ever, built with a dome (which is seen very far out at sea), is certainly far from an ugly building on the outside, though rather heavy, and in the inside is a very fine room. Its organ is well proportioned, being large enough to fill it, and it is so well supplied with chandeliers that few churches in Europe are as well lighted.
From buildings I should make an easy transition to fortifications, were it not a subject of which I must confess myself truly ignorant. I shall attempt, however, to describe what I have seen in general terms. The city of Batavia is enclosed by a stone wall of moderate height, old, and in many parts not in the best repair; besides this, a river in different places from fifty to one hundred paces broad, whose stream is rather brisk but shallow, encircles it without the walls, and within again is a canal of very variable breadth, so that in passing their gates you cross two draw-bridges. This canal, useless as it seems, has, however, this merit, that it prevents all walking on the ramparts, as is usual in fortified towns, and consequently all idle examination of the number or condition of the guns. With these they seem to be very ill provided, all that are seen being of very light metal; and the west side of the town, where alone you have an opportunity of examining them, being almost totally unprovided.
In the north-east corner of the town stands the castle or citadel, the walls of which are higher and larger than those of the town, especially near the boats' landing-place, which it completely commands, and where are mounted several very large and well-looking guns. The neighbourhood, however, of the north-east corner seems sufficiently weak on both sides, especially on the east.
Within this Castle, as it is called, are apartments for the Governor-General and all the members of the Council of India, to which they are enjoined to repair in case of a siege; here are also large storehouses, where are kept great quantities of the Company's goods, especially European goods, and where all their writers, etc., do their business. Here are also stored a large quantity of cannon, but whether to mount on the walls or furnish their shipping in case of the approach of an
