VJ6 The V O Y 
ftey, areftill called the Ifiands of Popoes, as the Continent itfelf 
was called the Land of Popoes, before Schovten impofed that 
upon it which it now bears, to which he was principally in- 
duced, by its lying in the fame Latitude with Old Guiney. 
Whenever the Inhabitants of thofe Ifiands go to ‘ Ternate , 
Banda , Amboyna , or any of the Moluccas , in order to expofe 
to Sale their Merchandizes, fiich as fait Pork, Amber, Gold- 
dull, &c. they likewife carry with them fome of thefe Birds 
of Paradife. They coiftlantly fell them dead, affirming, 
that they always find them fo, and that they are abfolutely 
ignorant whence they come, or where they breed. Thus 
much is certain, that this Bird is always feen very high in 
the Air. It is extremely light, inafmuch as it confifls chiefly 
of Feathers, which are exceffively beatiful, and render it one 
of the greateft Curiofities in the World. The Plumage of 
its Head are as bright as Gold *, thofe of its Neck refemble 
a Drake’s, and thofe of its Tail and Wings are very like a 
Peacock’s. As to the reft, in its Beak and Form it comes 
neareft to a Swallow, except that it is fomewhat bigger. 
Such as deal in them would perfuade Strangers, that they 
have no Feet, and that, when they fleep, they hang them- 
felves by their Feathers to the Branch of a Tree ; but the 
Truth of the Matter is, that thefe Traders cut them off, 
in order to render their Birds more wonderful. They like- 
wife tell another pretty Tale to heighten the Value of their 
Birds } which is this, that the Male has a Cavity in his 
Bach, where the Female lodges her Young, till they are 
able to fry. To give a greater Appearance of Truth to 
thefe ftrange Stories, they cut off the Legs fo clofe to the 
Body, that, when the Flefh begins to dry, the Skin and 
the Feathers unite fo perfectly, that it is fimply impoffible 
to perceive the leaft Scar. They likewife affert, that thefe 
Birds are continually flying * that they live by the Birds and 
other Infedts they catch in the Air. The Feathers of the 
Male are brighter, and more beautiful, than thofe of the Fe- 
male. In the Eaftern Languages this Bird . is generally called 
Mancodiata , that is to fay, the Bird of God. There are a 
great many of them fent to Batavia , where, generally fpeak- 
ing, they are fold for three Crowns apiece. The Moors , 
the Arabians , and the Perjians , efteem them mightily. 
They make ufe of their Feathers to adorn their Saddles and 
Horfe-furniture ; and, to heighten their Luftre, they inter- 
mingle them with Pearls and Diamonds. They wear them 
likewife in their Turbans, more efpccially when they go 
to War, from a fuperftitious Notion, that they are a kind 
of Charm, capable of fecuring them from Wounds. The 
Shah and the Great Mogul thought it formerly the higheft 
Mark of their Efteem to prefent any of their Favourites 
with one of thefe Birds. 
The Inhabitants of the Thoufand Ifiands , befides their 
Girdle, have another Ornament, which confifts in a Bit of 
Stick, of the Size of a Tobacco-pipe, and of the Length 
of one’s Finger, which they run through the Griftle of 
their Nofes, which they look upon as a means of making 
them appear fierce and terrible to their Enemies •, in which 
they refemble fome Europeans , who, for the fame Reafon, 
are equally fond of Muftaches. Thefe Flanders, our Au- 
thor affures us, were the very worft People they met with 
in the South Seas. As to the neighbouring Continent of 
New Guiney , it appeared to them a very high Country, 
extremely full of Plants and Trees, fo that, in failing 400 
Leagues along the Coaft, they did not obferve one barren 
Spot whence our Author thinks it extremely probable, 
that this Country abounds with many precious Commo- 
dities, fuch as rich Metals, Spices, ific. the rather, becaufe 
hitherto none of the Countries, difcovered in that Parallel, 
are deficient in thefe forts of Riches. He adds, that Per- 
rons worthy of Credit affured him, that fome of the free 
Burgeffes in the Moluccas go annually to New Guiney, and 
there exchange fmall Pieces of Iron for Nutmegs. Schovten , 
and other Navigators, have conceived very high Ideas of 
this Country, and have reprefented it as one of the richeft 
and fineft in the World : But they were not able to pene- 
trate far into it •, neither is it to be expedited, that this 
fhotild ever be done with a fmall Force, fince it is extremely 
populous, the People of a very martial Difpofition, and, 
generally {peaking, well-armed. 
The Officers of the Dutch Squadron were at this time 
under fome Doubts, whether , they ffiouid continue .their 
2 
AGES of Book I. 
Courfe as D ampler did, or whether they ffiouid pafs by the 
Ifiands of Ternate , Tidore, and Bacian, as the lefs dan- 
gerous Paffage. To gain Time, however, they made 
Choice of the firft, becaufe other wife they mult have 
coafted round the Hands laft-mentioned, in order to come 
at the Moluccas. Theft three Hands of Ternate , Tidore , 
and Bacian , are each of them governed by its refpedtive 
Monarch. The Dutch Haft India Company allow each of 
thefe Princes a kind of annual Tribute, on condition that 
they cut up by the Roots all the Spice-trees that grow in 
their Dominions. The reft of the Kings of the Moluccas , 
to the Number of one hundred, are all dependent upon 
thefe three great Princes. It is faid, that, from thefe 
Hands, the three Magi, or wife Men of the Eaji , of whom 
the Scripture fpeaks, went to Jerufalem , and thence to 
Bethlehem , there to adore the Infant Jefus : And they far- 
ther affure us, that all the little Princes of the Moluccas 
were antiently famous for their Skill in Aftronomy; in 
which Art, they followed principally the Grounds laid 
down by the Egyptians ; and it is farther faid, that fome 
Monuments, fome Remembrance, of this Fad are ftill pre~ 
ferved in their old Books ^ the Leaves of which were made 
of Barks of Trees. 
On the Feaft of the Holy Epiphany , the Dutch Sailors 
carry a Star, by way of Compliment, to thefe three Kings j 
who, in Return, make them very valuable Prefents, and 
treat them very fplendidly. But as, on the one hand, this 
is a very fuperftitious Cuftom in its Nature, fo it is no lefs 
fcandalous on the other, from the Manner in which it is 
performed, as refembling much more a Pagan Revel, than 
a Chriftian Feaft. The King of Ternate has embraced the 
Chriftian Religion but the other tv/o Princes are ftill Pa- 
gans. Our Author adds, that fome Malayan Priefts, who 
had ftudied at Meccha , affured him, they had feen in the 
Library cf that City a Chronicle, in which mention is made 
of the three Kings of the Moluccas , and in which it is ex- 
prefly faid, thefe three Kings, many Years ago, made a 
Voyage by the Way of Arabia to Judea , on account of an 
extraordinary and miraculous Appearance in the Heavens ; 
and that, fome time after, they returned all three fafely to 
their own Dominions. The Author fubmits this Story to 
the Reader’s Judgment, to which I alfo recommend the 
following Memorial relating to the State of the Spice Hands, 
at the Time they fell into the Hands of the Dutch. 
As to the Hand of Banda , the Country is very hilly, 
and yet fruitful as well as populous. The Government is 
a kind of a Commonwealth, in which the Affairs are ma- 
naged by Mohammedan Clergy, who are mighty ftrid and 
fevere. There are not, in the whole Hand, above 12,000 
Souls, and about 4000 fighting Men. The People of this 
Country live to a great Age. The Dutch,- when they 
firft came, faw a Man that was 130 Years old, and feveral 
above 100 Years of Age. The Men are always walking 
Abroad, and the Women at Home at work *, for, befides 
the Hou [hold- work, they employ themfejves in drying of 
Nutmegs, and fheiling them. This admirable Fruit, which 
is fo much valued, grows in no Place in the World, that 
we know of, but in the Hand of Banda , and in a few 
other fmall neghbouring Hands, namely, Orattan , Gui- 
manafa , Waycr , Pulo Wai , and Pulo Rion. This Tree 
bears three times in the Year, viz. in April , Auguft , and 
December : April Nutmegs are the beft ; and the Crop in 
that Month is more plentiful than in the other two. This 
Tree is much like a Peach-tree, only the Leaves are fhorter 
and rounder ; the Fruit is at firft covered with a thick 
Shell, like a Walnut-fhell ; when it ripens, that Shell, 
growing ripe, opens itfelf ; and then you fee a fine ftnooth 
Skin, or Peel, which covers the Nutmeg ; and Hat Skin is 
the Flower of it, or Mace *, next to that thin Skin you find 
another, which is harder and blackifti, and much like 
Walnut- fhells ; and, when you open this large Shell, you 
fee the Nutmeg. Mace' is at firft -of a fine fcarlet Colour j 
but, when it is ripe, it falls off the Shell, and affumes an 
Orange- colour, as you fee it here in Europe. They pre- 
ferve whole Nutmegs with Sugar, which makes the beft 
Sweetmeats in the Indies , and are much efteemed. The 
Inhabitants of Banda call Nutmegs Palla, and Mace Buaa 
Palla: There are two Sorts of Nutmegs ; fome are long, and 
are called Males ; others round and reddifh, which have a 
better 
