At nine o'clock in the morning of the day fixed for the meeting, I landed, accompanied by several of the gentlemen attached to the expedition, and by a detachment of marines, (as I shall henceforward call the armed seamen,) the brig firing a salute from her great guns. Several of the chiefs and a large number of the people had already assembled, to whom the interpreter read the letter sent by our Government, with the usual accompaniment of a feu-de-joie from the musketry. The business connected with the subject of the letter was soon transacted, but the arrangement of other affairs was attended with much more difficulty than had been experienced at Kissa, the natives there being farther advanced in civilization than at Lette. I was employed during two entire days in deciding petty differences that had arisen among them. A spirit of contention upon the merest trifles forms a peculiar trait in the character of these islanders, and they appeared to prefer living in variance, indeed, in a state of open warfare with one another, to making the least advances towards reconciliation. They would sacrifice all they possessed to keep up the strife, and the result of these disturbances was that many families were forced to wander in poverty over the island, while some actually died of want. The people frankly acknowledged their failing upon this point, to obviate which they were anxious that a Dutch Resident or other government officer should reside among them, to whom they might refer their disputes for adjustment. They promised to abide implicitly by his decision; indeed, during my short stay on the island I had numerous proofs of their willingness to admit our mediation, of which I will here give an example. Throughout the Molucca Seas it had been the custom of the Government to permit those chiefs, whose conduct had been highly meritorious, to carry a Dutch pennant in their orang-baays, or state barges. This mark of distinction had been conferred upon some former chiefs of the village of Batu Meau, and their successors, considering themselves as being also entitled to it, continued to display the pennant from their prahus. This assumption on their part had drawn upon them the violent enmity of the chiefs of the neighbouring villages, who had ever since been in a state of open warfare with those of Batu Meau. It will readily be conceived how difficult it was to reconcile parties so strongly embittered against each other. It required some time to convince the chiefs of Batu Meau, that they had acted wrongly; but at length I was fortunate enough to bring the affair to a favourable termination, the chiefs being prohibited from ever again displaying the offensive banner.
In my notices of Wetta, I mentioned that the village of Sau, on that island, had been destroyed by the people of Lette. From the information concerning the affair that I was enabled to collect here, it appeared that nine natives of Lette, who had visited the village of Sau on a trading voyage, had been massacred by the inhabitants, who had been tempted to commit the deed by a desire to gain possession of the goods that the traders had brought with them. According to the law of retaliation which obtains among the natives of the Archipelago, this deed demanded vengeance on the part of the people of Lette, who proceeded to Wetta with a number of armed prahus, and totally destroyed the village of Sau. This affair had naturally given rise to the direct enmity between the natives of the two islands, which entirely put a stop to the commercial intercourse that had previously subsisted between them, and but for our own interposition, a reconciliation could never have been effected. This case affords a striking example of the detriment these islanders suffer from the barbarous nature of their laws, or rather customs.
When distributing the presents, sent by the Government, at the general meeting of the chiefs, I was requested to apportion the shares for each village, the chiefs themselves candidly confessing that since they all considered themselves as equal in point of rank, were this duty left to themselves, it would certainly give rise to a renewal of the discord that had so long prevailed among them. Although their old adats or customs, are so absurd and contradictory, that their interests are greatly injured by maintaining them, they yet, with an obstinacy for which it is difficult to account, submit to and revere them as sacred and inviolable laws.
On the east side of Lette, near the village of Batu Meau, we met with a block-house, surrounded by a high stone wall, which had formerly been occupied by a garrison of the Dutch East India Company. It was in a state of great dilapidation, indeed, every thing we encountered bore evident marks of the poverty and misery of the people, which, however, is in a great measure to be attributed to the unavoidable disasters which had befallen them. I promised the chiefs that I would inform the Government of their difficulties, and stated to them that I had remained at the island longer than I had originally intended, with the hope that my mediation would effect a termination to their disputes. I urged them strongly to live henceforward in unity, and I had the satisfaction of perceiving, before my departure from the island, a considerable improvement in their social state, the people of the different villages having become on far better terms with one another. The exhortations and advice of that estimable clergyman, M. Kam, had also effected much good. Many of the people were baptized and married by him, the solemnity with which these duties were performed making a deep impression on the susceptible minds of this simple, and by no means badly-disposed people. Before our departure they gave proofs of a returning spirit of industry, by commencing to repair their church and houses.
From Lette I proceeded to Moa, of which island I will give a description in the ensuing chapter.
FOOTNOTES:
[12] This name is also here applied to the vessels of the head chiefs. They are large galleys, with high stems and sterns, having a roof of attap, or palm leaves, raised over them.
CHAPTER V.
MOA AND ROMA.
Boat Expedition to the Island of Moa.—Good Inclination of the Inhabitants.—The Block-house.—The Duif Family.—Character of the People.—Respect entertained by the Heathen towards the Christian Inhabitants.—State of Civilization and Public Instruction.—Kind Hospitality of the Natives.—Their Feelings of Attachment and Confidence towards the Dutch Government.—Departure for the Island of Roma.