SWALLOW. 
505 
bound for China; and in the same year reached the 
straits of Sunda, very near Java, and between two 
small islets, called the Great and Little Tocque. 
{( Here,” says he, “ we were becalmed, and went 
on shore on Little Tocque to hunt green pigeons. 
While the rest of the party were clambering among 
the precipices, I walked along the beach to gather 
shells and jointed corals, which are found here in 
great abundance. After having made almost an 
entire circuit of the islet, it was growing late, when 
a sailor who accompanied me discovering a deep 
cavern in the rocks on the brink of the sea went 
into it, and scarce advanced two or three steps 
when he called to me. I hastened to the mouth 
of the cavern, and found it darkened by an im- 
mense cloud of small birds, which poured out in 
swarms. I entered it, and knocked down with my 
cane many of these poor little birds, with which I 
was then unacquainted : as I penetrated further, I 
perceived the roof of the cavern to be covered en- 
tirely with small nests shaped like holy-water pots. 
The sailor had already broken off several, and had 
filled his frock with them and with birds. I also 
detached some of the nests, and found them glued 
firmly to the rock. Night now came on, and we 
returned to the ship with the fruits of our ex- 
cursion.” 
Sir George Staunton has thus described the escu- 
lent swallow and its nest, in his Account of the Em- 
bassy to China. “ In the Cass, a small island near 
Sumatra, were found two caverns running hori- 
