under way was countermanded. At nine o'clock the body of the deceased was committed to the deep, with the usual religious ceremonies. It was a source of deep regret to all, and of gloomy forebodings to some, thus to lose one of our best men at this time, and in such a place, by a disease which has often been so fatal in this part of the world; though thus far we had certainly been more healthy than has often fallen to the lot of many ships' crews of equal numbers.

Immediately after the performance of this melancholy duty, the frigate was again got under way, with a fine breeze, and stood for Batavia Roads. At eleven she once more came to anchor, about seven miles from the city, outside of all the shipping, in nine and a half fathoms of water, and veered out forty-five fathoms of chain cable; Batavia bearing south-by-east; Leyden Island, east-by-north-half-north; Enkhuysen Island, northeast-quarternorth; and Edam Island, northeast-by-north. The commodore was induced to anchor thus far from the city, to avoid the pestilential atmosphere generated by the stagnant water, in and adjacent to the marshy site of that Dutch Venice, which, if conflagrated, would "hiss in its foundations;" so low indeed is it, and so thickly planted with cocoanut, tamarind, canary, and a variety of other trees, that no part of it except the cupola of the great church could be seen from the deck of the Potomac.

Before she reached her anchorage, the frigate was boarded by a boat from the city, bringing several American gentlemen, who communicated the agreeable intelligence that Batavia was unusually healthy. News of the Potomac's intended visit had reached the city, and "rumour with her hundred tongues" had blazoned far and near the account of her exploit at Quallah-Battoo; all had been in daily expectation of her arrival. There was only one American vessel here; the French brig which the Potomac spoke off St. Pauls had arrived, and again left the harbour; of Dutch vessels there were about twenty of all descriptions, including one or two men-of-war. As is usual and always advisable for foreign vessels at this port, a number of Malays were engaged to man the frigate's boats, intended to ply between the ship and the shore; thus saving our men from exposure and probable sickness.

A boat was sent on shore with an officer to wait on the au

thorities and regulate the salute; and on her return, the first intelligence was confirmed of the present health of the city; so that the commodore changed his anchorage by moving to a more pleasant birth, within about four miles of the commercial capital of Java.

As this chapter has been principally devoted to a description of the Strait of Sunda, and the Potomac's passage through it on the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh of March, eighteen hundred and thirty-two, we cannot more appropriately conclude it than by adding the following document, containing a table of the beacons, twenty-two in number, on the shoals in the navigable waters of the Strait of Sunda, to and from Batavia Roads, replaced by order of the Dutch government, June sixth, eighteen hundred and thirty-two, three months after the Potomac's visit. The names of the shoals marked with an asterisk(*) have a beacon with a cross; those marked thus (†) have only a cross. The beacons with crosses, are beams, with a crosstree painted white; those without are single beams, painted white, both kinds extending twelve feet above water. In case one or more of the beacons should be removed by violence of the weather or otherwise, bamboo stakes, fifteen or twenty feet above water, with baskets covered with cloth painted black and white, will be placed in their stead, until they can be replaced by proper wooden pillars. Beacon number eleven stands upon a rock not laid down on any chart, to which the name of Mathilda Rock has been given, it being known in Malay language by the name of Karang Prol. The rocks on which beacons eighteen and twenty are placed, have hitherto had no Dutch names, they are now called the Wrange and the Midden Rock. The native names are in parentheses. The number of feet mentioned after the situation of the beacon, shows the depth at low water.

Father Smit's Bankt (Poeloe Poetrie), situated on the northeast point, nine feet; Leyden bearing north-northwest-half-west, and the beacon on Neptune's Shoal bearing west-quarter-south. Neptune's Shoalf (Karang Passier), on northwest point, twelve feet; Leyden northeast-quarter-north; eastern point of Hoorn northnorthwest-three-quarters-west. The Pasopt (Karang Tanglam), on northeast point, twelve feet; Leyden northeast-half-north; eastern point of Hoorn north-northwest-quarter-west. Rhynland

Shoalt (Karang Tahan), on east point, twelve feet; Hoorn northby-west-quarter-west; Kuiper northwest-by-west-half-west. Rygersdaal Bankt (Karang Camal), on east point, nine feet; Hoorn north-northeast-quarter-east; Kuiper north-northwest. The Arms of Purmerend† (Karang Djalan), on east point, thirteen feet; eastern point of Hoorn north-by-east; Rotterdam northwest. The rocks bearing west of the Island of Hoornt (Karang Poeloe Ayer), in the centre, twelve feet; northern point of Hoorn easthalf-south; Rotterdam west-quarter-north. The Reef of Rotterdamf (Karang Poeloe Obie), in the centre, fifteen feet; southern point of Hoorn east-three-quarters south; western point of Onrust Kerkhof south-half-west. The Reef of Purmerend† (Karang Poeloe Sakiet), on southwest point, nine feet; southern point of Purmerend north; Kuiper west-northwest-quarter-west. The Stone of Onrust (Karang Poeloe Kelor), on west point, nine feet; Rotterdam north-northeast-quarter-east; Kuiper southeastby-south. The Mathilda Rock* (Karang Prol), on northeast point, twelve feet; southwestern point of the Kuiper southeast; eastern point of Rotterdam northeast-three-quarters-north. The Reef of Onrust* (Karang Poeloe Kapal), on west point, nine feet. The two points of the reef bearing northwest of the Island of Kuiper (Karang Poeloe Kuiper), on northwest point, nine feet; the Reefs of Onrust, and the two points of that bearing northwest of the Island of Kuiper, extend to the Islands of Onrust and Kuiper. The Reef of Ontong Java† (Tanjong Ontong Java), on north point, thirteen feet; Haarlem east; western point of Middelburg north-by-west. The Reef of Middelburg (Karang Poeloe Ramboet), on southeast point, fifteen feet; and the same Reeft (Karang Poeloe Ramboet), on southeast point, fifteen feet; the coral reef on which these beacons are placed is connected with the island. The Wrange Rock† (Karang Sepat), on west point, twelve feet; south point of Middelburg southeast-by-cast-halfeast; Poeloe Dapoor northeast-half-north; at a cable's length to the westward from this is another rock, eleven feet below the surface. The Myndert's Shoalt (Karang Gosson), in the centre, twelve feet; Klein Kombuis northwest-quarter-west; Poeloe Dapoor northeast-by-east. The Middle Rockt (Karang Loemboeng), on southwest point, twelve feet; Klein Kombuis northeastby-north-half-east; south point of the Great Kombuis northwest

by-west-three-quarters-west. The Reef of the Great Kombuist (Karang Poeloe Lantjang, or Karang Papedjie), on west point, fourteen feet; south point of the Great Kombuis east-southeasthalf-east; eastern point of Maneater Island southwest-three-quarters-west. The Southeast Rockt in the centre, fifteen feet; eastern point of Maneater Island south-half-west; northern point of the Great Kombuis northeast-three-quarters east; beacon on the Great Kombuis southeast-by-east-three-quarters-east.

The Potomac passed the Strait of Sunda in March, eighteen hundred and thirty two. The following is a list of the whole number of vessels which were reported at Anger, or Anjere, a village on the Java shore, as having passed the strait in the same year, viz:-Dutch, fifty-eight out, fifty-four home; English, twenty-eight out, twenty-seven home; American, twenty-nine out, twenty-nine home; French, two out, one home; Hamburgh, two out, one home; Russian, one out; Swedish, one out; Danish, one home. Total reported, two hundred and thirty-eight. This list is doubtless imperfect, as many that passed without touching at Anger could not have been reported; but it shows the great proportion of American vessels trading in these seas.

CHAPTER XV.

Java and Sumatra oncé connected-Origin of the name of Java-Size and location of the island-Origin of the inhabitants-Pagans and Idolaters-Java successively visited by the Siamese, Arabs, Malays, and Chinese-Arab missionaries-Conversion of the inhabitants to the Mahommedan faith-The Portuguese visit the island-The English-The Dutch at Bantam-At Batavia-The English at Bantam-Massacre of Amboyna-Dutch oppressions-Massacre of the Chinese at Batavia-Americans visit Batavia-Governor Daendel's Administration-Antiquities of JavaDescription of the Javans-Their dress-Origin of the kris-Character, habits, and manners-Early marriages-Frequent divorces-Cookery and food-Amusements Useful arts and manufactures-Houses, furniture, employments, agriculture, and commerce-Government, literature, &c,

IN our description of the Strait of Sunda, in the preceding chapter, an idea was suggested that the islands of Sumatra and Java had probably once been united at some very remote period, and formed but one island. Indeed, there is a tradition recorded in the annals of Java, which says "It is related that in former times the islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali, and Sumbava were united, and afterward separated into nine different parts; and it is also said, that when three thousand rainy seasons have passed away, they will be reunited." Admitting for a moment the fact of their former union, the hypothesis might very naturally be extended still further, including in the same semicircular range the Malay Peninsula on the northwest, together with the islands on the east, including Lombok, Flores, Timor, Timorlant, Arroo, and New Guinea. By those are formed that great chain or barrier, which locks up the China Sea on the south and west, and probably once completely separated it from the great Indian Ocean. The waters of the latter have in divers places either forced or insinuated themselves through this circling arm of continental Asia, or the mighty ridge has been severed and shivered by some terrible convulsion of nature,-forming those numerous straits which are now the avenues of communication and commercial intercourse between the Atlantic ports and the Celestial Empire. Thus, that elongated portion of the broken ridge which bears the