I fixed the day subsequent to our arrival for a general meeting of the people, at which I might make known the benevolent intentions of the Government, and the object of my visit. One of the Orang Kayas of Serra was accidentally here, making preparations for his return home, so that I had a good opportunity of sending an invitation to all the chiefs of that island to come and see me, as I could not promise with confidence to visit them in their own villages.
We have already seen proofs of the desire shown by the natives to adopt, in some particular or other, the mode of dress of our countrymen. As may be supposed, they have no idea whatever of making clothes, and this is the chief reason of their having such a ludicrous appearance when clad in their European vestments. They were, therefore, not a little delighted at finding that I had had several coats made on board, of red, blue and green cloth, which I gave to them, in addition to the Government presents. Garments of this description are not only viewed as a dress of state, but are considered as distinguished tokens of honour; and it will, therefore, readily be conceived that they are preserved with the greatest care as heirlooms, and used only on festive occasions.
Early on the morning of the 12th, I went on shore with a numerous escort, and under the customary salute from the guns. In the middle of the village of Watidal a booth had been erected, and covered with the sails of vessels, under which were numerous seats of plank, the part assigned to me, as Vakeel or Embassador of the Dutch Government, being arranged with especial care, and covered with fine coloured calico. Voluntary homage to our Government was apparent in all their actions. The people not only filled the booth, but surrounded it on all sides, leading me to believe that the entire population, young and old, were present. The presents were received with the loudest expressions of joy and thankfulness. The entire day was spent in installing the village chiefs, and making arrangements for preserving peace and unity among them. The villages are all independent of one another, each having its own territory, consisting of a portion of land, and contiguous trepang banks, and being governed by its own chief. So long, therefore, as they respect the property of their neighbours, and live according to the old usages of their forefathers, they remain in perfect peace with each other. The upper chief, whom I appointed for Watidal, was an aged man, not at all deficient in good sense and ability. He spoke very good Malayan, although the language of the natives consists of a peculiar dialect, in which point there is a remarkable difference between them and the people of the neighbouring islands.
I could no where discover any remains which would point out that an officer of the East India Company had resided here, whence I concluded that the Dutch had not visited these islands for a long series of years.
The authority of our Government here was more necessary than one would be led to suppose, from the state of society which exists among these people. The chiefs are respected by the common men as the oldest, the most experienced, and the richest among the inhabitants; they are consulted when differences occur, and their decision is usually respected; but they still want, to give force to their authority, an act of appointment from our Government. The considerate reader, who will already have perceived in the particulars previously related, how fond these simple people are of outward show, will not be surprised to find that such an installation is considered as an important epoch in the history of their country, and that they wished to celebrate the day on which they were visited by an officer of the Netherlands Government, after so long a period of neglect, with all joy and solemnity, as a national festivity.
The want of a formal act of appointment from the Dutch Government has been attended with results very detrimental to the welfare of the natives, especially those of Watidal. In the time of the Ceramese Hongie-togten,[36] the chiefs of Watidal had been presented with sticks provided with knobs, on which the arms of the Company were engraven. This token of alliance with us was not sufficient to prevent the covetous Ceramese from practising extortion upon them, and when the chiefs complained openly to the Company, and stedfastly refused all irregular contributions, the Ceramese did not hesitate to plunder and rob them in open enmity. This would not have taken place had the chiefs been appointed with more solemnity, and provided with regular acts of appointment, in which case their subjects would have been more subordinate to their control, and the Ceramese rovers would have been withheld from plundering by dread of punishment.
FOOTNOTES:
[34] These are called imitation calicoes, from their being European imitations of the pattern and material of the cotton manufactures of India.—Ed.
[35] In Marsden's Malayan Grammar, among the letters given in the Appendix, will be found a remarkable example of these English tricks. An English captain came to the King of Tringanu, with a pretended letter of recommendation from the Governor-General of India; asked permission to enter the river to repair, and smuggled several chests of opium on shore!
[36] Expedition for the extirpation of the spice trees, undertaken in the time of the old (Dutch) East India Company.