Fort Victoria is an irregular hexagon, with a ditch and covered way on the land fide, and a horn work towards the fea; which, were it not commanded by two ranges of heights, within from 700 to 1200 yards distance, it would be capable of making a tolerable defence. Had those who planned this fort gone two miles higher up, on the fame fide of the bay, they would have found a fituation which at once affords every poffible advantage for a fortrefs, and every convenience for

a town,

The town of Amboyna is extremely clean, and both neatly and regularly built; the streets run at right angles; and the houses, on account of the frequency of earthquakes, are feldom above one ftory high. From the covert-way of the fort to the town, there is one efplanade of nearly 250 yards, terminated by a range of handfome dwellinghouses, with a double row of nut. meg trees in front of them. In thefe houfes the principal inhabitants refide. There are two well-built churches in the towns eftablished by the Dutch Government, one for the European, the other for the Malay Chriftians; in the laft of which the fervice is performed in the Malay language. All the other public buildings are in the fort, except the Stadthoufe, which fronts the efplanade, and is a neat building of two stories.

The town is plentifully fupplied with water, and, though it be not of the beft quality, is neverthelefs both wholesome and well tafted. But the water for the thipping is for the most part taken from a running ftream, (much celebrated by the natives for its excellence,) on the north fide of the harbour, where it is conveyed directly into boats, from a cataract which falls from the rocks at a fhort diftance from the landing-place,

The general face of the island is extremely beautiful and picturesque. Mountains every where covered with lofty woods in perpetual foliage, and valleys clothed in verdure, interfperfed with hamlets, and enriched by cultivation, exhibit the most delightful variety that nature in thefe tropical regions seems capable of producing. The two parts of the ifland feparated by the inlets of the fea, which have been before defcribed, are called Leytemore and Hitor, the former of which is little more than half the fize of the other; but, in confequence of Fort Victoria being fituated on it, the inhabitants are more numerous, and the lands in a higher ftate of cultivation than in Hitor.

For the more convenient collection of the cloves, the Dutch formed feveral fiall residencies fubordinate to the chief fettlement, which comprize the province of Amboyna and its dependencies. Under the immediate management of the Governor, there are feven great and twenty-four small diftricts, the whole of which are fituated in the Leytemore divifion. The fubordinate refidents have from fix to ten niggeries, or diftricts, under their charge; except the Refident of Saparoua, under whofe government is the province of Lauk, containing the four diftricts on the fouth-weft fide of Amboyna, together with the fmall islands of Saparoua and Noeffalant, the firft of which contains thirteen and the laft feven districts. These illands yield a great abundance of fine cloves, on which account this refidency is esteemed the most valuable appointment under the Supreme Government. The ifland of Harockoe, with the districts of To. lochoe, Tengatinga, and Tial, immediately oppofite to it on the Hi. tor peninfula, form one province, under the fuperintendance of a Re

fident.

fident. All the above-mentioned districts abound in cloves, the cultivation of which is ftrictly prohibited in every other part of the ifland. The whole coaft of Ceram, which is divided into thirty-feven districts, is fubordinate to the three Refidencies of Saparoua, Harockoe, and Hila. The other dependencies of the government of Amboyna are, Bomo, Manipa, and Saway, each of which have fmall refidencies, containing from two to three diftricts, fubordinate to them.

Thefe districts, or niggeries, are likewife called Regencies, and the officers who govern them are diftinguished by the names of Regents, Rajahs, Patties, and Orankaios. The three principal Rajahs of Noeffanive, Kulary, and Zoya, are permitted to inherit their regencies in their own families, and are the lineal defcendents of the Portugueze families who firft fettled in the island: all the others are appointed by the Governor; who, in this refpect, is obliged to regulate his choice by the ancient cuftom and prejudices of the people, whofe reverence for the ties of confanguinity carries them fo far as to induce them to keep a regular pedigree of their families, which is registered in the fecretary's office, and on which the candidate for a vacant regency refts his primary claim. When a vacancy happens, the Bangfas, or men of regiftered families, take out an au.... thentic copy of their pedigree from the fecretary's office, which, together with a written requeft, fetting forth their pretenfions to the fucceffion, they prefent to the Governor, who, if he pleafes, lays it before his Council; by whom the elders of the diftricts are confulted, both as to the qualifications of the candidate, and to the opinion entertained of him by the people; and according to the report which the elders give

of his merits, the appointment is ultimately made.

Befides the regents in each dif. trict, the elders are invefted with a magifterial authority according to their rank. They are divided into three degrees of Capalla-faus, or al dermen. Thefe receive a percentage on the cloves produced in their diftricts; and from among them the overfeers of the labourers, as well as the fuperintendants of the particu lar grounds in which the cloves are cultivated, are invariably felected.

All the regents of the provinces of Amboyna, however distinguished, are vaffals of the Company, who are not only the abfolute fovereigns of the island, but the actual proprietors of the foil: the whole of the lands are in their immediate poffeffion, except a few pieces of ground belonging to burghers and private perfons, who, under the prohibition of cultivating the clove-tree, are permitted to alienate them. Yet, though the Company claim a paramount right in the foil, they acknowledge they cannot deprive the inhabitants of the different districts of any part of their property, without giving them an adequate compenfation; efpecially if their lands produce clovetrees, which being confidered as the peculiar inheritance of the planters, are held to be inviolable.

In all the districts where cloves are cultivated, the grounds which are appropriated for clove plantations are portioned out to the inhabitants. Thefe grounds are called Daty-lands; a regular register of the produce of them is kept; the clove-trees are numbered once a year, and their qualities particularly noted. The entire produce of thefe trees, the people are bound, under pain of death, to deliver annually into the Company's ftores.

The Daty-lands, however, are not peculiarly allotted for the growth

of

of the clove-trees; for, within their limits, in each diftrict, where the clove-trees flourish fpontaneoufiy, an account of them is immediately taken, and inferted in the regifter. Of thefe, particular care is taken to keep the ground about them well weeded, and fecurely fheltered.When young trees fhoot up in remote parts of the diftrict, they are transplanted into the Daty-grounds, unless the numbers of trees in them be already fufficient.

The clove-tree grows to the height of about forty or fifty feet, its branches fpread, and its leaves are long and pointed. In a favourable foil, it begins to bear at fifteen years growth, is in perfection at twenty, and continues to bear, without any apparent decay, till the age of forty or fifty. Some trees yield thirty pounds of cloves; but the average quantity produced does. not amount to more than fix pounds a tree. They grow to the greatest perfection in deep valleys well sheltered by hills and woods, and in a foil of a rich black mould quite dry; tho' they require frequent rains for the greateft part of the year, and very hot weather at the gathering feafon.

The time for gathering the cloves generally commences about the latter end of October, or the beginning of November, and continues until February. In April and May there is an after-crop, but of a far inferior quality.

The mode of gathering the cloves is fingularly particular. Each labourer brings the quantity he gathers to a weigh-houfe, where the name of the perfon, together with the quantity delivered, are regular

The Governor receives
The fecond, Mr. Tmiffaert
The Commander of the troops
Refident of Saparoua

Refident of Hila

The Fifcal

ly noted; and unless the cloves are thoroughly dried, the full weight is not always allowed; for, if there be the least moisture in them, the allowance for the waftage in the drying is rendered perfectly arbitrary.

Though the nominal rate at which the cloves are to be delivered be nearly 4s. 8d. per pound, the actual fum faid to be gathered fails fhort of it, on account of the deductions which are made in the valuation of the commodity, and the payment of the labourer. The principal draw-back is an allowance of 20 per cent. on the weight of the cloves, for the benefit of the Governor and the other fervants of the Company : befides which, there is a fmall deduction for the Regent and Chief Elders of the district, as well as for the Rajah or Orankaio..

The whole of the cloves are punctually delivered into the Company's ftores at the aforefaid rate: and the price of the 20 per cent. overplus weight has been long established; it was authorized by the government of Batavia as a perquifite on the average produce of 600,000lb. of cloves annually, and divided according to the following proportions:

Twenty per cent. on 600,000 lb. of cloves is 120,000 lb. ; which, at 56 rix-dollars per chaar, is equal to 12,218 rix-dollars 8 ftivers. This was formerly divided into an hundred parts; but, fince the arrival of the Wirtemberg Company, it has been divided into an hundred and two, in order to let that Company have a fhare of the common benefit of thefe.