156 TRAVELS IN THE EAST INDIAN ABCHIPELAGO. 



tion of the Chinese tkmg-hiy "odoriferous nails."* 

 The Dutch name for clove is hndd-nagd^ " herb-nail," 

 and for the trees nagelen-hooimu^ " nail-trees." Our 

 own name clove comes from the Spanish clavo (Latin 

 damiB\ a nail, which has also been given them on ae- 

 ' count of the similarity of these buds to nails. 



Although cloves form a favorite condiment among 

 all nationSj the natives of these islands where they 

 grow never eat them in any form, and we have no 

 reason to suppose they ever did. The only purpose 

 for which the Amboinese use them, so far as I am 

 aware, is to prepare neat models of their praus and 

 bamboo huts, by running small wire through the 

 buds before they are di'ied. The Dutch purchase 

 and send to Europe so many of these models, that 

 almost every etbnological museum contains some 

 specimens of this skilful workmanship. The clove 

 probably came into use originally by accident, and I 

 believe the first people who fancied its rich aroma, 

 and warm, pungent taste, were the Chinese. The 



* De Canto, who visited these ialaada in 1540, says: " Tlie Persians 

 call the eloTe ealqfuT^ and speaking on this matter, with peraiiBaion of 

 the physicians, it appears to n& that the mrojilum of the Latin ia cor- 

 ropted from the mlafut of the Moors (Arabs), for they have some re- 

 semhlance. And as tliis drag passed into Enrope through the hands of 

 tlie Moora with the name ealafur^ it appears the Enropeans did not 

 change it. The Castiliaus (Spaniards) caJled cloves gihpe^ hecanse they 

 oorne from the island of Gilolo (prohahly one of the chief soorces of this 

 article at that time). The peoj)le vf the ilolnccaa call them chanquk 

 The Bralimin physicians first called tliem lavanga, hut afterward gave 

 them the Moorish name. Generally all nations give them a name of 

 their own, us we have done ; for the firet of ns (the Portuguese) tbat 

 reached these islands (the Moluccas), taking them in their hands, and oh- 

 serving their resemblaj^ce to iron nails, called them erato^ hy which they 

 are now so well known in the world." 



