,^Q SPICY ISLANDS. 



live in the mountains are a brave race of men, difdain a de- 

 I^endent life, and never fail to facrifice the Dutch to their fury, 

 whenever thev make their defcent from their heights. 

 CiovEs. Ey means of the Arabs ^ the clove was introduced into Europe 



by the common pafTage over the Iflhmus of Suez ; but before 

 their conquefts towards the Indicn Archipelago, it was carried to 

 the ports of weftern Kindoojlan, and from thence, by Roman mer- 

 chant fliips, to MyoJJjormus, the great emporium on the Red Sea. 

 I cannot but think that the clove was early known, and that the 

 Garyophylhn oi Pliny* was the fpice which he might truly fay, 

 « tradunt in Indico Juco id gigni. Advehitur odor is gratia^'' The 

 Romans were particularly fond of aromatic perfumes. Rliny 

 may not be over accurate in his defcription ; but he is exadt in 

 place and property ; and the name, except in one letter, agrees 

 entirely w-ith the Latin retained to this day. 

 ■ . The native place of the clove is faid by Rumphius to have 

 been Machian, one of the Molucca iflands, which we fhall have 

 occafion foon to mention. The Dutch thought proper to con- 

 fine the growth of them to Aml/oina, and to extirpate them in 

 every other ifland in the manner we have related. There are 

 none here growing wild, but all are raifed from the feed, and 

 difpofed of in plantations. They are alfo diffeminated and pro- 

 pagated by the pigeons, Horn-bills, and Cafuary, in the fame 

 manner as the nutmegs. Of quadrupeds, hogs and deer are 

 found in this ifland. 

 Of Rumphivs. No country was ever fo happy in a Florift as Amboina. The 

 celebrated George Everard Rumphius, made it his relidence a 



* Lib. xii. c. 7. 



great 



