Voyages of the Dutch brig of war Dourga

by D. H. Kolff

The Keffing Islands.—Dwellings of the Chiefs.—Pass the Goram Islands.—Description of the same.—Acquaintance of the Natives with the Coast of New Guinea.—The Products of these Islands of vital Importance to Banda.—Small Portion of the Trade enjoyed by our Settlements.—Coin.—Costume of the Inhabitants.—Equipment of Paduakan.—Snake-Eaters.—The Fishery.—Arrival of the Brig at Wadia.—Number of trading Prahus at Dobbo.—Adjustment of Disputes.—Christian Teachers on the Arru Islands.—Their Poverty.—Visit Wokan.—Appointment of an Upper Orang Kaya, and other Transactions on the Arru Islands.

The islands of Great and Little Keffing are situated close to the south-east extreme of Ceram, to which they are joined by reefs under water. Little Keffing is well peopled, and contains several villages enclosed by stone walls, each village being governed by an independent Raja. The two largest are under the command of the Major of Keffing and Raja Kelu. The island is low, and the groups of huts, shaded and half hidden by cocoa-nut and other fruit trees, present a very picturesque appearance. Each village possesses a Masidiet or temple, to which several priests are attached, those from Java being held in particularly high respect. The houses of the Rajas are always larger than the other buildings, over the top of which they are visible to those at a distance. A short description of the residence of the Raja of Kilwari will convey to the reader an idea of the sort of house in which the chiefs dwell, as they all bear a considerable resemblance to each other. On each side of the entrance to that of the Raja of Kilwari, two pieces of cannon are planted, (these being tokens of the important station of the owner), from which a salute was fired as I entered. The house itself was raised four feet above the ground, and was accessible by means of a stair, or rather a stout ladder. The centre apartment was very dark, being only lighted by a hole in the roof and the opening which served for a door-way, on each side of which were chambers used as sleeping-rooms, store-rooms, and kitchens. The earthen pans, plates, dishes, &c., used in preparing their meals, were obtained from the Ki Islands. The rooms were floored with bamboos, or with narrow strips of the wood of the Areka tree, separated an inch or two from each other. Through these openings the offal is thrown, which renders the ground under the house very dirty and unpleasant, as the Mohammedans, unlike their heathen neighbours, keep no pigs to remove it. The walls and partitions of the house were adorned with arms, such as lelahs, muskets, large and well-tempered parangs, bows and arrows, spears, &c., and over the floor were spread elephants' tusks, gongs, and painted chests with gilt mouldings, which probably contained clothes and valuables. We sat cross-legged on the floor in the centre apartment, after the manner of the natives, by a number of whom, clad in their best array, we were surrounded, while the host and his family tendered us tea and sweatmeats. All the other apartments were closed, and we were not requested to visit them, the wives of the Raja being probably within them.

The brother of the Orang Kaya of Ghissa and another native, offered to accompany me as interpreters, whose services I accepted, advancing a portion of the salary that had been fixed on, to provide for the maintenance of their families during their absence.

We left our anchorage on the 13th. When getting under weigh we found that the stream-anchor had hooked a coral reef, and we had much difficulty in weighing it. The water was so extremely clear, that we could plainly perceive the fish darting over the sandy patches at the bottom, although the depth was from ten to fifteen fathoms. Our course lay to the east-south-east, and we pursued our voyage with an unsteady westerly wind, which soon carried us into the vicinity of the Goram Islands.

These islands, which are three in number, and are separated from the Ceram-Laut group by a narrow channel, are distinguished among the natives by the names of Goram, Manovolko, and Salawatta or Salavako. The first possesses the greatest population, and the most extensive commerce. The villages are mostly erected on the sea-coast, on spots near which the coral reefs afford good shelter for their vessels. The inhabitants, who accord with the Ceramese in manners and customs, are well acquainted with the neighbouring coasts, and willingly go on board foreign trading vessels as pilots. The people of the different villages often make war upon each other, and their differences are rarely settled without the interposition of our Government. Many of their vessels are sent to Banda, Bali and Sumbawa, as well as to the coast of New Guinea, with the natives of which they have constant communication. The trade with the islands to the eastward of Ceram is indispensable to our settlement of Banda, as it is entirely supplied with sago, oil, cocoa-nuts, stock, wood, attap, siri, and other necessaries by them. When we can succeed in preventing the direct importation to the islands, of calicoes and other articles from Singapore, Malacca, and even from Manilla and Bengal, the prosperity of Amboyna and Banda would be greatly increased by the exclusive trade they would enjoy, particularly if a Dutch ship of war were occasionally to show herself among the group. At present, however, our settlements participate in the trade to a much smaller extent than foreigners.

Coin is not current in this group. Gold and silver money is willingly received by them; but when once they get it into their hands they never pay it away again. Copper money is entirely unknown. For the purchase of small articles it is necessary for the stranger to have hanks of cotton twist, which is much in demand for the manufacture of thread. This is dyed of a red colour by the Bangkudu root,[43] which gives the thread a firm colour, at the same time increasing its strength and durability, and is afterwards wove into a stuff much in demand at the Ki and Arru Islands. The colours are usually dark red with cross stripes of blue. Large quantities of this cloth are manufactured on the Ceram and Goram Islands, the greater portion of the thread being obtained from Bali. The broad klewangs or hangers, manufactured on these islands, are also much in demand throughout the Archipelago of the Moluccas; in fact, their temper is excellent, being superior even to those made in Java. These swords are usually from two to three feet long, and beautifully flowered after the manner of the Damascene blades. The inhabitants rarely employ themselves in ship-building, but obtain their smaller prahus from the Ki Islands, and the larger ones from Bali. I have already described these vessels, and will only now remark the simplicity of the materials with which they are fitted out. A paduakan has only one sail, and is steered by two rudders (one on each quarter), which can readily be raised out of the water. The two cables, each from thirty to fifty fathoms long, are made of twisted rattans, and the anchors are composed of hard wood, having the flukes a little sharpened, and a large stone fastened to the stock. A small canoe is carried on the deck. The bottom of the vessel is covered with a composition of lime, and the top sides are painted with a black mixture made from burnt rattans and husks of cocoa-nuts. Some pots of fresh water, a little salt, a quantity of sago bread, and some fishing-hooks and lines, complete their equipments.

The Goram Islands are rather high, and extremely fertile. Rice is grown on the main island; but the inhabitants of Manovolko and Salawatta dare not plant it, as its cultivation is considered as an exclusive hereditary right of the people of Goram. In the interior of the islands many fugitives from Bali and Sumbawa reside, who are forced to pay a slavish obedience to the old inhabitants. The wants of these people are few, and are supplied by the forests, which afford plenty of hogs and other wild animals; even snakes, as I was informed, being esteemed a delicacy among them.

Fishing is but little attended to here, fowls and goats, which here abound, being preferred as food. The Papuan slaves fish with lines, but seroos, or stake-traps, with which fish are caught on the banks, are here rarely used. The women often employ themselves in catching crabs in the shallow water, adopting rather a singular mode. They place baskets over each foot, and walking over the mud-banks they are enabled to feel the crabs when they tread upon them, which they secure by thrusting a sharp-pointed stick into them through the basket. The mode of line-fishing adopted in the Archipelago is very simple. The lines are from sixty to one hundred fathoms long, having at the end a piece of copper wire, four or five fathoms in length, to which the hook is fastened. The bait consists of hen's feathers, which are tied fast to the hook, and when in the water have the appearance of small fish. There are several other modes adopted, which it will be unnecessary to explain at length.

We saw no land until the 16th, when we made the Arru Islands, and sailing close along the west coast of Wassia, hauled in, and came to an anchor in the strait between that island and Wadia. The Orang Kaya of Wadia immediately came on board, and in the afternoon I went on shore to return his visit. Hoping to gain some information at Dobbo about the coast of New Guinea, and wishing also to know how they got on there, I proceeded there the same night with the armed boats. I there met with the Orang Kaya of Wama, who informed me of the death of the head chief of Wokan, which took place about a month previous, and of his office being filled by his brother, who arrived among us during the same day.

A brig from Sourabaya, and several other vessels, lay at anchor off the town, while thirteen paduakans from Macassar and Boni were hauled up on the beach, the commanders of which had gone to some of the more distant islands of the group, especially Vorkay, to purchase trepang, mother-o'pearl-shell and tortoise-shell. Two other large paduakans lay at anchor behind Maykor, the trade being conducted in a very regular manner. Several differences had, however, occurred, the most important of which were the following.