356 CELEBES. [chap. xv. 



but they know grass must be had, and they get it. One 

 lame woman had charge of a flock of ducks. Twice a day 

 she took them out to feed in the marshy places, let them 

 waddle and gobble for an hour or two, and then drove 

 them back and shut them up in a small dark shed to 

 digest their meal, whence they gave forth occasionally a 

 melancholy quack. Every night a watch was set, principally 

 for the sake of the horses, the people of Goa, only two 

 miles off, being notorious thieves, and horses offering the 

 easiest and most valuable spoil. This enabled me to sleep 

 in security, although many people in Macassar thought I 

 was running a great risk, living alone in such a solitary 

 place and with such bad neighbours. 



My house was surrounded by a kind of straggling hedge 

 of roses, jessamines, and other flowers, and every morning 

 one of the women gathered a basketful of the blossoms for 

 Mr. Mesman's family. I generally took a couple for my 

 own breakfast table, and the supply never failed during 

 my stay, and I suppose never does. Almost every Sunday 

 Mr. M. made a shooting excursion with his eldest son, a 

 lad of fifteen, and I generally accompanied him ; for 

 though the Dutch are Protestants, they do not observe 

 Sunday in the rigid maimer practised in England and 

 English colonies. The Governor of the place has his 

 public reception every Sunday evening, when card-playing 

 is the regular amusement. 



