TAPIOCA— FISH. 
85 
prefer them to rice. Soaked and boiled, the 
elites make a delicious pudding : we have it 
daily, sweetened with the coarse native sugar 
and eaten with cocoa-nut milk. These combined 
have a flavour I would not give for the most 
delicate pudding you could offer me. Sago loses 
greatly in taking the form of the article of com- 
merce, just as exceedingly refined sugar or flour 
loses the special flavour of its rougher state. 
Although little used by the natives, tapioca is 
also abundant here. We cannot perceive any 
resemblance even in flavour to the delicate 
article familiar at home tables. Tapioca, again, 
is a root of oblong shape, and about twice the 
size of a very large potato. We use it as a 
vegetable, cut in pieces and boiled, and thus 
treated it is not bad. 
The variety of fish is surprising. All sizes 
and shapes abound ; the Rajah declares that he 
does not exaggerate in stating that 800 different 
kinds come into their nets. A celebrated Butch 
specialist has given a catalogue of 780 species 
found in Amboina, a number almost equal to 
those of all the seas and rivers of Europe. Our 
choice ranges from the size of minnows to that 
of huge cod, and the quality is excellent. 
Fowls are abundant also ; but as they live 
