3 16 VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



medicinal water. It was Seltzer water, which 

 the Dutch are here in the habit of drinking, as 

 a very agreeable liquor ; it colls them as dear as 

 the befl Rhenifh wine. Certainly our repug- 

 nance for this beverage was not forefecn ; how- 

 ever, it might well have been fuppofed, that, 

 under a burning fky, after a long privation of 

 frefh meat, we fhould not have much inclina- 

 tion to drink fait water. 



The Admiral propofed to introduce us alfo to 

 the members of the council, and we accepted 

 his offer : they all received us in a very hand- 

 fome manner. 



As we were to flay at Amboyna a month at 

 leaft, I was obliged to have brought on fhore, 

 to the place where we were to lodge, a great 

 many articles neceffary for the preparation of the 

 different productions which I purposed collect- 

 ing in the ifland. The other naturalifis and I 

 having agreed to live in the fame houfe, we 

 had had it fet in order, and our baggage was al- 

 ready arrived there, when, to our great aftonifh- 

 ment, we found it occupied by fome officers be- 

 longing to the two fhips, who, however, were 

 not ignorant that we had hired it : the man who 

 had the key of it had thought that he was deli- 

 vering it to us when he gave it to them. This 

 unhandfomc trick, of which wc fhould not have 

 fuppofed them capable, diverted them exceed- 

 ingly ; 



