Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ceived the new money by return of the boat. When Ali went to bring it, however, the captain
required a written order; so I waited to send again the next day, and it was lucky I did so, for
that night my house was entered, all my boxes carried out and ransacked, and the various
articles left on the road about twenty yards off, where we found them at five in the morning,
when, on getting up and finding the house empty, we rushed out to discover tracks of the
thieves. Not being able to find the copper money which they thought I had just received,
they decamped, taking nothing but a few yards of cotton cloth and a black coat and trousers,
which latter were picked up a few days afterwards hidden in the grass. There was no doubt
whatever who were the thieves. Convicts are employed to guard the Government stores
when the boat arrives from Ternate. Two of them watch all night, and often take the oppor-
tunity to roam about and commit robberies.
The next day I received my money, and secured it well in a strong box fastened under my
bed. I took out five or six hundred cents for daily expenses, and put them in a small ja-
panned box, which always stood upon my table. In the afternoon I went for a short walk,
and on my return this box and my keys, which I had carelessly left on the table, were gone.
Two of my boys were in the house, but had heard nothing. I immediately gave information
of the two robberies to the Director at the mines and to the Commandant at the fort, and got
for answer, that if I caught the thief in the act I might shoot him. By inquiry in the village,
we afterwards found that one of the convicts who was on duty at the Government rice-store
in the village had quitted his guard, was seen to pass over the bridge towards my house, was
seen again within two hundred yards of my house, and on returning over the bridge into the
village carried something under his arm, carefully covered with his sarong. My box was
stolen between the hours he was seen going and returning, and it was so small as to be easily
carried in the way described. This seemed pretty clear circumstantial evidence. I accused the
man and brought the witnesses to the Commandant. The man was examined, and confessed
having gone to the river close to my house to bathe; but said he had gone no further, having
climbed up a cocoa-nut tree and brought home two nuts, which he had covered over,
be-
cause he was ashamed to be seen carrying them!
This explanation was thought satisfactory,
and he was acquitted. I lost my cash and my box, a seal I much valued, with other small art-
icles, and all my keys—the severest loss by far. Luckily my large cash-box was left locked,
but so were others which I required to open immediately. There was, however, a very clever
blacksmith employed to do ironwork for the mines, and he picked my locks for me when I
required them, and in a few days made me new keys, which I used all the time I was abroad.
Towards the end of November the wet season set in, and we had daily and almost incess-
ant rains, with only about one or two hours' sunshine in the morning. The flat parts of the
