BANDA. 
59 
by some good houses and a church. On the 
sward is the village well, where there seems 
always to be a group of busy washers ; and in 
the centre is a large school, where every edu- 
cational advantage may be enjoyed, so that 
European residents need not, as formerly, send 
their children to distant parts to be educated. 
On its left rises the battlemeuted fort built 
by the Portuguese, but now living the Dutch 
ensign, from the top of which a magnificent 
view is to be had of the surrounding islands 
and out over the boundless sea. Sitting on 
the topmost of a long flight of steps, we looked 
down on the Banda isles, so small in theii* vast 
setting,- — on the volcano, from whose crest the 
vapour - cloud had temporarily lifted, leaving 
the whole symmetrical outline clearly defined, 
— on the reposeful town, heedless of the terrible 
devastation which has overwhelmed, and at any 
moment may again overwhelm it from the over- 
shadowing fire-mountain, — on the land-locked 
bay, bathed in sunlight and gently ruffled by 
the breeze, which floated out the flags on the 
shipping, — and down on the old fort, which 
tells how the spice - gardens of Insulinde were 
valued in other centuries. 
We called each day of our stay at Bin Saleh's, 
