Voyages of the Dutch brig of war Dourga

by D. H. Kolff

I had given permission to two of the seamen to enter the village, with the view of purchasing some goats and fowls; but these soon returned, stating that they had received very unfriendly treatment in the village, and had been unable to obtain anything. One of them having laid down his handkerchief, found that it was gone when he returned to take it up. I requested the chiefs to cause it to be given up, but did not succeed in obtaining it, until I had paid the owner of the house in which it was lost, the value of two rupees.

In the morning I commenced again with my duties, but had the greatest difficulty in bringing the chiefs together, those who had received the presents being the least willing to make their appearance. Others represented themselves as chiefs who were not so, and demanded similar presents in a brutal manner, going away grumbling on my refusing to comply with their demands. Neither threats nor remonstrances appeared to have any effect upon them. Although I was extremely annoyed at their proceedings, I could not help attributing it to downright stupidity, and I trust that I have not formed a wrong opinion. They seemed totally to disregard the goodness of the Government, and to forget that my visit was made to them at their own invitation. They requested, however, that I would install their chiefs in the name of the Government, which I complied with, at the same time letting them know that I should assuredly inform the Government of the unfriendly reception I had met with from them.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, when high water occurred, we embarked on board the boats, without the chiefs seeming to care more about us, and left this inhospitable place. We now stood towards Watidal, the village off which the brig had anchored on our first arrival, where we took up our quarters under a boat-shed, and after having received a visit of welcome from the chiefs, made up for our want of rest the previous night by a quiet slumber. On the following morning we hauled the boats up to repair some leakages, and dried the articles which had been wetted by the rains we experienced at Kalioba. We afterwards visited the chiefs, and I have the satisfaction of saying, that we were received with the same kindness as before, but somewhat less than that we had experienced at Vordate, which may be attributed to their inferior state of civilization. My steward obtained some fowls, eggs, yams and cocoa-nuts, in exchange for knives, brass-wire, and pieces of cloth. From these we prepared a meal, of which two of the Orang Kayas partook.

In the afternoon a large prahu arrived from Serra, bound to Larrat and Vordate on a trading voyage, on board which was one of the chiefs of the former island, who had come for the purpose of paying me a visit. He informed me that the other chiefs would also have come, but were withheld by having heard that the brig had departed from Larrat, they not knowing where she was gone to. The Orang Kaya proceeded with his vessel to Vordate, promising that he would soon return to Serra; and as it appeared to me advisable to pay a visit to that island, particularly as the people in the prahu expressed a strong desire that I should do so, I determined to commence my voyage thither immediately.

Having landed, towards evening, on the north-west point of Timor-Laut, I witnessed a very singular ceremony. About twenty women, ornamented with beads, appeared walking in line with stately steps, some bearing bunches of plantains, and others baskets of yams or cocoa-nuts. Two men, armed with large parangs and other weapons, preceded and followed the train, the whole keeping their eyes fixed on the ground, and bending their steps towards the spot where they deposited their dead. I perceived that they came out of a hut in the forest where they had assembled; and following them at a distance, I found that they decorated the grave of one of their countrymen with what they had brought, and with signs of strong feeling, turned again towards their homes.

The chiefs of the circumjacent villages fitted out a small prahu in conjunction, which was intended to accompany me to Serra, to the crew of which I paid a small salary. It was necessary for me to obtain such a vessel, as the boats were too full to carry sufficient water for the voyage. The eldest son of the Orang Kaya, who was also one of the village chiefs, having agreed to accompany me, we left our bivouac on the afternoon of the same day, and pursued our voyage towards Serra.

FOOTNOTES:

[39] This badge of honour, which had long been in the possession of the forefathers of the inhabitants of Romian and Ewena, and had been placed in the keeping of the latter, was the prow of a korra-korra (a large prahu) formed of chased gold, the possessor being entitled to carry a similar badge, made of gilded wood, in his vessels. It is, probably, considered as a talisman; similar superstitions occurring among many of the native nations.

[40] This instrument appears to resemble the fishgig in use among the natives of New South Wales.—Translator.

[41] Dr. Wilson, in his valuable work on Australia, remarks that the natives of the north coast of Australia are also sufferers from this disease.—Translator.