S P I C Y I S L A N D S. 173 



weft, a length of about eighty leagues. Ceram and Buero divide 



nearly in two equal parts the Spicy fea : this the geographers 



will find to be a new name, but I think fit to diftinguilh by that 



epithet, all the fpace which comprehends the Banda illes, the 



Molucca, the Papuan^ with Ceram and Buero, the central illes ; 



bounded on the fouth by the fimorian chain, on the weft by 



Celebes, and on the eaft by New Guinea. The inhabitants of its 



water, of the air, and the vegetation of the iflands, are all moft 



fingular, which make it merit a title of diftindlion from all the 



reft of the Indian ocean. The breadth of Ceram is inconfide- 



rable ; the land near the fea is low, fwampy, and wooded ; 



within, it rifes into mountains of great height. It is wonderful 



how little I can collet concerning this great ifland ; Mr. Forrejl 



fays that it produced clove trees, poflTibly in places inacceffible to 



the Butch. On the authority of Rumphius *, we may fay that 



there are vaft forefts of the Sago tree on this ifland ; the pith is 



prepared there into bread, and is exported to other places in 



great quantities ; let me add from Dampier t, that it is much 



ufed in Mindanao, and our honeft traveller gives us the procefs 



of preparing that ufeful viand. 



Manipa and Keylan are two fmall iflands, but very lofty, feated Manipa and 

 ■' -^ Kevlan. 



a little to the weft of the weftern end of Ceram. In the time of 



Dampier they were well inhabited by Malayes ; on the firft was a 



Dutch corporal and fix foldiers, employed to cut dcwn the clove 



trees. On Manipa grew abundance of thofe valuable trees, and 



alfo of rice ; both which were fent in quantities by the httle 



Dutch garrifon to Amboina. 



* Herb. Amb. i. p. 76. f Voy. i. 31O. 



The 



