306 Amboyna. 



I observed four or five more very fine ones, so that Amboy- 

 na is unusually rich in this elegaut group. 



During my stay here I had a good opportunity of seeing 

 how Europeans live in the Dutch colonies, where they have 

 adopted customs far more in accordance with the climate 

 than we have done in our tropical possessions. Almost all 

 business is transacted in the morning between the hours of 

 seven and twelve, the afternoon being given up to repose, 

 and the evening to visiting. When in the house during the 

 heat of the day, and even at dinner, they use a loose cotton 

 dress, only putting on a suit of thin European-made clothes, 

 for out-of-doors and evening wear. They often walk about 

 after sunset bareheaded, reserving the black hat for visits ol 

 ceremony. Life is thus made far more agreeable, and the 

 fatigue and discomfort incident to the climate greatly dimin- 

 ished. Christmas-day is not made much of, but on New- 

 year's day ofiicial and complimentary visits are paid, and 

 about sunset we went to the Governor's, where a large party 

 of ladies and gentlemen were assembled. Tea and coiFee 

 were handed round, as is almost universal during a visit, as 

 well as cigars, for on no occasion is smoking prohibited in 

 Dutch colonies, cigars being generally lighted before the 

 cloth is withdrawn at dinner, even though half the com- 

 pany are ladies. I here saw for the first time the rare black 

 lory from New Guinea (Chalcopsitta atra). The plumage is 

 rather glossy, and slightly tinged with yellowish and purple, 

 the bill and feet being entirely black. 



The native Amboynese who reside in the city are a strange, 

 half-civilized, half-savage, lazy people, who seem to be a mix- 

 ture of at least three races, Portuguese, Malay, and Papuan 

 or Ceramese, with an occasional cross of Chinese or Dutch. 

 The Portuguese element decidedly predominates in the old 

 Christian population, as indicated by features, habits, and the 

 retention of many Portuguese words in the Malay, which 

 is now their language. They have a peculiar style of di-ess 

 which they wear among themselves, a close-fitting white shirt 

 with black trowsers, and a black frock or upper shirt. The 

 women seem to prefer a dress entirely black. On festivals 

 and state occasions they adopt the swallow-tail coat, chim- 

 ney-pot hat, and their accompaniments, displaying all the ab- 



