Series 03: Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 (vol. 2) - No. 0542
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[Page 542]
438.
Some account of Batavia
of a hundred soldiers who arrive here from Europe,
[Margin note] unhealthy
it is a rare thing for 50 to outlive the first year, & of those 50 half will at that time be in the hospitals, & of the half not 10 in perfect health, whether this account may not be exagerated I cannot say, but will venture to affirm, that it seemd to me probable from the number of pale faces, & limbs hardly able to support a musquet, which I saw among the few soldiers that were to be seen upon duty, the white inhabitants indeed are all soldies, the younger ones musterd, & those who have servd 5 years to be calld out on any occasion, but as neither the one nor the other are ever Excersisd, or made to do any kind of duty, it is impossible to expect much from them, more versd in handling pens than guns, the Portugese indeed are generaly good marksmen, as they employ themselves much in shooting wild hogs & deer; as for the Mardykers who are certainly numerous, being Indians of all nations, who, or whose Ancestors have