116 VOYAGE FROM INDIA TO SIAM AND MALACCA. 



white towards the end ; the rays are rust-brown and have first 

 white dots, which change afterwards to black oval spots. The 

 after-wing- or thumb is at the edge of the upper joint and has 

 five short feathers. 



The tail-feathers were twenty-four in number, two of them 

 being' twice as long- as the whole bird ; their colour is black, 

 strewn over with fine white specks. 



The breast is rust-coloured, the stomach lighter. The feet 

 are like those of the chickens and have a beautiful red, shiny 

 colour, the eyes have a yellow ring, otherwise they are black. 

 The nostrils are oval. 



Everything points out that this bird is a kind of pheasant ; 

 it lives in the woods and eats all kinds of fruit, at the same time 

 digging for worms in the manner of chickens. The cock puffs 

 himself up like the Calcutta cock. They are caught with bait 

 in cages. 



I intend giving' a more minute description of this bird, when 

 both the cock and the hen, which are kept in Mr. de Vent's 

 garden, have grown a little tamer. 



27. — I described some plants, which I collected yesterday. 

 In the afternoon I went to visit the hospital, built here for the 

 lepers, especially for those attacked by the disease called here, 

 Mai de Lazar. The hospital lies half a German mile northwards 

 from the town on the shore, in a place highly fit for it, as from 

 there one has a beautiful view over the whole of Malacca. 



Behind this hospital is a small wood with some swamps 

 which stretch out at the eastern side not very far from the 

 hospital. 



This hospital has been founded by the Gompagnie, and is kept 

 up by alms money ; the second councillor has the supervision. 

 At first they intended to build the hospital on a much larger 

 scale, for there is still a gate to be seen with two wings, and solid 

 sloping walls close to the sea, which bears the date of 1697. 

 But after this gate had cost so much, they did not continue. to 

 use bricks for the whole building. It is now enclosed by a fence 

 of thin poles, which measures about 150 steps square. There is 

 a so-called doctor there ; he is a Portuguese born out here, he 

 is old and pretty ignorant. His house stands in the first enclosure. 

 It is at about forty steps distant from the hospital and by as much 

 from the outer fence. The building for the invalids is a Malay 



