CHAPTER VII.
LAKOR.
Description of the Island Lakor.—Coral Banks.—Shyness of the Inhabitants.—Productions.—Singular Expedition.—Childish Litigiousness and obstinate Implacability.—Native Hospitality.—Customs and Dress of the People.
Description of the Island Lakor.—Coral Banks.—Shyness of the Inhabitants.—Productions.—Singular Expedition.—Childish Litigiousness and obstinate Implacability.—Native Hospitality.—Customs and Dress of the People.
Theisland Lakor bears a perfect resemblance to a dry coral bank, raised about twenty feet above the level of the sea. Patches of sand are only to be met with here and there, and ground fit for the formation of gardens is even more scarce. The sandy places are planted with cocoa-nut groves, but besides these there are few large trees; short plants and shrubs, which are probably of importance only to the botanist, covering the remainder of the island, except a few parts, where spots of ground are planted with yams or other roots. Most of thenecessaries of life are imported from the other islands.
Under these circumstances it cannot be expected that the population of the island is very great. According to the statements of the most trustworthy islanders it amounts only to between eight hundred and a thousand souls, but a correct account is not to be looked for, as the chiefs themselves do not know with exactness the number of their people. Throughout the island there are only two Christians, the remainder being all heathens.
With a light south-south-east wind we sailed to the eastward along the north side of the island, as close as possible to the shore, to look for a good anchoring place, for the pilot was as little acquainted with the island as myself. We could not approach sufficiently near to the easternmost of the two villages which lie here, so we anchored in seven fathoms, on a patch of sand and stones, off the western one, and moored the brig with a warp fixed to the reef which lines the shore. The shore is very steep to, which rendered our anchorage unpleasant and insecure. This occurs on every part of the north coast of the island. The inhabitants informed me, that during the west monsoon there is goodanchorage between Moa and Lakor, opposite to the village of Mowai, but I had no leisure to examine it in person during our stay.
In the evening of the 10th of July, after we had come to an anchor, I went on shore with the interpreters, when I found, to my great disappointment, that all the inhabitants had taken flight on our appearance, with the exception of three aged women, whose language was totally unintelligible to us. In the course of an hour, after they had been wandering about the neighbourhood like strayed sheep, several men approached us, who informed us, as we understood them, that their chiefs were now upon the island Moa, but would probably return during the night. This did not appear to be very probable, and I thought it more likely that they had fled into the interior, which proved to be the case; for the following day, having left the interpreters on shore all night to inspire them with confidence, I was fortunate enough to collect chiefs and people, when I informed them of the purport of my visit.
This island was formerly under subjection to Moa, and the Orang Tua resorted to it occasionally, to offer homage to the representatives of theDutch Government there; but now everynigri, or small district, was under its own government, and perfectly independent of the chiefs of Moa. Neither the Dutch East India Company, nor the Government, ever had a garrison on Lakor. It was on this account that our unexpected arrival proved so alarming to the natives, and their uneasiness had been increased by knowing that some of their villages were in a state of war with each other; a breach of the peace that was always punished severely in the time of the Company.
It was not without great difficulty that I was enabled to inspire the natives with confidence, and to this end, whenever good words would not answer the purpose, I made use of serious threats, which have much more effect on these ignorant people than any negociations. Lakor was of too little importance to us for me to remain there long, I therefore hurried my proceedings as much as possible, and in two days time every thing was completed. I named a certain Bastiaan Bimar as their Upper Orang Kaya, and installed the various village chiefs with the customary solemnities, after which I gave them strong injunctions to live in peace, unity and subordination to theirrulers, and presented them with some rice, arrack and cloth, together with a Dutch flag, the latter of which was a very acceptable present.
During my short stay I was constantly employed in deciding all sorts of petty differences, for the people live in a state of great disunion, and without the interference of the Government, or of European traders, they remain obstinately irreconcilable on the slightest quarrel. Neither do they acknowledge the authority of their chiefs unless they have been installed by the Dutch Government.
During a journey which I made inland, accompanied by my huntsman and my interpreter, to endeavour to find some game, and to view the condition of the interior, my attention was excited by a great number of caves, containing live pigs, which on this island arrive at a tolerably large size. We encountered also large flocks of sheep, which form a most important branch of the wealth of the people. They also possess buffaloes, but these are chiefly herded on the southern parts of the island. Throughout the journey I found the ground to consist of hard coral rocks overgrown with short plants, among which smallplantations of yam and Indian corn were occasionally met with, while the beach was planted with cocoa-nut trees.
No wells are to be found on the island: the natives, therefore, collect the water, which falls during the rains, in large pits, where it seems to keep very well for a long time.
While on the excursion mentioned above, a troop of people, about two hundred and fifty in number, belonging to the villages on the south coast of the island, passed by us, every man being armed, as they were then at war with the people of the northern parts of the island. On approaching the village they ranged themselves two and two, carrying themselves with an air of haughtiness, while a man walked at their head waving an old Dutch flag fastened to the end of a bamboo. Behind him was borne a chair, on which was placed a baton of the former East India Company, and an old felt hat, and in the middle of the procession a child of three years old was carried by a female. I followed them at a little distance without being observed. On arriving in the village the chair was placed before the idol, the people squatting round it, without layingaside their weapons. When I approached them some time afterwards, I found them in the same position.
The chair, with its contents, had formerly been the property of the late Orang Kaya of the south coast. The child we had seen was his son, who was proposed to me as his successor. Until he could fulfil the office, the Government was entrusted to his uncle.
As usual, the differences among the islanders were soon settled by me, and the event of this general reconciliation was celebrated by a great feast, at which they pledged themselves to continued friendship. The reconciliation between these people was conducted in a similar manner to that between children who have quarrelled. Having first asked permission to speak, they commenced blaming and accusing each other, after which they held out their right hands, and requested me to join them. This being performed they took a littlesirifrom each other's boxes, when the ceremony of reconciliation was completed. The elders of the parties commenced, and they were followed by their juniors, but the women had nothing to do with the matter, being totally disregarded.
Thesiriboxes, which are in general use among these islanders, are made of plaited rushes, their length being five and their breadth four inches. They are carried behind them, stuck into thetjedakoor waist-belt; and whenever two friends meet, the one takes somesiriout of the box of the other.
Another custom obtains among these people, which bears a resemblance to the universal hospitality of the Arabs. Strangers, who may visit their island, or touch there during their voyages, are supplied with as many yams and cocoa-nuts as they can consume, without any remuneration being expected in return. On more than one occasion I had opportunities of being an eyewitness to these acts of hospitality. The Orang Kaya of Mowai, on the island of Moa, being unable to visit me during my stay on that island, came over to see me on Lakor in hisjonko, which was hauled up on the beach, while he took up his residence in a cleft in the rocks. He had brought no provisions for himself or his people, and when I asked him how they would maintain themselves, he told me that he had no difficulty on that point, since he took what he required out of the plantations of theinhabitants, who would do the same when they visited him. The rice and other provisions which I gave him during his stay, were very thankfully received. On my demanding his reason for thus taking up his residence outside the village, he informed me that he was not on the best of terms with the people of Lakor, while at the same time he was acting up to an old usage, their attachment to which was proved by the fact of two Christians, who were of the party, refusing, as well as the others, to pass the night in the houses of their hosts.
Although there were only two Christian inhabitants on the island, these, like their neighbours of the same persuasion, distinguished themselves from the others by their mode of dress. The common costume is much the same throughout the group. That of the men consists of abadjuor loose coat of calico, flowered or striped blue and red, with pantaloons andsarongof the same materials; while the women wear abadju, and asarongor petticoat, the upper edge being carelessly twisted round the waist. The Mohammedans are distinguished from the others by a handkerchief on the head, arranged like a turban. The Christians, on the other hand, equallyprize an European hat, those of the upper classes being distinguished by coats, breeches, shoes and stockings, after our fashion, while the Christians of the lower ranks, who wear the usual native dress, have their clothes dyed black, those of the heathens and Mohammedans being invariably of a lighter colour.