Borneo and the Indian Archipelago / with drawings of costume and scenery

by Frank Marryat

The natives of the Madjicosima islands are rather below the middle stature, but very strong and muscular. Their hair is worn in a very peculiar manner; the crown of the head is shaved, leaving a circle of long hair, which is turned up on the top of the head and tied into a knot of a peculiar shape. Through this knot of hair are passed two brass ornaments by the common people, but the chiefs are distinguished by silver ones. These are evidently intended to keep the knot in its right position. They cultivate the moustache and the beard, the latter being worn pointed. Their dress consists of a long loose robe of blue or cross-barred cotton stuffs, which reaches down nearly to the ancles. This robe is fastened to the waist by a girdle of the same material, and in which they keep their fans, pipes, &c. The sleeves of the robe are very large, widening as they approach the wrists, which are consequently bare. Their shoes or sandals are very ingeniously made of wicker work, and confined to the foot by means of a strap between the larger toes of each foot.

NATIVE OF PA-TCHU-SAN.

The inhabitants of these islands certainly deserve to be ranked among the most gentle and amiable of nations: no boisterousness attends their conversation, no violent gestures to give effect to the words; on the contrary, their voices are modulated when they are speaking, and their actions, although decided, are gentle. Their mode of salutation is graceful in the extreme. It consists in a low bending of the head, accompanied with a slight inclination of the body, and the hands closed, being raised at the same time to the forehead. What a change in a few degrees of latitude, in manners, customs, and dispositions, between the savage pirates of Borneo and these amiable islanders!

The plains between the mountains are cultivated as paddy fields: the soil appears very good, and there is little doubt but that every kind of fruit would grow if introduced into these islands; and what a fitting present it would be to them, if they were to be sent. They grow radishes, onions, and sweet potatoes, but not more than are sufficient for their own use. They supplied us with bullocks, pigs, goats, and fowls, but they seldom kill them for their own use; their principal diet being composed of shell fish and vegetables made into a sort of stew, which is eaten with rice, worked by the hand into balls. Every man of consequence carries with him a kind of portable larder, which is a box with a shelf in the middle, and a sliding door. In this are put cups of Japan, containing the eatables. This Chow Chow box is carried by a servant, who also takes with him a wicker basket, containing rice and potatoes for his own consumption.

These islands have no intercourse with any part of the world except Loo Choo, to which they pay tribute as dependencies, and from whence they annually receive the necessaries they may require, by a junk. They had no idea that the continents of Europe or America existed. They had only heard of China, Loo Choo, and Japan, and they could hardly credit our assertions when we stated that we had lately gained a great victory over China. When we gave them a description of steam vessels, and first-rate men-of-war carrying 120 guns, they evidently disbelieved us. We were the first white men they had ever seen; and ludicrous was the repeated examination of our arms, which they bared and contrasted with their own. After great persuasion a few of the chief mandarins and their suites visited the ship, which was put in holiday attire upon the occasion. It would be impossible to attempt to describe their rapture at the neatness, order, and regularity which reigned on board. The guns were shotted and fired for their amusement: they threw up their hands in astonishment, and gazed on us and on each other with looks of blank amazement. During the whole of our peregrinations over these islands we never saw a female, for on our approach to any village a courier was sent ahead to warn the inhabitants of our arrival, when the women either shut themselves up or retired to an adjacent village until we had passed through. The men assisted us in our labours and attended to our comforts by all the means in their power. Horses were provided every day, houses for us at night, and good substantial repasts. Wherever they enter, the natives invariably eat and drink, more, I believe, from custom than from hunger. On these occasions tea is the general beverage, the kettle being a large shell, which admirably answers the purpose. It may be worthy of remark, that on entering a house, the shoes or sandals are invariably left at the door. Two of the chiefs were deservedly great favourites with our party; they were given the famous names of Chesterfield and Beaufort, the former from his gentlemanly manners, the latter from the profound knowledge he displayed of all rocks, shoals, &c. On the 17th of December, having completed our survey of Pa-tchu-san, we returned to the ship: on the 22d we left our anchorage, which was christened Port Providence, and ran round to Kuchee Bay on the opposite side of the island. This noble bay was called Port Haddington, in honour of the late first lord of the Admiralty. On the 27th the first barge, cutter, and gig left the ship to survey the island Ku-king-san, the nearest port of which was about twenty miles from Kuchee Bay, alias Port Haddington, where we lay at anchor. The boats carried with them provisions for three weeks, by which time it was supposed that the survey would be completed. As the formation of this island is similar to Pa-tchu-san, it would be but repetition to describe it minutely, but it is worthy of remark that it is indented with numerous deep bays, in each of which there is sufficient water for a ship of the line. Many of these bays have natural breakwaters, created by shoals, with a deep water passage on either side of them, and which may be easily distinguished from the shoals by the deep blue colour of the water.

On the 15th of January, 1844, the surveying party returned, having been absent twenty days. We were again visited by the mandarins, who came to bid us farewell: they quitted us with many expressions of good will, and expressed a wish that we would return again, and as individuals, I had no doubt of their sincerity.

On the 18th of January we sailed for Ty-ping-san, which is situated about seventy miles north of Pa-tchu-san. On the following day we sighted the land, and late in the evening anchored off the coast. This island is low, compared with the other islands of the group. The following morning the captain landed and presented a letter of introduction given him by the mandarins of Pa-tchu-san. The letter of introduction had the best effects, for we were immediately visited by the principal mandarins, who informed us that we should be furnished with horses and every thing else that we might require.

It was on a reef to the northward of this island that the Providence, of twenty guns, was wrecked about fifty years back. Captain Broughton and the crew arrived safely at Ty-ping-san, but the present inhabitants, when it was mentioned, either did not or would not recollect any thing of the circumstances. As a proof of the morality of these people, and how much crime is held in abhorrence, I have the following little history to narrate.