OF THE MALAYES. 



** tnal fuccefiion the year round, the fvveet flavor of which cap- 

 *• tivates the foul, and infpires the moft vokiptuous fenfations. 

 " No traveller, wandering over the plains of Malacca, but feels 

 " himfelf Itrongly impelled to wiQi his refidence fixed in a 

 " place lb luxuriant in allurements, where nature triumphs 

 " without the affiftance of art. 



" The Malay iflands produce varioTis kinds of dying woods, 

 " particularly the Sapan, which is the fame with the Brazil 

 *' wood. There are alfo a number of gold mines, which the in- 

 " habitants of Sumatra and Malacca call Gpbirs\ fome of 

 " which, thofe efpecially on the eaftern coaft,, are richer than 

 *' thofe of Brazil or Peru. There are likewife mines of fine 

 " copper, mixed with gold, which the inhabitants n3.me Tom- 

 " l/aj^e. hi the illands of Sumatra and Banca, are mines of 

 " calin, or fine tin ; and at Succadana, in the iiland of Borneo,, isr 

 " a mine of diamonds. Thofe iflands enjoy alfo exclufively, the 

 " rotin, ihe/agozvy (or bread palm tree) the camphre, and other 

 " precious aromatics, which we know under the names of va- 

 *' rious fpiceries^ 



" The fea too teems with abundance of excellent fidi, to- 

 " gether with ambergris,, pearls, and thofe delicate birds nefts (fo 

 " much in requeft in China) formed in the rocks with the fpawn 

 " of fiflies and the foam of the fea, by a fpecies of fmall fized 

 " fwallow peculiar to thofe ftas ; this is of fuch an exquifite 

 " fubftance and flavor, that the Chinefe long purchafed them 

 *' for their weight in gold, and ftill buy them at an exceffive 

 " price. 



" In the raiaft of all this luxuriance of nature, the Malay is 



" miferable ; 



ST 



