e of these are in the town itself, and it was
from one of these that all the best houses belonging to the Chinese were
levelled with the ground in the Chinese rebellion of 1740.[137] These
defences are scattered over all parts of Java, and the other islands of
which the Dutch have got possession in these seas. Of one of these
singular forts, or fortified houses, we should have procured a drawing,
if our gentlemen had not been confined by sickness almost all the time
they were upon the island.

[Footnote 137: One of the most shocking transactions ever recorded, is
here alluded to. It has been often described, for it horrified all
Europe, and excited most general disgust at the very name of Dutchmen.
They, however, endeavoured to make the affair look as decent as
possible, and when forced to abandon every other claim to favourable
interpretation, used at last the tyrant's plea, necessity. Rebellion
must be punished, it is admitted; a thousand reasons are in readiness to
justify the punishment of it. But, alas! in this case many hundreds were
punished who had never been in rebellion, never thought of it, never
knew it, were incapable of it. The vengeful spirit of their "High
Mightinesses" in Batavia, was glutted to the throat. Butchery could not
do her work more thoroughly. Not a drop of blood was left in Chinese
veins to circulate disaffection, or boil in the agony of despairing
hate. Extermination smiled in the gloom of Death,--merciful in this at
least, that she suffered not a heart to remain to curse her triumph. See
Modern Universal History, vol. xiv. ch. 7. Our limits will not permit
the dreadful recital.--E.]

If the Dutch fortifications here are not formidable in themselves, they
become so by their situation; for they are among morasses where the
roads, which are nothing more than a bank thrown up between a canal and
a ditch, may easily be destroyed, and consequently the approach of heavy
artillery either totally prevented or greatly retarded: For it would be
exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to transport them in boats, as
they all muster every night under the guns of the castle, a situation
from which it would be impossible for an enemy to take them. Besides, in
this country, delay is death; so that whatever retards an enemy, will
destroy him. In less than a week we were sensible of the unhealthiness
of the climate; and in less than a month half the ship's company were
unable to do their duty. We were tol