BANDA ISLANDS. These Islands, situate miles to the south-east of Amboyna, are ten in num ber, viz. Banda Neira, Gonong Apee, Banda Lantoir,: Pulo Ay, or Pulo Rondo, or Pule Roon, Rosyngen, Pulo Pisang, Craka, Capella, and So nangy.
Of these, Banda Neira is the seat of the supreme government, and it is secured by one principal for tification, situate on the south side of the Island, consisting of a small square fort, haring a wet ditch, with a horn-work- towards the sea. This fortifica tion, which is called Fort Napau, forms the chief defence of the Banda Islands. The troops are quar tered, and the public granaries are kept in this fort ; but the storehouses for the nutmegs and mace are on the outside, as well as the government-house.
Above Fort Napau, on a neighbouring eminence , stands the castle of Belgica, an old pentagon, with round towers at the angles. It is surrounded with a wall, secured by small bastions, but has no ditch, and is said to have been built by the Portuguese.
Banda Lantoir, or Great Banda, is to the north ward of Banda Neira. It is defended by a contider able fort, which commands the harbour of Lautore, and is called Fort HoDandle. At first view, the si tuation of this fort appears preferable to Banda Nei ra for the residence of government, not only on ac count of its strong and commanding situation, but because the Island is the largest, as well as the rich ' . est, in the produce of spices. Its unhealthiness has been found, however, to be a sufficient objection. The water is said to be bad, and the vapour which sometimes descends from the volcanic mountain of the neighbouring Island Gonong Api, is represented as particularly noxious. Such fatal effects were pro duced by these causes, that when the Wirtemberg Company formerly garrisoned the Island, out of a hundred men, eight died, and forty fell sick, in the course of two months. The numbers of decayed houses, also, which are seen in different parts of the Island, show that the experiment of a settlement has been already tried, and has not been found to an swer. This island appears very high from the sea ;
its sides are steep, and from the top of them there is a sort of table land, which extends nearly from one end of the Island to the other.
Gonong Apee is to the northward of Banda Neira, and derives its name from a large volcano, about 2000 feet above the level of the sea, which constant ly emits smoke, and sometimes cinders and ashes, accompanied with a crackling noise. On the south side of this Island are two forts, originally intended to defend the west channel of Lautore harbour ; but owing to an eruption of the volcano in 1778, at the same time that a dreadful hurricane laid waste the Island, the lava flowed down in such quantities as to form a considerable promontory between these batteries and the channel they were intended to de fend, so that they are now in a. great measure use less. This Island is generally unproductive, its sur face being covered with a quantity of sulphur and chalk. There is no vegetation whatever on upwards of one-third of the eminence on which the volcano is situate. Towards the sea, the descent is exceed ingly steep ; but towards the harbour, the declivity slopes gradually to the water, on the side of which are some plantations, and a few straggling houses.
Pulo Way is about nine miles to the westward of Gonong Apee, and is defended by a strong fort. It is esteemed the most healthy of the whole group, and produces abundance of nutmegs, of a kind supe rior in quality to those of the other Islands. Pulo Rondo, or Palo Roon, is about four miles further in rather a more northerly direction. On this Island the English had a factory, from which they were ex pelled by the Dutch, about the period of the mas sacre of Amboyna ; and the Island having been since abandoned, has become a wilderness. Rosyngen is about seven miles to the south-east of Lantore. It produces nutmegs, mace, yams, and subsistence for a few cattle. The convicts of Amboyna were for.