Series 03: Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 (vol. 2) - No. 0551

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Transcription

[Page 551]

447
Some account of Batavia

people, the inhabitants themselves talk of death with the same indifference, as people in a Camp, it is hardly a peice of news to tell any one of the death of another, unless the dead man is of high rank or somehow concerd in money matters, with the other, if the death of any acquaintance is mentiond, it commonly produces some such reflexion, as, well, it is very well he owed me nothing, or I should have had it to get from his Executors

So much for the neighbourhood of Batavia, as far round it as I had an oportunity of going I saw only two exceptions to this general description, one,
[Margin note]  exception is Gov. house
where the Generals countrey house is situated, which is a gradualy rising hill of a tolerable extent, but so little raisd above the common level, that you are hardly sensible of being upon it by any mark but the canals leaving you, & the ditches being changd into bad Hedges, the Governor himself has however straind a Point, to enclose his own garden with a ditch, to be in fashion I suppose, the other is, the

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