chap, xvii.] MEN ADO. 379 



of coffee and cacao, which has led to the clearing away of 

 the forests for many miles round the town, and over 

 extensive districts far into the interior. 



The little town of Menado is one of the prettiest 

 in the East. It has the appearance of a large garden 

 containing rows of rustic villas, with broad paths between, 

 forming streets generally at right angles with each other. 

 Good roads branch off in several directions towards the 

 interior, with a succession of pretty cottages, neat gardens, 

 and thriving plantations, interspersed with wildernesses 

 of fruit trees. To the west and south the country is 

 mountainous, with groups of fine volcanic peaks 6,000 or 

 7,000 feet high, forming grand and picturesque back- 

 grounds to the landscape. 



The inhabitants of Minahasa (as this part of Celebes is 

 called) differ much from those of all the rest of the island, 

 and in fact from any other people in the Archipelago. 

 They are of a light-brown or yellow tint, often approach- 

 ing the fairness of a European ; of a rather short stature, 

 stout and well-made ; of an open and pleasing counte- 

 nance, more or less disfigured as age increases by projecting 

 cheek-bones ; and with the usual long, straight, jet-black 

 hair of the Malayan races. In some of the inland villages 

 where they may be supposed to be of the purest race, both 

 men and women are remarkably handsome ; while nearer 

 the coasts where the purity of their blood has been de- 



