332 VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



with a flight tint of violet, which alTumes a 

 fomewhat darker hue near its edge. 



Mofl: of the marlhes in the neighbourhood of 

 our abode were covered with very large leaves 

 of the nymphea nclumlw, on which v>'e very fre- 

 quently fiiw a new fpecics of Jacana, differ- 

 ing little from that called parra fuic>ijis\ and 

 we admired the agility with which this bird, 

 whofc feet are very long, walked from leaf 

 to leaf, tlius kccDin:r itlelf at the furface of 

 the waters. 



At a fmall diRancc to the wcflward of the 

 village of Poron flood tv.o colollal ftatues, 

 v.hirh tlic Javaivefe call ;r/f/V'', and v.hich they 

 held in great veneration. They told us that 

 t\^v invoked them in their rrreatefr neceirities. 

 They were eacii cut out in a block of {^ionc. 

 twenty-two deciu'crcrs high. The}- wererepre- 

 lentcd in very ample ganucnrs, and the t'.\o 

 heads had the fame call of countenance as the 

 loors. It appears to me ver\ probable that 

 thcfe llatucs Lave been erected in honour of 

 ibmc of th(;rc conquerors of ih.Q Moluccas, al- 

 rhouo'h the inrabitaiits were unable to ijivc us 

 any infDrmaiicn on ti^e bibiccl. 



The Dutch Icrjcuit wiio accompanied us was 

 pialiionatcly fond of the uuilic of the Javanefe. 

 hrom the lirft of (vur arrival at Poron he had 

 lent ijr a iiiigiiig-gir!;, whole llinll voice was 



accom- 



