2^4 Dijcr'tption of the IJland of Cdehe'i, 



Bouginefe have a fort of game at cards, which in all proba-r 

 bility they learned from the Portuguefe. It has a great fimi- 

 faritv to that called tarocco, though the twenty-two tarocs 

 are not among their cards. The four colours are called 

 fpaday datudyciis cafo Jiokke, copas-coifel, and hoelang-rofy . 



As the Dutch readily faw the great imporlance of this 

 ifland, particularly in regard to their fpice trade, they did 

 every thin<r in their power to form a fettlement in it, and 

 even at an annual expenfe, which confiderably exceeded the 

 income ariling from their trade : the abbe Raynal makes 

 it to be 165,000 livres. The caftle of Rotterdam, which 

 is the principal refidence of their Eaft India company in 

 the kinodom of Macai'ar, lies in the latitude of 5^ 7'fouth, 

 and the longitude of 136° 50'. It was conftru6led by the 

 Portuguefe with the alliftance of the MacaflTars, and was af- 

 terwards beautified by the Dutch, who increafed its fortifica- 

 tions. Some years ago a neat church was erefted here ca- 

 pable of containing two hundred perfons. • The walls of the 

 fortrefs, which are flrong, and of confiderable height, are 

 built entirely of (lone hewn from the rock. On coming out 

 by the land-gate you arrive at a large plain, on the north fidu 

 of which lies the village of Blaardingen, where the principal 

 part of the Europeans refide. The ftreets, which are broad, 

 and ornamented with beautiful buildings, interfecl each other 

 at rioht angles in the direction of the four points of the com- 

 pafs. At the end of one of them is a large edifice fet apart 

 for an orphan-houfc. The Chinefe all live together in one 

 flr'eet, called for that reafon the Chinefe ftreet. Blaardingen 

 is furrounded with palifades, and is furnilhcd with gates, 

 which arc fliut in the night-time. Without the palifades, 

 towards the fouth, there is a row of buildings, one of which 

 is the habitation of the governor, and at a little diltance there 

 arc fome places called campongs inhabited by natives and 

 Europeans. 



The road of Macaflar is one of the moft beautiful in India, 

 and at the fame time fafe for Ihips at every fpafon of the 

 year. The di drift around it is exceedingly pleafant. It 

 confifts of a large plain feveral miles in extent, in which, 

 as far as the eye can reach, nothing is to be feen but rice- 

 ij fields 



