336 BAND A. [chap. 



many races and nationalities these may be I would not venture — 

 in this strangely peopled Malaysia — to guess. 



Banda is full of forts, relics of the times when spices were 

 things to be fought for. The " Pakhuis," whicli I have just men- 

 tioned, was one, and on the western horn of Banda Lontoir are 

 the remains of another, erected about three centuries ago by the 

 Portuguese. In the middle of the town, and close to the beach, 

 stands Fort Nassau, built by the Dutch in 1609. But the largest 

 and most important of all, the most conspicuous building on the 

 island, both from its size and position, is Fort Belgica, perched on 

 a little plateau just above Fort Xassau. Like the latter, it was 

 built at the time of tlie first settlement by the Dutch, and has 

 remained almost unharmed through half a score eruptions and 

 earthquakes, so solidly has it been constructed. The steep slope 

 of grass-covered glaeis leads up to heavily-built walls, within which 

 stands the fort itself, pentagonal in shape, and with a large round 

 tower at each angle. It is painted white from base to battlement, 

 and at a distance is as imposmg as Windsor Castle, but its arma- 

 ment is by no means on a corresponding scale. Lord George 

 Campbell, indeed, m his amusing " Log Letters," tells us that there 

 were only two guns capable of returning the Challenger s salute, 

 and that one of them was placed hors dc comhat at the second 

 round ! 



The Banda group would probably prove an interesting locality 

 for the naturalist, for many species are peculiar to it, and there 

 are doubtless many others that yet remain to be discovered. Such 

 work, however, demands time, and we had none to spare. We had 

 determined on visiting the Aru Islands to shoot the Great Bird of 

 Paradise, and therefore restricted ourselves to mere sight-seeing. 

 To those already acquainted with the ]\Ialay Archipelago Banda 

 has not much — except its beauty — to show. The nutmegs and the 

 mountain are its only lions, and our three days' stay sufficed to see 

 the spice -groves and to make as close an acquaintance with the 

 volcano as we desired. 



