354 VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



We afterwards returned to the redoubt, which 

 is not more than a hundred and fixty meters long 

 by a hundred wide, and the form of which, 

 towards the fea, is femicircular ; its walls are 

 raifed to the height of two meters, and pierced 

 with fourteen embrafures, in each of which is 

 placed a gun; thefe walls, on the land ride, 

 were not above a meter thick, while thofe which 

 faced the roadrtead were at leafl double that 

 thicknefs. 



Whilft I was on fhore, Citizen Richc made 

 our paddlers dive, and they often brought up 

 fome very valuable marine productions. The 

 road of Amboyna abounds with beautiful fhells, 

 which it is uncommon to meet with el few here ; 

 the moil brittle, being fheltered from the motion 

 of the fea in its various recelTes, are frequently 

 found in perfect prelervation. 



OurPapua man then fhewed us, that if of all our 

 guides he was the moft dexterous diver, he wafl 

 alfo the gayefl fellow. His truly burlefque humour 

 highly diverted his companions ; he played dif- 

 ferent fcraps of comedy, which he told us af- 

 forded the grcatcfl delight to the Papuas : one 

 of thofe which he repeated the moft frequently, 

 becaufc he was fure of general applaufc, repre- 

 sented a woman who came, and lay in on the ftage. 

 lie availed himfelf of the time when we were 

 4 making 



