and very
neat. There are also some _Macassers_ at Batavia, so famous for their
little poisoned arrows, which they blow from tubes. This poison is
made of the juice of a certain tree, which grows in Macasser and the
_Bougis_ islands, into which they dip the points of the arrows and
allow them to dry. The wound inflicted by these arrows is absolutely
mortal. The _Bougis_ are natives of three or four islands near
Macasser, and since the conquest of that island have settled at
Batavia. They are very bold and hardy fellows, for which reason they
are employed as soldiers by the company. Their arms are bows and
arrows, with sabres and bucklers. Besides these enumerated nations,
which contribute to form the population of Batavia, there are several
Armenians and some other Asiatics who reside there occasionally for
the sake of trade, and stay no longer than their affairs require, All
the inhabitants around Batavia, and for a track of about forty leagues
along the mountains of the country of Bantam, are immediately subject
to the governor-general, who sends _drossards_ or commissaries among
them, to administer justice, and to collect the public revenues; and
the chief men of the several districts resort at certain times to
Batavia, to give an account of the behaviour of these commissaries.

The city of Batavia, and all the dominions possessed by the company in
the East Indies, are governed by two supreme councils, one of which is
named the Council of the Indies, and the other the Council of Justice,
both of which are fixed at Batavia, the capital of the dominions
belonging to the company. To the first of these belong all matters
of government, and the entire direction of public affairs, and to
the other the administration of justice in all its branches. The
governor-general always presided in the former of these councils,
which is ordinarily composed of eighteen or twenty persons, called
counsellors of the Indies; but it seldom happens that these are all
at Batavia at one time, as they are usually promoted to the seven
governments which are at the disposal of the company. This council
assembles regularly twice a-week, besides as often extraordinarily as
the governor pleases. They deliberate on all affairs concerning the
interest of the company, and superintend the government of the island
of Java and its dependencies: But in affairs of very great importance,
the approbation and consent of the directors of the company in Europe
m