BiKus. 293 



The swallow usually lays from five to six eggs, of a white 

 (•i)loiir, speckled with red ; and sometimes breeds twice a year. 

 When the young brood are excluded, the swallow supplies them 

 very plentifully, the first brood particularly, when she finds her- 



thnt is, thuse taken before the nest has been rendered impure by the fi)od 

 and fieces of the young- birds. The best are white, and the inferior dark- 

 coloured, streaked with blood, or intermixed with feathers. It may be re- 

 marked, however, that some of the natives describe the purer nests as tho 

 dwelling of the cock-bird, and always so designate them in commerce. 

 Birds' nests are collected twice a-year ; and, if regularly collected, and no 

 unusual injury be offered to the caverns, will produce very equally, the 

 quantity being very little, if at all, improved by the caves being left alto, 

 (jether unmolested for a year or two. Some of the caverns are extremely 

 difficult of access, and the nests can only be collected by persons accustomed 

 from their youth to the office. The most remarkable and productive caves 

 in Java, of wliich I superintended a moiety of the collection for several 

 years, are those of Kiirang.bolang, in the province of Baglen, on the south 

 coast of the island. There the caves are only to be approached by a per. 

 pendicular descent of many hundred feet, by ladders of bamboo and ratan, 

 over a sea rolling violently agiunst the rocks. When the mouth of the 

 cavern is attained, the perilous office of taking the nests must often be per- 

 formed with torch-light, by penetrating into recesses of the rock, when the 

 slightest trip would be instautl y fatal to the adventurers, who see nothing 

 below them but the turbulent surf making its way into the cha-sms of the 

 roek. The only preparation which the birds' nests undergo is that of sim. 

 pie drying, without direct exposiu'e to the sun, after which they are packed 

 in small bo.\es, usually of a picul, (about 135 poiuids.) They are assorted 

 for the Chinese market into three kinds, according to their qualities, dis- 

 tinguished into first or best, second, and third qualities. Caverns that are 

 regularly raaiaged will afford, in 100 parts, 53 3.10th parts of those of the 

 first quality, 35 parts of those of the second, 1 1 7-lOth parts of those of the 

 third. I'he common prices fur birds' ne^ts at Canton are, for the first sort, 

 3,500 Spanish dollars the picul, or 5/. 18*. l^d. per pound; for the second, 

 2,800 Spanish dollars per picul ; and, for the third, no more than 1,600 Spa- 

 nish dollars. In tho Chinese markets a still nicer classification of the edible 

 nests is often made than in the island. The whole are frequently divided 

 into three great classes, under the commercial appellation of Pa-^kat, Clii- 

 kat, and Tung-tung, each of which, according to quality, is subdivided into 

 three inferior orders, and we have, consequently, prices varying from 1,201' 

 Spanish dollars per picul to 4,i00. Tliese last, therefore, are more valuable 

 than their weight of silver. Of the quantity of birds' nests exported from 

 the Indian islands, although we cannot state the exact amount, we liava 

 data for hazarding some probable conjectures respecting it. From Javs 

 there are exported about 200 piculs, or 27,000 lbs., the greater part of whict 

 is of the first quality. The greatest quantity is from the Suluk Archipela- 

 gos, and consists of 530 piculs. From Macassar there are sent about 30 piculs 

 of the fine kind. These data will enable us to offer some niujicturcs re. 

 spccting the whole quantity; for the edible swallows' nesls being univcr- 

 BuUy and almost equally difi'used from Jmik, Ceylon, to New Guinea, 



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