one of the Molucca islands, in the East Indies. It lies in S. lat. 3. 36. and E. long. 126. 20. and is remarkable for being the centre of the commerce for nutmegs and cloves, which is entirely monopolized by the Dutch East-India company. It is about 24 leagues in circumference. The air is but indifferent; and infects the body with a ferulous disorder, not unlike the French-pox, except its not being so painful, and not corroding the bones. This disorder is said to be easily cured in the first stage; but very difficultly, if allowed to proceed to any height.

The island is fertile in millet, tobacco, sugar, coco, potatoes, oranges, lemons, citrons, &c. Here is likewise the fago tree, a kind of palm, of the pith of which they make bread; and by cutting off one of the branches near the top, the sap will flow out: this juice is very sweet, and will ferment into a sort of wine. A bitter root, called osbert, is made use of to prevent it from turning, otherwise it would soon grow four as vinegar. Some trees will yield 30 quarts in 24 hours.

The men wear large whiskers, and but little hair upon their chin; and have only a slight piece of stuff wrapt round their middle. The women tie their hair in knots; the maids are bought of their fathers before they are married; and if the wife proves barren, the marriage is dissolved. Some of the natives are Mahometans, and some Christians; but they are all said to be lazy, deceitful, and treacherous; and will rather die than leave their ancient customs. They make war with small swift vessels, in shape like dragons with regard to the head and tail. Their houses are built of bamboo canes and fago-trees. They sleep on mats. Their weapons are bows and arrows, javelins, scymitars, and targets. They have likewise trunks, out of which they shoot poisoned arrows. The women are very amorous; and if they are deceived by their gallants, they give them a flow poison, which causes them to linger a great while before they die.

Amboyna was first discovered by the Portuguese, who built a fort upon it, which was taken from them by the Dutch in 1605. They did not, however, become masters of the whole island at once. The English had here five factories, which lived under the protection of the Dutch castle; holding themselves safe, in respect of the friendship between the two nations. Great differences had arisen between the Dutch and English colonists in this part of the world; till at last, the English East-India company applying to King James, a treaty was concluded in 1619, by which the concerns of both the English and Dutch were regulated, and certain measures agreed upon for preventing future disputes. This was an additional security to the English; and, by virtue of the treaty, they continued two years in Amboyna, trading with the Dutch. During this time, however, several differences happened; which occasioning cashing mutual discontents, the complaints were sent to Jaccatra, in the island of Java Major, to the council of defence of both nations there residing; but they not agreeing, a state of the case was sent over to Europe, to be decided by the East-India Companies of both nations; or, in case they could not agree, by the King of England, and the States of Holland, according to an article in the treaty of 1619.—But before these disputes could be decided in a legal way, the Dutch at Amboyna thought proper to invent a report of a plot intended by the English to surprise the Dutch fort and destroy them.

To give credit to this report, and to obtain a plausible pretext for destroying the English, a Japanese soldier was apprehended for asking some questions at a centinel concerning the strength of the castle. Being cruelly tortured, he signed a confession that he himself and several others of his countrymen had contrived the taking of the castle. Upon this, some other Japanese were also seized and tortured; as also a Portuguese, the guardian of the slaves of the Dutch. This happened about the 11th of February 1622.—At this time there was one Abel Price, surgeon to the English, in prison, for threatening to set a Dutchman's house on fire. Him they tortured, and soon made to confess whatever they pleased. The same day, (Feb. 15th) they sent for Captain Towerton, and all the English who were in the town, to come to speak with the governor of the castle. They all went except one, who was left to keep the house. Being come to the governor, he told Captain Towerton, that himself and others of his nation were accused of a conspiracy to surprise the castle; and therefore, until further trial, were to remain prisoners. Immediately also they seized him who was left alone in the house; took the merchandise of the English company into their own custody, by an inventory; and seized all the chests, boxes, books, and papers, in the English house.

The Dutch, having now got them into their power, proceeded to torment them in the most horrid manner. The cruelties practised upon them were of the same nature with those inflicted by the inquisitors on such unhappy people as fell into their hands.—The miserable victim was first hoisted up by the hands with a cord, on a large door, where they made him fall, upon two flapples of iron fixed on both sides at the top of the door-posts, hauling his hands one from the other as wide as they could stretch. Being thus made fall, his feet were also stretched asunder as far as they could, and made fall beneath the door-trees on each side. Then they tied a cloth about his neck and face, so close that little water could get out. This being done, they poured water softly upon his head, which running down, filled up the napkin, and stretched it out all round. They suffered the water to ascend a little above his nostrils, so that he could not draw breath without sucking in a great quantity of water; with which he soon was filled to such a degree as to be ready to burst. If he happened to faint, which was often the case, the barbarians took him down, making him quickly vomit up the water, and then tied him up again. If this torture did not produce the confession they desired, they burnt the soles of his feet, arm-pits, and the most sensible parts of his body, with candles, till the fat dropped out upon them.

The unhappy sufferers, exhausted with these tortures, confessed whatever they thought would be agreeable to their savage tormentors; who having caused them sign their confessions, and thereby obtained a colour of justice for their proceedings, put as many to death as they thought proper, and out of their great clemency spared the rest.

That such an unheard-of proceeding as this should neither be resented by the British, nor the perpetrators of it called to an account in their own country, may appear very surprising. It must, however, be considered, that at that time the liberty of the press was not so great as it is now. It was not till long after that the account was allowed to be published; and the troubles in which the nation was then involved, prevented much attention being paid to it.

By this transaction, the clove-trade fell entirely into the hands of the Dutch; and the more effectually to preserve it, the company takes care to have all the clove-trees in the adjacent islands grubbed up. Sometimes also, when the harvest is very large, part of the produce of Amboyna itself is burnt.—To prevent the rearing of cloves in any of the neighbouring islands, or the inhabitants from selling them to strangers, the governor of Amboyna makes the tour of his government with a fleet of curricuries, consisting sometimes of 20, and at others of 30, 40, or 50 sail. This expedition is made with all the pomp imaginable, in order to gratify the pride and folly of the Indian chiefs. The true reason of their taking all this pains is, because experience has shown, that no contracts, however solemn, can prevent the inhabitants of those islands from selling their spice to strangers; and even now, frauds are so frequently practised by the Dutch themselves, that the company is inexorable in punishing them, that the common people call the cloves galken-bruid, that is, the gallows-spice.

Besides the cloves, coffee is also cultivated here by the Dutch, and a gold mine has been lately found out. This was discovered by the quantities of gold-dust that were washed from some mountains by the torrents. Here also grows a kind of red wood, which, besides the beauty of its colour, is exceedingly firm and durable; and, which is still more remarkable, its grain is naturally embellished with abundance of beautiful figures. Of this wood they make tables, chairs, escritoirs, &c. for the principal persons in the government; and the rest is sold all over the Indies at a very extravagant rate.

Amboyna is divided into two parts, viz. a greater and lesser peninsula. The former, called Hiton, is 12 leagues in length, and two and a half broad. In this the Dutch have no less than five forts, or rather strong redoubts, mounted with cannon. The other is called Leytimor, five leagues in length, and one and a half broad, which is the southern part of the island; on this stands the fort of Victoria, which is the residence of the governor, and his council, composed of 15 gentlemen or merchants. The fortres is a square, the ramparts mounted with 60 pieces of brass cannon, and the garrison usually composed of 600 men. It is so strong by nature and art, as to be in a manner impregnable; and so effectually does it command the harbour, that no vessel could come in or go out without being sunk by the cannon, if the governor chose. The inhabitants of Ambroenas, are computed at 70 or 80,000; of whom but a small number are Dutch; and this obliges them to be continually upon their guard, and to keep a competent number of troops in each of their forts, particularly in that of Middleburgh, which stands upon the isthmus that connects these peninsulas. There are also redoubts and garrisons in all the islands of this government.