Voyages of the Dutch brig of war Dourga

by D. H. Kolff

At the request of the Resident, M. Camphuyzen, I took with me two English seamen, named William Both and Joseph Atkins. These men had belonged to the English brig Syren, Captain William Johns, which had been wrecked on the coast of New Guinea, where the crew fell into the hands of the barbarous inhabitants. They were sold and resold among the natives of the neighbouring islands, until at length these two men reached the island Kower, where the Orang Kaya of Kisser[19] purchased them and brought them to Banda. For this humane act the Resident, in the name of the Government, presented the chief with a gold medal.

At noon, on the 28th of July, we left the Roads of Banda, and had again to struggle against heavy squalls, with a high sea from the south-east. I was therefore obliged to stand to the southward towards the island Baba, and as we stood on this course the swell gradually decreased, and the weather became more favourable. We had the current in our favour when we arrived among the islands to the southward of Banda, so that we experienced no difficulty in working up to windward. The careful manner in which it is necessary to proceed, however, caused us much delay. In the charts now existing, most of the islands are either placed wrong, or are entirely left out, while at the same time our pilots were not perfectly acquainted with the channels.

Proceeding thus cautiously, we did not reach Baba until the 4th of August. This island, which is hilly and tolerably high, is surrounded by several smaller islets, the most important of which are Wetang to the east, and Dain to the north. The best anchorage near Baba during the east monsoon, is on the west side of the island off the village of Tepa, and in steering towards this we ran close along the north shore of Wetang, and then stood over to Baba, when we worked up close under the land to the anchorage, and brought up in fifteen fathoms, with very good holding ground. Care is necessary in working up to the anchorage during this monsoon, as heavy squalls sometimes come off the land. When the westerly winds prevail, it is said that the most secure roads are under the coast of Wetang; but as I was not here at that period, I had no opportunity of personally ascertaining the fact.

While we were standing under easy sail towards the roads, small prahus with outriggers, containing three or four men each, occasionally rowed towards us, the people hailing us from a distance to inquire who we were, and whether we intended to do them harm. Our endeavours to induce them to come on board were fruitless; nor did I, indeed, succeed in this until after the interpreters had been among them, and set their fears at rest. On arriving at the village I found that the inhabitants had totally deserted it, and had even taken their household goods with them. Not a woman nor a child was to be seen, but the men, with their arms in their hands, were perceived running through the bush at a distance.

The natives who first came on board were very timorous, and either through fear or ignorance could scarcely make themselves understood in Malay.[20] After I had made them a few presents, and acquainted them with the object of my visit, they went on shore, impressed with greater confidence in our intentions towards them, while the fears of those on shore were at the same time quieted by the interpreters. They returned on board soon afterwards, accompanied by the chiefs of the village and two of the oldest inhabitants, who brought with them one of the silver-knobbed batons, which were formerly distributed by the East India Company. With much confusion of manner they informed us that they had never seen an European during their lives, but that their forefathers had often spoken in high terms of the Dutch, and stated that they had been of old subjected to their East India Company. They moreover informed us, that they had at all times looked forward with the greatest eagerness to the period when their old friendship and alliance with our Government would be renewed.

When these chiefs left the brig, I sent the interpreters on shore with them, provided with arrack and tobacco to distribute among the islanders, and to do all in their power towards quieting their fears. At noon I followed them in person, and found that the women and children had not yet returned to their houses, but ere long a number of them assembled around us. The people made free use of the arrack and tobacco, and gradually laid aside their fears, when I made them acquainted with the object of my visit, and informed them that I desired nothing from them, but came here at the command of our Government to do all in my power towards promoting their interests. I also testified my astonishment at the timidity and want of confidence they had displayed, and admonished them to cause their wives and families to return to their homes, as otherwise I should be unable to view them as friends.

Throughout the Molucca Islands the absence of the women and children from the villages may always be held as a convincing proof of bad intentions on the part of the natives. Violence on their part generally, however, arises more from their ignorance, fear, and consequent want of confidence, than from decided malevolence. Experience has already often proved to me that whenever affairs stand thus with the natives, the higher the tone of command with which you address them, the more you will inspire them with respect. I therefore made no difficulty of going ashore among them, unarmed and unaccompanied, and when I found that my words began to make some impression on them, I placed before their eyes the impropriety of their want of confidence, and soon had the satisfaction to see them unanimously lay aside their weapons, and behave with greater freedom. In the evening I again went on shore, accompanied by several of the gentlemen, when I found that the women and children had returned to the village, and I never afterwards saw the least signs of distrust among them; indeed, their familiarity soon went so far that I was often obliged to spread the boarding nettings, when I did not wish to have the brig full of curious visitors.

The population of Baba is divided into two portions, one inhabiting the side of the island on which we lay, and the other taking up its residence on the south-east side, the interior being entirely unpeopled. These two parties have been long in a state of war, making frequent plundering excursions against each other, the chief object of these being the acquirement of captives, who are either kept as slaves by the conqueror, or are sold to the traders who visit the island. The population is not very great, but the exact amount cannot be ascertained. Each of the tribes is governed by an Orang Kaya, elected from among the richest and oldest of the inhabitants. Tepa, the village before which we anchored, consisting of no more than twenty-five houses, is considered as the capital of the western tribe; but they also have dwellings on the island Wetang, while many others are scattered among the gardens in the vicinity.

The manners, customs, &c. of the people of Baba resemble those of the heathen inhabitants of the islands we had already visited. Their hair is of a reddish, flaxen colour, its natural blackness having been thus changed by rubbing lime into the head, which process is commenced when they are yet in their infancy.[21]

The western side of Baba is so precipitous and overgrown with forest, that cultivation has extended but very little; the more fertile island Wetang being selected as a more suitable spot for their plantations of roots, Indian corn and vegetables. The neighbouring waters supply excellent fish, abundance of which were daily caught by our seamen with the seine. The natives, however, pay little heed to the bounty which the sea affords. The interior of the island is overrun with wild cattle, hogs and goats, the woods at the same time being well stocked with feathered game. Among the last was a kind of wood pigeon, which roosted in immense numbers in the trees, and afforded much sport in the morning to myself and the surgeon, who was also a lover of field sports.