They Hung Up Their Cloves
In A Large Sheet By The Four Corners, And Set A Large Tub Of Water
Underneath, Which The Cloves, Being Of A Very Hot And Dry Nature, Drew
Up By Degrees, And Thus Made A Large Addition To Their Weight.
But the
Dutch are now too cunning for them, as they always try the cloves, by
giving them a small filip on the head with the forefinger:
If thoroughly
ripe, and no deceit has been used, the head breaks off like a piece of
thin brittle glass; but if watered, the clove is tough, and will sooner
bend than break.
The nutmeg-tree is much like the peach, and there are a few of these
in this island, but they grow mostly on the island of Banda, whence two
or three ship-loads are exported yearly. The fruit of this tree consists
of four parts. The first and outer rind is like that of a green walnut.
The second, which we call mace, is dry and thin. The third is a tough
thin shell, like that of a chesnut; and the fourth is the nutmeg,
being the kernel included in that shell.
There are said to be some gold-mines in the island of Amboina; and a
Malay once shewed me some of the ore, which, he said, came from these
mines: but he said, at the same time, that he would be severely punished
if the Dutch knew of his having any, as they wish, as much as possible,
to keep this from the knowledge of all other Europeans.
Once every year the Dutch have to send a large force from Amboina on the
following business, about the 20th of October. On this occasion the
governor is attended by about seventy-five orambies, or boats of the
country, some rowed by 100 paddles, some eighty, fifty, or forty paddles
each, and in each of which there are two Dutch soldiers. I reckon
therefore in this fleet 150 to 160 Dutch soldiers, and about 5250
Malays, allowing seventy to each oramby on the average. These
seventy-five orambies are divided into three squadrons. The
van-division of twenty orambies, is always commanded by a member of
the council, who carries a yellow flag. The rear-squadron consists also
of twenty orambies, and is commanded by the fiscal, having a red flag.
The rest form the centre-squadron, and attend the governor, who has a
serjeant and corporal, with twelve Dutch soldiers, for his body guard,
and carries a blue flag. The governor is also attended by the Malay king
and all their princes or chiefs, lest they should rebel in his absence.
In this order the fleet proceeds to visit and victual the eastern, or
Banda islands, especially those that produce cloves or nutmegs; and at
every island it goes to, it is joined by additional boats. This cruize
generally lasts for six weeks, during which they cut down and destroy
all the clove and nutmeg-trees they can find, except those which are
reserved for the use of the company. All or most of these islands would
produce cloves, but they will not suffer them, having enough at Amboina
alone to supply all Europe. On all of these islands the Dutch keep a few
soldiers, three, six, nine, or twelve, according to their size, whose
only business is to see the trees cut down, or at least to take care
that they do not increase; as they are very jealous lest the English or
French should serve them as they did the English at Amboina. During this
annual expedition, the governor levies tribute from all the petty kings
and chiefs of these islands, and commonly returns to Amboina at the end
of six weeks.
The island of Amboina produces beavers, hogs, and deer, besides other
animals. Among its birds are crocadores, cassawaries, birds of paradise,
and others. The crocadore, or cockatoo, is of various sizes, some as
large as a hen, and others no bigger than a pigeon, being all over
white, except a crest of feathers on the top of their head, which is
always either yellow or red. This bunch of feather usually lies flat, in
a dent, or hollow, on the crown of the head, unless when the bird is
frightened, when it is erected, and opens like a fan. The flesh and legs
of this bird are very black, and they smell very sweet. When they fly up
and down the woods, they cry crocadore, crocadore, or cockatoo,
cockatoo, whence their name. The cassowary is as large as a Virginia
turkey, having a head nearly the same with the turkey, with a long stiff
bunch of hair on his breast, also like the turkey. His legs are almost
as thick as a man's wrist, having five great claws on each foot. The
back is high and round, both it and the pinions being covered with long
hair instead of feathers. The female of this bird lays an egg so large
that its shell will hold an English pint of fluid, having a thick shell,
spotted with green and white, and exactly like China-ware. I never
tasted the eggs of this bird, but its flesh is good eating, resembling
that of a turkey, but stronger.
The birds of paradise are about the size of pigeons, and are never
seen here alive, neither is it known whence they come. I have seen
several of them at Amboina preserved in spice, in which state they are
sent as rarities to several parts of the world. These birds are said to
resort, in February and March, when the nutmegs are ripe, to Banda and
Amboina, where they feed on the outer rind of the nutmeg, after which
they fall to the ground, quite stupified, or as it were dead drunk, when
innumerable ants gather about them, and eat them up. There are here many
kinds of fish, but the most remarkable is the sea-porcupine, which is
about three feet long, and two and a half feet round, having large eyes,
two fins on the back, and a large fin on each side, near the gills.
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