ícientifically, I am at a lofs to define the kinds, excepting
the Mytilus Margaritiferus; every one o f thefe fliells haver
in them two finall lobfiers, to which the Indians attribute
the formation of the pearls. The banks were once private
property, and belonged to feveral individuals, but by the
Mahometan law, they are now common even to fírangers. The
divers are llaves to the fultan; they feem to be hired out, and to
receive a certain portion for their fhare. Pigafetta, the companion
o f Magellan in his circumnavigation, vifited thefe iflands
in 1521. He calls1 Soolo, Zolo, ami fays from report*, that two
pearls had been taken there, the property of the king o f Borneo,
which.'were round, and as big as hens’ eggs.
T h e fw a l lo w s w i t h e d ib l e h e f t s fw a rm h e r e ; t h e y b u i ld in
c a v e s o p e n a t to p , b u t w i t h t h e i r f id e s c o m m u n i c a t in g w i t h t h e
f e a b e n e a t h it s fu r f a c e . T h e n e f t s a r e g o t b y d iv e r s , w h o p lu n g e
t h r o u g h t h e e n t r a n c e , a n d r i f e w i t h in t h e v a f t c a v e r n s , w h i c h a r e
in a c c e f f ib l e f r o m a b o v e .
T h e Upas o r p o i f o n t r e e is f o u n d in Soolo.
M r . Forrejl has given us a brief account o f the animals; the
Soolos have plenty .of horfes, which the ladies of faihion have
learned to ride with much grace. Here are abundance o f goats
and cattle, but the people do not milk the cows-; wild hogs
fwarm, and with the wild elephant do great mifchief. The elephants
are not aboriginal, but bred from fome that had been fent
as prefents to the Soolo princes. The Spotted Beer ox Axis- is
found here.
Soolo is thirty miles longand twelve broad, and very populous,
* Purchas, i. 43.
which
A n im a l s .
L e n g t h o f
S o o l o *
which obliges the inhabitants to have recourfe to agriculture in
a far greater degree than others of the adjacent ifl.es; the whole
chain is faid to have fixty thoufand inhabitants: the foil is very
fertile, and productive of moft o f the tropical fruits; teek trees
abound here. The rainy feafon is very uncertain, for which
reafoh the crops of rice cannot be depended on ; yams, potatoes,
and other efculents, are cultivated to fupply the defedl, The natives
have learned the art o f engrafting from’ the Chinefe fettled
among them. Mr. Forrejlfays that the cinnamon tree is found
amongft thefe iflands.
T h e Soolos are a polifhed people, probably from the examples
of their two monarchs: both fexes drefs with elegance ; they are
fond of mufic and dancing. Sultan Ijrael and his niece, could
perform a tolerable minuet, and fome of the people o f faihion
could go down a country dance. They have many flaves, to
whom they are faid to be very cruel, and -befides are reckoned
perfidious in their general dealings.
A n o t h e r chain of iflands, o f far greater length than the former,
runs from the weftern cape of Mindanao quite to the moft
eaftern cape of the great ifland of Celebes ; the chief of which is
Sangujan or Sangir, between Lat. 3’ 30' and 4° 30' north; moft
o f them are inhabited, and governed by their chieftains*. The
Butch have now pofleflion o f Sangir, and fome others, »s .out-
guards to the fpicy ifles. Thefe, part of Mindanao, the Soolo ifleg,
Borneo, and Celebes, bound a great and open gulph, of clear navigation
.
Celebes or MacaJJar extends north and fouth between Lat. i°
* Forreft-, p. 310.
55' north,
N a t i v e s ;
S a n g i r .
C e l e b e s or.
M a c a s s a r .