THE MOLUCCAS 333 



them from New Guinea and many distant islands. From 

 here they are sent in large quantities to Singapore. The 

 celebrated Amboina wood, much esteemed for cabinet 

 work, is obtained from the knotty i^rotuberances formed 

 on certain forest trees growing in Ceram. The true 

 seedless bread-fruit, very rarely found out of the Pacific 

 Islands, grows in Amboina and the smaller adjacent islands. 



The island exhibits an extraordinary climatic abnor- 

 mality, the period of the west monsoon, from October to 

 April, being the fine season. At this time the monthly 

 average of rainy days is 13 only, and the rainfall 8 

 inches, while during the remainder of the year 21 days 

 out of every month are wet, and the monthly rainfall 27 

 inches. The total annual rainfall is thus 191 inches, 

 and with the steady high temperature prevailing it might 

 be imagined that the island would be particularly trying 

 to Europeans, but this does not appear to be the case. 



The trade of Amboina is not large, as most of the 

 Bugis who visit New Guinea and the remoter islands now 

 carry their produce direct to Makassar or even to 

 Singapore. Numbers of small native vessels, however, 

 continually visit it, bringing the produce of the surround- 

 ing coasts and islands. In 1890 turtle shell to the 

 value of £5050 was exported, and 107,107 lbs. of 

 cloves, valued at £3179, these being the chief exports 

 from the islands. On the giving up of the monopoly of 

 cloves, a tax was imposed upon the heads of families of 

 the native population. In 1893 this was changed into 

 a tax which is levied on the whole male population 

 above sixteen years of age. 



11. Banda. 



The Banda group, though small in extent, is important 



