hn Crisp informed me that he
had seen at Padang a common swallow's nest, built under the eaves of a
house, which was composed partly of common mud and partly of the
substance that constitutes the edible nests. The young birds themselves
are said to be very delicate food, and not inferior in richness of
flavour to the beccafico.

TRIPAN.

The swala, tripan, or sea-slug (holothurion), is likewise an article of
trade to Batavia and China, being employed, as birds-nest or vermicelli,
for enriching soups and stews, by a luxurious people. It sells at the
former place for forty-five dollars per pikul, according to the degree of
whiteness and other qualities.

WAX.

Beeswax is a commodity of great importance in all the eastern islands,
from whence it is exported in large oblong cakes to China, Bengal, and
other parts of the continent. No pains are taken with the bees, which are
left to settle where they list (generally on the boughs of trees) and are
never collected in hives. Their honey is much inferior to that of Europe,
as might be expected from the nature of the vegetation.

GUM-LAC.

Gum-lac, called by the natives ampalu or ambalu, although found upon
trees and adhering strongly to the branches, is known to be the work of
insects, as wax is of the bee. It is procured in small quantities from
the country inland of Bencoolen; but at Padang is a considerable article
of trade. Foreign markets however are supplied from the countries of Siam
and Camboja. It is chiefly valued in Sumatra for the animal part, found
in the nidus of the insect, which is soluble in water, and yields a very
fine purple dye, used for colouring their silks and other webs of
domestic manufacture. Like the cochineal it would probably, with the
addition of a solution of tin, become a good scarlet. I find in a Bisayan
dictionary that this substance is employed by the people of the
Philippine Islands for staining their teeth red. For an account of the
lac insect see in the Philosophical Transactions Volume 71 page 374 a
paper by Mr. James Kerr.

IVORY.

The forests abounding with elephants, ivory (gading) is consequently
found in abundance, and is carried both to the China and Europe markets.
The animals themselves were formerly the objects of a considerable
traffic from Achin to the coast of Coromandel, or kling country, and
vessels were built expressly for their transport; but it has declined, or
perhaps ceased altogether, from the change which t