SEPT. 1770 SPICES 339 



that an old one printed by Mount and Page, the Lord 

 knows when, which has it by the name of Sau, but con- 

 founds it with Sandel Bosch, which is laid down quite 

 wrong. Eumphius mentions an island by the name of 

 Saow, and says it is that which is called by the Dutch 

 Sandel Bosch, but no chart that I have seen lays either that, 

 Timor, Eotte, or indeed any island that we have seen here- 

 abouts, in anything near its right place. 



While we were here an accident happened by the im- 

 prudence of Mr. Parkinson, my draughtsman, which might 

 alone have altered our intended and at first promised recep- 

 tion very much ; indeed, I am of opinion that it did. He, 

 desirous of knowing whether or not this island produced 

 spices, carried ashore with him nutmegs, cloves, etc., and 

 questioned the inhabitants about them without the least 

 precaution, so that it immediately came to Mr. Lange's ears. 

 He complained to the doctor that our people were too in- 

 quisitive, particularly, says he, " in regard to spices, concern- 

 ing which they can have no reason to wish for any informa- 

 tion unless you are come for very different purposes than 

 those you pretend." The doctor, not well versed in the 

 German language, in which they conversed, immediately 

 conceived that Mr. Lange meant only some questions which 

 he himself had asked concerning the cinnamon ; nor did we 

 ever know the contrary till the day after we had left the 

 place, when Mr. Parkinson boasted of the information we 

 had obtained of these people certainly having a knowledge 

 of the spices, as they had in their language names for them. 



