gamilang, some with opium smoking, while others occupy themselves with chewing seree, and this continues till midnight, when the feast ends.

After this feast (on Sunday morning) the head men take their departure for the rocks; and, if the sea is not too rough, the ladders are joined in order to reach the entrance of the holes that they may collect six birds' nests, which, from prudence, are again compared with the musters. The harvest then is arranged. But if it should be found that the nests are not ready to be gathered, further preparations are stopped in order that the swallows may not be disturbed. If it is found that the nests are of the proper bulk, the work is continued by making stages and ladders, and fastening them to the rocks into which the collectors have to descend. All these operations being completed in five or six days, the inhabitants of the nearest dessa go to the cliffs, Dahar and Gedee, with the men belonging to these cliffs, accompanied by gandecks and sontonas, who carry with them the requisite bags to contain the nests which may be gathered.

The number of collectors for the first day is limited to 80 or 90 persons for each of the two cliffs, and this number afterwards diminishes as the nests are gathered. When the bags are filled they are brought to the godowns under the direction of a Guru. On arriving there, a sedeka is given, consisting of red and white bubor, and this feast is regulated by the collectors of the day for each cliff. After the priest has spoken his benediction over it, and the dishes have been eaten, the nests are weighed and stored in the godown on a flooring of plank made for them.

The work of the remaining cliffs Wollo, Medjienkick, and Nogosarie is nearly the same, but the collection at the first two places is made by the people employed, without any payment, on account of the smallness of the produce. With respect to the last, sixty or seventy persons are ordinarily employed, and fifty-seven to sixty rupees, copper, are paid for each collection to the head men. The sum is

divided amongst the bekels and the people. On account of these cliffs being situated at about five miles distance, over very difficult roads, the birds' nests are kept and watched till the next morning in a bambu house, called kongsie, made near the watch-house of the cliff. They are afterwards brought to the godowns for which each bearer receives five cents, a sogo of opium of quarter sikar weight.

The collection of the nests necessarily depends altogether on the state of the sea. On the top of the mountain Kuda, a flag-staff has been erected for this reason, and when a white flag is hoisted it is a signal that the sea is calm and the holes can be approached, but; if a black flag be shewn it is a signal that the sea is too rough. Each collection from all the holes is finished in twenty to twenty-four days. The principal birds' nest cliffs are those which I have described above, and they extend from the east to the west along the Karang Bollong south cape. Between these, there are, some 'smaller cliffs, the produce of which is of little or no importance.

The collection of the nests is attended with much difficulty, and sometimes even with danger to life, because the apertures are situated at the foot of the rocks, and are consequently on a level with the surface of the sea, so that the water washes in and out of the holes. Hence, when the sea is somewhat rough it is impossible to reach the apertures, much less to enter them. In order to form a just idea of the dangerous work which must be performed by the collectors, I will try to give an exact description of it.

To enter the cliffs you descend one precipice of two hundred feet, nearly perpendicular, by means of one, two, or three rattan ladders, (according to the greater or less height), which are 5 inches broad, and 77 feet long. The lateral or principal ropes are composed of wild rattans twisted together to a thickness of two inches, and having wooden steps two inches thick, and thirteen inches distant from each other. The upper end of the ladder is well fastened to a strong tree by black ropes, and the lower end is placed on one of the rocks.

In order to reach one of the holes, they make use of two rattans, each one hundred and eight feet long; but in some cliffs bambus are used 12 to 48 feet long, which are placed one above the other that they may steady themselves by holding the upper when walking along the under. The entrance of the caves is about 18 feet broad, more or less, and 30 high. The interior is from 60 to 114 feet broad and from 420 to 480 high. The bottom of most of the caves is washed for about one-quarter of its length by sea-water, three, four, or more, feet in depth. The whole of the interior appears to consist of limestone. In the caves are stages made of bambus, which are bound by ropes to the walls of the rocks on which the collectors stand. It often happens, in consequence, that the cliffs on which the ropes of the stage are fastened, become loosened, and the whole stage is precipitated, which sometimes occasions a loss of life. Most of the nests are taken from the wall by the hand, and those which are on the roof, by an iron hook fastened to a long bambu.

The swallow named lawet, has a compressed head, which, however, with its thick and rounded feathers, appears large in comparison with the body. The beak is broad and wide, with a black awl-shaped small point bent downwards. The eyes are black and tolerably large, and the tongue arrow-shaped. The throat is very short, as well as the bones of the wings and feet. The feet consist of four toes, of which three are in front and one behind. All the toes have black, curved, sharp, and tolerably long claws, so that the bird can everywhere lay fast hold of the rocks and cliffs. The tail is almost as long as the whole body. When the throat, the wings, and the head are spread out, the bird has a circular appearance. The colour is a greyish black, inclining a little to green. On the back, near the tail to the belly, the blackish passes into mouse-colour. The breast is bluish.

Besides these, some wild species, called lintye, inhabit some holes. These are somewhat smaller, and have a white breast. In other respects they agree completely with the lawet. The nests which they make are

No. 6 VOL. XVII.

2 Q

constructed of grass stalks. They are, however, of the same form, and are as artfully made as the others, but are without the least value. The residence of these swallows, lintye, in the caves, contributes greatly to the injury of the holes, for which reason they are destroyed as much as possible at each gathering.

On the walls of the rocks, the birds build their nests in horizontal layers close to each other. They place them at different heights from 50 to 300 feet, as they find room, and leave no holes or suitable spaces, open, provided they are clean and dry; for when the walls prove damp they forsake their nests. When the sea attains a high level, which is usually accompanied by a strong surf beating against the cliffs, a percolation of water is caused, which is, in the highest degree, prejudicial.

In the mornings, at break of day, the birds fly out with a great noise, to seek their food, to the neighbouring places in the east monsoon or dry season; but in the west monsoon, or rainy season, they do not go far. They return to their caves about four o'clock in the afternoon. They feed upon different kinds of bloodless insects, hovering above the stagnant waters, for which their wide open beak is very useful.

Their greatest enemies are the birds úlang and alap-alap, who pull the young swallows out of the holes, and seize many as they fly out of

the caves.

They form the nests, by vomiting the strongest and best fragments of the food which they have eaten.

When the nests have been all plucked, the entrances are closed with bambu fences, the doors are sealed, and the rattan ladders are brought back to the store-house.

The nests in the store-house are, some days afterwards, weighed, and packed in hampers, (geboks, each 25 catties,) made very tight with cross ropes, and sealed with the stamp of the overseer. Pieces of paper are placed on each hamper, with the number and the nett weight of the nests written on it.

All this having been done, the hampers are surrounded with cocoa-nut leaves, prepared in the manner of kadjang mats. Every two hampers are then made fast to a piece of bambu (pikol-an) provided with two props, in order that, when resting on the way, the hampers may not touch the ground. They are, besides, covered with pinang bark, so that when it rains the water can run off. Finally, they are all sent to Surakarta, in order that they may be there sorted.

The evening before the birds' nests are sent off another feast is given, and on the following morning, all the coolies depart, with their hampers, for Surakarta, amidst the playing of the gamilang and shouts of hurrah.

ORKNEY LIGHTS.

H.M.S. Mastiff, Alloa, 30th March, 1848. MR. EDITOR.-In the course of my visit to the Orkneys last summer, for the completion of the survey of that group of islands, in H.M.S. Mastiff, while engaged in my duties on the Island of North Ronaldsha, I was much interested by witnessing the great number of vessels passing round the island; and considering that they were likely to be as numerous by night as by day, the fact of there being no light on it to guide them round it, appeared to me most extraordinary.

On looking into the subject I found that there once was a light, and the tower of it still stands, and does serve as a beacon; but that in consequence of numerous wrecks taking place on Sanda, the island south of it, a light was established on the Start Point of that island, and the light of North Ronaldsha was discontinued. Doubting very much the good policy of that measure, and being indeed fully impressed with its impropriety, I lost no time in calling the attention of the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses to the subject. I transmit herewith a copy of the correspondence which ensued, the result of which I am most happy to say is quite favorable to my views, that the grand turning point of our islands for shipping passing and repassing between the Atlantic and the German Ocean should be lighted. The proposal at present remains with the Trinity House of London, which Board I can scarcely doubt will view the subject in a similar way that every one here has done, who is conversant with the dangers of North Ronaldsha.

As a gratifying conclusion to this communication, I trust you will allow me to add my humble testimony to the kind and ready attention with which my representations were received by the Northern Lighthouse Commissioners, their Engineer, and Secretary. The question was immediately taken up, the great importance of it was duly considered, and its precedence to other works allowed and established. This you might observe, is nothing more than the duty of a Board, the members of which receive some handsome salary for their trouble. But it is very little known that the Board of Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses is not one of this category: it is an unpaid Board, the members of which (saving the Secretary and Engineer,) give their time and attention to their duties gratis! "in salutem omnium," as their motto says, for the dispensing of safety to the mariner. This is a distinction highly honorable to the gentlemen of the Northern Board, and although it might be urged against them they are not seamen, yet they are clear sighted men, cool headed, and of good judgment, and well able to give that close attention to reasons which seamen place before them, and determine for the best. For such reasons above all they are entitled to the thanks of their country, as well as seamen generally, and I trust you will assist me in making this known.

Your obedient servant,

A. B. BECHER, Com. R.N.

To the Editor N.M.

Northern Light Office, Edinburgh, 10th Jan., 1848. SIR.In terms of the conversation, which took place on Saturday last, as to the proposed renovation of the Start Point Lighthouse, I have been directed by the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses to communicate with you farther on the subject. You are aware that this Board have, on the suggestion of their engineer, resolved to delay any proceeding at the Start Point, in the view of making the light more effective, until they should obtain farther information on the subject, of the best mode of lighting the northern isles of Orkney. They have reason to believe that you, and the other officers of H.M.S. Mastiff, have, in the course of your survey, formed decided opinions as to the maritime wants of that line of coast, and they have directed me to request that you would favour them with your own opinion, and that of the other gentlemen engaged in the survey of the Orkneys as to the following points.

1. What is the best position for a light in the north isles of the Orkneys, having in view solely the general interests of navigation, and without reference to the existence of the light at Start Point?

2. Considering the lowness of the Sanda land, and its easterly projection, the set and strength of the tides, and the number of shipwrecks which occur on the Start Point, after the light was exhibited in North Ronaldsha, does any modification of the opinion to be given in answer to the preceding question, appear to be required?

3. If North Ronaldsha should be considered as the most desirable site for the great sea lighthouse, would it be necessary to retain the light on Start Point, as well from a consideration of the reasons which induced the Commissioners to remove the light from North Ronaldsha to that place in 1806, as from the long familiarity of seamen with the present light on Start Point?

4. Would a subsidiary light answer at North Ronaldsha, in conjunction with an improved light at Start Point? This question more particularly implies a consideration of the circumstance, that the present characteristic appearance of the Start Point light, with which seamen are familiar, admits of a great increase of power and without range change of character, so that the light would equally, with one on North Ronaldsha, serve as a distant guide for our sea vessels, while a new subsidiary light on North Ronaldsha, would indicate precisely the mariner's position as to the northern extremity of the Archipelago?

any

5. Would notices repeated for several years, render any change of the existing light, whether as to its character, or its entire cessation, a safe or advisable measure?

6. As several efficient distinctions might be adopted between two lights on that coast, does it appear desirable, or otherwise, to add a second light at North Ronaldsha, which is only 9 miles off from Start Point?

I hope you will excuse me for directing your attention to the preceding questions; and I beg you will not consider that the Commissioners have any desire either to limit your replies by these interrogatories, or