216 
CBUISE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGE B. 
islands, between Great Banda and Banda Neira, at 
the foot of Gnnong Api, or Burning Mountain, a 
conical active volcano 2300 feet high. Banda Neira 
is in full view before us. It is composed of hills, 
which gradually rise in a succession of ridges to the 
height of about 500 feet, covered with beautiful vege- 
tation to the very top. On one of these prominent 
positions is Fort Belgica, with bastions surmounted 
by circular towers, resembling some old feudal 
castle, from which flies the Dutch flag. Its walls are 
white and dazzling in the bright sunlight, and be- 
neath is a broad, neatly clipped glacis, forming a 
beautiful green descending lawn. At the foot of this 
hill is Fort Nassau, which was built by the Dutch 
when they first arrived, in 1609. On either hand, 
along the shore, extend the chief villages of Neira, 
with rows of pretty shady trees on the bund , or front 
street, bordering the bay ; while at some little dis- 
tance behind the beach are spice plantations and 
large groves of cocoa-nut trees. In front of our 
anchorage the town stretches along, consisting of 
scattered houses, with not much signs of regularity. 
One or two roads run up the valley, where are 
pleasant groves of orange, tamarind, nutmeg, bam- 
boo, banana, and other stately tropical trees and 
plants, lending their shade and beauty to the scene, 
which, with the white walls and red-tiled roofs of 
the houses, together with the many strange faces 
and still stranger dresses, formed a great contrast to 
