3^8 VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



clofe along the fhore, and it was dark when wo 

 got back to the town. 



On the 3d, as foon as I had difpofcd, in the 

 flttelt manner, of the produce of my laft excur- 

 sions, I went a fhort diftance to the fouth-caft 

 of the town ; I ftill found fome plants to add to 

 my collections. I faw, on my return, a white 

 negro, a Papua man by birth ; he had light hair; his 

 ikin was white, and marked with reddifh freckles 

 like thofe of the Europeans who have red hair; 

 but he was not wcak-fighted, as is generally the 

 cafe with other Albinoes. 



This young Papua, who was a Dutchman's 

 flave, had been a fhort time at Amboyna. At 

 the moment when I came up to him he was oc- 

 cupied in playing on an inftrument, which I was 

 aftonifhed to fee among thofe ufed by thefe 

 people ; it was a Jew's harp made of bambop, 

 and cut out of the hardcit part of that wood ; 

 it was not quite Co large as the iron ones with 

 which we arc acquainted. As the middle piece 

 could not be bent to make it vibrate with the 

 finger, a fmall firing fixed to one of the extre- 

 mities of the infirument fcrved to give it the jar 

 necciTary for moving the middle piece, which 

 then gave the fame founds as the iron fpring of 

 our Jew's harps. lie told me that this inftru- 

 ment was much admired by the Papuas. 



We had for fome days formed a plan of going 



to 



