AMBOINA 15 



had been engaged in Amboina in recruiting coolies lor 

 the expedition. It had been expected that he would 

 go to engage coolies in the Ke Islands, a group of islands 

 about three hundred miles to the south-east of Amboina, 

 where the natives are more sturdy and less sophisticated 

 than the people of Amboina ; but circumstances had 

 prevented him from going there, and we had to put up 

 with the very inferior Ambonese, a fact which at the 

 outset seriously handicapped the expedition. We stayed 

 for two days at Amboina, or, as the Dutch always call 

 it, Ambon, bu3dng necessary stores and making arrange- 

 ments with the Dutch authorities, who agreed to send 

 a steamer every two months, if the weather were favour- 

 able, to bring men and further supplies to us in New 

 Guinea. 



Amboina is an exceedingly pretty place, and a very 

 favourite station of the Dutch on account of its climate, 

 which is remarkably equable, and its freedom from 

 strong winds or excessive rain. There is a volcano at 

 the north end of the island which has slumbered since 

 1824, and the place is very subject to earthquakes. A 

 very serious one occurred as recently as 1902, which 

 destroyed hundreds of lives and houses, whose walls 

 may still be seen lying flat in the gardens, but as in other 

 volcanic places the inhabitants have conveniently short 

 memories, and the place has been re-built ready for 

 another visitation. 



Like most of the other Dutch settlements in the 

 East, Amboina has been laid out on a rectangular plan, 

 but the uniformity of the arrangement is saved from 

 being monotonous by the tree-planting habits of the 



