EDIBLE SWALLOW NESTS. 
255 
been accustomed from tbeir youth to climb amongst these 
dangerous places. They construct ladders of reeds and 
bamboos, by which they are enabled to ascend to the holes ; 
but if the caverns are too deep, they employ ship-ropes. 
When they have got to the bottom of a cavern, they place 
bamboos, with notches in them, against the wall, if these 
be sufficiently long to reach the nests, but if not they stand 
on the ladders, and pull the nests down with poles of 
bamboo made for that purpose. This employment, which is 
very dangerous, sacrifices the lives of a great many men, 
and particularly of thieves, while attempting to rob the 
caverns at improper seasons. For this reason, small watch- 
houses are everywhere built in the neighbourhood. 
The mountaineers, who are the persons chiefly accustomed 
to this employment, never undertake their labour till they 
have slaughtered a buffalo, as a propitiatory sacrifice, which 
is the usual preparation made by the Javanese for all their 
undertakings. On such occasions they mutter over a few 
prayers, anoint themselves with aromatic oils, and fumigate 
the holes with sweet- smelling substances, which they conceive 
to be charms against accident. 
At the chief of these caverns, in the island of Java, a 
protecting female deity is worshipped, under the name of 
Princess of the Southern Sea. A small hut, with a covered 
sleeping-place, is there appropriated for her, together with 
various elegant articles of dress, which none under the rank 
of. a princess can wear; and every Friday when the nests 
are taken down incense is continually burnt, and the body 
and clothes of every one who intends to ascend the rocks 
must be exposed to it. To afford them light in the cavern, 
they use torches made of the resinous gum of a large 
tree. 
The collecting of these nests continues no longer than a 
month, and, as already mentioned, may be repeated three 
times in the year. Some believe that it may be done a fourth 
time; but this is not probable, as all experienced people 
brought up to this employment confidently assert, that a nest, 
as long as it remains entire, is continually enlarged by the 
