'1'^^ Voyage of the Novara. 



ladders* of Rotang [Calamus Rotmig) and Bamboo, ere they 

 can reach the entrance of the cavern, the natives of Bandong, 



* As these edible swallows'-nests form a very important article of commerce 

 among the Colonial products, and their collection provides the means of subsistence 

 to a considerable section of the population of Java, we shall follow here the descrip- 

 tion given by Dr. Junghuhn, in his truly classic Monograjjh upon Java, in which 

 (Book I. p. 4QS) he speaks as follows respecting the marvellous abodes selected by 

 this species of swallow, and the perils dared by the native in obtaining their nests. 

 " In Karangbolong, a portion of the entrance to the holes where the swallows breed 

 is on a level with the surface of the water, and at times covered by the sea. In 

 one of these cavities, the Gua Gede, the edge of the coast-wall rises 80 Paris feet 

 above low water, in a concave form, so that it actually overhangs ; however, at an ele- 

 vation of about 25 feet there occurs a projection, which the Rotang-ladder reaches by 

 being suspended perpendicularly. The ladder is made by two side ropes of reed, which 

 every inch-and-a-half, or two inches, are bound to each other by cross-bars of wood. 

 The roof of the entrance to the cave is only 10 feet above the sea, which even at ebb- 

 tide washes the flow throughout its extent, while at flood-tide tlie mouth of the cave 

 is entirely closed by the sweep of the rollers. Only during ebb-tide therefore, and 

 with perfectly smooth water, is it possible for any one to penetrate into the interior. 

 Even then this would be impossible, were not the rocky vault, or roof of the cavern, 

 pierced through, eaten away, and coiToded into innumerable holes. By the projecting 

 angles of these holes it is that the strongest and most daring gatherer who first 

 makes his way in, has to hold on, while he attaches to them ropes made of Rotang, 

 which thus hang fi-om the roof to a length of four or five feet. At their lower ex- 

 tremities other Rotang ropes are securely fastened crosswise, thus running, rather 

 more horizontally, parallel with the roof, so that they form a hanging bridge as it 

 were along the whole length of the roof. The roof is about 100 feet wide, and from 

 the entrance at the south to the deepest recess in the north end, the cave is about 

 150 feet in length. Although only 10 feet high at the entrance, the roof becomes 

 gradually more and more lofty as the cavern retreats, till at the farthest extremity 

 it is about 20 to 25 feet above the sea-level. Before any one of the nest-hunters pro- 

 ceeds to erect his ladder, and again before proceeding to cHmb up upon it in such 

 fearful proximity to the thundering swell, a solemn prayer is proffered to the goddess 

 or queen of the sea-coast, whose blessing is invoked. At this place she bears the 

 name of Nfai-Ratti-Spf/or-Kuhil, or sometimes Bntn-LorO'Djungfirang, and has dedi- 

 cated to her in the village of Karangbolong a temple, which is kept scrupulously 

 clean. Occasionally the gatherers make also a solemn sacrifice at the tomb of Serot, 

 who, according to a Javanese legend, is revered as the first discoverer of the bird-nest 

 caves. (The meaning of the above Javanese words is as follows : Njdi, the title of 



