[19] The name of this island comes from the Portuguese word flor, a flower; plural, floris.
[20] The Rajah of Sangir, a village from twelve to fifteen miles southeast of the volcano, was an eye-witness of this fearful phenomenon, and thus describes it: “About 7 P. M., on the 10th of April, three distinct columns of flame burst forth, near the top of Tomboro Mountain, all of them apparently within the verge of the crater; and, after ascending separately to a very great height, their tops united in the air in a troubled, confused manner. In a short time the whole mountain next Sangir appeared like a body of liquid fire, extending itself in every direction. The fire and columns of flame continued to rage with unabated fury until the darkness, caused by the quantity of falling matter, obscured it at about 8 P. M. Stones at this time fell very thick at Sangir, some of them as large as a man’s two fists, but generally not larger than walnuts. Between 9 and 10 P. M. ashes began to fall; and soon after, a violent whirlwind ensued, which blew down nearly every house in the village of Sangir, carrying their tops and light parts along with it. In that part of the district of Sangir adjoining Tomboro, its effects were much more violent, tearing up by the roots the largest trees, and carrying them into the air, together with men, houses, cattle, and whatever else came within its influence. The sea rose nearly twelve feet higher than it had ever been known to do before, and completely spoiled the only small spots of rice-lands in Sangir, sweeping away houses and every thing within its reach.”
[21] “Native Races of the East Indian Archipelago, Papuans,” by George Windsor Earl, M. R. A. S. London, 1853.
[22] Possibly the “spots,” of which Mr. Earl speaks, may have been caused by some disease, for spots of a lighter hue than the general color of the body are often seen among all Malays. Both the straight-haired Malaysians and the frizzled-haired Melanesians have the odd custom of rubbing lime into their hair, which gives it a dull-yellowish or reddish tinge. Mr. Earl, however, states that he has seen one native whose hair was naturally red, a kind of partial albinoism.
[23] Mr. Jukes remarks, and I believe, most correctly, that “if the term ‘jura kalk’ is applied lithologically to these tertiary rocks, it is to a certain extent applicable, as they have a concretionary and oölitic structure. If, however, it is meant to have a chronological meaning, it is either incorrectly applied, or the formation is incorrectly extended on the map to the neighborhood of Kupang.”
[24] “Voyage of the Dourga in 1825 and 1826,” by Captain Kloff, translated by G. W. Earl.
[25] A paal, the unit of measure on land in the East Indian Archipelago, is fifteen sixteenths of a statute mile.
[26] The Dutch name for this tree and its fruit is cacao. Our word chocolate comes from the Spanish “chocolate,” which was a mixture of the fruit of this tree with Indian corn. These were ground up together, and some honey was usually added. After sugar-cane was introduced, that was also added to neutralize the bitter qualities of the cocoa.
[27] This name must not be confounded with that of the cocoa-nut-tree, or Cocos nucifera, which is a palm. The word cocoa is supposed to have been derived from the Portuguese word macoco or macaco, a monkey, and to have been applied to the cocoa-nut palm, from a fancied resemblance between the end of the shell, where the three black scars occur, and the face of a monkey.
[28] Francis Valentyn, the author of the most comprehensive and accurate history and description of the Dutch possessions in all the East, was a Lutheran clergyman. He was born at Dordrecht, about the year 1660. In 1686 he arrived at Data via as a minister, and having resided some time at Japara, near Samarang, he was transferred to Amboina, the future field of his ministry and literary labors. After a residence of twelve years in the Spice Islands, he was obliged to return home on account of ill-health. Having remained in Holland for eleven years, he sailed a second time for India in 1705. Arriving at Java, he remained on that island for two years, and then proceeded to the Spice Islands, where he resided for seven years, and in 1714 he returned again to Holland. Immediately after his arrival he devoted himself to arranging his copious notes for publication. His first volume was published in 1724; this was followed by seven others, all fully illustrated, the last appearing in 1726. They embrace a complete description and history of all the Dutch possessions from the Cape of Good Hope to Japan. The date of the death of this eminent man is not known, but he must have been in his sixty-sixth year when he finished his great work.