= Fine copy with ample margins and sharp impressions of the plates and views. Tiele 77; Landwehr, VOC, 499; Bastin/ Brommer N 22. Anonymously published extensive account on the city of Batavia (now Jakarta) and capital of Java and former local headquarters of the VOC (Dutch East Indies Company). The author claims it was a tremendous effort to complete the work and that he could rely on interviews with high officials from the VOC, Church and Chamber of Commerce for his information. Includes the large folding plan of Batavia (66,5 x 39,5 cm. (platemark)) drawn by order of Governor-General P.A. van der Parra and engraved by A. van Krevelt. All engravings were done by M. Sallieth after H. Kobell Jr., but five of these delicate plates were in fact made after drawings by Johannnes Rach (Het gouvernement te Batavia, De Markt te Batavia, De Diestpoort te Batavia, 't Kasteel te Batavia and a view depicting the harbour of Batavia). The first part gives a geographical and historical description of the island of Java and the city of Batavia. The second part describes the historical development and present state of government by the VOC. The third part presents a complete survey of the VOC trade and finally, the fourth part describes the Javanese flora and fauna. Batavia, the capital of the Netherlands Indies, began as a trading outpost of the Dutch East India Company around 1610 and was formally established as such in 1619 by Jan Pieterszoon Coen. Constructed on the site of the former Banten port of Jayakarta, it functioned as the VOC’s regional administrative center. The city was laid out in a typically Dutch fashion, with canals and fortified walls designed to defend against incursions from Mataram, while nearby areas were intentionally cleared of inhabitants to form a defensive buffer. Over time, Batavia grew into a key hub for Chinese settlement, where Chinese inhabitants lived according to their own legal traditions. Yet increasing friction between Dutch authorities and the Chinese community led to the violent massacre of Chinese residents in 1740. The city’s society was also shaped by a substantial enslaved population, largely of Balinese origin, whose presence contributed to the development of a diverse and continually evolving mestizo culture.Contents fine. Spine-ends and corners restored; upper joint starting; top leather section of backstrip loosening.