ciiAp. xx.] rOLCAmC DISTURBANCES. 293 



business streets, and a mimbcr of roads set ont at liglit 

 angles to each other, bordered l)j hedges of flovveiiri'^ 

 shrubs, and enclosing country houses and huts embosomed 

 in palms and fruit trees. Hills and mountains form the 

 background in almost every direction, and there ar^ few 

 places more enjoyable for a morning or evenin^^ stroll» than 

 these sandy roads and shady lanes in the suburbs of tlie 

 ancient city of Amboyna, 



There are no active volcanoes in the island, nor is it 

 now subject to frequent earthquakes, although very 

 severe ones have occurred and raay be expected again. 

 Mr. WiUiara Funnell, m his voyage with Bampier to the 

 South Seas In 1705, says : ** Whilst we were here, (at 

 Amboyna) we had a great earthquake, which continued 

 two days, in which time it did a great deal of mischief ; 

 ior the ground burst ojien in many places, and swallowed 

 up several houses and whole families. Several of -tlie people 

 were dug out again, but most of them dead, and many had 

 their legs or arms broken by the fall of the houses. Tlie 

 castle walls were rent asunder in several places, and we 

 thought that it and all the bouses would have fallen doTsi.Ti. 

 The ground where we were swelled like a wave in the sea, 

 but near us we had no hurt done," There are also 

 numer<3us records of eruptions of a volcano on the west 

 side of the island. In 1674 an eruption destroyed a 

 village. In 1G94 there was another emption. In 179 ( 

 much vapour and heat was emitted. Other eniptions 

 occurred in 1816 and 1S20, and in 1824 a new crater is 

 said to have been formed. Yet so capricious is the action 

 orthese subterranean fires, that since the last-named epoch 

 all eniptive symptoms have so completely ceased, that 1 

 wiis assured by many of the most intelligent European 

 inliabitants of Amboyna, that they had never heard of any 

 sucli thing as a volcano on the island. 



During the few days that elapsed before I could make 

 arrangements to visit the interior, I enjoyed myself much 

 in the society of the two doctors, both amiable and well- 

 educated menj and both enthusiastic entomologists, though 

 obliged to increase their collections almost entirel}' by 

 means of native collectors. Dr. Boleschall studied chiefly 

 the Hies and spiders, but also collected buttpi-tiies and 



