A BlRTn-MAEK. 



315 



vious to tKe birtb of the child, the family were liv- 

 ing there. One night a heavy eaithquake occuiTed, 

 and a brilliant cloud was seen lising out of the top 

 of the mountain. Immediately they began to pre- 

 pare to hasten down, and the mother^ being greatly 

 frightened, attempted to run before, but fell hea\ily 

 on her nght arm, bruising it severely in one place. 

 Soon afterward the child was bom, and on its right 

 arm^ and exactly in the same relative poaition as 

 where the mother had received the mjuiy from her 

 fall, was found a red spot, or mai'k, which all agreed 

 had exactly the outline of the bright cloud seen by 

 them ou the mountain-top. 



The chief articles of export from this place are 

 those brought from the islands to the east, namely, 

 tortoise-shell, tripang, paradise -birds, massoi-bark, 

 and wax. Up to 1837, paradise-birds formed a veiy 

 impoi-tant article of export from Ternate. In 1836 

 over 10,000 guilders' worth were exported, chieHy 

 to China. In 1844 over 10,000 guilders' worth of 

 massoi-bark was exported from this small emporium. 

 It comes from the interior of New Guinea, and is 

 sent to Java, where its ai'omatic oil is used by the 

 uati^'es in rheumatic diseases. Until 1844, from 

 14,000 to nearly ^0,000 guilders' woi-th of tortoise- 

 shell was annually exported, chiefly to China ; but 

 since that time it has frequently not exceeded 4,000. 

 The chief imports are rice, salt, and cotton goods. 

 A merchant who sends a small vessel each year to 

 Misol, and along the northern coast of Papua, kindly 

 offered me an opportunity to take passage on her ; 

 but as it would be about six months before she 



