Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1820-02-08

From the ~ Fork Daily .sdv. f., ;
Extract OF letter to a gentleman
this city, dated August &c. 1870 1870 y
Off .a'jier Point. ,
Straits Of sunda. {
After a very Fair passage of o. J.
we made Java head. The captain. Nay'
percargoes, officers, in short tba ~, SI-
crew, have been on my list, siu" "a"ls
left the Capes of Delaware /; how
save three er four cases, they WERE r.
Of much import. Capt. Fisher o' "oe
he never knew so much sickness to says ~,
cur in an outward bound vessel os Of w.
have as yet made out very welI AIR.
What success shall have in Ra,a,';
("he unwholesome air of which ~''",
alone, says Dr.. Lind, has co f'"s e,
'more Europeans than have fallen W. H..
+" the sword in all The bloody ware 81, y!
ried on by the Datch in that bart r" =,
:" the worldly know not. I +.. ..
h." ever we will become Injured to .[
climate In some measure before f..
rainy season commences /; for At tL..
time it is more particularly deadIv w."
tile to foreigners. I attribute the ron ,
slant sickness on board of our shin f.
the sudden vicissit,ldes of climate ~
at the beginning of month. il bs;S'
the dead Of winter; towards the end :
it. being within the tropics, and 1bs
Thermometer standing at 90 deg. in fin
shade. Hail, very cold rain and snow
were usual occurrences at the beginning
of August. On the 9TH, the tLcrmomEe
ter stoud at 47 deg. and on the e6tb Of
the same month at 90 deg. and at n.
degrees in the sun. In nineteen dave
behold the amazing change IF 40 deg.
variation
The Malays came of to trade with 10
fowls at IS per hundred ; sweet DO.
tatoes, 90 baskets full for dollar, a.
tont 2 barrels and yams, pine apples,
bananas, plantains, sugar, rice, NOM
keys, and birds of every description,
all equally cheap.
The Malays are nearly naked, mere.
ly belt round the body and turban
on the head long black hair, red skin,
and their tee s. from chewing the bee
tie nut) black as jet. They all wanted
to purchase opium. and had any of US
had a small quantity on board, We
should have made out very well with ii,
the. smoke il, and consider it a very
great luxary.
BATAVIA, Sept 9Th, 1919.
We arrived on the eSth of August
1os days, from the Capcs of Delaware
Batavia, is alike the pride and the dis.
grace Of the Dutch nation. While |
admire their magnificent houses, the
taste they display in decorating them
their beautiful strawberries, groves, &c.
surprising perhaps the richest scenery
in the Worthwhile gaze with delight
on plantations of cocoas, plantains, o.
ranges, mangustins, pine apples, &c.
interspersed with hills covered with the
richest verdure and literally teemInS
with birds whose plumage vie with the
most luxuiiant tints of nature Yet
say, although | am transported with
the beauties Of Batavia, am, on tue
other hand, equally as Disguised with
the numerous canals interseCtIns tho
city, the filth allowed to unulate in
them, the stagnant marshes, where
{. wastetuI, forth walks the dire power
of pestilent disease" Here dWells
the direfuI shark" and horrio alligator
One of our men fell overheard the other
day, and had just got in the boat asa
shark sprung towards him. On INC
bar opposite the canal | see alisa'ors
every time 1 pass there, some of when
are as long as our jolly boat. Dur
ing the westerly monsoon it is DANCE
rrus TO go by the bar at low water
they have been known to attack b0aS
OH the bar at that time; they stay oP
poste the canals, and pick up all 'n'
filth as it cores out. All the dirt 10
Batavia is thrown into these cahal'
which run before every house: even
some of the MaIays when they DIE sr'
frequently flung in. Yet this mum,
dirty, horrid water, they not only Oa'D'
in, but actually drink.
The town properly speaking Is octa'
MED hu fha natives nf fhr island OIL "