maginable, and the respect and profound
submission which every servant of the company, and every
inhabitant must necessarily assume on these occasions, are little
short of the adoration paid to the Divinity: this homage is
carried to so great a height, that when the general enters the
church, although the congregation may be at prayers, yet every
person is obliged to get up and face him until he is seated in
his pew, bowing as he passes.

The deference paid to the several ranks, is not confined to
carriages, but extends to the cloathing of individuals, as no
person under the rank of an _edele heeren_ is permitted to
wear velvet: there are a number of other distinctions in dress
equally ridiculous, but they seem to be wearing away: a few years
ago, the women were strictly forbid wearing any European dress,
and ordered to conform to the Malay custom.

At the time I was at Batavia, there were only five European
women on the island of Java, the rest being born of Malay or
Creole mothers; and it is really distressing to see how much they
affect the manners of their Malay slaves in chewing beetle, and
other actions equally disagreeable. Their dress is a loose white
or flowered muslin robe, which is open and large, reaching to the
wrists and neck: but if the adjustment of their garments does not
take up much time at the toilet, the arranging of their hair
makes sufficient amends for it: they have in general very thick
long black hair, which is gathered into a knot on the back part
of the head, and is so nicely combed that not a single hair is
out of its place; round this a wreath of diamonds is fixed, which
is more or less valuable, according to the circumstances of the
wearer. In the evenings, a large wreath of jessamine is also put
round the hair, which gives a very agreeable perfume. Not more
than two women in Batavia could speak any other language than
Dutch or Malay, the former of which they understand very
imperfectly, always preferring Malay.

The office of shebander is a principal one in this place, and
is a situation of much profit; no stranger can transact the least
business without his permission; the exports and imports are
entirely regulated by him; every boat which goes into the road
pays him a certain sum; he also regulates and comptrols the
Chinese in the receipt of duties: this post is very laborious,
but is also very lucrative.

Nineteen thousand pekul* of tin are brought every year from
-Palambam_, o