DISCOVERY OF THE MOLUCCAS. 215 



broad. Nortlieast of the latter is a small rock called 

 Piilo Krakka, or " Women's Island." 



Tlie centre of tke circle of wkich Lontar is an 

 arc falls in a narrow passage called Sun Strait, which 

 separates Gunong Api from Banda ISTeira. The di- 

 ameter of this cii'cle is about six miles. Without 

 .it, another concentric circle may be di^awn, which 

 will pass through Pulo Ai, " AVater Island," on the 

 west, and Rosengain in the southwest ; and outside 

 of this a third concentiic circle, which will pass 

 through Swangi, "Sorcery or Spu'it Island," on the 

 northwest, Pulo Run (Rung), " Chamber Island," on 

 the west, and the reef of Rosengain on the southwest. 

 The total area of the whole group is seventeen and 

 six-tenths geographical square miles. 



The first Eui'opean who reached these beautiful 

 and long-sought islands was D'Abreu, a Portuguese, 

 l)ut he cannot correctly be styled their discoverer, for 

 the Arabs and Chinese, and probably the Hindus, 

 had been trading here for years before his arrival, as 

 De BaiTos informs us D'Abreu, while on his way, 

 touched at Gresik, in Java, to procure " Javanese and 

 Malay pilots who had made this voyage," and he 

 fiu'ther adds : " Every year there repair to Lutatam " 

 (Lontar) " Javanese and Malays to load cloves, nut- 

 megs, and mace ; for this place is in the latitudes 

 most easily navigated, and where ships are most safe, 

 and as the cloves of the Moluccas are brou2:ht to it 

 by vessels of the countiy, it is not necessary to go to 

 the latter in search of them. In the Jive islands now 

 named" (Lontar, Rosengain, Ai, Run, and Neira), 

 " grow all the nutmegs consumed in eveiy part of the 



