102 
BIRDS NESTS KARANG BOLLONG. 
the overflow of the water. Once or twice in the year the fish are 
sold to the population of the district of Karang Bollong, and from the 
proceeds the sluices of masonry and cleansing of the ponds are pro¬ 
vided for. The surplus is divided between the people of the 
villages of Suwook and Djeladrie who keep the watch. 
Generally speaking the place may be considered healthful. The 
thermometer (Fahrenheit) is found, as a mean, in the morning at 
6 o’clock from 70° to 74°, at noon from 82° to 85% and in the 
evening at 6 o’clock from 77 J to 79*. 
The population of the district Karang Bollong consists of 1000 
able bodied men, who are free from all state-service and contri¬ 
butions, excepting the maintenance of the roads. They find their 
livelihood by gathering birds nests, in the cultivat'on of sawa and 
tagal* fields and in fishing. The women on their part keep them¬ 
selves busy in weaving cloths, which are everywhere in good 
demand, and are much sought, as I have heard, in the capitals 
of the residencies Surakarta and Djokjokarta. 
It is generally known that Karrang Bollong furnishes annually 
an important produce of birds nests, but it is less known in what 
manner the collection is made and with how much danger to 
life it is attended. For this reason I have deemed it not inap¬ 
propriate to give a description of it here as exact as possible, com¬ 
mencing from the time when the collection begins. 
The gathering of the birds nests takes place three times .a year 
under the name of Uditan kesongo, tellor and kapal. The first 
begins in the end of April, the second, in the middle of August, 
and the third, iti December. The yearly produce is commonly 
between 50 and 60 piculs. 
When the time for the gathering approaches the heads come 
together with the persons they employ, before the residence of 
the overseer, who then, in the presence of the Wedons, Mantre 
and the writer, fixes the amount destined for the procuring of buf¬ 
faloes, he-goats, rattans, bambus, and torches, as well as the distri¬ 
bution of opium, incense and atal. 
After all this has been done, a servant is sent to the Goa No - 
gosarie accompanied by the head men of this cliff. The Goa 
\ 
* Tagal y dry rice cultivation equivalent to the Malay umah. 
