402 TRAVELS IN THE EAST INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



gion is considered quite valuable, because coiFee-trees 

 flourisli here remarkably well. The coffee obtained 

 is brought over the lake in boats to the mouth of the 

 outlet, and thence transported to the village of Tiku, 

 on the coast. 



The controleK/r also showed me a quantity of the 

 edible birds'-nests obtained in the neighboring cliffs, 

 that were considered of a superior quality, that is, 

 by Chinese palates, for, if the Celestials had not taken 

 a fancy that these should be regarded as dainties, I 

 do not believe that Europeans would have ever 

 thought of tasting them. 



February 25th. — At eight o'clock rode back with 

 the controleur up the crater wall, by the way I came 

 down yesterday. The road is built on the spur or 

 projecting ridge that forms the boundary between 

 the two craters on the east side, and zigzags to the 

 right and left in such a manner that, when viewed 

 from beneath, it reminds one of the way, usually 

 pictiu-ed, that the people of Babel climbed their lofty 

 tower. To shorten the distance, we went over a 

 number of steep places, instead of going round by 

 the road. The clay and wet grass, however, were so 

 slippery that such climbing was exceedingly danger- 

 ous ; but the rider had the satisfaction of knowing 

 that, if his horse did lose his footing altogether, they 

 would both go down so many hundred feet that nei- 

 ther would suffer pain for many moments after their 

 descent was ended. 



The heavy rain of yesterday had wholly cleared 

 away, and when we reached the crater rim we enjoyed 

 a perfect view of this enormous gulf, six miles long 



