EDIBLE SWALLOW NESTS. 255 



been accustomed from their youth to climb amongst these 

 dangerous places. They construct ladders of reeds and 

 bamboos, by which they are enabled to ascend to the holes ; 

 but if the caverns are too deep, they employ ship-ropes. 

 When they have got to the bottom of a cavern, they place 

 bamboos, with notches in them, against the wall, if these 

 be sufficiently long to reach the nests, but if not they stand 

 on the ladders, and pull the nests down with poles of 

 bamboo made for that purpose. This employment, which is 

 very dangerous, sacrifices the lives of a great many men, 

 and particularly of thieves, while attempting to rob the 

 caverns at improper seasons. For this reason, small watch- 

 houses are everywhere built in the neighbourhood. 



The mountaineers, who are the persons chiefly accustomed 

 to this employment, never undertake their labour till they 

 have slaughtered a buffalo, as a propitiatory sacrifice, which 

 is the usual preparation made by the Javanese for all their 

 undertakings. On such occasions they mutter over a few 

 prayers, anoint themselves with aromatic oils, and fumigate 

 the holes with sweet-smelling substances, which they conceive 

 to be charms against accident. 



At the chief of these caverns, in the island of Java, a 

 protecting female deity is worshipped, under the name of 

 Princess of the Southern Sea. A small hut, with a covered 

 sleeping-place, is there appropriated for her, together with 

 various elegant articles of dress, which none under the rank 

 of a princess can wear ; and every Friday when the nests 

 are taken down incense is continually burnt, and the body 

 and clothes of every one who intends to ascend the rocks 

 must be exposed to it. To afford them light in the cavern, 

 they use torches made of the resinous gum of a large 

 tree. 



The collecting of these nests continues no longer than a 

 month, and, as already mentioned, may be repeated three 

 times in the year. Some believe that it may be done a fourth 

 time; but this is not probable, as all experienced people 

 brought up to this employment confidently assert, that a nest, 

 as long as it remains entire, is continually enlarged by the 



