CHAPTER IX.

BABA.

Voyage towards Banda.—Remarks on the Islands Sermatta, Teon and Nila.—Arrival at Banda.—Humanity of an Orang-Kaya.—Description of the Island Baba.—Great Fear and Distrust of the Inhabitants.—Their Manners and Customs.—The Island Wetang.—Cause of the Distrust of the Natives.—Murderous and plundering Propensities of the People of Aluta.—Disturbances between the Inhabitants of Tepan and Aluta.

Fromthe hospitable island of Luan we steered our course for Banda. Nothing worthy of remark occurred during the voyage; but I will take this opportunity of making a few remarks on some islands which lay near our route, and which, many years past, were in connection with our Government.

The island Sermatta is composed of a high ridge of hills, extending east and west, the sides of which run steep off into the sea. As the island is thinlyinhabited, and at the same time affords no shelter to shipping, it is of little importance to strangers. The inhabitants are under subjection to the people of Luan, to which island they bring rice, edible roots, Indian corn and cattle, receiving in exchange cloth, and other necessary articles. During my stay at Luan I endeavoured, without success, to induce some of these islanders to come with me; they appeared to be very shy and fearful, which is not surprising when it is taken into consideration that their island is never visited by trading vessels, while the people themselves do not extend their voyages beyond Luan.

Teon, to the east-north-east of Damma, is hilly, and of moderate height. It is uninhabited, and the channel between it and Nila is rendered very unsafe by a number of reefs, which require the greatest precaution on the part of the navigator, should he attempt to pass through it.

The island Nila consists of a high round hill, on the north side of which there is anchorage for small vessels. It is inhabited by a few heathens, who, at the changing of the monsoons, visit Banda to dispose of their hogs, fowls and cocoa-nuts, which appear to form the sole products of the island.

On the 22nd of July we anchored in the Roadsof Banda, where we received on board provisions and water, and were provided with a fresh supply of goods as presents to the native chiefs. During our stay we experienced some heavy squalls from off the island of Great Banda, with very rainy weather.

At the request of the Resident, M. Camphuyzen, I took with me two English seamen, named William Both and Joseph Atkins. These men had belonged to the English brigSyren, Captain William Johns, which had been wrecked on the coast of New Guinea, where the crew fell into the hands of the barbarous inhabitants. They were sold and resold among the natives of the neighbouring islands, until at length these two men reached the island Kower, where the Orang Kaya of Kisser[19]purchased them and brought them to Banda. For this humane act the Resident, in the name of the Government, presented the chief with a gold medal.

At noon, on the 28th of July, we left the Roads of Banda, and had again to struggle against heavy squalls, with a high sea from the south-east. I was therefore obliged to stand to the southward towardsthe island Baba, and as we stood on this course the swell gradually decreased, and the weather became more favourable. We had the current in our favour when we arrived among the islands to the southward of Banda, so that we experienced no difficulty in working up to windward. The careful manner in which it is necessary to proceed, however, caused us much delay. In the charts now existing, most of the islands are either placed wrong, or are entirely left out, while at the same time our pilots were not perfectly acquainted with the channels.

Proceeding thus cautiously, we did not reach Baba until the 4th of August. This island, which is hilly and tolerably high, is surrounded by several smaller islets, the most important of which are Wetang to the east, and Dain to the north. The best anchorage near Baba during the east monsoon, is on the west side of the island off the village of Tepa, and in steering towards this we ran close along the north shore of Wetang, and then stood over to Baba, when we worked up close under the land to the anchorage, and brought up in fifteen fathoms, with very good holding ground. Care is necessary in working up to the anchorage during this monsoon, as heavy squalls sometimes come offthe land. When the westerly winds prevail, it is said that the most secure roads are under the coast of Wetang; but as I was not here at that period, I had no opportunity of personally ascertaining the fact.

While we were standing under easy sail towards the roads, small prahus with outriggers, containing three or four men each, occasionally rowed towards us, the people hailing us from a distance to inquire who we were, and whether we intended to do them harm. Our endeavours to induce them to come on board were fruitless; nor did I, indeed, succeed in this until after the interpreters had been among them, and set their fears at rest. On arriving at the village I found that the inhabitants had totally deserted it, and had even taken their household goods with them. Not a woman nor a child was to be seen, but the men, with their arms in their hands, were perceived running through the bush at a distance.

The natives who first came on board were very timorous, and either through fear or ignorance could scarcely make themselves understood in Malay.[20]After I had made them a few presents, and acquainted them with the object of my visit, they went on shore, impressed with greater confidence in our intentions towards them, while the fears of those on shore were at the same time quieted by the interpreters. They returned on board soon afterwards, accompanied by the chiefs of the village and two of the oldest inhabitants, who brought with them one of the silver-knobbed batons, which were formerly distributed by the East India Company. With much confusion of manner they informed us that they had never seen an European during their lives, but that their forefathers had often spoken in high terms of the Dutch, and stated that they had been of old subjected to their East India Company. They moreover informed us, that they had at all times looked forward with the greatest eagerness to the period when their old friendship and alliance with our Government would be renewed.

When these chiefs left the brig, I sent the interpreters on shore with them, provided with arrack and tobacco to distribute among the islanders, and to do all in their power towards quieting their fears. At noon I followed them in person, and found that the women and children had not yet returned totheir houses, but ere long a number of them assembled around us. The people made free use of the arrack and tobacco, and gradually laid aside their fears, when I made them acquainted with the object of my visit, and informed them that I desired nothing from them, but came here at the command of our Government to do all in my power towards promoting their interests. I also testified my astonishment at the timidity and want of confidence they had displayed, and admonished them to cause their wives and families to return to their homes, as otherwise I should be unable to view them as friends.

Throughout the Molucca Islands the absence of the women and children from the villages may always be held as a convincing proof of bad intentions on the part of the natives. Violence on their part generally, however, arises more from their ignorance, fear, and consequent want of confidence, than from decided malevolence. Experience has already often proved to me that whenever affairs stand thus with the natives, the higher the tone of command with which you address them, the more you will inspire them with respect. I therefore made no difficulty of going ashore among them, unarmed and unaccompanied, and when I found thatmy words began to make some impression on them, I placed before their eyes the impropriety of their want of confidence, and soon had the satisfaction to see them unanimously lay aside their weapons, and behave with greater freedom. In the evening I again went on shore, accompanied by several of the gentlemen, when I found that the women and children had returned to the village, and I never afterwards saw the least signs of distrust among them; indeed, their familiarity soon went so far that I was often obliged to spread the boarding nettings, when I did not wish to have the brig full of curious visitors.

The population of Baba is divided into two portions, one inhabiting the side of the island on which we lay, and the other taking up its residence on the south-east side, the interior being entirely unpeopled. These two parties have been long in a state of war, making frequent plundering excursions against each other, the chief object of these being the acquirement of captives, who are either kept as slaves by the conqueror, or are sold to the traders who visit the island. The population is not very great, but the exact amount cannot be ascertained. Each of the tribes is governed by an Orang Kaya, elected from among the richest and oldest of theinhabitants. Tepa, the village before which we anchored, consisting of no more than twenty-five houses, is considered as the capital of the western tribe; but they also have dwellings on the island Wetang, while many others are scattered among the gardens in the vicinity.

The manners, customs, &c. of the people of Baba resemble those of the heathen inhabitants of the islands we had already visited. Their hair is of a reddish, flaxen colour, its natural blackness having been thus changed by rubbing lime into the head, which process is commenced when they are yet in their infancy.[21]

The western side of Baba is so precipitous and overgrown with forest, that cultivation has extended but very little; the more fertile island Wetang being selected as a more suitable spot for their plantations of roots, Indian corn and vegetables. The neighbouring waters supply excellent fish, abundance of which were daily caught by our seamen with the seine. The natives, however, pay little heed to the bounty which the sea affords. The interior of theisland is overrun with wild cattle, hogs and goats, the woods at the same time being well stocked with feathered game. Among the last was a kind of wood pigeon, which roosted in immense numbers in the trees, and afforded much sport in the morning to myself and the surgeon, who was also a lover of field sports.

On the south side of Tepa I met with the remains of a stronghold, but the natives could give me no information concerning the period of its erection. Near the same spot we also found a fine well, enclosed by masonry, which, although now in a state of disrepair, bore evident marks of having been constructed in a superior manner. The water it contained was beautifully clear and pure, so that we took the opportunity of filling up our empty water casks.

The natives live in a state of great poverty, but as their wants are few they are contented. A native vessel from Banda visits them only once or twice a year, to supply them with cotton cloth, which is almost the only article of foreign manufacture they require. They have, therefore, but little communication with strangers, which easily accounts for their being far inferior in point of civilization to the natives of the islands we had previouslyvisited. Their vessels consist of long prahus of from ten to twelve tons burthen, which are employed in visiting the neighbouring islands; and of small canoes, which are used for shorter voyages. Their arms are bows, arrows, iron javelins, and bamboo spears, while they possess also a few muskets, which they preserve with great care, but evidently intend more for show than use, as many are unprovided with locks. The women perform the heaviest portion of the labour, the industry of the men being only displayed in gathering cocoa-nuts, making palm wine, and repairing their weapons, without which they never go abroad. I never went on a shooting excursion into the interior without meeting with parties of armed men, going to, or returning from, their plantations. Nearly every man was accompanied by a dog, who, by his barking, gives his master warning of the approach of a stranger. On one occasion, early in the morning, I encountered in the forest a couple who afforded me some amusement. The man, who was naked, with the exception of a cloth round the loins, carried a large bow, a bundle of arrows with broad points of iron, a klewang or hanger by his side, and was preceded by his dog, while his wife, clad as lightly as her husband, brought up the rear, bearing a musketand a large basket of yams on her shoulders. They tarried awhile with me to partake of some arrack and tobacco which I offered them, and as I always had an interpreter with me, I enquired whither they were going, and why so heavily armed? He informed me that they were bound for their plantations, and that it was necessary to go well armed, as they must show a good front against neighbours, who often fell upon them and robbed them of their wives; while at the same time they were liable to attacks from the wild beasts. The musket was unloaded, and had no lock; but it was perhaps as serviceable as if it had one, for he was afraid to fire off my fowling piece. They make up, however, for this deficiency by their skill in using the bow and arrow, with which I have frequently seen them strike a bird on a tree at a distance of fifty or sixty paces.

I frequently held communications with the chiefs, on which occasions I was always surrounded by the entire population, and had many opportunities of witnessing the docility of these islanders, and how open they are to conviction. They would willingly place themselves under the control of a mild government, and with such an advantage I feel convinced that they would even lay aside their barbarouscustoms, and adopt a more quiet, orderly and industrious mode of life. If traders now and then suffer wrong at their hands, I believe that, in most cases, their own conduct has been the cause of it; since it has often come under my notice that the Amboynese and Banda traders frequently take advantage of their superior knowledge and experience, to lord it over the islanders, and cheat them of their goods, the simplicity of the latter rendering them an easy prey. If it were known how often strangers leave them without fulfilling their commercial engagements, the artless natives would readily be excused for occasionally taking a wild justice for their wrongs, and viewing all strangers with suspicion.

When among the islands which we visited during the previous part of the voyage, I had heard that an English vessel had been cut off by the natives of Baba, and it was not without the greatest difficulty that I succeeded in gaining some of the particulars concerning it from a few of the natives. It appeared that some months previous to my visit, an English trading brig, manned with ten European seamen, which had been bartering muskets and ammunition for tortoise-shell and cattle among the islands to the eastward of Timor, anchored off Aluta, thecapital of the tribe inhabiting the east side of Baba, and the commander, supposing the people to be as trustworthy as those of the other islands, sent half his crew ashore in the boat to obtain water, at a time when a large number of natives were on board the brig carrying on a trade. While the boat was away, the natives, for some unknown reason, attacked the commander and the four remaining seamen, and, although armed only with their knives, succeeded in killing them, which fate also befel the boat's crew on their return on board. The brig was then run on shore, plundered, and burnt. The greater part of her cargo, consisting of arms, tortoise-shell and cattle, together with her sails and rigging, which had been divided among the captors, were still in their possession.[22]

A trading prahu from Banda, which afterwards visited Aluta, was also cut off by the natives, and all her crew murdered with the exception of two individuals, one of whom was subsequently takenaway by another trading prahu, while the other still remained on the island, having married the daughter of one of the chiefs; from which there is reason for supposing that he was accessary to the deed.

After the people of Tepa had related to me these particulars, many of them came forward and kissed my hands, requesting me not to consider them as accomplices in the crime, as they never wished to have any communication with the people of the back part of the island. They declared that nothing would please them more than that I should go to Aluta, and assist them in chastising its treacherous inhabitants.

I endeavoured, by the promise of presents, and of entire forgiveness to the people of the east coast, to induce the chiefs of Tepa to visit Aluta, and bring back with them one of the head men of the place; but in this I was unsuccessful. To my great regret, therefore, I was unable to do any thing in the affair; for there was no path by which I could reach Aluta overland, and it would have been unadviseable, at this period of the year, to have proceeded there with the brig, while the length of the distance, and the insufficiency of their force in case of disturbance, prevented our sending the boats. The chiefs frequently promised me thatthey would send a prahu there, to inform the people of the desire I had to see them make up their differences, and in the faith of this promise, from which nothing resulted, I delayed my departure from the island several days.

On the 8th, having called together the chiefs, I went on shore under an escort of twenty marines, and with the accustomed ceremonies, to read to them the communications sent to them by our Government, which I explained to them in the fullest manner. All appeared to be much moved at the friendly intentions and offers of assistance and protection expressed in the letter, and stated that nothing could better agree with their wishes than that they should be placed under the rule of the Dutch Government, to whom they would become faithful subjects. They assured me that they all felt convinced that this was the only course that could lead to their future prosperity, while they were at the same time aware, that in point of civilization they were inferior to many of their neighbours, which they themselves ascribed to the anarchy which had prevailed among them during a long series of years, and to the disappearance of the Christian religion from among them, through the decease of those who had professed it. Theyalso requested me, in the most earnest manner, to appoint some clever and experienced men from among them, to the chieftainship, and also to send them an Amboynese missionary or teacher, to instruct them in the tenets of Christianity, expressing deep regret at their having relapsed to paganism and wickedness, from the state of Christian harmony in which their forefathers had passed their lives.

In accordance with the general wishes of the people, I appointed a certainTompatti Paulusas the Upper Orang-kaya of the west coast of Baba, and presented him with a silver-knobbed baton, and a large Dutch flag. After this I drew up provisional acts of appointment for the minor chiefs of villages. These solemnities, at which the entire population of Tepa were present, were held in the middle of the village, the audience sitting on benches and mats, those appropriated to the chief individuals being sheltered by an awning of prahus' sails. After the breaking up of these meetings, they usually offered up sacrifices of cattle to their idols, and passed the entire night carousing.

At this last meeting they declared that they would commence the proposed voyage to the back of the island the same night, and I promised todelay my departure until their return; but either from fear, or from some reason which I could not discover, they again disappointed me. On the following morning, however, fourOrang Baays, or large canoes, made their appearance, manned with from thirty to forty men each, and literally crammed full of weapons. After rowing round the brig several times, firing shots occasionally from such of their muskets as were in a serviceable state, they came alongside with a loud shout, when the Upper Orang-kaya, and several other chiefs, came on board, and, as subjects to the Netherlands' Government, offered their vessels for our use, to make a voyage to the back of the island. I expressed my surprise at this extraordinary equipment, and thanking them for the readiness they had shown, informed them that I always wished, in the first instance, to take kind and humane measures for bringing offenders back to their duty, and had no object in resorting to hostilities against their fellow islanders. As I could afford to spend no more time on the island, and the state of the monsoon prevented me from going with the brig to the back of the island, I determined to leave the affair to the decision of the Government. I was the more necessitated to leave the differences between these tribes unsettled,from it being evident that an expedition to and from Aluta could not be performed in less than ten days. I exhorted them, in the mean time, to become reconciled to their neighbours as soon as possible; to inform them of the kindness and good intentions of our Government; and to prevail upon them to go to Banda to ask forgiveness for the offences they had committed, failing which they would assuredly be punished for their neglect.

While we lay off Tepa a number of canoes came daily alongside, loaded with fowls, hogs, fruit and vegetables, to sell to the ship's company. A fowl was given for an empty bottle; two or three for a common pocket knife; while the price of a hog of from twelve to fifteen pound weight, was a small quantity of calico, or a piece of coarse red chintz lining-stuff, of the value of a couple of guilders (3s.4d.) As on the adjacent islands, money is not valued by the natives, with the exception of gold coin, which they melt down and form into ear-rings or other ornaments. Men as well as women have often three or four holes bored, one above the other, in their ears, in each of which they wear a golden ornament.

Atkins, one of the English seamen we had taken on board at Banda, died here, in consequence ofthe fatigues he had endured during his captivity among the natives. When the people of Baba heard of his decease, they immediately offered to provide a coffin, and to bring him on shore; but for particular reasons, among which was a fear that they might disinter the body after our departure, I preferred committing it to the deep with the usual ceremony.

Early in the morning of the 15th of August we weighed anchor and left the island, amid the farewells of the people, who had assembled on the beach to witness our departure.

FOOTNOTES:[19]The island of Keffing, near the east extremity of Coram, is probably here alluded to.[20]The Malay language is theLingua Francaof the entire Indian Archipelago, but it is only generally understood in those places which enjoy some commerce. The natives, who reside in the mountains, and those who have no communication with strangers, speak only a dialect of their own.[21]Lime is generally used for this purpose among the natives of these islands. It may, perhaps, be serviceable in preventing eruptions of the skin, to which they are very subject. Whenever they are afflicted with the headache they apply a plaster of lime to the temples as a remedy.[22]This vessel, in all probability, was either the British colonial brig "Lady Nelson," or the trading schooner "Stedcombe," both of which left Melville Island in the year 1824, soon after the formation of our settlement there, to procure stock, and were never heard of afterwards. It will be seen in Chapter XIII. that the other was cut off by the natives of the east side of Timor Laut.—Translator.

[19]The island of Keffing, near the east extremity of Coram, is probably here alluded to.

[20]The Malay language is theLingua Francaof the entire Indian Archipelago, but it is only generally understood in those places which enjoy some commerce. The natives, who reside in the mountains, and those who have no communication with strangers, speak only a dialect of their own.

[21]Lime is generally used for this purpose among the natives of these islands. It may, perhaps, be serviceable in preventing eruptions of the skin, to which they are very subject. Whenever they are afflicted with the headache they apply a plaster of lime to the temples as a remedy.

[22]This vessel, in all probability, was either the British colonial brig "Lady Nelson," or the trading schooner "Stedcombe," both of which left Melville Island in the year 1824, soon after the formation of our settlement there, to procure stock, and were never heard of afterwards. It will be seen in Chapter XIII. that the other was cut off by the natives of the east side of Timor Laut.—Translator.

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