The Malay archipelago : the land of the orang-utan ... - Wallace Online

224 THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO. [chap.isthmus about a mile wide neai* their eastern extremity. Thewestern inlet is several miles long and forms a fine harbour, onthe southern side of which is situated the town of Amboyna.I had a letter of introduction to Dr. Mohnike, the chief medicalofficer of the Moluccas, a German and a naturalist. I foundthat he could write and read English, but could not speak it,being like myself a bad linguist ; so we had to use Frencli as amedium of communication. He kindly offered me a roomduring my stay in Amboyna, and introduced me to his junior,Dr. Doleschall, a Hungarian, and also an entomologist. He wasan intelligent and most amiable young man, but I was shockedto find that he was dying of consumption, though still able toperform the duties of his office. In the evening my host tookme to the residence of the Governor, Mr. Goldmann, who receivedme in a most kind and cordial manner, and offered me everyassistance. The town of Amboyna consists of a few businessstreets, and a number of roads set out at right angles to eachother, bordered by hedges of flowering shrubs, and enclosingcountry houses and huts embosomed in palms and fruit trees.Hills and mountains form tlie background in almost everydirection, and there are few places more enjoyable for a morningor evening stroll than these sandy roads and shady lanes in thesuburbs of the ancient city of Amboyna.Thex^e are no active volcanoes in the island, nor is it nowsubject to frequent earthquakes, although very severe oneshave occurred and may be expected again. Mi*. WilhamFunnell, in his voyage with Dampier to the South Seas in 1705,says :" Whilst we were here [at Amboyna] we had a greatearthquake, which continued two days, in wiiich time itdid a great deal of mischief ; for the ground burst oj^en inmany places, and swallowed up several houses and wholefamilies. Several of the people were dug out again, but mostof them dead, and many had their legs or arms broken by thefall of the houses. The castle walls were rent asunder in severalplaces, and we thought tliat it and all the houses would liavefallen down. The ground whei'e we were swelled like a wavein the sea, but near us we had no hurt done." There are alsonumerous records of eruptions of a volcano on the west side ofthe island. In 1674 an eruption destroyed a village. In 1694there was another eruption. In 1797 inuch vapour and heat wasemitted. Other eruptions occurred in 1816 and 1820, and in 1824a new crater is said to have been formed. Yet so capricious is theaction of these subterranean fires, that since the last-namedepoch all eruptive symptoms ha.ve so comj^letely ceased, that Iwas assured by many of the most intelligent European inliabitantsof Amboyna, that they had never heard of any such thingas a volcano on the island.During the few days that elaj^sed before I could makearrangements to visit the interior, I enjoyed myself mucli inthe society of tlie two doctors, botli amiable and well-educated