PHEFAOE. 



The object of my voyage to Amboina was simply 

 to re-collect tlie Bliells figured m Rumpbius's " Rari- 

 teit Kamer/* and the idea of writing a volmne of 

 travels was not seriously eiitertedned until I arrived 

 at Batavia, and, iustead of being forbidden by tlie 

 Dutch Govenunent to proceed to the Spice Islands, 

 as some of my wannest fiiends feaj*ed, I was honored 

 by His Excellency, the Governor-General of " the 

 Netherlands India," with the order given on page 



Having fully accomplished that object, I availed 

 myself of the unexampled facilities to travel af 

 forded me in every part of the archipelago, and all 

 except the first six chapters describe the regions 

 thus visited. 



The narrative given has been taken almost en- 

 tirely from my journal, which was kept day by day 

 with scrupulous care. Accuracy, even at any sacri- 



