332 
COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL 
Mohammedans or Christians. The latter, the Orang 
Sirani (Nazarenes), strike the traveller at once on land¬ 
ing, dressed as they are from head to foot in black. 
Even the garments are altered, the Malay sarong being 
discarded for trousers, and the costume is utterly 
unsuited to the climate. These people, at all events in 
the town, are in many respects inferior to the Moham¬ 
medans, being lazy, proud, and untruthful, and their 
religion appears hardly better than a modified fetichism. 
“ It seems,” writes Mr. Forbes, “ to lie on them like an 
awesome thraldom.” Otherwise, they are much superior 
in point of civilisation to the ordinary coast natives of 
the islands, although a species of mild Mafia exists—the 
Kakian society—which seems to include persons of all 
nationalities and colour. 
The town of Amboina is situated on the south side of 
the western inlet, about ten miles from the open sea. It 
is a free port, carrying on trade over a wide area. It is 
well laid out with regular and broad streets and a wide 
green plein , and the red laterite roads and abundant 
flowers and foliage give it an attractive appearance. 
There is an imposing Government House, and Fort 
Victoria, originally built by the Portuguese, but enlarged 
and strengthened by the Dutch in 1609, is a massive 
building which has managed to survive the earthquakes, 
and still protects the large storehouses in which in 
former days the cloves were kept. Amboina may be 
regarded as, primarily, a military station. Here, too, are 
the headquarters of the mission staff and schoolmasters. 
Amboina is celebrated for its shells, collections of which 
have been made by the natives ever since the days of 
Eumphius two centuries ago, and there is, perhaps, no 
one locality in the world where so many beautiful 
varieties are to be easily obtained, the traders bringing 
