Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/373

] be obliged to go upon the beach, in order to compare the motion of the watches with that of the clocks.

This western part of the town, in which we also resided, formed the Chinese quarter, in which there are few natives of the island, and only one Dutchman. The rest of the Dutch inhabit the centre of the town, or its eastern part.

Our strength was so reduced, that we were obliged to content ourselves, for some days, with short excursions from the town.

We viewed the garden of the Company, where there is nothing remarkable but a very convenient bath, which the Governor visited regularly every third or fourth day. It is supplied with very pure water from a neighbouring hill. Near it is another bath appropriated to the use of the women.

The Dutch at Amboyna are in the habit of bathing every third or fourth day, when they carefully avoid exposing themselves to the excessive heat, which prevails from eleven in the morning till three in the afternoon. Indeed they are seldom seen abroad during those hours on other days. For our parts, we had not leisure to take so many precautions; and accordingly two of the naturalists were attacked with dangerous disorders.

We many times endeavoured to penetrate into the