BANDA NEIRA.

Banda Neira, the next in point of size, is the residence of the government officers, the troops, and the convicts.  It is not so high as Great Banda, and does not produce a single nutmeg.  The third island is called the Gounung Api, or Burning Mountain; and is, as its name implies, a volcano, from which more or less smoke, impregnated with sulphur, is constantly issuing; during the westerly monsoon, this smoke is blown over the town, which it renders very unhealthy.  One of the small islands is inhabited entirely by lepers, who are sent there to prevent the disease from spreading among the inhabitants.

Banda is used as a penal settlement by the Dutch Government, and, at the period of our visit, there were from 3000 to 4000 convicts, guarded by about 300 soldiers, most of whom were natives of Celebes and Amboyna, being commanded by European officers.  The town of Banda is clean, and contains, besides the houses of the Government officers, ample storehouses for the reception of the nutmegs grown upon Great Banda; together with very commodious barracks for the troops, and an airy and well appointed hospital.  In addition to the Government officers and troops, a considerable number of Chinese have settled in Banda Neira.  They reside in a part of the town by themselves; and some of them, judging from the appearance of their houses, seem to be prospering in the world.

The harbour is well sheltered in both monsoons, and is easy of access, but it is closed against foreign merchant vessels.* We found two merchant vessels under Dutch colours, at anchor; one was commanded by an Englishman, and the other, the property of a rich Chinaman living in Banda, by an old friend, who piloted us last year into Dobbo Harbour.

(Footnote.  A shoal extends from Great Banda towards the Gounung Api, leaving a deep passage of not more than a quarter of a mile wide.  Upon this shoal, a considerable portion of which is dry at low-water, extensive bamboo fish-weirs are erected, which seem to be very productive.  The natives also use fish-pots formed of bamboo, resembling in principle the common drum-net, which they leave down in shoal water during the night, and generally find a good supply in the morning.  On another part of the shoal we observed a number of large stones, which are said to have been projected from the volcano, during a violent eruption some years ago.)

ADVENTURES OF A JAVANESE.

His history was a strange one.  He was a half-caste, born in Java, who, after various adventures in different parts of the world, had been pressed into our naval service, and served some time on board a man-of-war, where he learned the English language.  On his discharge from her, he was for some time in distress in London, and eventually he found his way back to his native country, where his enterprise, knowledge of seamanship, and facility in acquiring languages, of which he spoke seven or eight, soon got him employment.