Voyages of the Dutch brig of war Dourga

by D. H. Kolff

The Arafuras of the interior had been in a very unsettled state some time past, all regularity of government having been put an end to by the death of the Raja, Johannes Pitta, whose heir had retired with his mother to the island of Kissa. The natives besought me in the most earnest manner to summon this young man back to his native island, and install him as their chief.

The two chiefs and several of the people, returned with me to the brig, where I presented them with some cloth and a Dutch flag, promising to promote their interests to the best of my power at Kissa, towards which island, having nothing more to detain me here, I now steered.

Kissa possesses only two anchoring places, one on the west, and the other on the south-east side of the island. When seen from a distance the land does not appear to be much elevated above the level of the sea, but on a nearer approach it will be perceived that the shores rise abruptly from the water, and are of a very rocky nature. Small creeks and inlets are to be seen here and there, but these will only admit prahus of a small draught of water. In former times Kissa was the seat of the Dutch Residency of the south-west islands,[9] and it is still the most populous of the group, the people being also farther advanced in civilization than their neighbours.

In standing westward towards the roads, we ran close along the south-west side of the island, where the violent breaking of the sea against the steep shore, presented a very picturesque appearance; but to us, who were at a very small distance from the land, the sight was combined with something of the terrific. On the 13th of June we anchored in a bight to the northward of the south-west point, on a strip of sand and rocks, with very irregular soundings on it, and moored the brig with a hawser made fast to the steep shore. The beach was here flat and sandy, but was fronted by a reef, steep to on the outer side, over which small prahus can go at the time of high water. The inhabitants haul up their jonkos (trading prahus of about twenty tons burthen) on the beach.

The natives hoisted a Dutch flag on our arrival, and several of the chiefs came off to welcome us to their shores shortly after we had come to an anchor. I soon went on shore, accompanied by M. Kam and several of the gentlemen, when we found a multitude of natives assembled on the beach to receive us, provided with litters to carry us up into the country. The proofs of joy at our arrival, evinced by the assembled crowd, were indeed striking in the extreme.

My attention was first directed to the fort Vollenhoven, which was situated a little to the northward of our anchorage, in the middle of an extensive level plain. The fort consisted of an inclosure about ninety feet square, formed by stone walls ten feet high and three feet in thickness, with a gate on the east side, and a bastion with four embrasures on the south-west and north-east corners. This portion of the fort was still in a good and serviceable state, but the interior works and the building had all fallen to the ground, the greater portion of the materials having been destroyed by the white ant.[10] We found five dismounted cannon lying on the sea bastion, one a one-pounder, and the others four-pounders, which were still in good condition. The fort, with all its contents, were considered by the natives as the property of the old East India Company, and for this reason had been preserved untouched by the natives, who viewed them as relics. They eagerly offered to put these, together with the Residency House, which was much decayed, into repair, if a Dutch garrison were again placed among them.

Marna, the chief village, which lies inland about half an hour's journey from the fort, is approached by means of a pathway, shaded by high trees, running along a deep valley. The village has an appearance of great neatness, the houses, many of which have the sides constructed of planks, being surrounded by gardens kept in the greatest order; and, although the buildings are of different heights and sizes, the village has by no means an irregular appearance. It is enclosed on one side by a stone wall, and on the other three by live hedges, or pagga fences. All the inhabitants profess the Christian religion, and the large and well-built church in which they perform their devotions is kept in a state of perfect order. The village altogether presents a charming proof of the order, neatness, and industry of the inhabitants, by which they have naturally arisen to a greater state of prosperity than will be found in most other native places. The whole island consists of clusters of hillocks, luxuriantly clothed with herbage, the summits of which we often ascended to enjoy the delightful prospect afforded by the villages and cultivated fields spread over the country, the scene being enlivened by the presence of men, women and children, busily pursuing their avocations. Agriculture, however, is not so much attended to as could be wished, as the natives are obliged to import rice and maize from Wetta, but cattle and stock are in the greatest abundance.

The people of Kissa devote themselves chiefly to commercial pursuits, carrying on a brisk trade with the neighbouring islands; and in this point of view Kissa must be considered as the most important in the group. Their commercial propensities, however, have been disadvantageous to them as far as the improvement of agriculture is concerned.

It had been arranged that a general meeting of the inhabitants should take place on the 14th of June, to give me an opportunity of making known to them the purport of my visit. At nine o'clock in the morning of the day fixed on, I sent forward a detachment of twenty armed European seamen to the village, under the command of one of my officers, and soon afterwards I left the brig for the shore, accompanied by Messrs. Ram and Dielwaart, with the officers of the brig, the clerk and the interpreters, under a salute from the guns. The natives received us on the beach with much ceremony, and conveyed us in litters towards the town, amid the firing of lelahs and the joyous shouts of the natives; these proofs of friendship being the more agreeable from their evident sincerity.

To my great satisfaction, I found that nearly every chief of the island was present at the meeting, and I was heartily welcomed by the upper Orang Kaya in the name of them all. Immediately after this, the entire multitude cried out simultaneously, "Tarima kasipada tūhan Alla, Compania būlūm lūpa sama kami orang," ("Thanks be to God, the Company have not yet forgotten us.")