ÖÖI 8x 3 ^c- 0 - Acehbooks.org

S U M A T R A . r4r
The birds neft, fo much celebrated as a peculiar delicacy of the table, Birds Nefts -
efpecially among the Chinefe, is found in different parts, but in the greateft
abundance about Croee, near the fouth end of the ifland. Four miles
up the river of that name, is a large cave, where the birds, called layong
layovg, and which appear to be the common martin, build in vaft
numbers. The nefts are diftinguiftied into white and black, of which
the firft are by far the more fcarce and valuable,* being found in the
proportion of one only to twenty five.
The white fort fells in China, at the rate of a thoufand to fifteen hundred
Spanifti dollars the pecul; the black is ufually difpofed of at Batavia
for about twenty dollars the fame weight, where I underftand it is
chiefly converted into glue, of which it makes a very fuperior kind. The
difference between the two, has by fome been fuppofed to be owing to
the mixture of the feathers of the bird, with the vifcous fubftance, of
which the nefts are formed; and this they deduce from the experiment,
of fteeping the black nefts for a ftiort time in hot water, when they
are faid to become, in a great degree, white. Among the natives I have
heard a few affert, that they are the work of a different fpecies of bird.
It was fuggefted to me, that the white might probably be the recent
nefts of the feafon in which they were taken, and the black, fuch as had
been ufed for a number of years fucceflively. This opinion appearing
plaufible, I was particular in my enquiries as to that point, and learned
what feemed much to corroborate it. When the natives prepare to take
the nefts, they enter the caves with torches, and forming ladders according
to the ufual mode, of a fingle bamboo notched, they afcend and pull
down the nefts, which adhere in numbers together, from the fide and
top of the rock. They informed me, that the more frequently and regularly
the cave is ftript, the greater proportion of white nefts they are
fure to find, and that on this experience they often make a practice of
beating down and destroying the old nefis, in larger quantities than they
•"* l had an opportuity of giving to the Britifh Mufeum, fome of thefe white nefts, with tggs~
"»them. Thofc f0UIH( ;n the Saltpetre caves before mentioned, aic probably of the fame fnecics
Q f bird.
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