Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The people of Ternate are of three well-marked races: the Ternate Malays, the Orang Sir-
ani, 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 ex-
traordinary language they speak—in 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 dis-
tinct 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 ex-
tends 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
