3^6 VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



highly, by inceffantly afking us if he was not 

 the chief cook of our fliip. 



In the environs of this houfe I admired the 

 beautiful fhrub known under the name of abromd 

 avgujla. The hcJyfarwn umbellatum made a con 

 fpicuous figure in the midfl of a number of new 

 fpecies of the fame genus. The nutmeg- trees 

 here attracted pigeons of the fpecies called co- 

 lumba alba, Linn. Thofc which we ihot, had 

 their craw filled with nutmegs. 



The exceflive perfpiration occafioned by this 

 burning climate, frequently produces cutaneous 

 diforders. Five of the iflanders at whofc houfes 

 we ftopped, had their body covered with mor- 

 fhci'a, the lcales of which, when they came off, 

 were immediately replaced by others, and fhewed 

 thcmfelvcs the more, as their colour formed a 

 ftriking contrail with the coppery hue of the 

 fkin. This difcafe frequently fpreads over every 

 part of the body. We faw alfo fomc children 

 affected with another cutaneous difeafe, which 

 fecmed not to give them any pain : the greatcit 

 part of their body was covered with large warts, 

 not a third of a decimeter from each other. 



I feldom vifitcd any houfes in Amboyna, in 



which I did not find mufical inftruments. Here 



wife faw. one, which I had not before met 



with el few here ; it was a flute with a mouth* 



piece ; its tower extremity was terminated by 



two 





