AMBOYNA, the capital of the island of Amboyna, is situated in the peninsula of Letymor. It is finely situated at the head of a deep bay, which penetrates 21 miles inland, gradually becoming narrower: it is about six miles asunder at the entrance; and near the bottom, where the town is situated, it is two miles across, with deep water. On the south shore of the bay, and in front of Amboyna, the Euro-
peans have erected the principal fortification of Victoria, which is an irregular hexagon, with a ditch and covered way on the land side, and a horn-work towards the sea. Being commanded, however, by two ranges of heights, at the distance of from 700 to 1200 yards, it could make no serious resistance to an invading force. The town of Amboyna is extremely clean, and both neatly and regularly built in the form of an oblong square. The streets, which are wide and improved, intersect each other at right angles. They consist, for the most part, of houses of only one story, constructed of wood, and covered with palm leaves laced together, which is the mode of building adopted, from the dread of earthquakes. They are provided with frames of matted cane in place of glass windows, for the sake of coolness as well as of economy; and in general they have small gardens behind them, with a well of good water, which is here procured in abundance, either by digging, or from the rivulets intersecting the town, which swell into torrents during the rainy season. The esplanade, which reaches from the covert-way of the fort to the town, a space of 250 yards, is terminated by a range of handsome dwelling-houses, with a double row of nutmeg-trees in front of them. Here the principal European inhabitants reside; and the west part of the town is the appointed residence of the Chinese. There are two well-built churches, one for Europeans, the other for the Malay Christians, in which service is performed in the Malay language. All the other public buildings are in the fort, except the town-house, which fronts the esplanade, and is a neat building of two stories. An earthquake took place in 1755, which greatly damaged the two churches, one of which it was necessary to rebuild. The heat is generally from 80° to 82°, and the lowest point of the thermometer is 72°. Long. 128. 15. E. Lat. 3. 40. S. (F.)