island in the East Indies, the middle of which is in
long. 104 deg. E. and in lat. 9 deg. S.[120] It is 146 leagues long from east to
west, and about 90 leagues broad from south to north.[121] The middle of
the island is for the most part mountainous, yet no where so steep as to
prevent the people from travelling to their tops either a-foot or on
horseback. Some inhabitants dwell on the hills nearest the sea; but in
the middle of the land, so far as I could learn, there were no
inhabitants; but wild beasts of several sorts, some of which come to the
valleys near the sea, and devour many people. Towards the sea the land
for the most part is low and marshy, whereon stand their towns of
principal trade, being mostly on the north and north-east sides of the
island, as Chiringin, Bantam, Jackatra, and Jortan or Greesey. These low
lands are very unwholesome, and breed many diseases, especially among
the strangers who resort thither, and yield no merchandise worth
speaking of, except pepper, which has been long brought from all parts
of the island to Bantam, as the chief mart or trading town of the
country. Pepper used formerly to be brought here from several other
countries for sale, which is not the case now, as the Dutch trade to
every place where it can be procured, and buy it up.
[Footnote 120: The longitude of the middle of Java may be assumed at
110 deg. E. from Greenwich, and its central latitude 7 deg. 15' S. The western
extremity is in long. 105 deg. 20' and the eastern in 114 deg. 48' both E. The
extreme north-west point is in lat. 6 deg., the most southeastern in 8 deg. 45',
both S. It is hard to guess what Mr Scot chose as his first meridian,
giving an error of excess or difference of 30 deg. from the true position;
as the meridian of Ferro would only add about 18 degrees.--E.]
[Footnote 121: The difference of longitude in the preceding note gives
189 leagues, being 43 more than in the text, whereas its greatest
breadth does not exceed 28 leagues, not a third part of what is assigned
in the text.--E.]
The town of Bantam is about three English miles long, and very populous.
It has three markets held every day, one in the forenoon and two in the
afternoon. That especially which is held in the morning abounds as much
in people, and is equally crowded with many of our fairs in England; yet
I never saw any cattle there for sale, as very few are bred or kept in
the country. The food of the people is almost entirely
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