30S VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



torn of muddy fand. The commandant of 

 this pofl immediately difpatched to us a cor- 

 poral to offer us all the refrefliments of which 

 we might ftand in need. At the expiration of 

 a few minutes we faw fome mufl^et fhots fired 

 into the middle of a herd of buffaloes which 

 were grazing on the fhorc ; and the corporal 

 informed us, that the refident had ordered the 

 two fatteft to be killed for our (hips. Knowing 

 the wants of navigators, he fent us a great 

 quantity of fruit, a few bottles of a very plea- 

 fant liqueur^ extradled from the fago-palm 

 (Jagiierus, Rumph. vol, i. fig. 13.), and fome 

 young leaves of a fpecies of fern of the afple- 

 Jiium genus, which grows in the fhade in the 

 moifi: fpots ; they are eaten as a falad ; they 

 are very tender, and of an agreeable flavour. 



This refident, named Henry Commans, was a 

 good honeft man, and remarkable for the fim- 

 plicity of his manners; he was very much liked 

 by the inhabitants ; he was the perfon of whofe 

 happinefs the Dutch at Amboyna had fpoken i^o 

 highly, telling us, that he could fleep as much 

 as he chofe. At his houfe we met with feveral 

 natives who had feen Admiral Bougainville 

 curing his flay at Bouro, and \\ho felt no fmali 

 pleafure in converfing about that celebrated 

 navigator. 



This and fome of the followinc: davs were 



2 employed 



