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.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 271 of 431
Words from 140974 to 141497
of 224764
