d, that of a hundred soldiers who
arrive here from Europe, it was a rare thing for fifty to survive the
first year; that of those fifty, half would then be in the hospital, and
not ten of the rest in perfect health: Possibly this account may be
exaggerated; but the pale and feeble wretches whom we saw crawling about
with a musket, which they were scarcely able to carry, inclined us to
believe that it was true.[138] Every white inhabitant of the town indeed
is a soldier; the younger are constantly mustered, and those who have
served five years are liable to be called out when their assistance is
thought to be necessary; but as neither of them are ever exercised, or
do any kind of duty, much cannot be expected from them. The Portuguese,
indeed, are in general good marksmen, because they employ themselves
much in shooting wild-hogs and deer: Neither the Mardykers nor the
Chinese know the use of fire-arms; but as they are said to be brave,
they might do much execution with their own weapons, swords, lances, and
daggers. The Mardykers are Indians of all nations, who are descended
from free ancestors, or have themselves been made free.

[Footnote 138: Mr Barrow does not give a more favourable report.
According to him, no less than three out of five of the new settlers at
this place die in the first year of their residence; and he learned from
the registers of the military hospital, that though the establishment of
troops never exceeded 1500 men, and sometimes was not half this number,
yet during sixty-two years the annual deaths amounted to 1258! Of those
Europeans who have in some degree got accustomed to the place, he says
that rather more than ten in a hundred die yearly; and that scarcely any
live beyond the middle stage of life. The natives, as might be expected,
suffer less, but even they are exposed to frequent visits of the old
enemy. In Mr B.'s opinion, the climate is not so injurious as the
circumstances of the situation, and the pernicious, though convenient,
prevalency of canals, aided, he admits, by the bad habits of the
people.--E.]

But if it is difficult to attack Batavia by land, it is utterly
impossible to attack it by sea: For the water is so shallow, that it
will scarcely admit a long-boat to come within cannon-shot of the walls,
except in a narrow channel, called the river, that is walled on both
sides by strong piers, and runs about half a mile into the harbour. At
the other end, it terminates under the