10th October according to our reckoning, but by the people here
Thursday, 11th! At 4 o'Clock in the P.M. Anchor'd in Batavia road, where
we found the Harcourt Indiaman from England, 2 English Country Ships,* (*
A country ship is a vessel under the English flag, but belonging to a
port in English possessions abroad.) 13 Sail of large Dutch Ships, and a
number of small Vessels. As soon as we Anchor'd* (* The Endeavour took
nine days, and had to anchor fifteen times, in getting from Java Head, at
the entrance of Sunda Strait, to Batavia, a distance of 120 miles.)
I
sent Lieutenant Hicks a shore to acquaint the Governor of our Arrival,
and to make an excuse for not Saluting; as we could only do it with 3
Guns I thought it was better let alone.
Joseph Banks Journal
After breakfast this morning we all went ashore in the Pinnace and immediately went to the house of Mr Leigth, the only English man of any Credit Resident in Batavia. We found him a very Young Man, under twenty, who had lately arrivd here and succeeded his uncle a Mr Burnet in his Business which was pretty considerable, more so we were told than our New Comer had either money or credit to manage. He soon gave us to understand that he could be of very little service to us either in introductions, as the Duch people he said were not fond of him, or in Money affairs as he had began trade too lately to have any more than what was employd in getting more. He however after having kept us to dine with him offerd his assistance in shewing us the method of living in Batavia and Assisting us in setling in such a manner as we should think fit. In order to this here were two alternatives; either to go to the Hotel, a kind of Inn kept by order of goverment where it seems all Merchant strangers are obligd to reside, Paying ½ PC. for warehouseroom for their Goods which the master of the house is Obligd to find for them: we however having come in a Kings Ship were free from that Obligation and might live where ever we pleas'd after having ask'd leave of the Council which was never refus'd. We might therefore if we chose it take a house in any part of the town and bringing our own servants ashore keep it, which would be much Cheaper than living at the Hotel provided we had any body on whoom we could depend to buy in our provisions; but this not being the Case as we had none with us who understood the Malay Language we concluded that the Hotel would be the best for us, certainly the least troublesome and may be not vastly the most expensive. Accordingly we went there, bespoke beds and slept there at night.
Sydney Parkinson Journal
On the 10th, we anchored in the road of Batavia, in which we found sixteen large ships, three of which were British; one of them an Indiaman that had lost its passage to China, and the other two private merchantmen. A lieutenant, in the pinnace, was dispatched to the deputy-governor with a message, who told him, he should be glad to see captain Cook, and that it would be proper to present his requests to the council in writing, who were to meet the next day. The pinnace returned to the ship, loaded with pine-apples, plantains, water-melons, and a bun-dle of London newspapers, which were very acceptable presents.
The Dutch commodore sent a messenger on-board of us, to enquire who we were; and by him we learned that the Falmouth man-of-war fell to pieces in this road about four months before we arrived.
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