CHAP. X3L] THE TOirN OF AMBOYNA, 29 1 



renmikable is a fine and very liantlsonie fruit-pigeon, 

 Carpophaga couciuua, which feiids upon the iiutniega, or 

 luther on the mace, and whose loud booming note is to be 

 coutiiiually heard. This bird is found iu the Ke and 

 Matahello ishiuda as well as Batida, but not in Ceram or 

 any of the larger islands, which are inhabited by allied 

 but very distinct species, A beautiful small fi'uit-dove, 

 Ptilonopus diadematufn, is also peculiar to Biiuda. 



CHAPTER XX. 



AMBOYNA. 



(DEOBKBES 18£7, OCTOBEE rRBRUAUT 1300,) 



TWENTY hours from Banda brought us to Amboyna, 

 the capital of the Moluccas, and one of the oldest 

 European settlements in the East. The island consists of 

 two peninsulas, so nearly divided by inlets of the sea, as 

 to leave only a sandy isthmus about a mile wide near their 

 eastern extremity. The western inlet is several miios long 

 and forms a fine harbour, on the southern side of wliich is 

 situated the town of Amlwyna. I had a letter of intro- 

 duction to Br. Mohnike, the chief medical officer of the 

 Moluccas, a German and a naturalist. I found that he 

 could write and read English, but could not speak it, being 

 like myself a bad linguist ; so we had to use French as a 

 medium of communication. He kindly offered me a room 

 dnring my stay in Amboyna, and introduced me to hia 

 junior, Dr. Doleschall, a Hungarian and also an ento- 

 mologist. He was an intelligent and most amiable young 

 man, but I was shocked to find that he was d>dng of con- 

 sumption, though still able to perform the duties of his 

 office. In the evening my host took me to the residence 

 of the Governor, Mr. CJoldmann, who received me in a 

 most kind and cordial manner, and oifeix^d me ever}' 

 assistance. The town of Amboyna consists of a few 



U2 



