CHAP. V.

OF THE INDIAN ISLANDS.

Fossils, Volcanoes, Springs, &c. THE chief of these islands, which are extremely numerous, are Formosa, Tinian, Manila and Mindanao, (two of the Philippines) Borneo, Celebes, Java, Sumatra, Ceylon, and the Banda islands. Many of their productions being the same with those already described in speaking of the Asiatic continent, we shall not have occasion to say much more concerning them. The island of Borneo, for instance, produces abundance of diamonds and other precious stones, for an account of which we refer the reader to the preceding chapter. Several of these islands likewise contain mines of gold, silver, copper, and iron; and gold-dust is frequently found among the sand of their rivers.

In Ceylon there are some mines of gold and silver, but it does not appear that any are wrought except those of iron, of which they have great plenty, and their steel is well tempered. Amongst the precious stones to be found in this island the rubies are remarkably fine, this gem being no where so common as here and in this kingdom of Pegu. The cat's-eye is a singular kind of stone already described*, and chiefly to be met with in Ceylon and Borneo, though not peculiar to those islands. Most of the other gems are found in

Ceylon, which it is said are all engrossed by the king; and its mountains afford plenty of white, red, and green crystal, besides salt-petre, sulphur, and other mineral substances.

The mountains of Formosa are full of brimstone, which makes the island subject to earthquakes; and in the Philippine islands there are several burning mountains, which have all the dreadful effects of Etna and Vesuvius, being attended with violent earthquakes rending the very rocks, and scattering showers of ashes round the country. From these subterraneous fires proceed a great variety of hot baths, and some of their streams are said to be so hot as to kill any animal that happens to fall into them; but the water, when cool, is well tasted, and reckoned a wholesome beverage. About half a mile from one of these hot rivers is another excessive cold one, and yet esteemed equally wholesome with the former for common drinking. There is a volcano in the middle of the island of Sumatra, and Nieuhoff mentions several sulphureous springs issuing from the rocks, whose water resembles oil, is good against lameness, and has a strong though not unpleasant smell. It is so much valued for its medicinal qualities, that we are told the king of Achen formerly prohibited the exportation of it on pain of death.

About fifteen leagues to the eastward of the Islands, lies an island which navigaits appearance, have justly called near its centre there is a very consicano, of which the following account by Captain Blair, in his report of the ey of the Andaman islands. " At the time of

my landing on Barren Island, the volcano was in a violent state of eruption, bursting out immense volumes of smoke, and frequently showers of red-hot stones. Some were of a size to weigh three or four tons, and had been thrown some hundred yards beyond the foot of the cone. There were two or three eruptions while we were close to it; several of the red hot stones rolled down the sides of the cone, and bounded a considerable way beyond us. The base of the cone is the lowest part of the island, and very little higher than the level of the sea. It rises with an acclivity of thirty-two degrees seventeen minutes to the height of one thousand eight hundred feet, which is also the elevation of the other parts of the island.

"From its present figure it may be conjectured that the volcano first broke out near the centre of the island, or rather toward the northwest; and in a long process of time, by discharg ing, consuming, and undermining, it has attained its present extraordinary form.

"This island is situated in latitude twelve degrees fifteen minutes north, and fifteen leagues east of the easternmost cluster of the Andaman Islands; and may be seen, in clear weather, at the distance of twelve leagues. Those parts of the island that are distant from the volcano, are thinly covered with withered shrubs and stunted trees

VEGETABLES.

THE bread fruit grows upon a lofty tree, which, near the top, is divided into large spread

ing branches; the leaves are of a remarkably deep green, notched about the edges, and generally measure from a foot to eighteen inches in length. The fruit itself is found indifferently on all parts of the branches, and is in shape rather eliptical than round; it is covered with a rough rind, and is usually seven or eight inches long, each growing singly, and not in clusters. The fruit is fittest to be used when full grown but still green; when, being roasted in the embers, it has some distant resemblance to the taste of artichoke bottoms, and is, like them, of a soft and spungy texture. As it ripens, it becomes softer, turns yellow, and contracts a luscious taste, and an agreeable smell, not unlike a ripe peach; but it is then esteemed unwholesome, and is said to produce fluxes. According to Mr. Dampier, it is as large as a twopenny loaf, and the inside is soft, tender, white, and crummy, like bread; and, if eaten in twenty-four hours after it is plucked, has a sweet and agreeable taste, and is in season eight months in the year. Commodore Anson's people constantly ate it, during their stay upon the island, instead of bread; and it was so universally preferred to it, that no ship's bread was used all the while they staid there.

It is these islands, and some of them only, that furnish us with nutmegs, cinnamon, cloves, &c. which spices are justly esteemed for their salutary heat and aromatic odour, and therefore seem particularly worthy of our attention. A vulgar error long prevailed, and is perhaps still entertained by some people, that nutmegs, mace, cloves, and cinnamon, were all produced by one and the same tree; but this is contradicted by all

our latest and best accounts, the opinion being only true with respect to the mace and nutmegs. The nutmeg-tree grows spontaneously in the Banda islands, and especially in that which particularly bears the name of Banda, formerly possessed by the English, but now by the Dutch, who have monopolized the spice trade to themselves by the most horrid methods of cruelty*. And such prodigious quantities of nutmegs are produced in these islands, that we are credibly informed the Dutch sometimes burn vast heaps upon the spot, rather than bring them to Europe and over-stock the markets.

The nutmeg-tree very much resembles a peartree, but the leaves are like those of the peach, except being smaller; it has an ash-coloured bark with a spungy wood. The blossoms are yellowish, with five leaves not unlike those of cherries; to these succeed the fruit, hanging to a long pedicle. It is somewhat like a walnut, and the kernel, or nutmeg, is covered with the coats; the first of which is fleshy, soft, and juicy, about as thick as a man's finger, but when ripe, gapes spontaneously, and falls off. Under this, is another covering of an oily, clammy consistence, but thin, and of an agreeable, fragrant smell, and an acrid, aromatic taste. This is of a saffron colour, and is what we call mace. There is also a hard, thin, brittle

Witness the barbarous affair which happened in the year 1623, when the chief of the English factory at Amboyna were condemned and exccuted for a pretended conspiracy against the Dutch, upon evidence of those whose confessions had been extorted from them by various tortures. After this they seized the English goods at Amboyna and other islands to a great value, and have ever since supplied all Europe with spices.