THE MOLUCCAS 339 



was abolished, the " parks " were worked by convict 

 labour. 



The exports of Banda being incorporated in the 

 official publications with those of Amboina, no exact 

 details of the produce of the islands can be arrived at. 

 From the latter port in the year 1890 nutmegs to the 

 value of £36,000 and mace to that of £42,000 were sent 

 to Europe, the greater part, if not all of which was 

 grown in Banda. The population of the settlement is 

 about 7000, and the inhabitants are a miscellaneous 

 assemblage of all the races found in the far east. 



12. Islands East of Ceram. 



East and south of Ceram are a number of small 

 islands forming a series of stepping-stones to the more 

 important and larger K^ group. First we have great 

 and little Keffing close to the main island, and a little 

 farther, but still connected by shoals and islets, Ceram 

 Laut. North-west of the latter are two singular islands, 

 Gisser and Kilwaru. The former is of annular shape, 

 with a narrow entrance to the lake-like harbour. It 

 was formerly a veritable nest of pirates, but has now 

 been converted into a coal depot by the Government. 

 Kilwaru corresponds to Dobbo Island in the Aru group, 

 to which reference will presently be made, in being a 

 great native market or bartering-place for the products 

 of all the islands round. Hither come the Bugis 

 traders from Celebes in the west monsoon, meeting 

 the traders in pearls, tortoiseshell, dammar, etc., from 

 the New Guinea coast, and the paradise-bird collectors, 

 whose wares also include live birds and animals of every 

 kind, cassowaries, brilliant lories, crowned pigeons, and 

 other rare and beautiful species. The ^dllage is built 



