Volume II Part 30 (2/2)

ADVENTURES OF A JAVANESE

His history was a strange one He was a half-caste, born in Java, who, after various adventures in different parts of the world, had been pressed into our naval service, and served solish language On his discharge from her, he was for some time in distress in London, and eventually he found his way back to his native country, where his enterprise, knowledge of seaes, of which he spoke seven or eight, soon got him employment

The commandant of the troops, Captain De Stuers, nephew to the Governor-General of the Moluccas, who had very civilly pointed out the best anchorage to us, and given us every infor that ere interested in the manners and customs of the natives, very kindly invited us to see a arrison We landed with hie native boat, pulled by twelve ainst the gunwale between every stroke

NATIVE DANCE

On landing, the prettiest sight possible awaited us The barrack-square, a green grass field of considerable extent, was covered with the native soldiers, all dressed in their gayest holiday costuhtest colours, which streamed loosely from their elbows Some of the men were armed with narrow bamboo shi+elds, others ooden swords, and the reo-palm, which were to be used as javelins Each of these warriors ca up to us in turn, to make his obeisance, as we advanced to the spot where seats had been prepared for us As soon as ere all seated the dance commenced At first the spear-ht hand, and the ba tireat accuracy, and dancing quite as raceful manner possible When they had approached sufficiently near to each other, one threw his spear with great force and dexterity, still keeping time to the music, and the other parried the weapon with his bamboo shi+eld I only saw one instance of failure, and then the unfortunate man received the blunt spear full on his breast with such force that it sent hi head-over-heels, much to the amusement of the spectators, and equally to his own discoton natives, a very fine active man, had accompanied us on shore, we persuaded hi that the quickness of eye, so coes, would enable him to avoid the spear; but in this ere all disappointed, as he was struck nearly every time the spear was thrown

NATIVE SPORTS

After the dance was over sundry gy ound up by an exhibition of the Oreat delight The e frohter which accompanied the storyteller in his tale, itone

July 5

The Resident having invited us to visit the nut plantations on Great Banda, we acco-place at Lontar, where we found chairs waiting for us, fitted with long poles, like those of a sedan, and were carried by eightthe chair, with its occupant, above their heads, a position which we found at first anything but pleasant

In these conveyances we ascended to the su up fro-place, at the top of whicha ruined fort, and a church, that still retains traces of having been a fine building, though it had beenthe church, we entered the nut plantations

NUTMEG PLANTATIONS

The scenery was e kanari trees, whose luxuriant foliage most effectually excluded the sun's rays, were thousands of nute of developh above ato one of the planters, wherethe process of curing the nut of the blossom, the fruit, which reseathered fro stick with an iron hook at the end The outer covering, a tough fleshy skin which being opened divides in two halves, is then pulled off, and thethe nut, is carefully separated and dried for two or three days in the sun

The nut bamboo platforms, under sheds built for the purpose, where they are dried by means of wood fires When sufficiently dry, they are handed over to the Government (who monopolize the whole produce of the island) and are then placed in the Government stores, where they are heated with quick-li them from insects: they are then ready for exportation

The annual produce of the island is said to average fros; and about one-fourth that quantity of s are the only produce of Banda Cloves are grown upon the island, but are considered to be so much inferior in quality to those produced at A to the shi+p, the bearers a far froreeable to us ere carried, particularly e caht of steps, which they descended at full speed, shaking the chairs to such a degree that we had so at the botto planters

On the 6th July we sailed froh the western entrance, between the shoal extending froh very narrow, it is quite safe, and by keeping over on the Gounung Api shore, which is very steep, we found plenty of water

BAY OF AMBOYNA

July 7

We entered the bay of Ae till noon on the 8th We found a Dutch frigate, the Bellona, a 14-gun brig, and severalin the roads

On landing, I was most kindly received by the Governor-General of the Moluccas, Colonel de Stuers, who gave htful residence a short distance out of the tohich was gladly accepted During our stay at Amboyna the rain was al the clove plantations, which were described as being very beautiful, and the cloves of As of Banda

VISIT A NATURAL GROTTO

The only fine day was devoted to an excursion sorotto We started in chairs, borne on men's shoulders, similar to those at Banda, and which seem to be the usual conveyance of the country Our party consisted of e Dutch flags Thethe chairs, ran by our side, and as and war-cry, which was the rotto itself, prettily situated on the side of a ooded hill, was of considerable length but not otherwise curious

July 20

Having at last succeeded in getting a rate for the chronometers, which the unsettled state of the weather had rendered a hted with the kindness and attention we had all received During the night we passed a s a faint s es froht, is very barren, and apparently thinly inhabited