the malay archipelago-2-第2章

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It　is　no　doubt　supposed　by　most　Englishmen；　who　have　been　accustomed　to　look　upon　this　act　of　the　Dutch　with　vague　horror；　as　something　utterly　unprincipled　and　barbarous；　that　the　native　population　suffered　grievously　by　this　destruction　of　such　valuable　property。　But　it　is　certain　that　this　was　not　the　case。　The　Sultans　kept　this　lucrative　trade　entirely　in　their　own　hands　as　a　rigid　monopoly；　and　they　would　take　care　not　to　give；　their　subjects　more　than　would　amount　to　their　usual　wages；　while：　they　would　surely　exact　as　large　a　quantity　of　spice　as　they　could　possibly　obtain。　Drake　and　other　early　voyagers　always　seem　to　have　purchased　their　spice…cargoes　from　the　Sultans　and　Rajahs；　and　not　from　the　cultivators。　Now　the　absorption　of　so　much　labour　in　the　cultivation　of　this　one　product　must　necessarily　have　raised　the　price　of　food　and　other　necessaries；　and　when　it　was　abolished；　more　rice　would　be　grown；　more　sago　made；　more　fish　caught；　and　more　tortoise…shell；　rattan；　gum…dammer；　and　other　valuable　products　of　the　seas　and　the　forests　would　be　obtained。　I　believe；　therefore；　that　this　abolition　of　the　spice　trade　in　the　Moluccas　was　actually　beneficial　to　the　inhabitants；　and　that　it　was　an　act　both　wise　in　itself　and　morally　and　politically　justifiable。

In　the　selection　of　the　places　in　which　to　carry　on　the　cultivation；　the　Dutch　were　not　altogether　fortunate　or　wise。　Banda　was　chosen　for　nutmegs；　and　was　eminently　successful；　since　ü；　continues　to　this　day　to　produce　a　large　supply　of　this　spice；　and　to　yield　a　considerable　revenue。　Amboyna　was　fixed　upon　for　establishing　the　clove　cultivation；　but　the　soil　and　climate；　although　apparently　very　similar　to　that　of　its　native　islands；　is　not　favourable；　and　for　some　years　the　Government　have　actually　been　paying　to　the　cultivators　a　higher　rate　than　they　could　purchase　cloves　elsewhere；　owing　to　a　great　fall　in　the　price　since　the　rate　of　payment　was　fixed　for　a　term　of　years　by　the　Dutch　Government；　and　which　rate　is　still　most　honourably　paid。

In　walking　about　the　suburbs　of　Ternate；　we　find　everywhere　the　ruins　of　massive　stone　and　brick　buildings；　gateways　and　arches；　showing　at　once　the　superior　wealth　of　the　ancient　town　and　the　destructive　effects　of　earthquakes。　It　was　during　my　second　stay　in　the　town；　after　my　return　from　New　Guinea；　that　I　first　felt　an　earthquake。　It　was　a　very　slight　one；　scarcely　more　than　has　been　felt　in　this　country；　but　occurring　in　a　place　that　lad　been　many　times　destroyed　by　them　it　was　rather　more　exciting。　I　had　just　awoke　at　gun…fire　（5　A。M。）；　when　suddenly　the　thatch　began　to　rustle　and　shake　as　if　an　army　of　cats　were　galloping　over　it；　and　immediately　afterwards　my　bed　shook　too；　so　that　for　an　instant　I　imagined　myself　back　in　New　Guinea；　in　my　fragile　house；　which　shook　when　an　old　cock　went　to　roost　on　the　ridge；　but　remembering　that　I　was　now　on　a　solid　earthen　floor；　I　said　to　myself；　〃Why；　it's　an　earthquake；〃　and　lay　still　in　the　pleasing　expectation　of　another　shock；　but　none　came；　and　this　was　the　only　earthquake　I　ever　felt　in　Ternate。

The　last　great　one　was　in　February　1840；　when　almost　every　house　in　the　place　was　destroyed。　It　began　about　midnight　on　the　Chinese　New　Year's　festival；　at　which　time　every　one　stays　up　nearly　all　night　feasting　at　the　Chinamen's　houses　and　seeing　the　processions。　This　prevented　any　lives　being　lost；　as　every　one　ran　out　of　doors　at　the　first　shock；　which　was　not　very　severe。　The　second；　a　few　minutes　afterwards；　threw　down　a　great　many　houses；　and　others；　which　continued　all　night　and　part　of　the　next　day；　completed　the　devastation。　The　line　of　disturbance　was　very　narrow；　so　that　the　native　town　a　mile　to　the　east　scarcely　suffered　at　all。　The　wave　passed　from　north　to　south；　through　the　islands　of　Tidore　and　Makian；　and　terminated　in　Batchian；　where　it　was　not　felt　till　four　the　following　afternoon；　thus　taking　no　less　than　sixteen　hours　to　travel　a　hundred　miles；　or　about　six　miles　an　hour。　It　is　singular　that　on　this　occasion　there　was　no　rushing　up　of　the　tide；　or　other　commotion　of　the　sea；　as　is　usually　the　case　during　great　earthquakes。

The　people　of　Ternate　are　of　three　well…marked　races　the　Ternate　Malays；　the　Orang　Sirani；　and　the　Dutch。　The　first　are　an　intrusive　Malay　race　somewhat　allied　to　the　Macassar　people；　who　settled　in　the　country　at　a　very　early　epoch；　drove　out　the　indigenes；　who　were　no　doubt　the　same　as　those　of　the　adjacent　mainland　of　Gilolo；　and　established　a　monarchy。　They　perhaps　obtained　many　of　their　wives　from　the　natives；　which　will　account　for　the　extraordinary　language　they　speakin　some　respects　closely　　allied　to　that　of　the　natives　of　Gilolo；　while　it　contains　much　that　points　to　a　Malayan　origin。　To　most　of　these　people　the　Malay　language　is　quite　unintelligible；　although　such　as　are　engaged　in　trade　are　obliged　to　acquire　it。　〃Orang　Sirani；〃　or　Nazarenes；　is　the　name　given　by　the　Malays　to　the　Christian　descendants　of　the　Portuguese；　who　resemble　those　of　Amboyna；　and；　like　them；　speak　only　Malay。　There　are　also　a　number　of　Chinese　merchants；　many　of　them　natives　of　the　place；　a　few　Arabs；　and　a　number　of　half…breeds　between　all　these　races　and　native　women。　Besides　these　there　are　some　Papuan　slaves；　and　a　few　natives　of　other　islands　settled　here；　making　up　a　motley　and　very　puzzling　population；　till　inquiry　and　observation　have　shown　the　distinct　origin　of　its　component　parts。

Soon　after　my　first　arrival　in　Ternate　I　went　to　the　island　of　Gilolo；　accompanied　by　two　sons　of　Mr。　Duivenboden；　and　by　a　young　Chinaman；　a　brother　of　my　landlord；　who　lent　us　the　boat　and　crew。　These　latter　were　all　slaves；　mostly　Papuans；　and　at　starting　I　saw　something　of　the　relation　of　master　and　slave　in　this　part　of　the　world。　The　crew　had　been　ordered　to　be　ready　at　three　in　the　morning；　instead　of　which　none　appeared　till　five；　we　having　all　been　kept　waiting　in　the　dark　and　cold　for　two　hours。　When　at　length　they　came　they　were　scolded　by　their　master；　but　only　in　a　bantering　manner；　and　laughed　and　joked　with　him　in　reply。　Then；　just　as　we　were　starting；　one　of　the　strongest　men　refused　to　go　at　all；　and　his　master　had　to　beg　and　persuade　him　to　go；　and　only　succeeded　by　assuring　him　that　I　would　give　him　something；　so　with　this　promise；　and　knowing　that　there　would　be　plenty　to　eat　and　drink　and　little　to　do；　the　black　gentleman　was　induced　to　favour　us　with　his　company　and　assistance。　In　three　hours'　rowing　and　sailing　we　reached　our　destination；　Sedingole；　where　there　is　a　house　belonging　to　the　Sultan　of　Tidore；　who　sometimes　goes　there　hunting。　It　was　a　dirty　ruinous　shed；　with　no　furniture　but　a　few　bamboo　bedsteads。　On　taking　a　walk　into　the　country；　I　saw　at　once　that　it　was　no　place　for　me。　For　many　miles　extends　a　plain　covered　with　coarse　high　grass；　thickly　dotted　here　and　there　with　trees；　the　forest　country　only　commencing　at　the　hills　a　good　way　in　the　interior。　Such　a　place　would　produce　few　birds　and　no　insects；　and　we　therefore　arranged　to　stay　only　two　days；　and　then　go　on　to　Dodinga；　at　the　narrow　central　isthmus　of　Gilolo；　whence　my　friends　would　return　to　Ternate。　We　amused　ourselves　shooting　parrots；　lories；　and　pigeons；　and　trying　to　shoot　deer；　of　which　we　saw　plenty；　but　could　not　get　one；　and　our　crew　went　out　fishing　with　a　net；　so　we　did　not　want　for　provisions。　When　the　time　came　for　us　to　continue　our　journey；　a　fresh　difficulty　presented　itself；　for　our　gentlemen　slaves　refused　in　a　body　to　go　with　us；　saying　very　determinedly　that　they　would　return　to　Ternate。　So　their　masters　were　obliged　to　submit；　and　I　was　left　behind　to　get　to　Dodinga　as　I　could。　Luckily　I　succeeded　in　hiring　a　small　boat；　which　took　me　there　the　same　night；　with　my　two　men　and　my　baggage。

Two　or　three　years　after　this；　and　about　the　same　length　of　time　before　I　left　the　East；　the　Dutch　emancipated　all　their　slaves；　paying　their　owners　a　small　compensation。　No　ill　results　followed。　Owing　to　the　amicable　relations　which　had　always　existed　between　them　and　their　masters；　due　no　doubt　in　part　to　the　Government　having　long　accorded　them　legal　rights　and　protection　against　cruelty　and　ill…usage；　many　continued　in　the　same　service；　and　aft