeze, two circumstances which must much contribute to promote circulation of the air, a thing of the utmost consequence in a country perfectly resembling the low part of my native Lincolnshire. Accordingly, Dr. Solander being much better, and in the doctor's opinion not too bad to be removed, we carried him to it this day, and also received from the ship Mr. Sporing (our writer), a seaman, and the captain's own servant, whom he had sent on hearing of our melancholy situation, so that we were now sufficiently well attended, having ten Malays and two whites, besides Mr. Sporing. This night, however, Dr. Solander was extremely ill, so much so that fresh blisters were applied to the inside of his thighs, which he seemed not at all sensible of; nevertheless in the morning he was something better, and from that time recovered, though by extremely slow degrees, till his second attack. I myself, either by the influence of the bark of which I had all along taken quantities, or by the anxiety I suffered on Dr. Solander's account, missed my fever, nor did it return for several days, until he became better.
14th. We had the agreeable news of the repairs of the ship being completely finished, and that she had returned to Cooper's Island, where she proved to be no longer leaky. When examined she had proved much worse than anybody expected; her main plank being in many places so cut by the rocks that not more than one-eighth of an inch in thickness remained; and here the worm had got in and made terrible havoc. Her false keel was entirely gone, and her main keel much wounded. The damages were now, however, entirely repaired, and very well too in the opinion of everybody who saw the Dutch artificers do their work.
Dr. Solander grew better, though by very slow degrees. I soon had a return of my ague, which now became quotidian; the captain also was taken ill on board, and of course we sent his servant to him. Soon after both Mr. Sporing and our seaman were seized with intermittents, so that we were again reduced to the melancholy necessity of depending entirely upon the Malays for nursing us, all of whom were often sick together.
24th. We had for some nights now had the wind on the western board, generally attended with some rain, thunder and lightning; this night it blew strong at S.W. and rained harder than ever I saw it before for three or four hours. Our house rained in every part, and through the lower part of it ran a stream almost capable of turning a mill. In the morning I went to Batavia, where the quantities of bedding that I everywhere saw hung up to dry, made a very uncommon sight, for I was told almost every house in the town and neighbourhood suffered more or less. This was certainly the shifting of the monsoon; for the winds, which had before been constantly to the eastward, remained constantly on the western board. The people here, however, told us that it did not commonly shift so suddenly, and were loth to believe that the westerly winds were really set in for several days after.
Dr. Solander had recovered enough to be able to walk about the house, but gathered strength very slowly. I myself was given to understand that curing my ague was of very little consequence while the cause remained in the badness of the air. The physician, however, bled me, and gave me frequent gentle purges, which he told me would make the attacks less violent, as was really the case. They came generally about two or three in the afternoon, a time when everybody in these climates is always asleep, and by four or five I had generally recovered sufficiently to get up and walk in the garden. The rainy season had now set in, and we had generally some rain in the night; the days were more or less cloudy, and sometimes wet; this, however, was not always the case, for we once had a whole week of very clear weather.
The frogs in the ditches, whose voices were ten times louder than those of European ones, made a noise almost intolerable on nights when rain was to be expected; and the mosquitos or gnats, who had been sufficiently troublesome even in the dry time, were now breeding in every splash of water, and became innumerable, especially in the moonlight nights. Their stings, however, though painful and troublesome enough at the time, never continued to itch above half an hour; so that no man in the daytime was troubled with the bites of the night before. Indeed, I never met with any whose bites caused swellings remaining twenty-four hours, except the midges or gnats of Lincolnshire (which are identically the same insect as is called mosquito in most parts of the world) and the sand flies of North America.[3]
1st December. About this time Dr. Solander had a return of his fever, which increased gradually for four or five days, when he became once more in imminent danger.
7th. We received the agreeable news of the ship's arrival in the road, having completed all her rigging, etc., and having now nothing to take in but provisions and a little water. The people on board, however, were extremely sickly, and several had died, a circumstance necessarily productive of delays; indeed, had they been strong and healthy we should have been before now at sea.
Dr. Solander had changed much for the better within these two last days, so that our fears of losing him were entirely dissipated, for which much praise is due to his ingenious physician, Dr. Jaggi, who at this juncture especially was indefatigable.
16th. Our departure being now very soon to take place, I thought it would be very convenient to cure the ague, which had now been my constant companion for many weeks. Accordingly I took decoction of bark plentifully, and in three or four days missed it. I then went to town, settled all my affairs, and remained impatient to have the day fixed.
24th. The 25th, Christmas Day by our account, being fixed for sailing, we this morning hired a large country proa, which came up to the door and took in Dr. Solander, now tolerably recovered, and carried him on board the ship, where in the evening we all joined him.