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. Besides cloves, it likewise abounds in most of the tropical fruits and fish; nor is there here any deficiency of good water; but flesh is very scarce. This scarcity, however, proceeds more from the policy of the Dutch than either the intemperature of the climate or the barrelling of the soil: For, excepting cloves, they have in Amboy- Amboyna, na, as well as the Moluccas, industriously discouraged the cultivation of every eculent commodity, with the view of withholding subsistence from those who might be tempted to invade them.

Of the natives, the men wear large whiskers, but leave little hair upon their chin; and have only a slight piece of stuff wrapped 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. 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 sago-trees. They sleep on mats. Their weapons are bows and arrows, javelins, scymitars, and targets.

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 both of 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 disputes happened; which occasioning mutual discontent, 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 matter 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, in order to give the more specious colouring to the violent seizure which they meditated of the island of Amboyna, made use of the stale pretext of a conspiracy being formed by the English and Japanese to dispossess them of one of their forts in this place. The plot, it was alleged, had been confessed by a Japanese and Portuguese in the English service, who were most inhumanly tortured till they should answer in the affirmative such interrogatories as might favour the secret design of those cruel inquisitors. Upon the injurious evidence of this constrained declaration, they immediately accused the English factors of the pretended conspiracy. Some of them they imprisoned, and others they loaded with irons and sent on board their ships; seizing at the same time all the English merchandise, with their writings and books.

These acts of violence were followed by a scene of horror unexampled in the punishment of the most atrocious offenders. Some of the factors they tortured, by compelling them to swallow water till their bodies were distended to the utmost pitch; then taking the miserable victims down from the boards to which they had been fastened, and causing them to disgorge the Amboyna water; if they did not acknowledge the imputed guilt, the process of torture was repeated. Others of the English they confined by burning them gradually from the feet upwards, in order to extort the confession of a conspiracy, which was only pretended by the infernal policy of those savage tormentors. Some had the nails of the fingers and toes torn off; and in some they made holes in their breasts, filling the cavities with inflammable materials, to which they afterwards put fire. Those who did not expire under the agonies of torture were consigned to the hands of the executioner.

The allegation of this pretended conspiracy was equally void of probability and truth. The Dutch had a garrison of 300 men in the fort, besides the burghers in the town, and several other forts and garrisons in the island, while the number of the English did not amount to 20 men; nor were even those provided with arms or ammunition to effect such a design as that with which they were charged. There likewise was not one English vessel in the harbour, whereas the Dutch had eight ships riding near the town; neither, when the Dutch broke open the desks and trunks of the factors, was there found a single paper or letter which could be construed into the most distant relation to any conspiracy. Add to all this, that such of the unhappy sufferers as could speak to be heard, declared in the most solemn manner their innocence of the plot with which they were charged.

The whole of the transaction affords the most irrefragable testimony that it was founded entirely upon a political fiction of the Hollander, who had themselves formed the design of monopolizing the trade of the Spice Islands; for the accomplishment of which they perpetrated, about the same time, a similar tragedy at Pooleron, where they put to the torture 162 of the natives, whom they likewise charged with a pretended conspiracy. It may justly be reckoned singular in the fortune of this commercial republic, that they have ever since been permitted to enjoy in peace those invaluable islands, which were originally obtained by such atrocious infringements of humanity and the laws of nations as will stain the Dutch annals, to the latest ages, with indelible infamy.

The more effectually to preserve this trade, the Dutch have had 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, though the company is inexorable in punishing them, that the common people call the cloves galken-kruid, that is, the gallows-spice.

Besides the cloves, coffee is also cultivated here by Ambracia, 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 grow several kinds of valuable wood, of which they make tables, chairs, escritories, &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 fortress 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 Amboyna are computed at 70 or 80,000, of whom but a small number are Dutch; and this obliges the latter 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.