Voyages of the Dutch brig of war Dourga

by D. H. Kolff

On the following morning, June 17th, we found ourselves close under the south-west point of Lette, and perceived reefs extending along the shore at a distance of half a mile from the land. This island is, for the most part, high and hilly, but near the sea the land is level. The greater portion of the inhabitants reside on the sea-coast, in villages erected upon elevated and projecting points of land, which present a charming appearance as the island is approached. We ran close along the reefs until opposite to the village of Tombra, where there is an opening in the reef, into which we warped the brig, and moored her head and stern. The inlet or basin, which afforded us anchorage, is from four hundred to five hundred feet broad, with depths of six to nine fathoms over a sandy bottom. It is bounded on each side by reefs visible at low water, and at the extremity of the cove lies a white sandy beach covered with numerous cocoa-nut trees.

As soon as the brig was secured, I landed with the native interpreter, at a spot where several of the Christian inhabitants were waiting to conduct us to the village. This did not present an appearance indicating prosperity, as it contained no more than twenty-five houses, occupied both by Christians and heathens. During the previous year, three villages in the neighbourhood had been entirely destroyed by fire, the inhabitants losing all their household property; and shortly afterwards an additional disaster occurred in the death of the Orang Kaya, to whom no successor had yet been appointed. The anarchy and confusion this gave rise to, had caused many of the people to abandon the spot. Those who received us on the beach evinced great joy at our arrival, and expressed hopes that through my intervention, order would again be restored.

It was very soon known throughout the island that a Dutch ship of war had arrived, and the people flocked from all parts of the country to bid us welcome. Among these was an Amboynese teacher, who had arrived here about two years previously. He expressed a wish that I would visit the school-room, which also served the purpose of a church since the building had been destroyed by the fire already mentioned. To this I willingly consented. The scholars, a number of boys and girls, were arranged in a row, and, as I approached, they commenced singing a hymn. After it was concluded, I inspected the school-house, a wretched building, the whole furniture of which consisted of a long table and some bamboo benches. The teacher resided in an adjacent hut, around which a small garden had been laid out. Every thing that met our view presented an appearance of poverty and decay.

Two years previous to our visit, this group of islands had been visited by a violent hurricane, which, especially on Lette, caused frightful devastation: on several tracts of land over which I passed, all the cocoa-nut and other fruit-trees had been levelled with the earth. This disaster had been followed by a drought, which had destroyed the produce of their plantations, and created a great mortality among the cattle, many dying for want of provender. The hurricane had also caused the bees to desert the island, a serious loss to the inhabitants, since wax and honey were among the chief exportable productions of the island. These repeated misfortunes had induced many of the inhabitants to emigrate to Kissa and Roma; in fact, the scarcity of provisions had been so great, that some had actually died from want. This unlucky island, like ancient Egypt, had indeed been harassed and afflicted by a series of plagues. It presented a sad spectacle, especially when compared with the prosperous island of Kissa, the beauties of which were still fresh in our remembrance.

The Christian inhabitants of Lette bear great resemblance in manners, customs, and mode of dress, to those of Kissa. The unconverted natives, who consider themselves as subjects to the former, are still low in the scale of civilization, but are worthy of remark as unsophisticated children of nature. They are tall and well formed, with light brown complexions. Their noses are pointed, and their foreheads high, while their hair, naturally black, is rendered yellow, by rubbing in a composition of lime. It is confined by means of a bamboo comb. The men wear no other dress than a piece of cloth made from the bark of a tree, wrapped round the waist. The women, in addition to this article of clothing, sometimes wear a sort of kabya, or short gown, open in front. Polygamy does not obtain among them, and the men appear generally to be much attached to their wives. Adultery very seldom occurs; indeed, the natives have such an abhorrence of this and every other misdemeanour, that a person found guilty is punished with death, or is sold to foreigners, and thus doomed to perpetual slavery. I was informed that all their goods and chattels are kept in their huts, which are unprovided with doors, or in caves on the mountains; but that notwithstanding these temptations, instances of theft very rarely occur, this crime, like that of incontinence, being considered as conferring an indelible stain on the whole family of the culprit, who either kill him with their own hands, or sell him into slavery. The East India Company, during their occupation of these islands, introduced a philanthropic law, which required them to give up all their criminals, that they might be sent to cultivate the spice plantations of Banda.

These people are idolatrous in every sense of the word, since they pay reverence to an image of human shape, rudely carved from a thick piece of wood. This image is placed in a sitting posture upon a square heap of stone, raised under a large tree in the centre of the village. In the event of a death, a marriage, or any remarkable event, a large hog or a buffalo, which has been kept sacred and fattened for the purpose, is slaughtered before this image. Cattle and other stock form the chief wealth of the natives; but they also possess elephants' tusks, brass wire, gongs, plates and dishes of coarse Chinese porcelain, chopping knives, &c., together with golden ornaments, such as chains, half-moons and ear-rings, these being denominated harta, or household property.

On one occasion I was present at the funeral of a native, which took place in the village of Batu Meau. The body had been laid in the grave previous to my arrival. A number of men were assembled round the spot, who were soon joined by a large party of women, bearing baskets containing household goods and dressed provisions, which were thrown into the grave by each as she approached. A number of aged women now commenced a loud wailing, which they continued without intermission until the grave was filled up with earth. The crowd then collected around the idol, to which a quantity of provisions were offered, and the remainder of the day was spent by the people in feasting and praying around it.

The chiefs of the various villages, who came on board to bid me welcome to their shores, were conveyed in lightly constructed prahus, similar in appearance to the orang-baays[12] used by the Amboynese. Each of these contained thirty rowers, who propelled the vessel with broad paddles; these being far more serviceable than oars, for the use of which there would scarcely be sufficient space. The chiefs rowed in state round the brig three times, beating small gongs called tif-tifs, the music being accompanied by a loud singing, the burthen of which was "Salamat Compania." They then came alongside, and informed me that these vessels and their crews were "Prahu Compania," (government prahus), and that they were perfectly at my service. During the period in which the East India Company had establishments on these islands, the people of each village were obliged to have one of these prahus at all times in readiness for the use of the Resident, or head officer of the Government. The people of the islands have also been accustomed to other requisitions on the part of our Government, to which they comply with the greatest alacrity, feeling hurt whenever their assistance is not accepted. I found the prahus they offered to me on this occasion, of considerable service in bringing off wood, water, and other necessaries.

The day following that of my arrival was fixed on for a general meeting of the chiefs, at which I intended to present them with the letters sent them by the Government, and to transact the remainder of the public business which had brought me here. About seven o'clock in the evening a singular spectacle presented itself. A number of women, taking advantage of the lowness of the tide, collected on the beach to catch fish and crabs, each bearing a flambeau composed of bamboo and resin, and as more than three hundred of these were burning at the same time, they formed a splendid illumination.

On the morning of the 18th, a small brig, belonging to Mr. Franquemont, a merchant of Sourabaya, arrived in the basin. The object of the captain in visiting the island was to purchase stock, which the Java traders are in the habit of obtaining here, but as at the present time the natives had none for sale, the brig sailed immediately for one of the neighbouring islands.