A
THE
INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO;
BY
HORACE ST. JOHN,
AUTHOR OF
" HISTORY OF THE BRITISH CONQUESTS IN INDIA/
" LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS,"
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. I.
LONDON:
LONGMAN, BROWN, GREEN, AND LONGMANS.
1853.
LONDON :
SPOTTISWOOOES and SHAW,
Ne * -street- S quarc.
Library of David King.
Leavitt & Co. May 21 1884
TO
THOMAS ROSCOE, ESQ.
MY DEAR MR. ROSCOE,
THIS Book could never be to me the
source of a deeper pleasure than I feel in dedi-
cating it to you. There is no one to whom I
could offer such a tribute with more sincerity of ad-
miration and regard. It would, however, be little
graceful in me to expatiate on your learning and
literary power, when these have a durable monu-
ment in every work that has proceeded from your
accomplished pen. My affectionate eulogium could
only repeat those public praises which have ex-
tended your reputation wherever Letters are
known. It is, too, more delightful to record this
testimony to a personal attachment which con-
tinually increases, and to a respect which has not
only survived familiarity, but is heightened by
the intercourse of every hour.
A 2
IV DEDICATION.
I, therefore, dedicate my Book to you as the
memorial of a friendship which sprang up so
many years ago, and has flourished so well in
the warmth of your hospitable fireside. I hope,
naturally, that it will be favourably received ;
but, if it be, I know that no one will experience
a more kind and genuine gratification than your-
self. The sympathy of kindred pursuits will tell
you the difficulties of my task; your friendly so-
licitude will induce you to wish that I may have
been successful.
HORACE ROSCOE ST. JOHN.
Regent's Park, February, 1853.
PREFACE.
IN this Work I have described the progress of European
trade and conquest in the Asiatic Archipelago. When
public curiosity was first excited by the enterprise of
Sir James Brooke many inquiries were made into the
history and condition of the innumerable islands scattered
over the Indian Ocean. I, therefore, thought that there
would be some value in a book on this subject. I knew
of none which professed to describe the whole region, and
narrate the adventures of Europeans on its shores and
waters, since a time when navigation was timid and trade
was the privilege of one fortunate power. My studies
had for a long period been directed to the East, and I
spent some years in preparing to write the present Work.
These volumes, then, have cost much time and much
pains : whether they possess the value which I aimed at
conferring on them others will decide ; but be this as it
may, I think no apology is necessary for having bestowed
on such a subject so much patience and so much care.
The Indian Archipelago has been too generally neglected.
Portuguese and Spaniards, English and Dutch, have long
carried on a commercial intercourse with its inhabitants,
and these four nations have long contended for a share or
a monopoly of its trade. Ancient European settlements
exist on many of the coasts. Reports have long been
A 3
VI PREFACE.
circulated among all trading communities of the wealth
and the capabilities abounding throughout the region,
yet we have been content to leave it in a dubious ob-
scurity until, in the imaginations of most persons, a sort
of mythical gloom appeared to envelope the distant islands
of Asia.
The Indian Archipelago, however, is worth the at-
tention of a great commercial people. The multitude,
the variety, and the beauty of its natural productions,
are beginning to be familiarly known. It is, doubtless, one
of the most important parts of Asia. There are within its
circumference, indeed, no immense cultured plains like those
of Europe or the continent of India ; there are no pas-
toral nations dwelling in tents and leading their flocks
from steppe to steppe, like those of the two Tartaries;
there are no hunting tribes, like those which drive the
elk and the buffaloe over the Western Savannahs. But
there are in the Eastern Archipelago the chief islands of
the world, the most prolific soils, the rarest products, the
most picturesque and brilliant scenes.
The history of those islands is not the barren history
of savages. Glimpses into the remoter periods show a
wonderful episode in the fortunes of mankind. The
vestiges of an antique civilisation exist in Java, the
shrines of gods and the oracles of priests, whose race
has passed away, the symbols and the dedications of an
extinct religion. Edifices whose builders are unknown
are inscribed with the characters of a language which has
died out with the ruling caste that used it. In Borneo
and the Malay Peninsula are hordes of men who practise
the most primitive manners of our species. Throughout
the islands there are traces of migrations and the growth
PREFACE. Vll
of tribes which give questions to the ethnographers of a
future day. An ancient intercourse on the one side with
India, on the other with China, on the other with the
Red Sea, only glimmers out through the twilight of his-
tory. It is still doubtful whether a new continent is
rising through the floods of the Chinese, the Indian, and
the Pacific oceans, or whether the islands are so many
Ararats, remaining after a deluge which, at an unrecorded
era, covered all the lowlands of Asia.
In their actual aspect and capabilities also these countries
exhibit phases the most interesting. Their varied scenery,
their mineral and vegetable riches, the religious customs
and peculiarities of their people, are all worth inquiry.
Their beasts and fish, their reptiles and their insects are
very imperfectly known : with portraits of their birds
Audubon might have filled a work as magnificent as that
which he dedicated to the winged creatures of America.
Consequently, to the most general reader there are
abundant materials of interest in a view of the Indian
Archipelago.
But for those who feel a peculiar solicitude in the
affairs of the East, and the fortunes of our countrymen
there, no common importance attaches to the Indian Ar-
chipelago. Sir James Brooke, several years ago, prepared
amid its waters the foundations of a new dominion ; Lord
Palmerston's diplomacy added to the explorer's efforts the
influence of a powerful state. He foiled the foreign in-
trigues that were busy around him, and by recognising
and aiding him gave a breadth to the basis of his policy.
There is a romance in all the history of the Indian
Islands, but there is no episode more romantic than that
of this Englishman's adventures in Borneo of his rising
A 4
Ylli I'KEFACK.
from the condition of a private gentleman to be the
prince of an Indian state. Already the fruits of his
enterprise are seen. He rules with beneficent authority
over a contented people. A provident liberality is storing
up resources for the future. Peace and abundance in
Sarawak have made that a populous and blooming pro-
vince amid the general misery and decay of the Malayan
countries. A new commerce is rising along the shore.
Piracy is beginning to disappear, and the influence of
Great Britain is felt in a quarter of the East where the
Dutch had long sought to extinguish it.
The policy of Holland has been directed to exclude all
other nations from the ports of the Eastern Archipelago.
She has endeavoured to absorb every native state within
her dominion, recognised or indirect. While this policy
was pursued in a dignified manner, through the usual
modes, or even by the usual arts of diplomacy, it could
not be violently condemned. England is supreme on the
Asiatic Continent ; Holland desires supremacy among the
Asiatic islands. It is a reasonable aspiration for a com-
mercial power. It is a blameless ambition to rival that
magnificent and marvellous empire which the statesmen
and the soldiers of Great Britain have built up between
the utmost boundaries of India.
If Holland had been successful it is not the destruc-
tion of the Malay or any other Asiatic governments that
humanity would have regretted. Their imbecility is as
incurable as their despotism is ferocious. They deserve
only ruin. They are at once proud and corrupt, despotic
and feeble. They have no desire and no ability for good,
but they have lost none of their power to curse with
injustice and extortion the populations submitted to their
PREFACE. IX
sway. When the last of these decrepid governments is
overwhelmed it will be fortunate for the native races,
whatever foreign flag may replace the symbols of their
indigenous tyranny.
I do not, therefore, lament the fair conquests of the
Dutch. But the Dutch have not always moved within
the circle drawn about them by justice and the acknow-
ledged law of nations. They have frequently, absolutely
and deliberately, contravened the treaty of 1824. They
have outraged our merchants. They have obstructed our
legitimate action. They have returned to monopolies
which they had consented to forego. They have resorted
to equivocal arts, and sometimes to unequivocal force, to
impede the extension of our trade. They have declared
their authority paramount over territories which they
cannot be allowed to possess, because they have not ful-
filled with respect to them the distinct stipulations of the
Treaty of London.
Recently the Dutch have pursued a more liberal policy.
Such a policy has rewarded them richly in Java ; and it
would lose them nothing if they adopted it more faith-
fully in their intercourse with other nations ; yet their
statesmen are as jealous, and their territorial claims are
as extravagant, as ever.
A considerable portion of this Work is devoted to the
subject of piracy. So much has been asserted and con-
tradicted in reference to this question that an account of
the actual system the origin, the progress, the devasta-
tions, and the haunts of the freebooters, cannot but be
useful.
The plan of this Book is simple. It commences with
a general view of the Archipelago, discusses lightly the
X PREFACE.
origin and spread of the Malayan race, and goes rapidly
over the periods intervening between that remote and
problematical era and the arrival of the Portuguese. It
then follows the order of time and describes the adventures
of Europeans in the Archipelago to the present hour.
An account is given of each important island or group as
it falls into the current of the narrative. When events
are brought down to 1840 the general description of
piracy is introduced, followed by an outline, which I
have the best reason to think is correct, of Sir James
Brooke's extraordinary proceedings. In the other portions
some errors may be discovered, though I have endea-
voured conscientiously to avoid them. But I may claim
the only merits which a writer can ascribe to himself,
diligence and integrity. There is nothing purposely dis-
torted, and there is nothing drawn from the imagination.
In the descriptive passages, especially, there is not a touch
or tint that I cannot justify by recent and good authority.
I have been assisted largely by friends in the East,
who have placed interesting papers in my hands. I have
made use especially of an important manuscript narrative
of adventures among the pirates of Borneo, written by a
gentleman who was present at all the late transactions.
To former works on the Archipelago I have invariably
referred whenever I have made use of them. Besides a
multitude of others there are those of Crawfurd, Raffles,
Marsden, Temminck, Keppel, Mundy, Earl, Forrest,
Dampier, Newbold, Faria y Sousa, Zuniga, Walton's
Discourse, Hugh Low, and Belcher, with the contributions
of Mr. Logan and several other writers to that valuable
publication the Journal of the Indian Archipelago. The
Singapore Free Press, also, has been exceedingly useful.
PREFACE. XI
I regret that I had not, before finishing my task, an
opportunity of studying Mr. J. R. Logan's paper, on the
ethnic connection between the basin of the Ganges and
the Indian Archipelago, just read before the ASIATIC
SOCIETY. It will be fortunate if more inquiry be in
future directed to the Eastern Islands by the members of
that learned and distinguished body.
I have to express my thanks in the first place to
Sir James Brooke, whose kindliness and friendliness are
among the qualities which have won him so much affec-
tion among the poor Dyaks of Sarawak. And next, I
may be permitted to acknowledge the assistance I have
derived from my brothers, Spenser St. John and James
Augustus St. John, junior, who are residents in the
Archipelago, and have given me some very curious and
exact information.
CONTENTS
OP
THE FIEST VOLUME.
CHAPTER I.
A. . Page
Situation of the Archipelago i
Its riches - - - - - - - ib.
Early rumours of it in Europe .... ib,
Fame of the East --.... 2
Voyages in search of India - - ~ - ib.
The earliest travellers - ib.
Marco Polo - - - -. . - i'6.
Tales of the travellers - - - - - ib.
Real riches and aspect of the Archipelago - - - 3
Extent of the Archipelago - - - - - ib.
Its central situation - - - . ^4
Classification of the islands .... ^
Distribution of them - - - - - ib.
Characteristics of navigation .... ,-j.
Seas of the Archipelago ... - 5
Boundaries - ... - ib.
Approaches to the Archipelago -
Its tropical position ...
Uniformity of its characteristics -
Geographical divisions ...
The first group ' - - - -
The second group - .
The third group --.-_. 7
The fourth group - - - - - - ib.
The fifth group - ... ib.
General aspect of the Archipelago - - - 8
Relations with Continental Asia .... ib.
Depth of the sea - - - - . - ib.
Volcanic action in the Archipelago 9
Volcanoes now active - - - - - ib.
Traces of volcanic eruptions .... ib.
XIV CONTENTS.
A. u. Page
Whether the Archipelago is a new continent rising, or the
debris of an old one ? - 10
Formation of the islands - - 1 1
Activity of vegetation - ib.
Beanty of vegetation - ib.
Aspect of the islands ... ib,
Variety of extent and form - - ib.
Narrowness of the seas - - ib.
Brilliance of the verdure - - ib.
Forests of the Indian Islands - 12
Landscape in Java - ib.
Woods of Borneo and Sumatra - - ib.
Parasitical vegetation - - ib.
Flowers - - ib.
Birds - - ib.
Plumage of the birds - ib.
Snakes - - 13
Insects - ib.
Animals - - - - - - ib.
Birds of Paradise - ib.
Other birds ... - - ib.
Flowers - - - - - - ib.
Living creatures - - - - ib.
Shells ....... ib.
Rocks and seaweed - - - 14
Fish ....... ib.
Malayan mermaid .... ib.
Beauty of the whole region - - ib.
Testimony of writers - -. - - - ib.
Commercial and agricultural resources - - ib.
Productions - - - - - ib.
Neglect of the Archipelago
Climate - - - 15
Diseases ------- ib.
Child-bearing - - - - - ib.
Effect of climate on Europeans
Climate of Java - 16
Population * - ib.
Diversity of population - - ib.
Original inhabitants - - ib.
History of the population -
First immigration - - ib.
Second immigration - - ib.
Tartar origin of the Malays - - ib.
Origin of languages - - - ib.
Ancient commerce of the Archipelago - - ib.
Trading nations ' - < ' - - - ib.
Agricultural nations ' ' , - - ib.
Visits of the Klings - :
Rise of the Hindn empire - \b.
Rise of the Malays ' . - - - - ib.
Immigration of the Arabs - ib.
European influence - - ib.
Character of European influence - - ib.
CONTENTS. XV
Page
Variety of races and institutions - - 1 8
Stages of civilisation . . - 19
The dominant races - - - . - ib.
The dwellers in woods ...... n, f
The savage tribes - - - - . - ?^,
The Moluccan race - .... jh.
Dwellers in woods - - - - fa
Cannibal tribes - - - - . - 20
Proofs of then- existence - - - - - ib.
Dwellers in creeks - - - - - ib.
Boat life - - - - - . - ib.
The agricultural population ; their industry - . fa
Cultivation and use of flowers - fa
Elegant taste of savage tribes - . - 2 1
Indian agriculture - - - - - - ib.
Collection of articles of traffic ... fa
Fishing
ib.
ib.
ib.
ib.
ib.
Cultivators
Miners
Traders
Industry of the islands
Enterprise of the Bugis
Cities of the Archipelago - .
The piratical system - - - _ - 22
Vessels and boats - - . - - - ib.
Navigation - - - - . - ib
Prospects of the Archipelago - - - - 23
Decline of the native powers ... fa
The ancient kingdom - . ib.
Capabilities of the native races .... fa
The native character - . _ fa
Vices ....... t ^'
Weaknesses - - - - - - ib
Virtues - . . . - ib.
Dispositions - - - . - 24
Manners - .... - ib.
Aptitudes - ..... fa
Commercial and agricultural tribes ... fa
General capacity of the islanders - ... fa
Parallel with Europeans - .... ,-j;
Savage life in the woods - - - - - 25
Civilisation of the islanders .... fa
Design of this work .... ,- #'
CHAPTER II.
Origin of the Malays " , - ; - . - 26
Malayan colony in Sumatra - - - * - ib.
Date of their origin - - . . - ib.
Sumatra - - . . . . - ib
Situation of Sumatra - - . . - ib.
XVI CONTENTS.
A. D. Page
Extent - - 27
Surface - ib.
Mountains - ib.
Swampy plains - - ib.
Woods
Piratical haunts
Lakes
Rivers
Waterfalls -
Plains
ib.
ib.
ib.
ib.
28
ib.
General aspect - - ib.
Harbours - - ib.
Climate
Climate - - 29
Thunder-storms - - ib.
Resources - - ib.
Connection with antiquity -
Mines 30
Produce of gold - - ib.
Mineral productions - - ib.
Soil ..-..-- ib.
Vegetable productions - - 31
Animal kingdom - - ib.
Beasts * - - - ib.
Reptiles - - ib.
Fish .... - ib.
Birds - - - - ib.
Fruit -------32
Flowers - - - - - ib.
Plants and herbs - ... ib.
Population - - ib.
Wild tribes
Malays - - .... 33
Other tribes - - ib.
Menangcabao - - ib.
Account of the province - - ib.
Its Malayan population - - ib.
Tradition of their origin - ... . .34
Founding of Menangcabao .... ib.
Question of the Malay origin - 35
Antiquity of the Malays
Languages of Asia - 36
Rise of the Malays in Menangcabao - ib.
Their industry - - - ib.
Their trade
Their prosperity - - ib.
Growth of a Malay empire - ib.
Emigration to the peninsula
1 1 60. Founding of Singhapura - - ib.
Name of the Malayan race - ib.
The "Hindus in Java - - - - 39
Traditions - - - ib.
Invasions of the peninsula - ... ib.
Flight of the Malays ' - ib.
CONTENTS. XVll
A. D. Page
Founding of Malacca - - - - 40
Traditions of the islands - - - - ib.
Uncertainty of the question - ib.
Value of ethnographical researches - - 41
Tradition of the Ark - - - - ib.
Growth of the Malayan race .... ib.
Dispersion of the Malays - - - - 42
Their settlements - - . - - ib.
Religion of the Malays Mohammedanism - - ib.
1276. The heathen tribes - - - - - ib.
Pagan beliefs - - - - - ib.
Power of the Malays - - - - - 43
The savage tribes - - - - - ib.
Subjugation of the black race .... ib.
Native annals of the Archipelago - ib.
Teachings of this history - - ib.
Early social aspect of the islands - - - - 44
Trade in remote tunes - - - - ib.
Immigration - - - - - ib.
Navigation. - - - - - ib.
The native navigators - - - - ib.
The compass - - - - - ib.
Intercourse with China - - - - ib.
Settlers from China - - - - - 45
Earliest voyage from China .... ib.
Chinese colonisation and travel .... ib.
Marco Polo's arrival in the Archipelago ... ib.
His fanciful pictures - - - - ib.
Native kingdoms - - - - - - 46
The Moluccas ...... ib.
Native states ; distribution of power ... ib.
Decline of the Hindu creed .... $.
Rise of Mohammedanism - - - - - ib.
Its introduction - - - - - ib.
Strange tradition - - - - - - 47
The heathen nations - - - - ib.
Their beliefs and rites - - - - - ib.
Shattering of the continent into islands ... ib.
Arrival of a nation from India .... ib.
Probable explanation of these tales - - 48
Origin of the Malays - - - - ib.
Affinity with the Tartar race - - - m - ib.
Relics of the Hindu empire - - - * - ib.
Ruins in Java - - - - - 49
Monuments - - - - - ib.
Merchants of Islam - - - - ib.
Their influence - - - - - 50
Fall of the Hindu empire - - - - ib.
1478. Remnant of the Hindus - - - - - ib.
Progress of the Arabs - - 1 - ib.
Their moderation - - - - - - ib.
Their policy - - - - - -51
Result of the Mohammedan conversion - - ib.
Difficulty of a second proselytism - - ib.
VOL, I. a
XV111 CONTENTS.
CHAPTER III.
A. i >.
Venice at the commencement of the sixteenth century
Her splendid commerce ...
Jealousy of Europe ...
Early enterprises - - - - -
State of Europe
Revival of maritime enterprise
1492. Progress of discovery
1498. Discovery of Sumatra
1506. Ideas circulated in Europe -
Ancient divisions of the world
Fanciful geography ...
Terrors of navigation - - - - 5 5
Portuguese discoveries
1508. Voyage of Sequeira ...
Ambition of the king
Inquiries concerning the East
Sequeira's voyage - ...
Discovers the Archipelago -
Aspect of the islands ...
Lands in Sumatra - ...
Native commerce -
The Straits of Malacca -
Reports of Portuguese atrocities -
Sequeira reaches Malacca - - -
State of the Malay empire -
Audience with the king ...
Prospect of pleasant intercourse
Jealousy of the Arabs ...
Libels on the Portuguese -
Treachery of the king -
Plot against the Portuguese
The plot fails
Second conspiracy -
Plan for the massacre of the Portuguese
Conduct of the plot
Its premature discovery . . -
The Portuguese escape -.--;-
Return to Europe - ...
Alarm of the Malays in Malacca -
Native accounts of the transaction - - 63
Preparations for defence - - * * ib.
1511. Albuquerque's plans
Second Portuguese expedition
Design of conquering Malacca
Albuquerque's voyage
Preparations for defending Malacca
Marriage festival in the city - - - 65
Negotiations with the king
The city assaulted
Submission of the king
CONTENTS. XIX
A. D. Pago
Stipulations of the Portuguese - - 67
t They are rejected - - - - - - ib.
Strength of Malacca ... . ib.
Defences ------- j^
Treachery of a native chief - - - - 68
Second assault of Malacca - - - - ib,
Battle with the king's army - - - - 69
Pause in the conflict - - - - ib,
Third attack - - 70
Fierce battle - - - - - ib,
The Malays routed - - - - - ib,
Massacre of the inhabitants - ib.
The city pillaged - - - - - ib,
Booty .... 71
Native warfare - ib,
Value of firearms - - - - - - ib.
Expulsion of the king from Malacca ... ib,
First European flag hoisted in the Archipelago - - ib.
The Malay peninsula - - - - 72
Position and extent - - ib.
Mountains -
Plains
Abundant moisture
Lakes, rivers, and streams
Vegetation
Palms
Beautiful verdure
Winds
Beasts
The Mermaid
Birds
Reptiles
Fish
Forest sounds
Timber
Cabinet woods
ib.
73
ib.
ib,
ib.
Savage tribes ... - - ib.
Condition of the heathens of the Peninsula - 74
Wild religious beliefs - - - ib.
Various tribes ---.__ ib,
The sea people - - - - - - 75
Barter with the Malays - - - - ib.
Resources of the Peninsula - - - ib.
Minerals - - - - - - - ib,
Tin - - - . - . - ib.
Gold --.-...76
Iron - - - - - - ib.
Silver - - - - - - - ib.
Vegetable productions - - - - ib
Soil - - .-*/-. . 77
Climate -
ib.
ib.
78
79
ib.
ib.
Native states of the Peninsula ..
Neck of the Peninsula - 80
Power of Malacca - -. ib.
a 2
XX CONTENTS.
A. D. Page
Early policy of the Portuguese - - 80
Character of Albuquerque - - - - - ib.
First acts of the conquerors - 81
Enslavement of the people ... ib,
Cruelty to the chiefs ... - ib.
Fate of Ninachetuan - - - - -
Sacrifices himself - - - - -
The rajah Kampar - - - -
Elevated to power - -
His fall
Policy of the conquerors - - - -
Embassies from the native kings - -
Replies of Albuquerque ... -
CHAPTER IV.
The Moluccas ....
Abreu's voyage in search of them -
Reception at Amboyna
Hospitable fishers - ...
First view of the Moluccas
The nutmeg -
Banda -
Its beauty - -
Quarrels in the Moluccas -
Treaty with Ternate - r
Siain ....
1512. Progress of the Portuguese - 4 .-
Wreck of the admiral's ships
Attempt of the Malays to recover Malacca -
Dangers of the city -
Advantages of the Portuguese
Attack upon Java - - -
1513. Disaffection of the people -
1514. Johore - - -
1515. Mohammed of Malacca again assails the Portuguese
1516. First visit to Borneo
1518. Kingdom of Achin in Sumatra
1519. Extent and power of Achin
Ancient mart ...
Civilisation of Achin ....
Rising influence of the Achinese
Treachery of their king
Search for the Isles of Gold
Market at Barus
Rumours of the golden Archipelago
New explorations -
Hostilities with the islanders ...
Influence established in Sumatra
Among the Spice Islands - - .
Treachery of the Portuguese in Achin
CONTENTS. XXI
A. D.
Accusation against the king - - - 96
Indian mythology - - - - - ib.
Adventure in search of the temple treasury - ib.
Slaughter of the Portuguese - - - - 97
Voyage to the Moluccas - - - - - ib.
Policy of the conquerors - - - - ib.
Politics of Sumatra - - - - - 98
Politics of an Indian palace - ib.
Civil war ------- ib.
Attack on the Portuguese fort - - - - 99
Night battle - - - - - ib.
Repulse of the Indians - - - - - ib.
New assault by night - - - - - ib.
Use of elephants as a battery - - - - 100
Conflagration in the port - - - - - ib.
Desertion of their stronghold by the Portuguese - - ib.
Manoeuvre of the besiegers - - - - ib.
Conduct of the garrison - - - - -101
Return of the Molucca expedition - ib.
Arrival of Spaniards in the Archipelago - - ib.
Magellan - ib.
Proposal rejected by Portugal - ib.
Goes to Charles of Spain - - - - ib.
Offer of an expedition - - - - 102
Engaged by Spain - - - ib.
An expedition dispatched - - - - - ib.
1519. Brazil - - - - - - - ib.
Patagonians - - - - - - ib.
Straits of Magellan - - - - ib.
Passage into the Pacific - - - - ib.
Entrance into the Archipelago - ... ib.
The Isles of Thieves - - - - - ib.
Description of the Ladrones - - - - 103
Discovery of the Philippines - ib.
Their general aspect - - - - - ib.
Volcanoes - - - - - ib.
Vegetable wealth - - - - - ib.
Ornamental woods - - - - - -104
Mineral treasures - - - - - ib.
Miscellaneous productions - - ib.
Seasons - - - - - - ib,
Magellan enters the group .... ib.
The natives - - ... 105
First transaction - - ib,
Reception by an island king .... ib,
Wonder of the people - - - - ib.
Baptism of the islanders - - - - ib.
Rapid conversions - - - - - ib.
Punishment of a heathen village - - - - 1 06
False proselytism - - - - - ib.
Conduct of Magellan - - - - ib.
Barter for gold - - - _ - - ib.
Challenged by a native prince .... 107
Battle with the barbarians ... - *'<
a 3
XXII CONTENTS.
A. D. Pago
Death of Magellan - - - - - 107
Disasters of the Spaniards - - - - ib.
Fall in with Borneo - - 108
Presents from a Borneon king - ib.
The Moluccas - - - - - - ib.
Visit to Tidor - - - - - ib.
Homeward voyage - - - - ib.
Disputes in Europe - - - - - 109
Remnant of the expedition - ib.
Spanish settlement at Tidor .... ib.
Jealousy of the Portuguese - ib.
Armed traders - - - - - - ib.
Portuguese policy in the Spice group - - - 110
Treaty with Ternate ... ib.
Conflict in Tidor - - - - - ib.
Massacre of the islanders - - - - ib.
Sack of the native capital - - - - ib.
CHAPTER V.
1 522. Misfortunes in Sumatra - - - - 1 1 1
And on the Peninsula - - - - ib.
Siege of Malacca - - - - - -112
Reprisals -....-- ib.
1526. Action at sea - - - - - -113
Conflicts with the Malays - - - - ib.
Rumours of the Islands in Europe - - - - 1 1 4
New adventures in the Moluccas - - - - 1 1 5
The Portuguese at the Spice Isles - ib.
Rival expedition - - - - ib.
Success of the Portuguese - - - - ib.
Fatal beauty of the Moluccas - - - - 1 1 6
Their still more fatal wealth .... ,'ft.
Ancient intercourse with the Spice group - ib.
Consumption of spices in antiquity - - 1 1 7
Ancient commercial routes .... j&.
Growing taste for spices - - - - ib.
Indian traders - - - - - ib.
Fondness for spices in Europe - - - - 118
Venetian travels - ib.
Chinese merchants - - - - - ib.
Their settlement - - - ib.
Desire of the Portuguese to trade in spices - ib.
Rage for that commodity - - - - - 1 1 9
Artificial yalne .... - - ib.
Ancient accounts of the Moluccas ... - ib.
Geography of the group - - - - - 1 20
General view - - - - - ib.
Their surface ... ib
Their nutmeg-tree - - - - - - ib.
Situation and extent - - - - -121
CONTENTS. XXlll
A. D. Tage
Volcanic origin - - - - - -121
[ Traces of eruptions - - - - - ib.
Amboyna ------- ib.
Its political importance - - - - -122
Harbour ------- ib.
Area ....... ib.
Form _.._,-- ib.
Fragrant atmosphere - - ib.
Picturesque prospect - - - 123
Dutch description of the island - - - - ib.
Scenery - - - - - - *&
Flowers ------- ib.
Trees _-..---- ib.
Perfumes - - - - - - - 124
Truth of the picture - - ib.
Exaggeration of travellers - - - ib.
Capacities for productions - - ib.
Nutmeg - - - - - - ib.
Its influence on the group - - - - -125
Culture of the nutmeg - - ib.
Old teles ------- ib.
Other productions ------ ib.
Cinnamon - - - ib.
Its native country - - - - - -126
Ancient uses of this spice - - - ib.
Poverty of Amboyna in the necessaries of life - - ib.
Policy of the Dutch - - 127
Neglect of industry encouraged - - - - ib.
Parallel with Spanish policy - ib.
Waste aspect of Amboyna - - - - - ib.
Reasons assigned - - 128
Supplies of food - - #
Rice - - - - - - - ib.
The yam ------- ib.
Bounty of Providence to these islands - - ib.
Grasses of Australia - - - - - ib.
Sago - 129
Various qualities - - - - - - ib.
Its consumption - - - - - - ib.
Geographical distribution - ib.
Process of preparation - - - ib.
Abundance of this farina - - - - - ib.
Other resources for food - ... 130
Mushrooms - - - - - - ib.
Worms - - - - - - ib.
Articles of native manufacture and commerce - - ib.
Animals ------- 131
Birds - - -.,.-- - - ib.
Birds of Paradise their various names - ib.
Indian fables concerning them - . .. ( - - 132
Poetical fancy - - - - - - ib.
Their flight - - - - - ib.
Method of catching them - - - - - ib.
Trade in the feathers - - - - - ib.
a 4
XXIV CONTENTS.
A. D. Page
The Amboynese - - - - - 133
Character ----- - it>,
Progress in the useful arts - - - - - 134
Primal habits of man - - ib.
Banda ..... - ib.
Beautiful scenery ' - - ib.
Roadstead ---- ib.
Fiery mountains - - - - - 135
Eruptions ----- ib.
Soil ..... - 136
Growth of spices - - - - - ib.
The clove - - - - - - ib.
Clove oil - - - - - ib.
Use of cloves - - - - - ib.
Annual produce - - 137
Lime burners - - ib.
Verification of travellers' tales - - ib.
Aborigines of the Spice groups - - -138
Dutch account - - - - ib.
Ternate . - - - . . - ib.
Its ancient power - - - - - ib.
Dutch policy - - - 139
Health of the island - - - - ib.
Origin of the name - - - - ib.
Mohammedan legend - - - - ib.
Form of the island - - - - ib.
Aspect ..'._.._ 140
Cultivation - - - - . ib.
Tidor --..... ib.
Industry of the people - - - - ib.
Christian converts - - - - - -141
Animals ....... il,.
Smaller groups - - - ib.
Whalers' resorts - - - - - -142
The whale fishery - - - ib.
Bird Island - - - - ib.
Inhabitants of the isles - - ib.
Piracy - - ib.
Industrious tribes - - 143
Characteristics of the sea - ib.
Eeefs and shoals - ib.
Voyage to New Guinea - - - - 144
Crime of a Portuguese governor - - - ib.
Piratical adventure - - 145
Massacre of fugitives in the water - - ib.
Proceedings in Tidor - 146
Native insurrection - - - - ib.
Rivalry with the Spanish crown - - ib.
Ferocity of Menezes - , '- ".'- - - 147
Desertion of Ternate - - - - 148
1528. European policy - - ib.
Retaliation of the Achinese - ib.
CONTENTS. XXV
CHAPTER VI.
V
A. D. Page
Farther enterprise in the Archipelago - - - 150
1 529. Disaster at Achin - ib.
Composition between Portugal and Spain - ib,
1530. Progress of the Portuguese at Malacca - ib.
And in the Moluccas - ib.
1531. Hated by the islanders - - - - - 152
1536. Virtuous administration of Gal van - - - 153
His chivalrous conduct - - - - - 154
Political transaction - - - - -155
Character of Galvan - - - - ib.
Spanish adventures renewed - ib.
Universal spirit of monopoly - - - - 156
Theory of trade - ib.
Rebellion in the Moluccas - - - - -157
Galvan's vigorous policy - - - - ib.
His excellent endeavours - - - - ib.
Preaching of Christianity - - - - ib.
True method of conversion - ib.
Religious schools established - ib.
Love of the people for Galvan - - - - 1 58
Jealousy of his success in Portugal - ib.
Renewed sieges of Malacca ... - ib.
Wars of the Achinese - - - - - 1 59
1540. Relapse of the Moluccas into anarchy - - - 160
1 544. Brigandage of the Portuguese - - - - 161
1546. Protection of monopoly - - - - ib.
Sea fight - - - 162
1 547. Continual conflicts - - - - ib.
St. Francis Xavier - ib.
Vast armament against Malacca - ib.
1549. Apostleship of Xavier - - - - - 163
1550. Triumph of the Portuguese .... ib,
1556. Transactions in the Spice Islands - - - - 164
1559. General succession of events - - - - 165
1565. Revival of the Spanish power - ib.
The Philippines - - - - - ib.
Spanish policy - - - - - ib.
Dutch policy - - - - - -166
Expedition to conquer the Philippines - - - ib.
The voyage _.._._ 167
Arrival in the group - - - - ib.
Treaties with the chiefs - - - - ib.
Declaration of conquest - - - - ib.
State of the population - - - - - 168
Primitive institutions - - - - ib.
Wild races - - - - - ib.
Their religion - - - - 169
Success of the Spaniards - - - - ib.
First settlement in the Philippines - - - 170
Submission of the people - - - - - 1 71
XXVI CONTENTS.
A. D. Page
Progress of the conquest - - - - - 171
Characteristics of sea warfare - - ib.
Collection of gold - - - - -172
Massacre of a crew - - - - - ib.
General good fortune of the Spaniards - - ib.
Jealousy of Portugal - - ib.
Rivalry - - - - - - ib.
Hostile princes of the East - - ib.
Stratagems of the Malays - - 173
Attack on Malacca ... . #.
Slaughter of his army - - - - ib.
Prodigal waste of blood - - ib.
1 568. Exasperation of the enemy - - ib.
1569. Another fleet destroyed - - 174
1571. And another - - - ib.
Policy of the Portuguese in the Spice Islands - ib.
1 570. An act of assassination - - ib.
Revolt to avenge it ib.
CHAPTER VII.
Feeble policy of the Portuguese - - 175
Prerogatives usurped by Rome - - - ib.
1 567. European rivalry ... - ib.
Negotiations - - - - - ib.
Spanish plans of conquest - - - 176
Mission to Panay - - - ib.
Expedition to found a settlement - ib.
Baptism of the natives - - ib.
1 569. New places of colonisation - - - - 177
Luzon, or Luconia - - - - ib.
Sketch -------#.
Its advantages - - - - - ib.
Expedition to it - - ib.
Pirates of the Philippines - - ib.
Spaniards attack them - - 178
Expedition to Manilla - - ib.
The town - ib.
Present aspect ... - ib.
Native use of artillery - - ib.
Storming of the defences - - - - ib.
Caution of the Spaniards - - - - -179
New expedition to Luzon - - ib.
First intercourse with China - - 180
Pleasant incident .- .... ib.
Capture of Manilla ... - ib.
Submission of the inhabitants ib.
Character of this policy - - 181
Right of conquest - - ib.
Introduction of priests - - ib.
1571. Foundation of Manilla ... - 182
CONTENTS. XXV11
A. D. Page
Fluctuations of the Spanish power - - - - 182
Prolonged resistance of the islanders - - ib.
Action at sea - - - - - ib.
Method of conquest - ib.
Result of an adventure with Chinese traders at sea - - 183
1572. Opening of a new trade - - - - ib.
Expedition round Luzon - - - - - ib.
Little settlements - - - - - ib.
1573. Enterprise in Borneo - - - - 184
Precarious situation of the Portuguese - ib.
Slaughter before Malacca - - - - ib.
1575. Immense Indian armament - 185
Panic in the native army - - - - ib.
Power of the kingdom of Achin - ib.
Feudal institutions - - - - - 186
1574. Curious politics - - - - - ib.
Alarm of the Chinese emperor ... - ib.
Chinese enterprises - - - - - ib.
Adventurous character of that people - - - 187
Their trade with Brune - - - - - ib.
Visits to the Philippines - - - - - 188
Rise of a Chinese colony - - - - ib.
Hostility of the islanders to Spain - ib.
Success of Spanish policy - - - - - ib.
1574. The pirate Limahon - ib.
His career ------- 189
His achievements - - - - - - ib.
Resolves to attack Manilla - - - - - ib.
His fleet - ib.
Arrives by night - - - , - - ib.
Attack of the city - - - - - ib.
The Spaniards alarmed - - - - 190
Limahon retires - - - - - - ib.
Renewed assault - - - - - ib.
Conflict in the city - - - - - ib.
Flight of the pirates - - - - 191
They rally - - - - - - - ib.
They retreat to their junks - - - - ib.
Flight from Manilla - - - - 192
Cruelty of the buccaneers - - - - ib.
Their place of refuge - - - - ib.
1575. They are followed by the Spaniards - ib.
They are surrounded - ib.
Ingenious device to escape ----- 193
Progress of Christianity - - - - ib.
Emigrants from China - - - - 194
Jealousy and fear of them - - - - - ib.
Their industry - - - - - -195
XXVlll CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VIII.
A. D. Page
Borneo - - . . . - 196
Early visit ------- ib.
1576. Transactions of the Spaniards with Borneo - - ib.
Borneo Proper - - - - - - ib.
History of Malayan colonies - - - - 197
Malay kingdom of Brune - - - - ib.
Wealth of the island - - - - - ib.
Its political state - - - - - ib.
Native tradition --.... 193
Several states - - - - - - ib.
Aspect of the island ... - /&.
Immigration of the Chinese - - 1 99
Their energy - - - - - ib.
Anarchy at Brune ------ 200
Piracy on the coast - ib.
1 580. Civil commotions in Brune - - ib.
Spanish policy - ib.
A third European flag in the further East - - 201
First English adventure - - ib.
Sir Francis Drake's voyage - ib.
Passage to the Pacific - ib.
Visit to Tcrnate - ib.
His success -._... 202
Homeward voyage - - - - ib.
Triumphal return to England - ib.
New era in the Archipelago - 203
Kumours of its wealth - ib.
Jealousy of the English - - ib.
1581. Decline of Portuguese power in the Moluccas - ib.
Union of Spain and Portugal - - 204
1582. Vicissitudes of Malacca ... - fft.
Progress of the Spaniards - - ib.
1583. Conflagration in Manilla ... - 205
Spanish commercial policy - - ib.
1584. Misgovernment in the Philppines - ib.
Second visit of the English - - - 206
1586. Voyage of Cavendish - - - t6.
Reception in the Philippines - ib.
Caution of the mariners - - 207
1588. Cavendish's report - - ib.
English enterprises - - 16.
Wars of Europe - - " - 208
1 589. Spanish attacks on pirate haunts - - 209
1 590. Defences of Manilla - ib.
Native embassies - - ib.
New plan of conquest - 210
Chinese settlers at Manilla - - ib.
Their conduct - - ib.
Hated by the Spaniards - - 6 V
CONTENTS. XXIX
A. n. Page
Massacre of a Spanish crew - - , - - 211
New influx of Chinese - - ib.
Surprising the Spaniards - - ib.
Great event in the history - - 212
Rise of Holland - - - ib.
Importance of commerce - - - - ib.
Valour of the Dutch - ib.
The revolt of the Netherlands - - ib.
Early Dutch voyages - ib.
Their gallant conduct at home - - ib.
Their behaviour abroad -- - - -213
Impulse to colonisation - - - ib.
Miserable policy of the Spanish crown - - ib.
, Causes of Dutch prosperity - - ib.
English commercial adventures - - ? 214
The route to India - - - ib.
Cornelius Houtman imprisoned - - ib.
Negotiations with the Amsterdam merchants - 215
Equipment of a squadron - - ib.
Its object - - ib.
It sails - ib.
Voyage - ... - ib.
1596. Sight of land -. - 216
The Indians seen - - ib.
The Archipelago in view - - ib.
Aspect of the isles - - ib.
First meeting with the natives - ib.
Exploring the Archipelago - - ib.
Native barques - - - - ib.
The savage and the civilised man - - 2 1 7
Reception of the Dutch - - ib.
Market at the gates of the Archipelago - ib.
Traffic - - _ - - - - 218
Friendly islanders - - ib.
First see pepper ... - ib.
"Women seen - - - - ib.
Indian pilot ... - - ib.
See a junk - - - - - ib.
Java ----- - 219
Its fertility - ib.
Portuguese galley - - - - - ib.
Native politics ... - - ib.
Message sent to Malacca ----- 220
Politics of Java - - - - ib.
Portuguese influence ... - $.
Trade with the people - - - - ib.
Progress of intercourse - - - - 22 1
Dutch libels on the English .... ib.
Their avarice - - - - - ib.
Hostilities resulting ----- 222
Slaughter at Bantam - - - ib.
The voyage renewed .. - - - - ib.
Description of Bantam - - 223
Markets of the city - ib.
XXX CONTENTS.
A. D. Page
Dutch policy -.... 224
Visit Madura - - - - ib.
News of their arrival .... $.
Princes of Java - - - - - - ib.
Pirates - - - 225
Preparations for receiving the Dutch - ib.
Tragedy at Madura - - - ib.
Animating scene - - - - - - ib.
Massacre of the islanders - - 226
Ferocity of the Dutch - - - ib.
Prisoners captured - - ib.
The voyage continued - - - - 227
Murder in the ships - - ib.
Voyage to Holland ... _ 228
Other expeditions - - ib.
1598. Neck's voyage - - ib.
Rise of Holland - - - - - - 229
CHAPTER IX.
1600. Voyage of Oliver Van Noort - 231
Arrival in the Archipelago - ib.
Fight with Spaniards - - 232
Massacre of the Spaniards - - 233
Reach Borneo - - ib.
Traffic r - ib.
1601. Visit Java - ib.
New enterprises - - 234
English Company formed - - ib.
Lancaster's voyage - - ib.
War beyond the line - - 235
The Devils isle - - - - - ib.
Spanish policy in the Philippines - ib.
1 602. Embassy from Japan - - 236
1603. Embassy from China - - ib.
Rumour of its design ... _ ib.
The Chinese in Manilla - - ib.
Their suburb - - 237
Design imputed to them ... - ib.
Plan to massacre them ... $.
Apology for the outrage " - ib.
The slaughter - - ib.
Number of victims - - 238
Conduct of the Chinese emperor - ib.
The Philippine buccaneers - - 239
Their ravages - - ib.
Characteristics of piracy - - ib.
Freebooting princes - - 240
1604. Celebes - - ib.
The Bible and the Koran - - ib.
Conversion of Celebes by the Mohammedans - - 241
CONTENTS. XXXI
A. D. Pago
The Indian creeds - '- - - - -241
Religious sentiments - - ib.
1605. Dutch cruizers - ... - 242
Attack on Amboyna ... _ ib.
Capitulates - - ib.
Capture of Tidor - - 243
Aided by the natives - - - - ib.
Europeans in Sumatra - - - ib.
Expedition to the Spice group - - - 244
1606. Decline of Spanish influence - ib.
Japanese colony - - - - -245
Letter from the emperor of Japan - - - - ib.
Reply - - - - - - ib.
Friendly treaty ----.- 246
1608. Dutch progress in the Moluccas - ib.
In Borneo - - - - - - ib.
1609. Contest with Spain ... . 247
Treaties of peace - ib.
Monopoly of cloves ..... ib.
Perpetuation of the war ..... 248
Losses of the Spaniards - - - - ib.
Riches acquired by Holland .... 249
A company chartered - - - - ib.
Its organisation ... ib.
Its progress - - - - - 250
Plan of conquest - - - - - ib.
Memoir on the Indies - - - ib.
Enemies of the Dutch - - - - -251
Their advantageous situation .... f J.
Necessity of territorial acquisition - ib.
Views of the natives .... n,
Portuguese intrigues - - - - - 252
Commerce of the Indies - - - - - ib.
Spices - - - - - - ib.
Pepper - - - - - - 253
English in India - - - - - ib.
Treaties proposed - - - - - ib.
Plans of conquest - - - - - -254
In Celebes - - - - - - ib.
In the Spice Isles - - - - - ib.
Clove trade - - - - - -255
Conquest of Malacca - - - - ib.
Of Manilla - - - - ib.
Chinese trade ..---_ 256
Scheme of exensive trade - - - - - ib.
Trade with Java ...... 257
With Bengal - - - - - ib.
With Arracan - - - - - ib.
With Malabar * - - - - -258
Dutch policy of conquest - - - ib.
XXXll CONTENTS.
CHAPTER X.
A. D. Page
1 609. Governor-general of the Dutch East Indies - - - 260
Eight of nomination - - - - - ib.
First governor-general - - - - - 261
Peter Both - - - - - - ib.
1610. Dutch historians - - - - - - ib.
Law of nations - - - - - 262
Character of Dutch policy - - ib.
Other European enterprises - - - ib.
1611. Arrival of Peter Both - - - 263
Foundation of Dutch influence in Java - - ib.
Politics of that island - - ib.
Native states .... . t y,.
1612. Rivalry of Europeans - - 264
English East India Company - - ib.
Early voyages - ... . - ib.
Ideas of commerce ------ 265
1613. Mission to Achin - - - - - ib.
Dutch progress - - - - 266
Their conquests - - - - - ib.
Rapid growth of power - - - ib.
Devastation of the Archipelago - - 267
Temptations to trade - ib.
Letter from Achin to England - - ib.
1615. Career of the first governor-general - 268
Second governor-general - - ib.
His voyage - - - - - ib.
Siege of Malacca ------ 269
Great engagement at sea - - - - - 270
Variations of success - - - 271
Third governor-general - - - - - ib.
Dutch eulogies - - - - - ib.
1617. Naval architecture ... 272
Rise of the Company ... . ib.
Wars in Java - . - - - - ib.
In Sumatra ... . 273
Policy of the island princes - - ib.
League of the Indian kings - - - 274
English transactions - - 275
1618. Attacked by the Dutch - - 276
1619. Conflict - - - - - - - 277
Progress of the native conspiracy - ... ib.
It is exploded ...... ib.
Triumph of the Dutch - - 278
Exaggeration of Dutch writers -" - ib.
Capture of Jakatra - - - - 279
Batavia founded - - - - - - 280
Close of the king's career - - ib.
Choice of a capital - ib
Various suggestions - 282
CONTENTS. XXXlll
A. P. Page
Extension of Dutch influence - 282
Batavia fixed upon - 283
Situation of Batavia ... - //.
CHAPTER XI.
Dutch established in Java - - 284
Geographical rank of Java - - ib.
Its position - ib.
Historical notes - - ib.
The name - - - 285
Ancient account - - - ib.
Extent - 286
Neighbouring isles - - ib.
Pirate haunt - - - ib.
Shape of Java - - ib.
Its aspect - - ib.
Surface ... ib.
Tints of the landscape - - 287
Succession of crops ... - ib.
Hills - ib.
Formation of Java - - - - 288
Smoke of the volcanoes - - - ib.
Volcanic mountains - ib.
Their vegetation - - ib.
Beautiful scenes - - ib.
Singular spectacle on the summit - - 289
Streams - - ib.
Boats - ib.
Climate - - - ib.
Verdure - - 290
Soil - - ib.
Wells ... - - ib.
Crystal rocks - 291
Geology - - - ,r . - ib.
Geological history - - ib.
Absence of minerals - - - . .-: - ib.
Stones - - - - 292
Depth of soil - ... ib,
Fertility ------- ib.
Qualities of the soil - - - - ib.
Seasons - - - - ' - ib.
Monsoons - - - - ib.
Harbours and bays ------ 293
Atmosphere ... - - ib.
Salubrity of Java - ib.
Vegetable wealth - - - - - - 294
Varieties in natural history - - ib.
Rice - - - - - - ib.
Other grains - - - - -295
Other productions - - ib.
VOL. I. b
XXXIV CONTENTS.
Page
Fruits ------ 296
Flowers - .... - ib.
Teak timber . - ib.
Ornamental woods - - 297
Character of the country ... - ib.
Absence of pasture - - - ib.
Animals ..... ib.
Wild beasts .... - 298
Birds .... - ib.
Reptiles - - - ib.
Edible birds' nests - - ib.
Bird caverns - - ib.
The people - 299
Their origin - - ib.
Husbandmen - - ib.
Character of the Javanese - - 300
Their industry ... . ib.
Trade of Java - - ib.
Situation of Batavia - 301
Influence of Europe - ib.
Monopoly - - ib.
Importance of Java - ib.
Manufactures - - 302
Population --- - ib.
Ruins .... - 303
Physical character of the people - - ib.
Women ... - ib.
Moral character - - 304
Immorality - - 305
Polygamy - - ib.
Virtues ..... - ib.
Canine loyalty - - 306
Language of Java - - - 307
Religion - - ib.
Mohammedan apostles - - 308
Retirement of Hindus - ib.
Ancient temples .... - ib.
Architecture of Hindus and Muslims - 309
Value of ruins .? ^ - - - ib.
Political divisions of Java - - 310
Empire of Mataram - ib.
Muslim missionaries - ib.
Parallel with Europeans r - 16.
Javanese pilgrimages to Mecca - - 311
CHAPTER XII.
Treaty between the Dutch and English - 313
Negotiations - - - ib.
1621. Conquest of Banda - - ib.
French arrive in the Archipelago -
Failure of the mission - 315
CONTENTS. XXXV
A. D. Page
Revolt in the Philippines - - - - - 315
Anecdote of Spanish manners .... ib.
Enterprise in Borneo - - - - - 316
Pirate voyages - - - - - - ib.
1623. Massacre of Ambeyna - - - - -317
Apology for it - - - 318
Rage of the English - - - - ib.
Demand for revenge - - - - -319
Apathy of King James - - - - ib,
1625. War between the Spaniards and Dutch - - 320
1626. Colony in Formosa - - - - ib.
1627. Second administration of Koen - - - ib*
1628. Designs of the Mataram emperor - - - - 321
First siege of Batavia - - - - ib.
Fury of the sultan - - - - - -322
Military execution ------ 323
Preparations for a second siege .... ib.
1629. New defeat of the Javanese ... 324
Native warfare - - - - - ib.
1635. Misfortune of the Portuguese - - - - 325
1637. Ravages of piracy - - - - ib.
Their atrocious character - 326
1638. The Moluccas ...... ib.
1639. New massacre in the Philippines .... ib.
Immigration of the Chinese - - - 327
Their oppression -....- ib.
Revolt - - .-> .... ib.
Slaughter - - - - - - - ib.
1640. Designs of the Dutch on Malacca - 328
1641. The city acquired - ib.
Their jealousy of Spain - - - - ib.
1642. Occupation of Formosa - - - - ~ ib.
1643. Van Diemen - - - - - ib.
His code of laws - - - - - - 329
Statutes of Batavia - - - - ib.
1 644. War with Spain - - - - - ib.
1645. Unsuccessful attack on Manilla .... jj.
Fugitives from Sulu .... ib,
Expedition against pirates ----- 330
Revolt in the Philippines - - - - ib.
Earthquake in Manilla - - - - - 331
Its disastrous effects - - * v "' - ib.
Restoration of the city - j-^'r '*''' - 332
1646. Fortune of the Dutch - - ib.
Treaty in Java - - - - - ib.
Settlement in Borneo ..... 333
Politics of Europe - .1 >y - - - ib.
Cromwell - - ib.
Policy of Holland - ... 334
1652. Conflict in the Spice group .... t '6.
Cruelty - - - - - - - ib.
Passion for monopoly - - ib.
Massacre of chiefs - - 335
1653. Second massacre .... ib,
1 . 2
XXXV 1 CONTENTS.
A. D. Pa^e
Crimes of the Dutch - - - 335
Revolt in Celebes - - - 336
Night execution - - - - - ib.
1654. The Spaniards - ib.
Their dangers - - - - - - ib.
War with Holland - - 337
Peace concluded - - - ib.
1659. The Moluccas - - ib.
Fugitives from China - 338
Coxinga ... . ib.
His achievements - ... . ib.
1661. Attack on Formosa - - ib.
Deputation to Coxinga - - 339
New conflict ... . ib.
Bravery of the Dutch - ib.
Formosa .... ib.
Treaty with Achin .... - ib.
1 662. Career of Coxinga - - 340
Missions to the Philippines - - ib.
Threatening letter - - - ib.
Its impolicy - - ib.
Preparations for defence - - ib.
Slaughter of the Chinese - - 341
Reply to Coxinga - - ib.
Danger of the Spaniards ... ib.
Death of Coxinga - - ib.
1663. Spaniards abandon the Moluccas - 342
CHAPTER XIIL
1&64. Course of Dutch conquest - - 343
Visit to Borneo - - ib.
Attack on Palembang - - 344
Treaty with the Sultan - - ib.
War with Macassar - ib.
1666. Formidable armament from Celebes - 345
Victory of the Dutch - ib-.
\ 667. Successes in Celebes - - ib.
1672. Treaty with Sumbawa - . - - 346
The Nemesis of monopoly - - ib.
War in Achin - - ib,
The English - - - 347
Revolt in Celebes ' - ib,
Flight of the rebels to Java - ib,
1673. Their success - ''" - 348
1674.Krongrong - - ib.
Policy of the Dutch in Macassar - - ib,
Their authority established 349
Celebes - - ib.
Riches - - ib.
Climate ...._-. ib.
CONTENTS. XXXVll
A.D. Page
Causes of its salubrity .... 349
General aspect - - - - - ib,
Position - ib.
Configuration - - - - - ib.
Surface - - - - - -350
Formation - - - - - - - ib.
Picturesque aspect - - ib.
Lakes - - - - - - ib.
Water lilies - 351
Streams - - - - - - ib.
Forests - - - ib.
Population - - ib.
The Bug-is - - - - - - - 352
The Alfoeras --.__- i/>.
Religious beliefs ------ 353
Productions of Celebes - - ib.
Woods ------- ib.
Commercial resources - - - - - 354
Fruits .... ib.
Flowers - ib.
Minerals - ----- U>.
Animals ----- - ib.
War in the Spice group concluded - - 355
Dutch wars - - - - ib.
Their policy ... - ib.
European affairs - ib.
Patriotism of the Dutch ----- 356
Threatened invasion of Holland ... - ib.
Retreat of the French king - - ib.
Character of the Dutch - - 357
Their colonial policy - - - ib.
1675. New invasion of Java - - - - ib.
Defeat of the Dutch - - - 358
Success of the invaders - ... ib.
Confederacy to resist them - - - - ib.
Preparations for conquest - - ib.
Right of conquest - - - 359
Affairs in Celebes - - - - - ib.
1677. Policy of alliances - - , .. - ib.
Tribute from the native prince - . .. r - ib.
Stipulations with allies - - - - - 360
1678. Ryklof van Kloen - - ib.
1679. Close of the war - - 361
Tragedy in an Indian palace - ib.
Malay treachery - - ib.
1680. Revolt in the Moluccas - - ib.
Continued war in Java - - - - - 362
Progress of Dutch power - - - - ib.
Politics of Bantam - ... 353
Supremacy of Holland - - - 364
Conspiracy in Java - - ib.
Story of Untung - - ib.
His rebellions - - 365
Progress of his arms - ib.
xxxviu CONTENTS.
A. D. Page
Parley with the rebels - - 365
Craft of Javan warfare - - - 366
The crown jewels of Java - - 367
1684. The English in Sumatra - - ib.
Public opinion in an Indian state - - 368
1685. Settlement at Bencoolen - - - - ib.
CHAPTER XIV.
1686. Progress of the Dutch - - 369
Success of the rebels - - - ib.
Politics of Java .... - 370
English settlements in the Islands - - ib.
1691. Ten years of Indian history - 372
1699. Surapati's career - - ib.
1 702. Free trade in Achin - - - 373
Force of public opinion ... - ib.
1 703. Death of the Susunan in Java - ib.
Anecdote of Malay superstition - - 374
The new Susunan - - - - 375
First war of Java - ib.
Dutch methods of negotiation - ib.
National debts - - 376
Counsellors of an Indian prince - - - ib.
Battle of Kartasnra - - 377
Acquisitions of the Dutch - - ib.
Madura ..... - ib.
Situation - ... - 378
Extent - - ib.
Formation ..... - ib.
Productions - ib.
1706. Continuance of the war - - 379
1707. Barbarity of the Dutch - - 380
1708. Their treachery - - - ib.
A Javan crown ... - ib.
The Philippine settlements - - 381
The Chinese settlers - 382
Edict against them - - ib.
The edict ineffectual - - ib.
Industry of the Chinese - - 383
False theories of commerce - ib.
1710. Progress of native states - - ib.
1712. The Dutch in Borneo - - 384
1718. League against Batavia - - ib.
Illustration of native manners - - 385
1719. Introduction of coffee into Java - - ib.
1 720. Malayan loyalty - - - 386
1721. Execution of prisoners - - i'A.
Erbcrfeldt's conspiracy - - ib.
Origin of the plot - - ib.
Arrangements of the conspirators - - 387
CONTENTS. XX XIX
A. D. Page
The plot discovered - 387
Execution of the conspirators - 388
Cruelty of punishments - - ib.
End of the first war in Java - - 389
1726. Pacification of the island - - ib.
1734. Relations with Mataram - - 390
Treaty of peace ... . ib,
Progress of other European nations in the Archipelago - 391
Celebes ..-.---- ib.
THE
INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
HISTOEY AND PRESENT STATE
[CHAPTER I.
BETWEEN New Holland and the south-eastern shores situation of
of the Asiatic continent, the Indian Ocean rolls, through
many channels, into the Pacific. Its waters, flowing
over the Line, are there studded by those magnificent
islands the chosen seats of Arabian fable which form
the Oriental Archipelago. The most rare, the most pre- its riches.
cious, the most remarkable products of the earth are dis-
covered among them commodities for which mariners
in early ages ventured to explore the last confines of
the habitable globe. These, in the remoter periods of
maritime research, deluded the voyager with the hope
of riches and splendour unimagined even in romance. 1
Illusory fancies of trade and empire dazzled the mind Early ru-
of Europe, vast heathen countries, and regions tran-
scending in their beauty the legendary isles. It was
1 Temminck, Coup cFCEil sur Tlnclc Archipelagiqne, ii. 128.
A'OL. T. B
2 TIIE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Fame of the the merchant's ambition to freight his ship in the Indies
with spices, gums, gold, and pearls ; with camphor,
odoriferous woods, drugs, dyes, frankincense, and ivory;
and that quarter of the world supposed to abound in
these treasures was the Pharos of commercial adven-
ture. *
Voyages in The discoverers of America and South Africa fell in
India! w *th those countries while pursuing the track to India,
and all the researches of geographers in other divisions
of the world were promoted to gain a more sure and
safe approach to the " Gardens of the Sun " 2 the
banks of Nardifer Ganges 3 the Happy Islands, that
glowed with all the riches and beauty of the earth
The earliest under an Asiatic sky. Of the Archipelago, a vague
travellers. rumour floated through Europe after the enterprise of
the two Venetian brothers, who embarked in the year
1250 4 , and were entertained with hospitable splen-
dour at the city of the King of Kings, Kublai, Khan
Marco Polo, of the Tartar nations. Marco Polo, after them, be-
wildered the inhabitants of the Old World by his ac-
counts of crimson canopies and damasks, of green
Tales of the velvets crusted with rubies, emeralds and sapphires 5 ;
travellers. Q carg i a( j en w Jth stuffs daily passing in thousands
through the gates of Kambalu. The delusions of ro-
mance and reverie never excelled the current reports
of capitals and provinces in the East 6 ; of the jewelled
vases in the palace of the Khan ; of the purple light
that fell from perfumed lamps around his couch 7 ; of
1 Trade of the Indian Islands. Edin. Rev. xxix. ?6.
4 Hazlitt, Plain Speaker, i. 116.
3 So called by " Gratius the Faliscian," Cynegeticon, 46.
* Ramusio, ii. 17.
5 Prevost, Hist, des Voyages, 27., iv. 3.
6 Anth. Jenkinsou, Hakluyt's Collection, i. 387.
7 Lamps perfumed with camphor. Valmont dc Bomare, i. 548.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 3
he silver, silks, and spices, of the myriad of bridges, and
other architectural marvels of Quinsai l , the pearls and
rubies of Zipangu. Temples and cupolas flaming with
gold, every river gleaming with auriferous sand, every
grove and thicket emitting fragrance, and all the earth
loaded with glitter, beauty, and profusion this, in the
narratives of the time 2 , represents not only the Indian
continent but the Archipelago also as a realisation of
that celestial paradise conceived in a later day, a
countless array of islands scattered over interminable
waters, "islands that were covered with fruit and
flowers, and interwoven with a thousand little shining
seas that ran in among them." 3
If this enchanted prospect was changed when dis- Real riches
covery penetrated to the further East, stores of real * t ^ pec
wealth, and pictures of real beauty, were found to re- Archipe-
place the visions which dissolved. The latest and least
imaginative travellers 4 describe in the Indian Archi-
pelago magnificence and riches unrivalled in any other
part of the world s ; a magnificence, however, bar-
barous and wild, and riches neglected by the posses-
sors of them. 6 The region, indeed, exhibited in a
general view, presents an extraordinary and interesting
subject of observation.
No other collection of groups in the world is equal Extent of
in extent to the Indian Archipelago. A length in-
eluding forty degrees of longitude 7 close to the line,
from the western point of Sumatra to the parallel of
1 Marsden's Marco Polo, Travels.
2 As Humphrey Fitzherbert, PurcMs, i. 698.
3 Addison, Vision of Mirza.
4 Berncastle, Voyage, i. 273.
5 3. R. Logan, Jovrn. Ind. Arch. i. 9.
6 Anderson, Mission to Sumatra, 39, 40.
7 Longitude from 95 to 135 East; latitude, from 11 South
to 19 North.
B 2
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Its central
situation.
Classifica-
tion of the
islands.
Distribu-
tion of
them
Charac
teristics of
navigation.
the Arm isles, with a breadth of thirty, from the Sandel-
wood to Luzon, comprehends an area of five millions
and a half of square statute, or four millions and a half
of geographical miles. Around it are spread, as about
a centre, the most famous and civilised nations of Asia,
who make it their highway of maritime traffic. On
the east, China lies within three days' sail ; on the west,
three weeks will carry a ship to the ports of the Red
Sea ; the monsoon brings a vessel in fifteen days from
Hindustan ; Europe may be reached in ninety, and
Western America in fifty days. 1 Steam has contracted
these distances, and brought the races of the Archi-
pelago within easier reach of the Old and the New
World.
The Archipelago, if we do not include New Guinea
within its limits, contains two islands, Borneo and
Sumatra, of the first class, inferior in size only to
Australia ; one of the second, Java, with the Malay
Peninsula, of equal extent ; three of the third Celebes,
Luzon, and Mindanao, each as large as the most con-
siderable of the West India group ; and of the fourth,
at least sixteen, Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Chandana,
Flores or Mangarai, Timor, Ceram, Bouru, Gilolo,
Palawan, Negros, Samar, Mindoro, Panay, Leyte, and
Zebu most of them with spacious alluvial tracts,
navigable rivers, and many natural riches. The groups
and chains in which they are distributed are dispersed
over narrow seas with the greater islands intervening.
Innumerable channels and passages, therefore, open
in every direction to the mariner, tortuous, intri-
cate, full of rocks, reefs, and shoals, which render
them in some parts difficult of navigation. 2 They are
1 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago^ i. 3.
* Groot, Moniteur, i. 53.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 5
made less dangerous, however, by the prevailing serenity
of the waters, the regularity of the currents, and the
steadiness of the winds. Tremendous storms, indeed,
occasionally visit the Straits of Malacca *, or rage
over the China Sea ; but they are rare, and the islands
of the interior region may be said to lie amid per-
petual calm.
There are five different seas recognised by European Seas of the
geography within the limits of the Indian Archipelago : ia^j. 1P
the wide expanse between Borneo and the Malay
Peninsula; another between Borneo and Java, called
the Java Sea ; another between Celebes and Timor ; the
Sea of Celebes between that island, Sulu and Mindanao ;
and the fifth, a basin of considerable extent between
the Philippines, Palawan and Borneo. Around all these Boundaries,
flow, on the west, the Bay of Bengal and the Indian
Ocean ; on the south the Australian waters, and on the
north the China Sea, while eastward spreads the wilder-
ness of the Pacific, still imperfectly explored. From the Approaches
west there are, through the long island wall formed by
Sumatra and Java, only two approaches the Straits of
Sunda and Malacca ; along the southern boundary is ex-
tended a line 1600 miles in length from Java to Timor-
laut, with outlets into the Pacific, numerous but narrow.
On the east, broad passages are open, and, northward,
unsafe and intricate channels lead between the Philip-
pines, Palawan, and Borneo, with three others more
commodious and secure, formed by the small islands of
Biliton and Banca, in the sea between Borneo and Su-
matra. 2 All over the surface are scattered an infinite
number of little groups, increasing the intricacy of the
1 Berncastle, Voyage, i. 274.
2 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, i. 7.
B 3
THE INDIAN AKCHIPELAGO,
Its tropical
position.
Uniformity
of its cha-
racteristics.
Geographi-
cal divi-
sions.
The first
group.
The second
group.
navigation, and generally separated from the larger
islands by straits of insignificant depth. 1
The whole Archipelago lies under a tropical sky.
It is divided nearly in the centre by the equinoctial
line, and, excepting the Philippines, almost the whole
is situated within 10 of that imaginary girdle of the
earth. It is, indeed, the only part of Asia seated upon
or close to it. A general uniformity, therefore, in
climate, in productions, and races of people 2 , prevails;
yet there are characteristic differences which authorised
an able geographer 3 to distribute the whole into five
divisions. Excluding the savage tribes, the remnant
of another race, the general resemblance of all the
islanders may indeed uphold the theory of their common
descent 4 with the Tartars and Chinese 5 ; but the
accidents of history, of climate, situation, and inter-
course with the different nations, have modified them
into peculiar habits, manners, language, laws, and
forms of civilisation. The first group comprehends the
Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Bali, Lombok, and
two thirds of Borneo, as far as the parallel of 116 E.
longitude : all these have a higher class of productions,
a superior soil, inhabitants more polished, educated to
letters, arts and arms, and feeding generally on rice,
which is produced abundantly for their supply.
In the second division, Celebes occupies the centre of
a group including Bouton and Saleyer, the whole chain
from 116 east longitude, to 1 24, and all of Borneo with-
in that limit, up to 3 of north latitude. Its animals
and vegetables assimilate in character ; the land is in-
1 Temminck, Coup (f(Eil, i. 332.
2 See Earl, Journ. Ind. Arch. iv. 67.
3 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, i. 7.
4 Raffles, History of Java, i. 64.
5 Buchanan, Asiatic Researches, v. 219. 8vo.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 7
ferior, and less suited to the culture of grain ; the
people have advanced to some extent in useful arts,
have a peculiar and uniform system of language, man-
ners, and institutions, feed on rice, which is more sparely
yielded to their use, and occasionally content them-
selves with sago.
The third division is remarkably distinct, extending The third
from longitude 124 to 130 E., and latitude 10 S. to group '
2 N. Here the monsoons change their character. The
eastern, which towards Bengal is dry and temperate, is
here boisterous and rainy; the western, which in the
first two divisions is violent and wet, is here mild and
dry. Its plants and animals also for the most part
disappear, to be replaced by peculiar productions, the
nutmeg and the clove, while the soil favours little
the cultivation of rice ; and the people feed chiefly on
sago. 1
The fourth division is less distinct, extending from The fourth
116 to 128 E., and from latitude 4 to 10 N., and s rou P-
including the north-east angle of Borneo, Mindanao
and the group of Sulu. It produces nutmegs and
cloves, but of inferior quality ; some rice and large
quantities of sago, while the people with peculiar lan-
guage, customs, and institutions, hold a place between
the first and second and the third classes of the insular
population. They are little addicted to honourable in-
dustry, and have always been notorious as promoters of
the piratical system. 2
The fifth group is the Philippines, excluded by some The fifth
from their considerations of the Archipelago. 3 They
are the only islands in those waters which are habitually
1 Forrest, Voyage, 42., Journ. Ind. Arch. iii. 228.
2 Raffles, Memoirs, i. 63. ; Muntinghe, Rapport, 1818 ; Brooke
Journal, " Keppel," ii. 191.
3 Raffles, History of Java, i. 64.
B 4
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
General
aspect of
the Archi-
pelago.
Relations
with Con-
tinental
Asia.
Depth of
the sea.
visited by hurricanes. Their soil is fertile ; producing
tobacco, sugar 1 , and excellent rice, but no pepper, no
fine spices 2 , and none of those exquisite fruits which in
Sumatra load the groves, in a perfection of beauty and
flavour. 8
If, however, we recognise this distribution of the
Archipelago into geographical groups, it is not because
a regularity of arrangement or an obvious division is
discernible between the several islands. On the con-
trary, the eye, ranging over its whole surface, sees no-
where the similitude of any plan. Borneo lies in the
centre, vast, magnificent, only half explored, and sur-
rounded by a maze of shores and seas the stately and
beautiful surface of Java and Sumatra, the rich and
romantic aspect of the Spice Isles, the lines of open
coast sweeping along the Pacific the waves here rest-
ing placidly within a circle of land, there running
through an infinity of channels shaded by the green
banks that border them, flowery to the very edge, and
now expanding into wide sunny seas, sprinkled with
little fairy archipelagoes, with glimpses of a long coast
appearing at intervals on the horizon.
In its relation with the continent of Asia, the Archi-
pelago rests obviously on the same great platform, though
its geological history is as yet too problematical to be
traced. Many parts of the sea are shallow, and may
gradually, by the upheaving of the land, be dried up.
The probable truth is, that the whole is rising, as an
extension of the Asiatic mass ; mountains and hills
having first appeared above the sea level, and alluvial
plains afterwards spreading out between them. The
1 John Wise, Account of the Philippines, unpublished.
2 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, i. 11.
3 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 86.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE.
peninsula is, geographically, continued in a chain of
islets and rocks to Banca, and almost connected with
Sumatra 1 , whose ranges lie parallel with it. Borneo
and Celebes may represent the eastern and broader arm
of the Hindu-Chinese prolongation, from which they
are separated by the area of the China Sea, supposed
to be subsiding ; and the whole Archipelago is in- Volcanic
eluded within a great volcanic curve, sprung from the the Archi-
heart of Asia itself. 2 Plutonic forces have influenced P ela s.
with tremendous power the configuration of those re-
gions, heaving up the bed of the ocean, breaking
masses of land from the continent, cleaving islands into
two, and throwing the whole into extraordinary confu-
sion. 3 The great convulsions probably took place at a
period anterior to all the records of human history ; but
the telluric agency is still active, though it has a vent Volcanoes
no\v uctive
through the craters of the numerous volcanic hills ex-
isting in the Archipelago. A range of this formation
intersects the whole length of Java 4 , spreading out
streams of lava, the surface of which is gradually de-
composed and rendered fit for vegetation. 5 Large
tracts in Sumatra 6 are abandoned entirely to the hot
floods perpetually blasting their woods 7 ; the eruptions
in Sumbawa have been terrible enough to be heard at a
distance of 970 miles ; and all over the islands, indeed,
living or extinct craters, or the traces of their existence,
meet the eye 8 some where a whole population has eruptions.
1 Newbold, Settlements in Malacca, i. 402.
2 J. R. Logan, Journ. Ind. Arch. i. 3.
3 See on the configuration of the Spice Isles, Raynal, i. 119.
4 Raffles, History of Java, i. 13.
5 Horsfield, JBatavian Transactions, ix. 73.
6 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 22.
7 Temminck, Coup d"CEil, ii. 77.
Phil. Trans. Abridg. ii. 393.
10
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
whether
bris of an
been swept away l ; others, where salt, mineral, and ex-
ploding wells sprinkle all the country 2 ; and others
where basalt, lava, ashes, the wrecks of forests, and
broken rocks, exhibit every sign of recent convulsion. 3
Whether, nevertheless, the platform of the Archipe-
^ a ever ^ a ^ ove ^6 level of the sea, or is gradually-
new conti- rising towards it 4 ; whether it was the sinking of a
continent that deluged all the lowlands of Asia, leaving
only the mountain summits visible ; or whether its
elevation was arrested by the exhaustion of the volcanic
forces, are questions for separate discussion ; but it does
not seem more reasonable to believe that insular Asia
is the debris of a sunk and shattered continent, rather
than the commencement of a new one emerging above
the line. 6 The latter theory, indeed, appears preferable,
especially as the growth of many islands in the Archi-
pelago is daily and visibly going on 6 ; whether their
sea-margins are enlarged by decaying vegetation 7 , or
whether the submarine architects carry up a series
of madreporous structures, which become clothed with
verdure as soon as they are open to the atmosphere. 8
Be this as it may, the forms and positions of the
islands are evidently of very ancient date ; determined,
indeed, at a period long antecedent to their subsidence
or elevation. One prolonged throe of nature reared up
1 Kaffles, History of Java, i. 33.
2 Ref. to Ordinaria, by Dallas, Hist, of Volcanoes, 249.
3 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 67.
4 See Deluc, Traite de Geologic, 136.
5 J. R. Logan, Journ. Ind. Arch. i. 3.
6 Anderson, Mission to Sumatra, 197.
7 Brooke, Journal, " Keppel," i. 19.
8 Temminck, Coup (TCEil, i. 332. T. K. Hervey, in his bril-
iant and sublime poem on " Australia," has versified this theory,
which he appears to adopt.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 11
the peaks of the Himalaya, spread out the fat and Formation
fertile levels of Bengal, and scattered over the Oriental ?* tbe
isl'inds
seas those beautiful islands on which the action of the
water, mutual with the influence of the air, has pro-
duced a perpetual bloom and freshness of vegetation.
The bank of black mud, though daily overflowed, is Activity of
shaded by a thick wood ; the coral tower scarcely lifts ve s etatlon -
its head above the waves before it seems a floating
basket of flowers ; the granitic rocks, and the volcanic Beauty of
cones, lofty as they may be, are w r rapped in everlasting vegetation,
green. Nowhere on the globe is a scene so wonderful Aspect of
displayed, as that revealed to the navigator in the the islands.
Indian Archipelago. It seems a magical confusion of
land and sea, islands innumerable appearing over the
horizon, and multiplying as he proceeds. 1 From the
broad and turbulent ocean without, the vessel glides
through the Straits of Sunda gateways, as it were, in
a wall two thousand miles in length, upon tranquil
waters, limited by green shores every where, except
where narrow seas and channels on all sides seem to
lead into other archipelagoes. The variety of extent Variety of
and form is extraordinary. A ship might be months ^.^
sailing round one island, while it may in other parts
pass through several groups in a day. In the widest
sea a circle drawn within a radius of two days' sail
would touch more land than water, while almost al- Narrowness
ways as a shore disappears on the left, coasts innumer- of the seas *
able rise in prospect on the right.
But the peculiar charm of the Archipelago is the Brilliance of
fresh green perpetually displayed. Its atmosphere is
of equinoctial warmth, yet continually charged with
moisture 2 , purified by season winds, and so fecundating
that the very rocks shortly become fertile. Round
1 Manuscript Notes of a Traveller, March, 1852.
2 Newbold, Settlements in Malacca, i. 4.
12
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Forests of
the Indian
Islands.
Landscape
in Java.
Woods of
Borneo and
Sumatra.
Parasitical
vegetation.
Flowers.
Birds.
Plumage of
the birds.
the larger islands lie rings of smaller ones described as
resembling floating gardens, umbrageous and flowery, on
waters so blue and gleaming that they would dazzle
but for the shadows of the clouds reflected in them.
In other quarters there is the sublimity of lofty ranges,
but instead of glaciers or snows, one invariable forest
overlays them all, the peaks inflamed with that rose-
red glow, seen on the Swiss Alps, and emitting curls
of smoke l , which shine like scattered gold-dust in the
sun. 2
These woods overspread a large proportion of the
surface in most of the islands, though in some, as in
Java, the eye is delighted by a series of cultivated hills
and park -like slopes, curving gracefully upwards from
the sea 3 , with all the processes of agriculture exhibited
in succession, from ploughing to reaping, according to
the temperature, which is regulated by the elevation of
the land. 4 In Borneo and Sumatra, however, dense
forests extend over large tracts : trees of gigantic
stature, of abundant foliage, and hung with a thousand
creeping plants, entangled, fantastic, brilliant with
flowers, and equal in their gaudy splendour to the
growth of the Brazilian woods. 5 Birds countless fill
the solitude with their songs some deep, long-drawn
and shrill, others tremulous, plaintive, and wild 6 , but
few with sweet notes, or very melodious tones ; their
plumage is more beautiful than their music, and it
gleams amid the branches, gold, or red, or blue, or
flashes with a metallic lustre, peculiarly dazzling to
1 Zollinger, Journ. Ind. Arch. iv. 204.
2 J. R. Logan> Journ. Ind. Arch. i. 6.
3 Earl, Eastern Seas, 5.
4 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, i. 363.
5 Prince Adalbert's Travels, ii. 240.
(> Adams, in Belcher, Voyage of the Samarang, ii. 434.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 13
the eye. 1 From the boughs also hang snakes, green Snakes.
and velvety, or like a roll of coral, some harmless,
others deadly, falling through the leaves, or gliding
amid the tangled flowers and grass. 2 Insects of splen- insects.
did hues and in immense variety animate the solitudes
of Celebes and Borneo the bronze green beetle, emit-
ting a perfume like attar of roses 3 ; the silver- winged
butterfly, and myriads of grasshoppers.
The Indian gazelle, herds of elephants, the rhino- Animals.
ceros, the tiger, the tapir, the barbirusa, the mias
pappan, the sloth, and the buffalo, also inhabit the
woods of the great islands, while in the smaller groups,
as the Moluccas, if these creatures are rare others more
curious are found, especially of the winged species.
More beautiful than any are the birds of paradise Birds of
discolores maxime et inenarrabiks 4 , fabled to be the
messengers of God, who fly towards the sun, but over-
powered by the fragrance of the isles over which they
pass, sink to the earth, and fall into the hands of man. 5
The lori and the Argus pheasant 6 , the cream-coloured other birds,
pigeon, and those " atoms of the rainbow," the Cinnyris
or sun birds, gleam and glitter amid the foliage ; while
to perfect the beauty of the islands fields of the Indian Flowers.
lotus and the tiger lily, sprinkled with patches of
scarlet or violet flowers, surround the woods, or border
the large sheets of water.
Alligators in great numbers haunt the mangrove Living
creeks and rivers, with lizards of innumerable species.
Fragile and richly tinted shells, the olive and the Shells.
harp, coloured like the most beautiful tulips 7 , strew
1 Latham, Hi. 10 72. 2 Hugh Low, Sarawak, 89.
3 Adams, in Belcher, Voyage, ii. 431. 4 Plin. lib. x. c. 11.
5 Linn. Syst. 166. ; PL Ent. 254.
6 See Pennant, Outlines, iii. 195.
7 See Saint Pierre, Etudes, iii. 67., Adams.
14
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Rocks and
seaweed.
Fish:
Malayan
mermaid.
Beauty of
the whole
region.
Commercial
and agri-
cultural re-
sources. .
Produc-
tions.
Neglect of
the Archi-
pelago.
the sand of the beach, which is in many parts fringed
with sea-weed and rocks in the shape of stars, flowers, or
shrubs. The sea is inhabited by multitudes of fish
some of them exceedingly curious and rare, as the
Malayan mermaid, food of kings l , which suggested
that romance so pleasing to the Oriental imagination. 2
In its aspect, therefore, and in the singular features
of its natural history the Indian Archipelago is equal
to the most beautiful regions of the earth. It is in-
deed difficult to describe its magnificence without em-
ploying language which might appear exaggerated or
profuse; but the residents at Singapore, and travellers
who visit the islands, concur in representing them as in
their brilliance and variety the crown of Asia. " Nature,"
says a writer who fears that the subdued and softened
fancy of a northern reader can scarcely be credulous of
the splendour of this region " Nature, which in other
parts of the world, secretes her beauty, has here un-
girdled herself, and given her wild and glowing charms
in all their fulness to the eye of day." 3
The commercial and agricultural wealth of the islands
will be described in detail, as each of the more import-
ant of them is drawn within the circle of the narrative.
Their minerals, their precious stones, their cereal pro-
duce, varied and abundant as it is, their costly gums
and valuable woods, their singular riches in commo-
dities found in no other parts of the earth, render them
conspicuous in a view of Asia ; though they have never
yet attracted the enterprise of Europe so strongly as
to secure the development of their resources. The
climate of the Archipelago has not long been compre-
1 Edinburgh Cabinet Library, viii. 76.
* Ncwbold, Settlements in Malacca, i. 437.
3 J. II. Logan, Journ. Ind. Arch. i. 9.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 15
hended even by scientific inquirers, and the proportion
of men is not large who will venture to reside in deadly
countries, even for the sake of superior gain. To the Climate.
native races it is naturally harmonised ; they are singu-
larly free from inflammatory disorders, less exposed to Diseases,
fever and dysentery than the natives of the "West, and
strangers to pestilent epidemics of every kind, except
the smallpox. This, introduced probably from Arabia,
makes considerable ravages among them, especially in
Java, and on some of the rivers in Celebes 1 and Eastern
Borneo. 2 Gout is unknown, scrofula rare, while dropsy^
apoplexy, epilepsy, and paralysis occur less frequently
than in Europe. Cutaneous aifections 3 prevail very
largely, and are ascribed by the islanders to the exten-
sive consumption of fish, as various tribes of Icthyophagi
are afflicted by them to an extraordinary degree. Among
children ill-chosen and badly-prepared food produces
many disorders, not incident to the climate ; marsh and
jungle fevers visit the uncleared tracts of country, and
the diseases of profligacy introduced by Europeans
the Portuguese 4 , it is said are frequent in all the
islands, but especially in Java. Yet on the whole the
native races are happy in their exemption from the
worst maladies which oppress mankind. The bearing chiid-
of children is easy 5 , as indeed it is among all uncivi- bearin s-
lised people, the savage Dyak woman suffering less
than the more cultivated Malay, introduced to the first
refinements of luxury. 6
To Europeans the climate of the Archipelago, if Effect of
not congenial, is by no means destructive. A long
residence may indeed give an unhealthy tinge to the
1 Brooke, Journal, "Mundy," i. 154. 2 Moor's Notices, 37.
3 D ampler, Voyages, i. 334. 4 Pigaffetta, Voyage, 215, 216.
5 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, i. 36.
6 Hugh Low, Sarawak, 307.
16
THE INDIAN AKCHIPELA.GO,
Climate of
Java.
cheek, affect the blood, turn the hair grey, and ulti-
mately prey upon the constitution ; but there is little
sickness or languor felt, the general state of the body
is excellent, careful persons enjoy life as truly as in
England l , and many parts of the Archipelago are so
salubrious that they serve as places of refuge to the in-
valid. Java, with some of the most baneful spots in
the world 2 , is on the whole most congenial to the
human frame 3 ; in Celebes a fresh invigorating atmo-
sphere usually prevails ; Sarawak has a fine climate ;
and in almost all the islands Europeans may reside as
safely as in the most favoured parts of Asia. It is not,
indeed, entirely suited to their constitution ; but it is
by no means fatal, or even dangerous. Settlers from all
parts of the East live and thrive among the islands.
There is, perhaps, no circumstance in the physical and
natural history of the Archipelago which has been with-
out a marked influence on the character of its inhabit-
ants ; but none has been more powerful than the mix-
Diversity of ture of foreign races, Chinese, Hindus, people of the
population. mm gi e( j nations lying between them, Persians, Japa-
nese, Arabs, Klings, Portuguese, Dutch, English, all
conceivable varieties of mankind, have added new ele-
ments to the already compound population of that insular
Original in- region, made up of the Malayan and Papuan families. As
habitants. ^ e Archipelago, however, is but a prolongation of the
Asiatic mass, so the inhabitants are but a branch of the
great race of Eastern Asia Hindu-Chinese, probably 4 ,
on the one hand, and Papuan on the other, though
whence these originated, how they were scattered, and
Population.
1 Private Diary of a Resident, unpublished.
2 Raynal, Etdblissement, i. 293.
3 Raffles, Hist, of Java, i. 37.
4 See Asiatic Researches, x. 202, 203.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 17
how mingled and divided, it is impossible now to tell. 1
Two eras have been distinguished in their history History of
that when some wanderers from the birthplace of our ] t a t e i0 n pu "
species, on the table lands of Asia, slowly traversing First immi-
the south-eastern valleys and ranges 2 , became nomades 8
of the jungle instead of the plains, and then nomades
of the sea ; the second, when these pelasgic hordes, Second im-
1 -j.- j.1, A i migration.
spread in numerous petty communities over the Archi-
pelago, were discovered by civilised navigators from
the continent. 3 There is, undeniably, a Mongol caste Tartar ori-
in the countenance of the Malay, and a marked
resemblance between the Tartars 4 and the nations
which people the south-eastern seabord of Asia. 5 In-
deed, it appears impossible to doubt that they sprang
from the same stock, unless we adopt some theory
like that fantastic ideal of the Genevese philosopher,
which represents language as having its origin in origin of
islands, whence it spread, after reaching perfection, lan e ua ses.
to the more scantily inhabited continents. 6
Two thousand years are calculated to have elapsed Ancient
since the period when the Indian islanders were dis- O f ttie 61 '
covered in their scattered retreats by voyagers and Archipe-
traders from continental Asia. 7 There have been na-
tions in the East famous from the remotest time for Trading
their commercial enterprise, as there have been others, nations -
like the Persians, addicted almost entirely to agricul- ^"fna-
ture. 8 The Klings of Southern India probably a tions.
1 See J. R. Logan, Journ. Ind. Arch. iv. 252. 347.
2 See Newbold, Straits Settlements, ii. 374.
3 J. R. Logan, Journ. Ind. Arch. i. 10.
4 See Claude Visdelou, Hist, de la Tartarie, 112. 152. 293.
5 Raffles, Memoirs, i. 261.
6 Rousseau, De VInegalite, CEuvres, i. 94.
7 Edin. Rev. xxix. 45.
8 Kinneir, Memoir on Persia, 35.
VOL. I. C
18
THE INDIAN ATCCIIIPELAGO,
Visits of
the Klings,
Rise of the
Hindu em-
pire.
Rise of the
Malays.
Immigra-
tion of the
Arabs.
European
influence.
Character
of European
influence.
Variety of -
races and
institutions.
civilised maritime people ten centuries before began
then to frequent the Archipelago for the sake of its
peculiar products, spreading a taste for their own manu -
factures, communicating their own arts and manners,
with glimpses of their religion, to the island races,
but remaining distinct from them. The Hindu Em-
pire rose and flourished in Java, divided, it seems, be-
tween the Buddhist and the Brahminical creeds ; the
Malays sprang up and colonised the different shores ;
the wild aborigines gave way before this imperial na-
tion ; the Arabs brought their faith, and gradually
supplanted the systems of India* Hinduism disappeared
almost entirely, and now lingers only in one little
island J , and among a few wild tribes in another 2 ,
though its traces are said to remain far scattered over
the Archipelago. 3
European progress, also, has powerfully influenced
the character and fortunes of the native races in the
Archipelago, but, like that of the Arabs, has too often
corrupted and degraded them. This was long and
lately true of the Dutch in Java, and of the Spaniards
in the Philippines ; but the result of the successive
immigrations, settlements, conquests, and changes, has
been to produce an extraordinary variety of races,
colours, and languages, with a confusion of manners,
customs, and laws, scarcely complete enough to divide
the inhabitants of the Archipelago into many nations,
yet sufficiently distinct to create salient lines of demar-
cation between the several groups of them. The abo-
rigines, distributed by the geographical character of the
region into numerous communities, have been further
1 Temminck, Coup d'CEil, i. 340.
2 Raffles, Address to Batavian Society, Life, ii. 443.
3 Dalton, Asiatic Researches, n. s- vii. 153.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 19
isolated by foreign rule and colonisation. The superior stages of
races have frequently turned their natural eminence C1V1 1!
into a means of oppression ; and, instead of drawing the The domi -
natives forth from their barbarous haunts, have im-
prisoned them more deeply in their jungles. 1 There The dwei-
they have vegetated, most ^savage where the soil be- woods<
neath their feet, the forests which shade them, and the
thickets whose wild perfume they breathe, are most
rich in those precious things which contribute to the
arts and to the luxury of civilisation. The Battas of The savage
Sumatra inhabit a province where gold and frankin-
cense are plentifully produced ; the head-hunters of
Borneo dwell in the land of costly woods, camphor, and
diamonds ; the people of the Moluccas, amid their The Mo-
groves of spice, never learned the use of letters, and l!
roamed almost naked until the Hindus, the Javanese,
the Arabs, or the Malays, coming from their less ex-
uberant countries, taught them to clothe themselves. 2
Therefore in this mingled population, though sub-
dued by the influence of natural accidents to a general
level, in some characteristics of language, ideas, and
modes of life, we find many varieties of manners and
different stages between barbarism and civilisation. In
the wooda we discover man, scantily clothed with a Dwellers in
raiment of woven bark, feeding on wild fruits and the
flesh of wild animals 3 , which he seeks and devours
like a monkey or a carnivorous beast, slaying his prey
with a poisoned arrow projected from his mouth through
a hollow bamboo. 4 In other islands, he lives, feeding
on the " trees that beren meele, whereof men make
1 J. R. Logan, Journ. Ind. Arch. I. ? 2 .
2 Crawford, Indian Archipelago, i. 13
3 Leyden, Asiatic Researches, x. 218
4 See Brooke, Narrative, " Mundy," i. 260.
C 2
20
Cannibal
tribes.
Proofs of
their ex-
istence.
Dwellers in
creeks.
Boat life.
The agri-
cultural
population ;
their in-
dustry.
Cultivation
and use of
flowers.
goodc bread and white ; " ! and in Sumatra, as a vile
cannibal, devouring human flesh. 2 The existence of
these Anthropophagi is no longer to be doubted. Their
prototypes, the Issedones of Serica or the Altai 3 , and
the Indian Padei, did not excel them in barbarity. 4
The old reports of them have been collected by the
philosophical historian of their country 5 , and the re-
searches of modern inquirers have proved their cha-
racter to be as it is represented in the narratives of
earlier voyagers. In the solitude of a creek or unfre-
quented strait, then, we find a third islander, living in
a canoe his cradle, his house, his coffin to him what
his camel is to the Arab, his horse to the Tartar;
desert or pasture he has none to roam over ; but the
sea is all to him 6 , whether he be a fisher, a pirate, or a
gipsy. On plains and on the banks of rivers he tills
the soil, builds a neat cottage, plants orchards, and even
cultivates shrubs and flowers for their beauty and the
fragrance of their bloom, the white nyctanthes, the
jessamine, and the deep crimson rose as decorations of
women, with the yellow tulip to adorn their hair 7 ;
garlands to hang on the bier, and sweet-scented chap-
lets to strew over the grave. 8 Nearly all the inhabit-
ants of the Archipelago the Malays in Borneo, the
1 Mandeville, Travels, 228.
2 Anderson, Mission to Sumatra, 224.
3 Herod, i. 216., iii. 99., iv. 25.
4 Leyden, Asiatic Researches, ix. 202.
5 Di Conti, 1449; Ramusio, Odoardus Barbosa, Mendez Pinto,
1539; Beaulicu, 1622; De Barros, 1558; Hamilton and Varto-
manus. See Marsden, History, 301. See also Phil. Trans. Ixviii. ;
Raffles, Memoirs, i. 81 . ; Tcmminck, CoupffCEil, ii. 54. ; J. R. Logan,
Journ. Ind. Arch. ii. 363.
6 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, i. 13.
7 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 86.
8 Raffles, History of Java, i. 358, 359.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 21
Dyaks, the Philippine Indians, use these simple orna-
ments, the young girls wreathing with their tresses the Elegant
golden blossoms of the champaka *, with a taste and taste ?*.**'
vage tribes.
elegance frequently shown by uncultivated races 2 as
by the maidens of the South Sea, girdling their persons
with fillets of the broad-leaved fern. 3
The Indian agriculturist, in the less civilised islands, Indian agri-
tills his land once, gathers in a store of rice, leaves
the soil to a long fallow, and searches the woods
for rattans, timber, odoriferous woods, gums, oils, Collection
honey, wax, ivory, hides, feathers, and fruit ; or near of traffic.
the sea, collects trepang, seaweed, tortoise-shell, rare Fishing.
corals, and mother-of-pearl; or raises pepper, coffee, Cultivators.
betel-nut, tobacco, and ginger for barter ; or digs the Miners.
earth for tin, antimony, gold, or diamonds ; or goes on Traders,
voyages of commerce, either in a little boat from river
to river, or across the sea to Singapore, Batavia,
Samarang, Manilla, and Makassar. It is only, how-
ever, the foreign colonists who work for the sake of
accumulation. The native islanders, like the philo- industry of
sophical epicures of Polynesia, labour only to live, the lslands -
while the Kling and the Chinese toil through all the
hard modes of industry to amass a fortune, with the
prospect of enjoying leisure and competence during the
last years of life. 4 By means of these, with the Bugis Enterprise
and the Malays, who are not included among the abo-
rigines, cities and towns have sprung up on different cities of the
coasts, from the prim and opulent Batavia, with its
deadly swamps, its canals and avenues of trees 5 , and
Singapore with its crowded port and mingled popula-
1 Hugh Low, Sarawak, 142.
2 Macgillivray, Voyage of the Rattlesnake, i. 294.
3 Walpole, Voyage in the Pacific, ii. 103.
4 J. R. Logan, Journ. Ind.Arch. \. 14.
5 Earl, Eastern Seas, 16.
C 3
22
THE IXDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
The pirati-
cal system.
tion *, to the" 1 gay and brilliant city of Manilla , or
the sequestered and picturesque Ambong, surrounded
by its amphitheatre of hills. 3
While, however, industrial and trading communities
have in some parts of the Archipelago sprung up, others
have grown upon the profits of a buccaneering system,
which from an early age 4 has been the scourge of the
island races 5 , and was not only known to the most
ancient writers on that part of the world 6 , but is re-
cognised and described by the latest and most important
authorities. 7 Further on in this work is a detailed
description of the piratical system.
Whether for war, piracy, or trade, the seas of the
Archipelago are continually traversed by vessels of
every size and description ; the huge, unwieldy, and
heavily freighted junk of China 8 ; the painted and
varnished galleys of the Cochinese ; the long and lofty
boat of the Lamm buccaneer ; the Malayan prahu, un-
couth but capacious ; the light Dyak skiff; with English,
Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, Arabian, and Siamese,
passing and repassing in all directions; some slowly
Navigation, making their way from port to port ; others creeping
stealthily along the shores; others dashing into the
entrance of rivers ; but all contributing to a succession
of curious and characteristic scenes, which attract the
voyager's eye as he first sails through the Indian Archi-
pelago. They would become far more numerous, and
Vessels and
boats.
1 Berncastle, Voyage, \i. 11.
2 Cunynghame, Recollections, ii. 150.
3 Belcher, Voyage of the Samarang, i. 190.
4 Raffles, Memoirs, i. 91. 5 Groot, Monitcur, i. 160.
6 Heylyn, Cosmog. 919.; Candidius, Church, i. 406.
7 Temminck, Coup dCEil, ii. 240. ; Logan, Journ. Ind. Arch. i.
15. ; Belcher, i. 265. ; Spenser St. John, Journ. Ind. Arch. in. 253
8 lloberts, Emlassy to the Eastern Courts, 272.
ITS HISTOEY AND PRESENT STATE. 23
create far greater industry and prosperity than now
exist, if the merchants of Great Britain directed their Prospects of
attention to that part of the world, and piracy were p el e ago l t c
effectually and finally suppressed. For the materials
of a splendid civilisation are contained in the Oriental
islands natural riches, fertile soils, facilities for navi-
gation, coal, timber, a fair climate, and races of men
capable of being educated to the most exalted arts, and
the most graceful amenities of life. They have indeed Decline of
* ' .... the native
declined under European domination, from their on- powers.
ginal power ; and they appear to flourish less than at
that former period when native dynasties exercised rule
over great islands, and received tribute from influential
princes in Asia. The Malay kingdoms have perished,
leaving only a few remnants to preserve their name.
The States of Java and Johore, of Achin and Menang-
cabao have disappeared ; Brune alone, with its imbecile The ancient
11 , kingdom.
sultan, half pirate, half slave, remains, as a memorial of
the power which once belonged to that decayed and
scattered race.
Yet, while the potentates and dominions of the Ar- Capabilities
i'ii / 11 i IMI M i f the na *
chipelago have fallen, the people still exist, susceptible tive races.
of humanising influences and capable of civilisation.
With the exception of those debased by piracy, or de- The native
graded by servitude, they are distinguished in general
by good qualities. They have, indeed, the savage vices, Vices.
they are unclean, vindictive, careless of human life,
and often deceitful in their intercourse Avith strangers ;
they have also the weaknesses common to savage as Weaknesses.
well as to many civilised races vanity, superstition,
and credulity. But they have also great virtues, a Virtues.
love of truth, an attachment to open dealing among
themselves, a capacity for affection, gratitude, and fide-
lity, a kind and courteous disposition. Obsequious and
sycophant to their princes as they generally are, many
o 4
24
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Disposi-
tions.
Aptitudes.
Commer-
cial and
agricultural
tribes.
of them nevertheless are very tenacious of their rights,
and respectful to the rights of others. As warriors and
as rulers, all barbarians, and perhaps all Asiatics, are
cruel ; but otherwise \ve do not discover ferocity or
want of feeling among their vices. Pleasant and cheer-
ful in their dispositions, they are hospitable to the last
Manners. degree, and decorous in their modes of address. 1 Ab-
stemious in their habits, they are not laborious in their
industry ; though where secure and tranquil under a
beneficent government, their enterprise and application
invariably increase. 2 The Malays and the Bugis are
maritime and commercial, addicted to speculation, ac-
customed to distant and hazardous enterprises, and very
energetic ; the Javanese are agricultural, attached to
the soil, quiet and contented with moderate gains 3 ;
the savage tribes vegetating amid their woods, require
to be developed from their primitive to a more educated
state, before their natural characteristics or capacities
can be fairly drawn.
Even among them, however, the traces of an affinity
in qualities and predilections with all other divisions
of the human race are found. We grievously err when
we set these tribes apart from the classes of mankind
familiar to our own observation. 4 The difference is not
so broad 5 as an unreflecting mind conceives it to be
between the inhabitants of an Indian forest, and the
cottagers of an English valley. They are addicted to
lively amusements, fond of rude poetry, music and
romance, and open to all influences which affect the
General
capacity of
the island-
ers.
Parallel
with Eu-
ropeans.
1 Earl, Eastern Seas, 18G.
2 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, i. 38. 84.
3 Raffles, History, \. 64.
4 In what is the Dyak cultivator more primitive than the moun-
tain peasant of Valencia, who feeds on acorns nearly all the year ?
Swinburne, Travels, i. 131.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 25
ideas and feelings of men in any part of the world.
The Jakun of the further East, though he be girdled
only with bark, armed with a sumpitan and poisoned
arrows, and covered by the rudest shelter in his
native woods, stands in close similitude with the poor
of a European country. See him with his neighbours Savage life
assembling to a feast the liquor flowing round the ^ 00( js.
dance prolonged the song following the young men
sitting with their partners on banks of turf, drinking
from bamboo cups, laughing, wooing their future wives,
telling tales, and renewing the merry round what is
there to remove him from the knowledge or sympathy
of any who are pleased with the rural scenes of Eu-
rope ? l Fantastic theorists, indeed, may affect to regret
that this poor savage is ever disturbed from his primi-
tive manner of life wandering almost solitary and
speechless in the depth of woods 2 ; but enlightened
men must rejoice when the barbarian races of mankind Civilisation
are cultivated into industrious, peaceful, and Christian i s i an ders.
societies.
To open in detail a view of this Archipelago, to Design of
enumerate its sources of wealth, to describe its aspect,
with the character and condition of the races which in-
habit it, is the design of the following pages, as well as
to show in what manner the Europeans were intro-
duced to the regions and how they have gone on, step
by step, assuming rule over the islands, to secure
their commerce and enrich themselves from their pro-
ductions. The history of the Archipelago is a pictu-
resque and dramatic narrative, and the accounts of the
countries themselves, with their inhabitants and re-
sources, represent one of the most interesting divisions
of the globe.
1 Logan, Journ, Ind. Arch. i. 17.
2 Is. Vossius, De Poemat. Cant, et Viribus Rhythmi, 66.
26
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Origin of
the Malays.
Malayan
colony in
Sumatra.
Date of
their origin.
Sumatra.
Situation of
Sumatra.
CHAPTER II.
WANDERING from island to island in the Eastern seas,
we have vainly sought for the original seat of the Ma-
lays. 1 There is a point where we are deserted by the
light of written history, and beyond it every definite
trace is lost in the obscurity of Indian myth. 2 At a
period fixed by concurrent traditions we find a colony
of this widely-spread race inhabiting a province of
Sumatra, and we can certainly choose no remoter date
as the commencement even of the quasi-historical era.
Even in this selection we arc guided only by an here-
ditary account, said to be universal among the Malays 3 ,
and can claim for the relation no more than the doubt-
ful credit of a traditionary tale. The existence of the
Malays as a distinct nation has been dated by others
after the arrival of the Arabs in the Archipelago. 4
If we accept the general theory that the Malayan
kingdoms on the peninsula were founded by swarms
cast off from a province of Sumatra, that island is the
fountain-head of the narrative. It is interesting for
Q
many other reasons, and occupies from its extent, its
natural resources, and its situation, an important rank
among the insular countries of the East.
Sumatra is the most western island in the Indian
Archipelago. At one end it stretches into the bay of
Bengal ; at the other it is divided by the Sunda Straits
1 See Edinburgh Review, No. XXII.
2 Some Malayan traditions derive their sovereigns lineally from
Alexander the Great ! Bedford, Description of the Tin Countries,
unpublished MS.
3 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, ii. 372.
4 Raffles, Memoirs, i. 40.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 27
from Java. Inferior in size only to Borneo and New Extent.
Guinea, it measures more than a thousand miles in
length ', with a breadth of a hundred and forty in some
parts, and of ninety as the average. 2 The surface of Surface.
this extensive country is diversified by deep valleys of
astonishing fertility and spacious levels covered with
forest which lie between the mountain chains. A ridge Mountains.
of primitive formation, geographically connected with
the great Asiatic range 3 runs from end to end, dividing
the island into two regions of different aspect, climate,
and soil. The narrower, which is situated to the west,
is broken by lateral chains descending from the main
and central line, and forming the extended bases of the
five great volcanoes. Immense swamps stretch between, swampy
surrounding elevated points of land, and fed by a copious 1>lains>
flow of water from the hills. On their borders grow woods.
woods where the rank verdure of the tropics hangs from
tree to tree in entangled masses impenetrable by man.
For ages those waste tracts have been abandoned as
incapable of cultivation, and inhabited by miserable Piratical
piratical tribes, like those infesting the muddy creeks haunts -
between Banca and the south-eastern extremity of the
island. 4
Among the mountains, which in many places break Lakes,
into double or treble lines 5 , are extensive lakes pictu-
resquely cradled among rocks and overshadowed by
volcanic peaks. They are fed by perennial springs,
and form the sources of innumerable rivers 6 , which dis- Rivers.
1 Temminck, Coup d'CEil, ii. 2.
2 J. E,. Logan, who makes tlie length 925 miles, Journ. Ind.
Arch. m. 345.
3 Horsfield, Journ. Ind. Arch. ii. 398.
4 Earl, Eastern Seas, 133.
5 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 8.
6 Anderson, Mission to Sumatra, 199.
28
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
General
aspect.
charge themselves along the coast. Of these some are
navigable for frigates at a considerable distance from
the sea *, others bear only native craft, and others
serve alone to bestow graces on the landscapes of this
waterfalls, beautiful country, by showering their streams over the
crests of hills into natural basins of rock. - About one
fifth of the waters of Sumatra fall into the Indian
Ocean, the remainder flowing into the Straits of Ma-
lacca or the Java Sea. 3
Plains. The interior contains spacious alluvial plains; but so
belted by woods that the rivers form the only avenues to
them. 4 Profusely watered from the hills which shut them
in, they yield in the small cultivated tracts the richest
crops of grain, with delicious fruits in profusion. The
mountain peaks are reared high, but not into the region
of snow, so that the vegetation of the table lands is
carried over the hills, to cover the whole island from
shore to shore. The whole of the eastern coast from the
Sunda Straits to Diamond Point is level and woody 5 ;
the northern provinces thence to Achin rise gradually
from the sea to the interior ranges, and present a varied
prospect of forest and cultivated tracts, enlivened at in-
iiarbours. tervals by villages and towns. Numerous harbours and
bays diversify the coast line, with commodious roads for
Climate. shipping, sheltered from all violent winds. The climate
of the island varies with its surface. The low provinces
near the sea are hot, and in many parts pestilential 6 ;
but the temperature decreases and becomes more healthy
as the land ascends, until in the high plains of the in-
1 Temminck, Coup dOSil, ii. 25. 77.
2 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 1 0.
3 J. R. Logan, Sketch of Sumatra, Journ. Tnd. Arch. iii. 34G.
4 Temminck, Coup d'CEil, ii. 79.
5 Horsburgh, Directory, ii. 154.
6 Lind, Essay on Diseases, 79.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 29
terior, the people are compelled to light fires in the
morning and continue them until the sun has ap-
proached his meridian. 1
Three hundred years of intercourse with Sumatra
have not enabled inquirers in Europe to become ac-
quainted with the exact nature of its climate. In the
districts which commerce has rendered familiar, men
attain an extreme old age 2 , but little is known of
the remoter valleys and plains abandoned wholly to the
reign of nature. To reclaim those unproductive wastes,
and clear away the forests which overshadow them,
leaving enough, however, to attract moisture upon the
soil, Sumatra would require a population five-fold Climate,
greater than any that has yet been known to inhabit it.
When it has been subdued by civilisation, and become
populous, its climate will be more genial, as after the
great forests near the sea are felled, the swamps will dry
up. Frost, snow, and hail are unknown in the island,
though a misty fall follows the accumulation of clouds
round the highest peaks of the hills. Thunderstorms Thunder-
are of frequent occurrence, and rage with magnificent
effect, agitating the ground with little less violence than
an earthquake. 3 They serve to purify the atmosphere,
and thus increase the salubrity of the region.
Favoured in its situation and natural facilities for Resources,
commerce, Sumatra abounds in material resources, and
once disputed with Ceylon the title of Taprobane and
the Golden Chersonese. It is not long, indeed, since Connection
the question was disputed 4 , and all claim denied to the
Malta of the Indian ocean. 5 Mount Ophir in Sumatra,
1 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 12.
2 Temminck, Coup dCEil, ii. 81.
3 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 13.
4 See Milford, Essay in As. Res. x. 144. 147-
5 Raffles, History of Java, i. 4.
30
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
however, is supposed by an acute traveller l to derive
its name from the circumstance that the people call their
Mines. gold mines ophirs ; but, had this been true, the reverse
might have been equally probable, and the mines have
been named from the mountain. This part of India, wo
are informed by an old writer, was called by the an-
cients, Sophora, or the Land of Gold. u Be that as it
may, the chief wealth of Sumatra is mineral, and if it
has been deprived of a claim to association with remote
and classical antiquity, it is known to have been the
Happy Isle of the Hindus, named the Isle of Gold 3 ,
from its abundance in this precious product of the earth.
Iron ore also exists, but most plentifully in Menang-
cabao, and the steel wrought in that province excels the
most celebrated manufactures of Europe. 4 The tin of
the island, though esteemed inferior to that of Banca,
which for many years yielded the riches of a miniature
Mexico 5 , is exported largely to India and China, as well
as to the markets of the west. Sulphur, salt-petre,
alum, arsenic, and valuable coloured earths, have been
discovered, as well as anthracite coal, which is very in-
flammable, but emits little heat and developes scarcely
any gas. 6 The island, however, is still incompletely
examined, and science may not yet have reached the
limit of its mineral resources.
Soil. Though the soil is not so generally rich in Sumatra
as in many other islands of the Archipelago, it is pro-
Produce of
gold.
Mineral
produc-
tions.
1 Le Poivrc, Voyages dun Philosophe.
" Josephus, viii. 2. Ceylon was first called Taprobane by Onesi
critus. The multitude of its names is curious. Heeren, Asiatic
Nations, ii. 417.
3 See Roberts, Embassy to the Eastern Courts, 407.
4 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 22.
5 Horsfield, Report, Journ. Ind. Arch. ii. 302.
6 Temminck, Coup dCEil, ii. 83, 84.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 31
tluctive and continually fertilised by the decay of forests,
a process ' observed in many of the islands 2 , and similar
to that which enriches the banks of the Niger. 3 Kice, vegetable
the chief sustenance of so many millions among the in- produc-
habitants of Asia, is grown in every province. 4 Other
grains are produced in less abundance. Camphor of
good but peculiar quality. 5 , cassia, benzoin and aloes;
indigo, gambir, cotton, coffee, sugar, tobacco, silk, pep-
per 6 , cinnamon, cocoa and betel nuts, with salt, turpen-
tine, several rare gums, and magnificent ivory, constitute
materials of trade, besides the edible birds' nests so richly
esteemed by the epicureans of China. In the forests
are discovered teak timber, ebony of rare beauty 7 ; eagle,
iron, and sandal wood, while the jungles afford rattans
nearly equal to those of Malacca. 8
The animal kingdom of Sumatra is large and varied. Animal
Elephants, which added to the pomp of its kings and kin s dom :
were used for conveyance by the people 9 , the tapir, Beasts.
the double-horned rhinoceros, the stag, the Malayan
bear, the wild boar, the buffalo, and the tiger, frequent
its vast forests, while many creatures useful to man have
been domesticated in the populous districts. The mo-
rasses abound with reptiles, and the rivers and sur- Reptiles,
rounding seas are inhabited by swarms of fish, many of Fish,
them of singular species. Birds adorned with the Birds,
splendid plumage distinguishing the winged creation of
the East, live in vast numbers in the woods and jungle. 10
1 Buffon, qu. Rousseau, CEuvres, i. 135.
s Brooke, Journal, " Keppel," i. 19.
3 Thompson and Allen, Niger Expedition, i. 179.
4 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 59.
5 Linschotten, 81.; Dryander, Phil. Trans. Ixxviii. 307.
G Temminck, Coup d'CEil, ii. 65.
7 Flor. Coroman- xlvi. 8 Catesby, i. 95.
9 Forrest, Voyage, 58. 10 Latham, iii. 10. 72.
32
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Fruit
Flowers.
Plants and
herbs.
Population.
Wild tribes.
Many are peculiar to Sumatra, others common to that
island and to Java ; some are of wandering habits, and
a few belong to the family which is scattered over all
the ancient continent, and is found in Europe, Africa,
and in the East, as far as Japan even visiting the re-
moter regions of Australasia. 1 Their rich and brilliant
tints orange, green, rose-red, bright steel-blue and
gold contribute touches of beauty to the landscapes of
the island, harmonising with the gorgeous vegetation of
a Sumatran forest. They feed on insects, reptiles, and
the delicious fruits for which the region is celebrated by
native and European writers " Malaya's nectnr'd man-
gustin," the bread fruit, the pulpy acidulous sala, and
the rich and pleasant rambutan. In the exaggerated
strains of one delighted traveller, Sumatra has been
depicted as an enormous orchard perpetually filled with
the captivating perfume of fruits and flowers. 2
Its flora is, indeed, varied and rich, including many
plants of exquisite fragrance and beauty, the yello\v
tulip, the large asphodel lily, the white nyctanthes, the
pale "harlot of the night," the deep crimson rose of
India, the jessamine, with an infinite multitude of others,
besides many medicinal herbs and shrubs, some of recog-
nised virtue, others solaly selected by the empiricism of
the East, as ingredients in the devices of its prophy-
lactic fraud.
Sumatra has an extraordinary and diversified popu-
lation. There are the wild tribes, a remnant of its
original inhabitants scattered from end to end in se-
cluded communities among the jungly hills. They
bear different names, are found in patches as above
Siak on the Mandan 3 ; dwelling as fishers in the muddy
1 Temminck, Coup cTCEil, ii. 93.
* Anon., qu. Marsden, History, 86.
3 Anderson, Mission to Sumatra, 349.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 33
creeks along the sea, or as mountain nomades and head
hunters in the South. Their aggregate number is about
6000. Physically they resemble the Malays, and are
supposed to be remnants of that stock from which the
whole Malayan race descended. 1 The present Malays Malays."
of Sumatra form, for their numbers, their wealth, their
influence and civilisation, .the most important division
of its inhabitants. They occupy the whole of the wide
middle region, or nearly half the island, with its finest
hills, its most fertile valleys, its most productive mines,
and predominate over all the rest. There are ten other other
races of different habits, characteristics, and localities
hitherto imperfectly known, but extremely interesting
to the ethnographer. Altogether the population of
Sumatra may be estimated at a little above 2,000,000
souls. 2
Of the five divisions into which Sumatra has been Menang-]
divided by its judicious and learned historian 3 , Menang- cabao -
cabao is the principal. It is situated near the centre
of the island, and under the equinoctial line. From Account ofj
the remotest period it has been famous for its soil SjL* P ~>
fertile and rich in minerals, particularly iron 4 , which
contributed much to its prosperity, though counted in a
fantastic theory as one of the two main curses of man-
kind. 6 It forms a plain, shut in by woody ranges,
through which several considerable streams serve as
outlets to the maritime districts. Eleven hundred years its Malayan
after the commencement of the Christian era, this PP ulation -
beautiful province was peopled by an industrious tribe
1 J. R. Logan, Journ. Ind. Arch. ii. 332. 511.
2 Ibid. Hi. 345.365., a full and admirable account.
3 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 35.
4 Raffles, Memoirs, \. 432.
5 Rousseau, De VInegalite, (Euvres, i. 29. corn was the other.
VOL. I. D
34 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
of Malays settled there from a period long anterior to
inquiry. Whence they came, ethnologists have failed
Tradition of to determine. According to one tradition they emi-
their origin. g rate( j f rom Celebes. The people of that island have
ever been among the most adventurous in the East,
extending their enterprise even beyond its borders, con-
structing ships, defending their own shores, and invad-
ing others. Through the force of energy and valour they
exercised a dominant influence among the islanders, and
spread themselves over insular Asia, everywhere taking
root. Native accounts assign to them the first con-
quest and colonisation of the Moluccas. They visited
Achin, it is said, and the neighbouring peninsula, and
then afterwards the state of Menangcabao. The roman-
tic narrative of this transaction is too curious to be un-
noticed, but too slightly supported by evidence to be
accepted. A chief of Celebes, proceeding on a great
expedition to explore the Western countries, took with
him some savages captured in the Spice Islands, with a
number of his own countrymen, who were employed to
hew wood on the banks of a river in Sumatra for the
service of the fleet. Chafing under this bondage the
captives escaped, pushed up the stream, and wandered
among the valleys of the interior, until they passed be-
tween high ridges into the fruitful province of Menang-
cabao ; a name given to the place, according to native
accounts, from a great battle once fought there between
the elephants and tigers. The derivation is probably
Founding of fanciful. There, however, the fugitives settled, and
Menang- founded the prosperous state which afterwards became,
cabao . . . . _,
in its era, one of the greatest in the Archipelago. rom
their original occupation, it is believed by some, the
colonists were named Malaya or Malays from, mala,
to bring, and aya, wood, and since that period the
Bugis of Celebes have looked down with contempt on
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 35
the whole of the alien race. 1 There is a glimmering of
probability in this account, and an assimilation in cha-
racter, appearance, costume, customs, and ideas between
the natives appears to support it. There is, however,
another etymology of their name from Malaya, <c fugi- Question of
tive;" implying that they were outcasts from Java 2 : or j e g j n aay
and this legend, though apparently in contradiction of
the other, really confirms it, so far as it assigns the
foundation of Menangcabao to a colony of wanderers
flying from their parent country. But there are many
circumstances to disturb the idea that it was the primi-
tive cradle of the race. The whole hilly country along
the western coast is assigned as their original seat. 3
But let us accept the tradition without reserve: we
have carried the research only a stage further, and
the birthplace of the Malays is still a fleeting ignis
fatuus, leading us amid unconquerable perplexities in
quest of the cradle of the human race, whether on Caf
or Caucasus, on the elevated plains of Central Asia,
or under the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
Another tradition and there is in the Malay tradi-
tions less of the marvellous than in those of most other
races 4 attributes the first peopling of Sumatra to the
Malays of the opposite peninsula. Probably this was
the way by which the nomades of the continent ori-
ginally gave a population to the whole Archipelago ;
but the settlers in Menangcabao, whencesoever derived,
found the island already occupied by more than one
tribe. In compai'ison with these aboriginal inhabitants, Antiquity '
the Malays are described as a new people 5 ; but though *^ e
1 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 329.
2 Raffles, Memoirs, i. 422.
3 J. R. Logan, Journ. Ind. Arch, ii. 517.
4 Raffles, Memoirs, i. 258.
5 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 35.
D 2
36
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Languages
of Asia.
Rise of the
Malays in
Menang-
cabao.
Their in-
dustry.
this is insisted on with still more boldness by another
historian, who dates them since the Arabian immigra-
tion: the foundation of Menangcabao is assigned by
him to a very ancient era. 1 Certain it is that of what
stock were the original tenants of the soil is a question
left unexplained by the most industrious research. 2
Language affords little aid in the investigation. From
Madagascar to the extreme East one tongue universally
prevails, though broken into innumerable dialects, as well
as modified by the accidents of national character, pro-
gress in the arts, religion, and intercourse with foreigners.
Whatever they were they dwelt in the woods of Su-
matra long before the arrival of the Malays, if these
were not aboriginal also. Like few other nations, they
appear to have no traditions of an autochthonal deriva-
tion among them.
The vigour, energy, and skill of the settlers~enabled
them to consolidate themselves into a powerful commu-
nity. We may suppose them fortunate in the enjoyment
of those advantages which allow Indian states to develope
their strength. Domestic peace gave them leisure for
foreign conquest, and from being the possessors of one
province they became the masters of a country. The
shadow of the empire they founded remained during
seven hundred years. In the fertile land of their first
adoption they erected many towns and villages, con-
tinually enlarged to accommodate their increasing
numbers, and still to be remembered by the remnants
of them yet existing. 3 With the energy of an indus'
trious race they wrought the soil, which yielded abun-
dantly to reward their care. Growing in opulence and
power, they invented many arts of comparative refinc-
1 Raffles, Memoirs, i. 40. 421.
3 Baffles, Memoirs, i. 424.
2 Temminck, Coup dGZil, ii. 6.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 3i
ment, became famous in arms, and opened a flourish-
ing trade with the dwellers on the coast. Over the Their trade,
waters of the finest rivers in the Archipelago l were
carried down the riches of Menangcabao, to be bartered
for the products of the maritime provinces, and probably
also for commodities brought by merchants from other
islands. All authentic accounts of commerce in that
early age, have been lost ; and we depend alone on vague
native relations, indistinctly picturing the history of the
Malayan race in its infancy. From that period, through
a long course of time, we can only trace its progress
with uncertainty through the perplexities of unwritten
tradition, or the still more confusing annals of their
own writers. At length, when an indefinite era had Tbeir pro-
elapsed, we find the Malays the paramount power in s ? ent y-
Sumatra, though only in Menangcabao are they found
as an inland people 2 , and where they enjoyed consider-
able prosperity in agriculture and trade.
The colony, risen to an empire, possessed all the Growth of
resources of opulence and power consistent with its ^j^ 7
half barbarous condition. The enjoyment of a long
peace may be supposed to have fostered the prosperity
of the state 3 : there were no domestic struggles to
harass it within, 110 formidable enemies to threaten it
without. All its energies were concentrated on itself,
and riches and population increased together during
the protracted endurance of tranquillity. The Malays
continued thus to flourish until the population out-
grew the land, and the state became unequal to the
support of its children. Probably the finest tracts
1 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, ii. 372.
* Raffles, Memoirs, i. 29. J. R. Logan contradicts this ; Journ.
Jnd. Arch. ii. 517.
3 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, ii. 372.
D 3
38 THE INDIAN ARCnirELAGO,
only were cultivated ; for while the neighbouring regions
afforded such strong temptations to conquest, a hardy
and ambitious people would care little to till a stubborn
soil at home.
Emigration When this was discovered (I still follow the problem-
atic account), a tribe of men, yielding to what seems
A. D. nee. a natural instinct, elected a leader, embarked in their
rude prahus, and steering towards the nearest shore,
landed at the south-eastern end of the opposite penin-
sula. They chose a position the best for trade and
the worst for agriculture in that country, which it is at
least extraordinary that emigrants from an agricultural
province like Menangcabao would have done. l There,
however, they at once commenced the erection of a
city. The spot thus chosen for colonisation by this
enterprising race was well adapted to the purpose.
Commanding the western entrance of the Archipelago,
its situation for commerce is one of the most advan-
tageous in the Eastern seas, and though itself narrow and
not fruitful, it lay near extensive fertile tracts abound-
Foundingof ing in resources. The new capital of Singhapura,
therefore, erected in a position attractive to commerce,
possessed a territory equal to the support of the colony,
even though it should prosper to a rivalry with the
parent state. The settlers applied themselves vigor-
ously to labour ; fresh swarms of emigrants crossed the
straits from Menangcabao ; and, although the appel-
Nameofthc lation Leeward People was bestowed on them, the
Malays gave the original name of their race to the
whole of that hospitable coast. It naturally retained
it, as the only country almost entirely occupied by the
descendants of this nation. 2 The energy which had
1 J. R. Logan, Journ. Ind. Arch. \\. 518.
8 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, ii. 377.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 39
fostered the prosper! ty of Menangcabao was displayed in
the young colony, and rewarded in its rising fortune. 1
During the passage of these events, the Hindu em- The Hindus
pire established at an unknown date in Java pro- m ava '
bably flourished in the energy of youth. Some native
annals ascribe its foundation to a later period 2 ; but
the opinion, of a cautious and learned historian allows
to Mojopahit a claim to at least so much of anti-
quity 3 , while the worshippers of Bhrama themselves,
first assigning Java as the residence of Vishnu, de-
scribed it to have been colonised during the succeeding Traditions.
era, by kings from Southern India. 4 Whatever the
truth on this unsettled point may have been, there
were certainly powerful sovereigns in the island, who
saw with jealousy the progress of any opulent state in
the vicinity of their dominions. While Singhapura
was under the rule of its earliest kings, continual inva-
sions from Java wasted the shores of the peninsula.
Mojopahit, whose warrants were then as powerful invasions of
as the leaden seal of Rome was formerly over the ^ P eni -
princes of Christendom 5 , claimed supremacy over all
the neighbouring states, and the emigrants from Me-
nangcabao are said to have been among the first to
maintain their independence. 6 They defended reso-
lutely their town and territory ; but frequent erup-
tions destroyed their peace, and at length an irresist-
ible invasion drove them from the province. They Flight of
retreated westward along the coast, and reached a
spot where a river and a convenient shore invited
1 De Barros, Decada, 11. ii. 4.
2 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, ii. 301.
3 Marsden, History of Sumatra.
4 Baffles, History of Java, ii. 78.
6 J. R. Logan, Journ. Ind. Arch. i. 17.
6 Raffles, Memoirs, i. 79.
D 4
40 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
them to settle. Growing in abundance on the hill
which forms the chief natural strength of the situation,
Founding of W as the fruit-bearing; tree Phyllanthus emollica, called
Malacca
Malaka, which gave its name ' to the new city ; said
to be the Yamala of the Hindu 2 records. The change
in locality was by no means disadvantageous. The
harbours is described by old writers 3 as the finest in
those seas, and the surrounding country as the fairest
and most pleasant to the eye 4 ; but it is believed that
the situation of the present is not that of the ancient
town, and that convulsions of the earth have entirely
changed the aspect of the coast 5 , leaving a wild and
rugged sea-border, where the beauty of the landscape
was once only equalled by the bounty of the soil. 6
Traditions^ From this point of time the history of the Malayan
islands * race becomes more certain. In the earlier periods all is
lost in the clouds of fable. Gradually the vast nation
is broken into tribes, and these into families, sprung
from celestial progenitors, while the ocean is indicated
as the mother of the people, suggesting that at one
period they arrived by sea at the coast which they
Uncertainty afterwards inhabited. Menangcabao, however, rests its
of the ques- c i a i m to be considered the original seat of the actual
tion.
Malays, on many circumstances. For ages the Malays
are said to have borne the name of Monacaboa ; probably
1 Newbold, Straits Settlements, i. 108. Malacca was the ancient
name of Malaga, in Spain, and was so called from the excellent salt
fish in which it traded largely. Strabo, 236. : cf. Bochart, 683.
2 Wilford, Asiatic Researches, viii. 302.
3 NieuhofT, Travels (Churchill), ii. 169.
4 Gemelli Careri, Voyage, iv. 258. The apocryphal narrative of
Father Francis is probably as correct as though he had actually
journeyed so far as he pretended. He does not appear to have
invented but compiled.
5 J. R. Logan, Journ. Ind. Arch. ii. 125.
6 Hon. E. Blund^ '1, Journ. Ind. Arch. ii. 731.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 41
a derivation of Menangcabao ; and at a later period
assumed that of the Orang Malayan, or Wandering
People. 1 Another fact is remarkable. In all other
parts of the Archipelago the Malays have invaded the
shores and settled near the sea ; but in Sumatra alone
do we discover them inhabiting an interior province,
encompassed by the highest mountains in the island. 2 ,
Curiosity is reluctant to leave the search after the
birthplace of a race exercising an influence, like that of
the Malays, over the civilisation of the further East.
But an historian is warned from following too far
the traditions hereditary among the islanders, by the
example of others who have lost themselves in endless
deserts of speculation. Fables exhibiting no vestige of Value of.
historical authority involve the early annals of the phicaTre-
Archipelago in that gloom which is propitious to theory searches,
as well as to romance. A Javan colony in Sumatra,
founded at the time when the Malays are said to have
emigrated from Menangcabao, is ascribed to the " de-
scendants of Noah" who came in the ark with forty Tradition of
companions to Palembang, directed by the flight of a the Ark>
bird. Such false and wandering lights disperse none of
the gloom enveloping the early period, but after the
founding of Malacca the train of events is drawn through
a more luminous space in history, though the close de-
tails would little interest an English reader. From Growth of
Menangcabao, from Singhapura, from Malacca, and
from Johore, the islands of Lingan, Tristan, and Borneo
were colonised, though Brune appears to have been
settled as a Malay state before the foundation of the
second Malay city on the peninsula. 3 From these
1 Muller, Bijdragen, 77., qu. Temminck, ii. 9.
2 Temminck, Coup <TGBil, ii. 51. Marsdcn, 36.
3 Chin. Rep. vii. 186. Valentyn, i. 352. Monitenr, i. 164.
Temminck, ii. 176. Logan, Journ. Jnd. Arch. ii. 515.
42
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Dispersion
of the Ma-
lays.
Their settle-
ments.
Religion of
the Malays
Moham-
medanism.
A.D. 1276.
The hea-
then tribes.
Pagan be-
liefs.
places also were colonised all the western kingdoms,
with the provinces of Aru and Kampar in Sumatra. 1
Gradually the Malays, restless and enterprising, spread
themselves more widely, and occupied the borders of
Java, Celebes, the Moluccas, and the islands of the
Sulu Sea. 2
Thus issuing from their populous abodes in Sumatra,
considered though only by some the birthplace of
their name and nation, they have scattered themselves,
like the Pelasgian hordes of antiquity, over the whole
Archipelago, and carrying their energies to all quarters
of the further East, have subdued the more effeminate
and less civilised races. They planted small commercial
states on almost every coast, and assumed the attitude
of conquerors wherever a fertile soil, an abundance of
precious minerals, or a commodious harbour, invited
them to settle. Originally Pagans, they generally em-
braced the faith of Islam soon after it appeared in the
Archipelago. This great event took place towards the
close of the thirteenth century 3 , and inflated with the
pride of intolerance, as well as ambitious of conquest,
the Malays, arrogating the haughty license of usurpa-
tion, became the ruling or military caste. They de-
spised the savages who still clung to gods whom they
themselves had abandoned, and who continued to find in
seas, in woods, in rocks and trees, in the luminaries of
the sky and the elements of the earth, awful divinities
claiming the adoration of man. Standing themselves in
the twilight of truth, they looked with scorn on the
Pagans remaining in the Triphonian darkness of that
heathenism which had previously enveloped their own
minds.
1 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, ii. 376.
2 Raffles, History of Java, i. 82.
3 Cra-wfurd, Indian Archipelago, ii. 375.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 43
They occupied themselves, meanwhile, with the nobler Power of
branches of commerce, filling all posts of honour, and t
crowding every avenue to wealth and fame. Under
the lash of their tyranny, cruel but not yet corrupt, the
aborigines betook themselves to the humbler tillage of
the soil, or a savage independence in the woods, where The savage
they remained shut out from the influences of a nascent '
civilisation ! , and where to this hour they cherish the
dim and shapeless superstitions of their ancestors. 2 The Subjugation
black, woolly-haired race bent helplessly to the yoke of race>
the Malays, who became imperial in the Archipelago. 3
To follow the course of events from the foundation Native an-
of Malacca until the appearance of a European sail in Archipe- 6
these waters, would lead through an intricate labyrinth la s-
of uninteresting details. Conquests, dethronements,
restorations, petty wars, piratical expeditions, and cease-
less oppression of the people, such are the universal
features of purely Asiatic history ; a confused and barren
series of transactions, less meriting a particular narra-
tive than, to borrow a phrase from Milton, the skir-
mishes of kites and crows. They teach few lessons, Teachings
because they belong to a system altogether distinct from history.
our civilisation. All that we learn from them is the
nature of barbarism ; princes becoming rich by their
subjects becoming poor; a great race of slaves originating
in the tyranny of the one, and perpetuated by the
apathy of the other ; oppression exercised as the right
of the strong; obedience yielded as the duty of the
weak ; kings and nobles corrupting their hands by the
plunder of the people"; no policy of state, no laws to
consolidate and preserve society, but a short course of
fortune succeeded by a sure, though a gradual and a long,
1 J. R. Logan, Journ. Ind. Arch. i. 12.
2 Brooke, Journals (Mundy).
3 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, ii. 377.
44
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Early social
aspect of
the islands.
Trade in
remote
times.
Immigra-
tion.
Navigation.
The native
navigators.
The com-
pass.
Intercourse
with China.
decline. It might be lost labour to shape and colour
this moral epic of Asia, yet a picture of the native states
under their social aspects, could it be correctly drawn,
would possess a singular value. The inhabitants of
these islands, in the earlier ages, were not dull, torpid
savages, existing in listless indifference to the gifts with
which nature has enriched their lands. Their adven-
tures in trade and war were daring and extended.
Already from China, Arabia, and Siam, streams of
emigration had begun to flow, as well as from the
countries of Western India, and all over the seas of the
Archipelago roved fleets of fantastic barques, with
cargoes and warlike equipments.
The Indian islanders have been from the remotest
times among the most persevering of uncivilised navi-
gators, although they seldom ventured to push their
voyages beyond the limits of their own ocean. The
Archipelago formed a world to them. Generally the
native mariners, in light and fragile vessels, timidly
crept along familiar waters, with the land always in
sight, guided by tho position of headlands and rocks.
Their prahus, too slender to encounter a storm, could be
run into creeks for shelter, or hauled on shore like the
galleys of ancient Greece. The traders of Celebes,
however, often lost sight of their coasts, and pushed
out on the open seas, directing their course by the
position of the heavenly bodies, and, sometimes, by the
aid of a compass. At what time they learned the
virtues of this, the mariner's unerring and mysterious
guide, is conjectural. It was known by a native name,
but was probably introduced from China, the region
which seems to have held the earliest intercourse with
the Indian Archipelago, and in art and invention, if
not in manners, was far in advance of Europe. 1 The
1 Hora: Sinicee, 3.
ITS HISTORY AND PEESENT STATE. 45
overflow of thnt enormous empire pretending, through settlers
some of its writers,, to an antiquity of 3000 years ' from china>
has, from a remote period, poured into the neighbouring
countries of Insular Asia. If, indeed, we may -credit
the Chinese historians, the date of their first adventures
in the Archipelago at the dawn of the fifth century of
our Christian era. It is related by one of their great Earliest
travellers 2 , that in the year 399 he visited India, Junk J
Ceylon, and the Archipelago, making a sojourn of five
months in Java, where he found a race of Brahmins
and Buddhists, and returned to China in 415. There
is no reason, on account of the date, to refuse belief to
this relation. The intercourse of China with Hin-
dostan itself is certainly of very ancient origin, its very
name being Indian 3 , and the trade between them al-
luded to in the histories of their remotest eras. 4 The
extent of Chinese colonisation and travel, indeed, was Chinese co-
extraordinary when European adventure began to push
into the new world. 5 They voyaged in ships called
" junks" long before the time of Cosmas. 6
When Marco Polo visited the Archipelago at the end Marco
of the thirteenth century, his mind, susceptible of ex- ri al in the
amrerated impressions, was filled with wonder by its ArcM-
pelsgo.
beauty and apparent wealth. 7 Its kings appeared to
, o ni i j *.-*! ^l His fanciful
him monarchs of unequalled splendour; its cities the pic t ur es.
centres of luxury, peopled by myriads of men, and
1 The more sensible Chinese authors disclaim this idea. Martini,
Hist, de la Chine, i. 7. Lettres Edif. xxi. 119. De Guignes, Hist,
des Huns, i. 1 3. Eight hundred years is the utmost claimed by
Tse Ma Tsiene, Acad. des Inscriptions, x. 381388. xv. 506, D.
2 Shi Fa, quot. by Temminck, Coup d'CEil.
3 Vincent, Peripliis, ii. 574, 575.
4 See the llamayana, i. 627. 5 Morrison, Miscellany, 1. 57.
6 Heeren, Asiatic Nations, ii. 425.
7 Marsden's Marco Polo. Bergeron, 130.
46 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
surrounded by all that splendour which dreams of old
Native romance attributed to the potentates of the East. At
ms " that period, however, Java and Ternate were disputing
the supremacy of the Archipelago. The former, in size
The MO- and population, immeasurably surpassed its rival ; but
Ternate attracted emigrants from the greater island,
from Celebes, and from the Malay peninsula. Its pro-
duce of cloves was already prized among the native
Native races as well as the Arabian traders. It became more
states; dis- populous, and while Java was torn by the struggles of
tributionof J ... . J .
power. two religious creeds, enjoyed a prosperity surpassed by
Decline of that ^ no other state in the Archipelago. Meanwhile,
the Hindu the faiths of Buddha and Brahma contended victoriously
crc6(J
with the ancient idolatry of the East, where they have
flourished, except in countries where Islam has been in-
troduced as in those, especially, of the Malay nation. 1
Rise of MO- The followers of Mohammed multiplied with astonishing
hammedan- rapidity. Where the first settlers had established them-
selves is unknown. Few of the native kingdoms possess
the consecutive annals of 150 years, and not many of
half that period 2 , yet twenty chiefs or more contend
its intro- for preeminence in point of antiquity. Whatever region
duction. they first visited they prospered in the Archipelago, and
gradually erected in Java a power which became
formidable to the empire of Mojopahit. There were
numerous converts in Sumatra also at the end of
the thirteenth century. 3 Java, however, which is sepa-
rated from that island by a narrow strait, only emerges
into the light of history towards the close of the twelfth
century. Traditions exist which refer to periods far
more remote, but they cannot be accepted among au-
1 Heeren, Asiatic Nations, ii. 134.
2 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago.
3 Marco Polo. Marsden, Travels, 601.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 47
thentic annals, though through the shadows of romance
we may discern a few suggestions of probable truth.
Long ago, say native accounts, the natives on the bor- strange
ders of the Red Sea, supposed to have been the exiles of ra *
Egypt, detached from their numbers various tribes of
men, who embarked in ships and steered into the Indian
Ocean. They left their own rainless and sandy plains
for a new home under an Indian sky, and sailing far
along the shores of the Asiatic continent,, which then
comprehended the whole Archipelago, they colonised
" the land of Java." They brought with them the
beliefs and the manners of their race. Some adored the The
sun, and some the moon ; others paid veneration to trees ^ s h
or stones, or fire or water. Congregating in vast hordes,
without fixed habitations, they moved from plain to
plain, subsisting on the fruits of the earth, and guided
by the notes of the bird Ulungaga, who was invariably
offered the remains of the feast and the sacrifice. They Their be-
sought omens of good before leaving their encampments, n . efs and
and when the presages were favourable, the whole tribe
was set in motion to search for a new place of rest. 1
In course of time the great pangs of nature rent the Shattering
continent into scattered groups of islands, and volcanic inen e t ? ^
fires burst from beneath the sea, throwing up moun- islands,
tains on the plains, and opening gulfs to swallow broad
tracts of land. After this, the nations of India arrived, Arrival of a
but whether a thousand years before the birth of J n from
Christ, or seventy-five years after, is disputed by the
native historians, or rather the bards of Eastern myth.
For our present purpose the discussion possesses little
importance, since it is certain that a long line of Hindu
princes reigned in Java. The whole tradition, however,
is curious, and seems to throw at least a few sparkles
1 Raffles, History of Java, ii. 70.
48 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
of light into the void of the unrecorded ages. There
is in it, indeed, a palpable confusion of events and eras ;
Probable the mingling of the Mohammedan emigration, which
of "the"? 011 to k P lacc direct from Arabia ! , with that more remote
tales. event, which peopled the Archipelago from the heart
of Asia. 2 May there not be a reference to the efflux
of the Tartar race from its own deserts, upon the
shores of the continent, and at length on the seas of
the Archipejago ? I do not wish to value the idea for
Origin of more than it is worth ; but the superstitions and the
aays> manners of the people described resemble strictly those
Affinity of the Black Tartars. 3 The opinions connected with
Tartarrace j ournevs > with hunting 4 , and songs, with wild rites and
fancies, point to an interesting subject of investigation,
which would not be entirely lost in comparison between
some of the Indian islanders with the Kirghiz Kazaks
of Central Asia 5 , especially in their religious con-
sultation of the stars and other luminaries of heaven.
This is not formularised into a theory, but suggested
as an object of research, as it has already indeed been
treated in a remarkable manner, with reference to the
wild tribes of the peninsula. 6 The immigration from
India, it is said, followed, and the Hindus ruled in
Relics of the Java. They have left the ruins of a thousand temples
Hindu em- as tne me mento of their splendour and power. These
pi re. . .
relics attest that, at whatever time peopled, at what-
ever time abandoned, by the votaries of the Hindu
faith, the island was once subject to their sway.
The evidence of their greatness is engraved on the
1 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, ii. 259.
2 J. R. Logan, Journ. Ind. Arch. i. 10.
3 Claude Visdelou, Hist, de la Tartarie, 293.
4 Erman, Travels, ii. 458.
5 Levchine, Kirghiz Kazaks, 335.
6 Newbold, Straits Settlements, ii. 396.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 49
wrecks of many magnificent structures l , whose noblest Ruins in
use is to preserve the memory of things which have Java<
themselves disappeared. When history fails to light
us through the past, the ruined tombs, temples, and
palaces of former empires remain edifices dedicated to
divinities or kings, while their builders and their tenants,
and the worshippers who thronged them, have passed
away. The commotions of the earth, the convulsions
of civil war, and the tides of invasion have, indeed, in
Java, swept many of them down ; but still some solid
and beautiful structures are erect, and in these crum-
bling memorials, with pillars and colossal sculptures in- Monu-
scribed with the characters of ancient languages, we ments -
O O '
discover traces of the civilisation of a people whose his-
tory is only dimly shadowed forth through the chiaro-
scuro of fragmentary tradition. Such narratives, though
they may assist in revealing what the grass-covered
monuments of time only partially disclose, never pos-
sess the authority incontestable in the temple and the
pyramid.
The Hindu empire, founded in Java, existed in con-
siderable splendour during several ages, and imposed its
authority even on Brune 2 , in the immense island of
Borneo, where it has been affirmed traces of Hindu
architecture still exist to attest the extension of that
religion there. 3 The Mohammedans frequented Java Merchants
for a long period before their faith was established, but, of Islam>
as early as 1391, an attempt was made by two enthu-
siasts to propagate their creed in the more civilised and
populous provinces. 4 Little success was then obtained :
1 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, ii. 196. 298.
2 J. R. Logan, Journ. Ind. Arch. ii. 521.
3 Dalton, Asiatic Researches, n. s. vii. 153.
4 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, ii. 313.
VOL. I. E
50
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Their in-
fluence.
Fall of the
Hindu em-
pire.
A. D. 1478.
Remnant of
the Hindoos.
Progress of
the Arabs.
Their mo-
deration.
gradually, however, the Muslims, bound to the islanders
by cordial ties of intercourse, multiplied converts among
them. With their merchandise they brought their
religious ideas, and associating continually with the
natives, won them from the worship of their ancient
gods. At length their numbers inspired them with the
spirit of ambition. They raised the Prophet's flag in
the island, and disputed its supremacy. The conflict,
vigorous and protracted as it was, ended in the triumph
of Islam. Mojopahit, the most superb city in the
Indian islands, and capital of Java, and the sacred city
of the Hindu religion, fell before their armies in the
1400th year of Salivana. 1 The whole empire then
collapsed, and left a number of independent states, ruled
by chiefs, who soon established principalities, styling
themselves Sultan and Susunan, or " The Worthy of
Worship." From that day the Indian creed declined,
until Bali alone, a small island to the east of Java, held
the last remnant of the followers of the Hindu faith,
with the exception of a few of the Tenghar tribes,
among whom still lingers a vague belief in the as-
cendant religion of India.
The Arabs, vigorous everywhere, were more than
usually energetic in the fertile Indian islands, and oc-
cupying themselves at once with trade and proselyte-
makintr, converted the people, while they exchanged
with them the commodities of different countries. As
the apostles of a superior religion, they established
themselves in the respect of the native races ; but in
the Archipelago, as on the continent, their rites and
tenets 2 were only enforced in a modified form 3 , as by
Akbar, whose religious liberality gained for him honor
1 Raffles, History of Java, ii. 137.
2 Anderson, Mission to Sumatra. 175.
3 Bombay Transactions, ii. 266.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 51
among liberal men, though it compelled him to answer
the cavillings of many fanatics who in their frenzied
zeal would have buried all the East in flames and
slaughter. 1 The same devices were adopted by Xavier
when propagating the gospel in the various countries
of Asia from Persia to Japan. 2 By this politic con- Their po-
cession to inveterate prejudice, the early Mohammedans luy '
acquired, and still hold, a high place in the estimation
of the Malayan race, and many wealthy men of that na-
tion undertook the pilgrimage to Mecca. With them,
as with the original followers of the son of Hashem, a
journey to The Shrine comprehended a visit to the chief
parts of the world, vanity as well as ignorance com-
bining to preserve this belief. The influence of the
Arabs in the Archipelago has in some degree been be-
neficent to the native states. Their restless energy, in-
deed, inclined them often to piracy, and thus aggravated
the evils of a system which early prevailed in those seas ;
but, on the other hand, they have served the people by
protecting their independence. Their conduct may have
been, and probably was, based on notions of simple cal-
culation, but its useful results are undeniable.
The substitution of Mohammedanism for the Hindu Result of
creeds opened a wide approach for civilisation, though,
perhaps, it closed many minds against the influence of conversion.
Christianity. It is far easier to make converts among
races wholly immersed in heathen darkness, than among
men who have received the tenets of a more attractive
faith. 3 The proselyte is too frequently a bigot. Having Difficulty
relinquished one religion, he stands fixed in his new
belief, and cannot easily be persuaded to acknowledge
1 Memoirs of Jchanghire, 15.
2 Fraser, Hist. Nadir Shah, 12, 13.
3 See on this point Cunningham, Hist, of Sikhs, 14.
> E 2
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
that he has exchanged one form of error for another. 1
The diffusion of Mohammedanism in the Archipelago,
and the conversion of the native races, continued with
rapidity ; and, before an European navigator entered
those seas, the religion of the Prophet was established
in some of the principal islands.
The great historical events which occurred in the
Archipelago before an European flag appeared on its
waters were, the growth and dispersion of the Ma-
layan race, the rise and decline of the Hindu empire,
and the introduction of the Muslim faith. The narra-
tive of all these transactions has been carried through
traditions and doubtful accounts. From this point the
history will assume another colour, but a notice of those
events was too necessary to the completeness of the
subject to be confined within closer limits.
1 Pie is satisfied with his faith, as the Brahmin in India is. See
Moorcroft, Travels, \. 118.
ITS HISTO11Y AND PRESENT STATE. 53
CHAPTER. III.
THE dawn of the sixteenth century found Venice hold- Venice at
ing the first rank among commercial powers. The m encemcnt
wealth of India the gold, the gems, the precious of the six -
. & L teenth cen-
stuffs and silks, the gums, the spices, and other costly tury.
products of the East, enriched her beyond all the other
states of Europe. She rose to opulence and splendour
on the same basis that lifted Phoenicia and Egypt to
prosperity, and enabled Carthage to aspire to a rivalry
with the magnificence of Rome. The jealousy of Chris- Her spien-
tendom was excited by her possession of a prize, envied
by all trading nations. But hers was not an artificial
monopoly. Skill, enterprize, knowledge, as well as Jealousy of
the accident of superior position, gave to Venice that
eminence in riches and power, which excited the emula-
tion of Europe. To deprive her of this privilege, and Early enter-
share the commerce of the opulent East, the Spanish pnses<
and Portuguese nations undertook many adventures of
discovery. India was the magnetic land which allured
Columbus to the Bahama Isles, and tempted Vasco
di Gama to encounter the dangers of a passage round
the Cape of Storms.
Europe was then plunged in the deep abyss of Popish state of
. i i -i i Europe.
superstition, but events were ripening which aided in
that memorable revolution in the religious affairs of
Christendom, which more than any other conduced to
the liberty of mankind. A new light, after the long
eclipse of learning, was diffused from Italy by the re-
covery of those splendid and precious jewels of classic
literature, which the poets, historians, and critics of the
South drew forth from the dust where they had decayed,
E 3
54
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Ilcvival of
maritime
enterprise.
A.D. 1492.
Progress of
discovery.
A. D. 1498.
Discovery
of Sumatra.
A. i>. 1506.
Ideas circu-
lated in
Europe.
Ancient
divisions of
the world.
Fanciful
geography.
in secret since the dissolution of the Roman empire.
The discovery of printing, the revival of letters, and a
spirit of inquiry, awakened by those events, promised
to dispel the intellectual darkness hanging over what
was, by comparison, called the civilised world. Enter-
prising men occasionally escaped from the ignorance
which bound down the masses, and undertook voyages
through unexplored wastes of sea in search of the riches
of India. In 1492 the great Genoese navigator dis-
covered the Western world, and acquired for Spain the
commerce of a whole continent. In 1498 Vasco di
Gama rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and Portugal
at once entered with Venice into the rivalry of Eastern
trade. Vessels from the Tagus for the first time sailed
among the Indian islands. Alonzo Talesso, a Portu-
guese navigator, discovered Sumatra in 1506.
These adventures were regarded in Europe as the
achievements of wonderful energy, aided by the especial
favour of heaven. The distant seas of the New World
were then, to the ordinary mariner, dangerous regions
full of mystery. The unknown is at all times invested
with terror. The earth, by the ancients, had been di-
vided into three parts : modern discovery had added a
fourth nearly equal in extent to the whole of them,
though still the immense tracts of Australasia lay hidden
in the unexplored south. In the quarters generally
known, indeed, immense spaces remained shrouded in
their original gloom. Even Ptolemy, the most illustrious
geographer of his age, was frequently deceived, and
fancy painted in fable what was left unexamined by dis-
covery ; for the mind refuses to acknowledge a vacancy,
and fills all unoccupied spaces with creations of its own.
The ancients knew much, but were ignorant of more.
Seas, deserts, and mountains shut them out from large
portions of the earth's surface. Ko astrolabe or com-
ITS HISTORY AND PUESEJNT STATE. 55
pass allowed even the most adventurous to lose sight of
land, and whenever any dismal or perilous shore, or
billowy strait, was caught sight of by the timid mariner,
he hastily shifted his course, and returned to the ordi-
nary tracks of navigation. 1 Some feared to fall within Terrors of
the influence of strange, unvarying winds, which might
carry them over endless seas ; others dreaded currents
too powerful to stem ; and others imagined a region of
perpetual calm, where the ill-fated vessel would be fixed
for ever. Among the nations the conscience of the
timid sailor sought refuge in the sanctuary of religion.
The waves were too mountainous to cross ; therefore it
was impious to struggle with them, and attempt the
passage of a barrier evidently raised by the immortals
against the profane curiosity of man.
To overcome obstacles raised and strengthened by
the superstition of ages, was a great achievement ; and
Portugal, in the zenith of her splendour, acquired not
half so much glory by her conquests as by her disco- Portuguese
veries, and the commerce which followed them. In the
year 1508, the king Emmanuel dispatched a squadron A. i>. isos.
of four ships, under the command of Diego Lopez di Voyage of
Sequeira, to prosecute the discoveries opened by the Sequeira -
earliest navigators round the Cape. Portugal had long
been foremost in the career of discovery ; but pro-
tracted wars had exhausted her resources, Avhen the
triumphs of Diaz, Di Gama, and Albuquerque, allowed
her again to assert her pre-eminent position. The
reign of Emmanuel received its lustre from the hardi-
hood of merchants and naval captains rough, skilful
men, inured to every kind of danger. So much success
stimulated his ambition. Brilliant dreams of an empire Ambition of
in the East haunted his imagination ; and while, in the e ingt
1 See Mariana, Hist. Esp. ii. 22.
E 4
56
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Inquiries
concerning
the East.
Sequeira's
voyage.
Discovers
the Archi-
pelago.
perfumed luxury of a palace, he counted the visionary
gains of his adventure, he dismissed his willing subjects
to face the difficulties, while he reaped the advantages
of discovery and conquest. He constantly inquired
of the traders and travellers from the East, and learned
the nature of its most valuable products. He studied
every chart and map of that region, and observed three
places to which the Indian merchants chiefly resorted
Aden, the key of the Red Sea ; Ormuz, in the Persian.
Gulf; and Malacca, on the Malay peninsula. Their
commodious situation attracted the merchants of China
and all the East. 1 The king resolved to plant a dominant
influence in those quarters, whether by force or intrigue,
with the native princes. Had Columbus lived during
his reign, and placed before his eyes his magnificent
views of discovery, the great navigator would probably
not have had to wander from court to court, offering-
to ignorant and insolent princes the possession of a
continent. Emmanuel engaged in the ambitious en-
terprise, and battles were fought by land and sea,
between the Christian, heathen, and Mohammedan
powers, disputing the supremacy of the Eastern ocean.
In the midst of this confusion of wars, the details of
which are foreign to the design of this narrative, Diego
Lopez de Sequeira entered on his expedition, and com-
menced a voyage to Malacca.
Sailing to the mouth of the Ganges, he there turned
towards the open sea, left the Bay of Bengal, and
steered through a richly-bordered strait into the inte-
rior waters. Entering the confines of the wild and
magnificent Archipelago, the voyagers were struck by
the beautiful appearance of the islands which crowded
on their sight. Strange groups of men collected on
Bedford, Tin Countries, MS. unpublished.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 57
the shores in wondering admiration of their unknown
visitors. Some wore clothes of Avoven bark ; others the Aspect of
long loose robe which prevails in the Archipelago to
the present day ; but all presented in their attire and
general appearance a spectacle different from any which
the Europeans had seen before.
Sequeira was the first Portuguese to land in Su- Lands in
inatra, and survey the varying prospects of this the
golden Chersonese of his national historian. 1 He landed Native com-
rncrcc
first at Pedir 2 , a port on the north-western coast, where
he found trading vessels from Pegu, Bengal, and other
countries. 3 Opening friendly relations with the sove-
reign of the state, he proceeded to Achin, a kingdom
at the Avestern extremity of the island. He left at each
place a pillar, set up ostensibly as a memorial of his
visit, but in reality as a token of discovery, and a
sign of the right it conferred. 4 Thence he steered The straits
across the dangerous Straits of Malacca, among a maze
of shoals and islands some naked spots, mere patches
of tawny dust, surrounded by the blue flow of the sea ;
others, islets of a fresh and lively green, encircled by
margins of sand. 5 Sequeira safely navigated these
channels, perplexed no doubt by the confluence of the
Indian and Chinese oceans, which causes a remarkable
rise of the flood on the neighbouring shores. 6
Accounts of the conduct of the Portuguese, in dif- Reports of
ferent parts of the world, had been received at Malacca atrodties! 6
long before the arrival of this expedition. Mohammed,
an Arabian usurper, now occupied the throne, and he Sequeira
appears to have seen the shadow of his own downfall in Malacca.
the visit of an European. The colony of Malay emi-
1 Maffei, Istorie deW Inde Oriental!, i. 1.
2 Osorio, i. 368. 3 Marsdcn, 325.
4 Marsden, Sumatra, 326. 5 Sir Edward Belcher.
6 Mundy, i. 13.
58
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
State of the
Malay em-
pire.
Audience
with the
king.
Prospect of
pleasant in-
tercourse.
Jealousy of
the Arabs.
Libels on
the Portu-
guese.
grants, if such was the true history of its foundation
had risen to distinction among the states of the
further East. Malacca, situated on the great highway
of Indian commerce, had become a city of considerable
size, with a population estimated by native writers at
190,000 souls. Its condition was flourishing, and it
formed the political capital of almost the entire penin-
sula, as well as the islands scattered along its coast. 1
Hieromas Taxeria, chosen by king Emmanuel as his
ambassador to the sovereign of Malacca, immediately
landed with a small retinue. The chiefs of the country
came out to meet him, leading an elephant superbly
trapped to bear him to the hall of audience. Mounted
on the colossal beast, the envoy entered with pomp and
glitter into the city, was conducted to the palace, and
presented his master's letter, with the rich presents
which accompanied it. Emmanuel claimed friendship
and the free trade of the state. The king of Malacca,
flattered by an embassy from a potent sovereign of
Europe, received his visitor with lofty courtesy, and
mutual oaths of amity were sworn. But this happy
dawn of intercourse was soon darkened through the
jealousy of the Arabian trader?, whose hatred of the
Portuguese, as Christians, was only equalled by their
envy of the flourishing trade carried on by that nation.
They fancied themselves lords of the oriental seas, and
holding a common faith with the king of Malacca,
easily seduced him from his covenant.
They infected the ideas of the people, and, through
the governor of the city, poured malicious slanders into
the ear of the prince. A thousand crimes were attri-
buted to the Portuguese. They came from the furthest
West, where they were renowned as a race of cruel
Newbold, British Settlements in the Straits of Malacca, i. 122.
ITS HISTORY AND PilESENT STATE. 59
pirates, tyrannical beyond imagination, and born to ruin
the kings of the East ; they everywhere sought, by the
mischievous means of alliances, to obtain permission
to erect fortresses and ravisli the independence of the
people, as they had done at Cochin, at Cananor, at
Ormuz, and Sofala. 1 Such and similar to these were
the insinuations that circulated through Malacca, and
the advice of the merchants to Mohammed was by any
device to defeat the designs of these treacherous allies.
The king imagined a scheme to overreach his visitors. Treachery
A plot was concerted to seize the Christians and capture
their ships. The religion of the Muslim allowed him to
break an oath favourable to the natural enemies of his
faith, and the intrigue against the Portuguese was
speedily worked into a definite form. Sequeira and Plot against
his chief officers were invited to a banquet. A party of gueset
them was conducted to a building near the shore, and
ushered into a spacious and lofty hall, with a gallery
curiously constructed and hung with rich tapestry.
The commander had not yet quitted his ship, but
hesitated to send a refusal which might be laid to the
account of fear. Some friendly tongue informed him The plot
of the meditated treachery the slaughter of his \vhole f;llls '
company as they enjoyed the repast, by a band of
armed men. Yet he would not discover his knowledge,
and feigned illness, excusing himself on that score.
Mohammed then conceived a second and a more artful Second con-
scheme. It was the law of Malacca that the trader first
entering the port should be first supplied with a cargo
for his ship, and all others in just succession. The
Portuguese, as the last arrivals, would have been long
detained for their lading, but Mohammed, affecting great
respect for his guest, promised to lay aside the strict
1 Maffei, Istorie deW Tnde, i. 266.
60 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
regulations of his kingdom and load their ships with
spices before the due time. The plan was to be car-
ried out with extreme diligence and care, lest other
merchants should envy the privileged strangers from
the West. He proposed that the Portuguese should
enter different harbours with their vessels, where suffi-
cient supplies should privately be collected for them.
Sequeira affected great delight, rapturously thanked
the prince for his kindness, and resolved to be watchful,
while concealing the suspicions which had been roused
in his breast.
Plan for the Mohammed prepared a multitude of soldiers and pra-
tfo^Portu- nus to ^ e m wa ^ an d attack the Portuguese when the
guese. proper moment had arrived. A Javan chief, who pro-
fessed warm friendship for the Europeans, engaged to
visit Sequeira, and going on board his vessel, under
pretext of seeking a friendly interview, to stab him
during the conversation. His guard should remain on
deck and attack the crew on a given signal. Numerous
soldiers were to board the vessel, and arrangements
were made to cut off all the Portuguese in the town
and harbour. Some merchants were engaged to visit
the different officers, and hold them in parley, while
the men-at-arms collected and the plot approached its
catastrophe. The plan was laid with deep deliberation.
Had it been followed with equal exactness the con-
spiracy would perhaps have succeeded to the extent of
its purpose. None was to commence action, not a blow
was to be struck, not a sword drawn until a column of
smoke was observed to curl up from the peak of a
certain hill. On that signal, the troops would pour
down upon the beach to attack the half-deserted ships;
armed prahus would be set afloat in all directions, and
each man, on land and sea, was to work to the utmost of
his ability towards the extermination of the Christians.
ITS HISTOEY AND PRESENT STATE. 61
The plot closed round the Portuguese. Sequeira
was animated by a keen desire to trophy before the
court of king Emmanuel some of the rich spoils of the
East, won whether in trade or war. Possibly he forgot
his caution in the enthusiasm of his avarice. He dis-
patched part of his company to the indicated ports, and
on board his own vessel awaited their return to Ma-
lacca, whiling away the interval by a game of chess.
The Javan chief came on board to salute his friend.
Sequeira rose to receive him, but the barbarian pressed
him back to his play, and feigned great curiosity to
know the difference between the Portuguese and the
Indian fashion of chess. The commander resumed his
seat, while the chief, awaiting the signal, engaged his
attention by numerous questions. Patiac, the Javan Conduct of
conspirator, possessed the brazen countenance necessary
to mask a plot of this nefarious character; but his
mind was fiercely agitated by the delight of an antici-
pated triumph over the enemies of his race and his
religion. He could ill conceal his eagerness. He rose
O O
and reseated himself again and again ; he put his hand
to the hilt of his sword, and more than once unsheathed
the blade. Yet, though impatient of the moment, he
was too deeply bent on the accomplishment of his pro-
ject to suffer an ill-timed enthusiasm to endanger its
success. His followers were not equally prudent. The its prema-
disguised merchants, with the troops in ambush, broke
cover and fell upon the Portuguese before the signal
fire was kindled. Several men were killed before the
alarm spread as far as the admiral's cabin.
Sequeira received a sudden warning of his danger. The ror-
The news was brought to him that his followers had
been cut to pieces in the city, and that treason was at
work in the ships. He caught up his sword, called on
his attendants to follow him, and ran to the deck.
G2
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Return to
Europe.
Alarm of
the Malays
in Malacca.
There a small rank was formed, and they charged to
and fro, driving their enemies over the bulwarks, and
resisting the entrance of crowds who now endeavoured
to invade the ship. The massacre was arrested, the
Malays were beaten out of the vessel, and succour was
dispatched to those on shore.
At that moment a column of smoke ascended from
the hill, and on all sides flotillas of armed prahus,
thronged with men, pressed closely round the vessels.
They were low, cumbrously built craft, and became so
wedged, that their movements were awkward and slow.
From the position of his ships, Sequeira could not
readily make use of his great guns. He ordered the
cables to be cut, sailed through the crowded masses,
gained the entrance of the port, and then opened such
a fire upon the Malay prahus, that at full speed, in the
utmost confusion, they sought shelter from the storm.
When they were dispersed, Sequeira boldly re-entered
the harbour to rescue his men, neglecting not to inform
Mohammed and his chiefs that speedy punishment
should follow their dishonourable act. Then collecting
as many of his company as he was able to find, he set
sail with a favourable wind, and, capturing by the way
some laden prahus, entered on his homeward voyage. 1
The Mohammedan ruler of Malacca, by a faithless
conduct towards the first Portuguese who visited his
territory, had now justified an attack upon his shores.
He had opened the gates of the Archipelago to Eu-
ropean conquest, which speedily flowed through, and
from that day continued unceasingly to spread over the
regions of the further East. The native annals repre-
sent the transaction in a different light ; but their ob-
vious incorrectness throws no doubt on the accounts of
1 Maffei, Istoria dell 1 Inde Oriental!, i. 272.
ITS HISTOEY AND PRESENT STATE. 63
our own historians. The Portuguese, they say, came Native ac-
from the Philippines, which were not discovered till a the trans ,
later date, and, by the old device of a bullock's skin action,
divided into thongs, procured ground for the site of a
port, conveyed cannon on shore, concealed in barrels,
overreached the king, and conquered his territory. 1
This version of the tale is evidently fabulous ; but there
is perhaps, in reference to some other event, a basis for
the tradition. Where the European narratives leave a
void, European writers fill it up from the native his-
tories ; but if we use these at all, it is unjust to select
from them only what is flattering to our national vanity.
There are passages in them, translated with great care
by learned writers 2 in our own language, whose accu-
racy stands the test of comparison with every other
relation.
When the Portuguese had escaped, Mohammed of rrepara-
Malacca foresaw that their return to Lisbon would be Jj^w*
the signal to summon an armament to punish his act of
treachery. He knew enough of Europe to fear the
retaliation of one among its most considerable powers,
and was consequently not astonished, if greatly alarmed,
when the sails of Albuquerque's fleet, in 1511, appeared A. i\ 1511.
in the Straits of Malacca. The threat of Sequeira was
not an idle vaunt. The renowned viceroy of Portugal
was then in the meridian of his success. Goa, the Aibuquer-
centre of wealth in the new world, had fallen into his que
possession, and thence he proposed a crusade against all
the free chiefs of the East. The fertile regions of the
Indian Archipelago famous for spices and gold at-
tracted his desires, and he fitted out an expedition for
the Straits of Malacca. Meanwhile the government of
Portugal took up arms to avenge the injurious usage
1 Raffle?, Memoirs, i. 35. 2 Mavsden, Crawford, Ruffles.
64
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Second
Portuguese
expedition.
Design of
conquering
Malacca.
Albuquer-
que's voy-
age.
Prepara-
tions for
defending
Malacca.
of its envoy, and a fleet was equipped in 1510, under
the command of Diego Mendez, who was directed to
establish the influence, if not the actual authority, of
Portugal on the Malay peninsula, as the emporium of
insular Asia. He sailed to the coast of Malabar, and
there met Albuquerque, who, whether through jealousy
or prudence, would not allow the little squadron to
proceed. In the following year, at the end of May, the
viceroy himself sailed from Cochin with nineteen ships
and 1400 men.
On the way he touched at Pedir, where he found
some Portuguese who had seized a boat at Malacca,
put off secretly, crossed the strait under cover of night,
and arrived by an unfrequented route at Passe, whose
people killed one, and inhospitably treated the rest.
They then fled to Pedir, where their welcome was kind
and generous. Albuquerque refused to punish the
chief of Passe, but renewed the treaty of Sequeira
at this port, whence he sailed to Achin, and there also
rati6ed the convention. After settling these affairs he
set sail for the peninsula, and during the passage of
the straits encountered some native prahus. A des-
perate and dubious engagement took place, and the
action was at length ended by a compromise. On
board one of the country boats was a chief, who said
his name was Jeinal, that he was lawful king of Passe,
driven from his throne by an usurper, and proceeding
to Java, where his relations were princes, and would
aid his cause. Albuquerque promised him assistance,
but Jeinal never claimed it, considering it probably as
a dangerous boon.
The report of the viceroy's arrival had already reached
Malacca. Mohammed industriously made preparations
for the defence of his city. From an old and implac-
able enemy of the Portuguese he received a present of
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 65
one great gun, while he himself already possessed nu-
merous pieces of small ordnance. The manufacture of
these destructive engines was widely known in the
East; almost the first knowledge communicated by
civilisation to barbarians is the art of fabricating the
instruments of war. Mohammed was then expecting
the invasion of a great army from Siam ; but being re-
inforced by the alliance of a neighbouring state, pre-
pared with numerous troops to resist the forces of Albu-
querque. His ally, the prince of Panay, was also his
son-in-law, and the marriage was now in celebration at
Malacca. A vast car or wooden house, rolling on Marriage
thirty wheels, had been constructed, and adorned with tte ^
embroidered cloths. Seated on this machine, the
bridal pair, with the chiefs of highest rank, paraded
the town amid songs, dances, feasts, and all the extra-
vagances of barbarian revelry.
During these festivities, Albuquerque arrived with
his squadron on the first of July, and cast anchor before
Malacca. Some merchant barks lying off the town,
endeavoured to escape ; but the admiral ordered them
to be surrounded, and had their captains brought into
his presence. He told them to have no fear, as he had
come only with views of peace. He would, he said, by
negotiation or by force, restore to liberty the Portu-
guese imprisoned in Malacca ; but should only require
atonement at the hands of those who had offended.
Tranquil spectators should be safe from harm. Many
conciliatory speeches were addressed to the traders with
a hope that all would end amicably.
On the next day, the king assumed the attitude of Negotia-
perfect innocence, and sent to know what merchandise
the Portuguese had brought to sell, as well as with
what commodities they desired to load their ships. The
answer of Albuquerque was peremptory. He came, he
VOL. i. - r
66 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
said, not at present for commerce, but to liberate his
imprisoned countrymen, and when this was accom-
plished, it would be proper to think of trade. The
Mohammedan tyrant, it is said, was implacable in his
sanguinary design. He sought to gain time by tem-
porising, and hastened to gather his forces on land, and
his fleets by sea, to attack and destroy the Portuguese
within the harbour. To succeed in this, a long delay
was necessary. The prisoners, he answered, had broken
their fetters and fled ; but he would recapture and de-
liver them up. Albuquerque was perplexed. He was
eager to punish Mohammed ; but more eager to regain
his countrymen, some of whom were especially dear to
him. By listening to the excuses of the king, he might
destroy the chance of setting them free ; by employing
immediate force, he might expose them to the cruel
fury of a desperate savage. But the captives, hearing
of Albuquerque's arrival, contrived means to communi-
cate with him, and determined his resolution. He pre-
pared with fire and sword to accomplish the purpose of
his voyage.
According to one modern writer on the Archipelago 1
Mohammed agreed to the liberation of the Portuguese,
when the admiral made an additional demand on him
for a sum of money to pay the expenses of his own
expedition and that of Sequeira, with ground for the
erection of a fortress. Rejecting these demands, the
king continued to prepare his city for defence.
The city Two hundred men landed from the ships, approached
the town, and cast into it flaming brands, which kindled
the combustible materials composing the poorer class
of houses. Favoured by a lively breeze, the fire
sprang up and spread widely through the city. Several
1 Crawfurd, ii. 397.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 67
storehouses, piled with costly merchandise, were burned,
and the populace, terrified by the prospect of utter
ruin, flocked to the palace, demanding the consent of
Mohammed to the Portuguese claims. Fear induced submission
him to submit, and he sent down the captives. Albu- of tbe king -
querque then gave the people leave to arrest the confla-
gration as best they might. When, however, the king
proposed to bind himself to faith by a solemn treaty,
the viceroy replied by proposing more haughty terms.
That a particular spot in the city should be assigned to stipulations
him, for the erection of an edifice sufficiently strong to
protect the Portuguese factors from the elements and
from the people ; that the king should restore or pay
for all he had taken from Sequeira, and defray the
expense of the present expedition, which had been set
on foot to punish his treachery. Should these con-
ditions be rejected, his envoy, he said, had no more to
do than to return to the vessels.
The king assembled his counsellors. Fear and anger
divided their opinions. Some declared submission to
be the only safe course; others demanded orders to
attack the insolent strangers. Two young princes, one They are
of Panay, the other, Aladdin of Johore, led the ranks rej ' ccted -
of the war party, which prevailed, somewhat against
the king's will, and an answer was sent to Albu-
querque. He resolved to attack the city on the
morrow.
Malacca was well situated for defence. A tidal river strength of
of considerable size divided it into two sections, con- Mala cca.
nected by a strong bridge. Neither walls nor ditches T
* n . Defences.
surrounded the masses of leaf-thatched habitations ; but
the king disposed in confused array many bodies of
troops to guard the most accessible approaches. Various
places were fortified by wooden towers, mounted with
cannon. The two young chiefs who had been most
68
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Treachery
of a native
chief.
Second as-
sault of Ma-
lacca.
clamorous for war, were placed in command of an ele-
phant troop to harass the besiegers, and relieve the
more distressed points. The Rajah Utimutis, a Java-
nese chief in the service of Malacca, held a command ;
but while he feigned to aid with all his energies the
plans of the Mohammedan king, carried on secret nego-
tiations with the Portuguese. Probably he considered
them sure of success, and prepared to avert from himself
the fate hanging over all who were faithful to the native
prince. Albuquerque received with joy intelligence of
this accession to his chances of success. He knew well
that the treachery of a professed friend is more dan-
gerous than the addition of a thousand open enemies to
the hostile camp. Reconnoitring Malacca with his
practised military eye, he saw that the main point of
attack was the bridge the most formidable position
along the whole line of defence. To occupy it, was to
cut off all communication between the two sections of
the town, and divide the forces of the king.
On the festival day of St. Jacques, the Portuguese
filled the air with shouts of their patron's name, and
advanced to the assault under a storm of bullets. The
rude ordnance of the enemy maintained a continual
succession of vollies while the troops were landed. But
accustomed to war, and especially to bear arms in boats
from a fleet to a beach, they pushed on to ^ the attack
with the tempered ardour of veterans. Jean Lima
commanded the force appointed to storm the royal
quarter of the city. Albuquerque undertook to cap-
ture the stronger and more populous division, mainly
defended by the bridge. The bridge was to be a point
of juncture for the troops.
Marching along the banks of the river, as far as the
suburbs, the admiral led his troops to the assault. On
all sides, masses of armed men attempted to deny a
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 69
passage ; but the Europeans broke their ranks, and
quickly made themselves masters of the bridge. On
the other side, the king and the prince of Panay, with
their forces, offered a courageous front. Mohammed,
mounted on an elephant, and followed by a troop of the
unwieldy brutes, fell upon the rear. The Portuguese
allowed them to rush wildly between their columns, and
then attacked them with spears. The ponderous cavalry
lost all order. They fled in confusion. They trampled Battle with
down the masses still pressing from the rear to sustain the king ' s
r P army.
the city's defence. The king's elephant was first
wounded. It fell, and its rider was thrown. De Lima
now pushed into the fray, threw his whole strength
into one charge, and endeavoured to cut a passage into
the streets. The enemy, massed on the left bank of the
stream, was driven towards the bridge. There Albu-
querque was resting on his arms. All was lost in that
direction; and Mohammed, desperately wounded, with-
drew his forces into the interior of the city. 1
The struggle had been bloody and protracted. The pause in
Portuguese had gained considerable advantage ; but the the confllct
admiral, too weary to complete his success, retired to the
fleet. He proposed to renew the attack when his plans
were more mature. The king interpreted this move-
ment into timidity; though, while consoling his mind
with the welcome idea, he would not allow it to seduce
him into inactivity. Trenches were opened across the
streets ; all the approaches especially those leading to
the palace and the Prophet's temple were planted
thickly with poisoned spikes. The guards were doubled
at every point, and numerous bodies of troops were
posted in the dangerous avenues. Under a part of the
main street long mines were run, to be blown up,
1 See Pennant, India extra Gangcrn, iii. 26.
F 3
70 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
should the assailants penetrate so far. Mohammed was
little versed in the arts of European warfare. He
dreamed of repulsing the enemy altogether, and driving
them from the straits. Albuquerque would not risk
this result by an immediate renewal of the attack ; but
prepared for it with deliberate prudence. When all
his plans were mature, the assault was ordered.
Third at- ^ ie scanty force of Europeans and Malabars was dis-
tack. tributed into two divisions which advanced along either
bank of the river. They found the people of Malacca
little dispirited by their recent defeat and crowding all the
avenues to the city. Their numbers inspired them with
courage, and their resolution was inflamed by a religious
zeal. Every inch was contested. Whole ranks were
hewn down, but thousands pressed from the rear to
Fierce supply the places of the fallen. Nevertheless, the valour
tle- of Albuquerque's troops prevailed. The front of the
barbarian force was broken, and they fell back in
tumult on the town. As their closely wedged masses
retreated the invaders pressed on, passed line after line
of defences, stormed the bridge, and entered the principal
The Malays street. There an entrenched position was held by the
routed. . . T i i />
main force ot the garrison. It was carried in the race
of a furious resistance. Still the victory was not com-
plete, and Albuquerque, retiring to the bridge, fortified
himself, and sent detachments to scour the streets and
cut off the people. 1
Massacre of The buttle was changed into a massacre. A great
habitants slaughter took place. The dead were piled in every
footway. Mohammed abandoned his palace, fled, and
left Malacca to be plundered for three days. Vast
wealth was found in the treasuries. If the Portuguese
The city
pillaged. accounts deserve belief, two hundred thousand crusa-
^ Maflci, Inde Orientale, i. 355.
ITS II1STOIIY AXD 1'iii.SE^T STATE. 71
does of gold, the royal share of the booty formed
only a fifth part of the prize. Spices were discovered Booty.
in profusion, and these commodities then so richly
esteemed in Europe were more valuable to their
captors than gold or gems. The victory of Malacca
established the superiority of European arms, for it was
accomplished by a force totally insignificant in com-
parison with the numbers of the besieged, estimated
at thirty thousand. 1 The Malaccans indeed possessed Native war-
ordnance, but these engines, in the hands of unskilful aie<
races, are less effective than their primitive instruments
of war. The sound and flash of artillery inspire them
with the idea of a defence altogether unreal. Behind
the smoke of great guns they depend on their ineffectual
thunder and give way when the war is carried up to the
cannon's mouth ; but, engaged in close contest with the Value of
aid of rude but familiar weapons, they know, at least,
their relation to the enemy, and fight or fly according
to their actual force. Generally the first struggle of a
civilised with a savage force is the easiest. The reason
o
may be that the European is more confident of success
against a contemptible foe, and the barbarian more fear-
ful of a strange enemy, whom he invests with attributes
which experience does not prove him to possess.
Mohammed, driven from his capital, gathered the Expulsion
remnants of the army and retreated to the banks of the
Muara, a few miles from the town. There he com-
menced the fortification of a camp ; but Albuquerque
immediately led a division of his forces to the spot,
attacked the king's entrenchments, drove him over the
river, captured his elephant train, and acquired a valu-
able booty. Malacca was thus a conquered city, and
the Portuguese flag was for the first time hoisted in the hoi"tcdfn
Indian Archipelago. 2 the Archi *
pelago.
1 Crawfurd, ii. 397. 2 Ibid. ii. 400.
f . F 4
72
THE INDIAN AUCIIirELAGO,
Position
and extent.
The Malay The Malayan Peninsula entered early within the
Peninsula. . . ~ . . -,,-, . i
circle or the narrative, and claimed a notice as the theatre
of events more than three centuries anterior to its con-
quest by the viceroy of Portugal. But as the cradle
and capital of the Portuguese empire in the further
East, it deserves more particular attention. It will
therefore be necessary to occupy ourselves briefly with a
general view of the region and its natural resources.
From the southern extremity of continental Asia the
Malayan Peninsula stretches to the south-east, a length
of four hundred and fifty miles. It is connected with
the mainland by the Isthmus of Kraw ninety-seven
miles across at the neck. 1 Thence to the head, the
breadth of the region varies from fifty to a hundred and
Mountains, fifty miles. The great mountain chain of India, which
terminates one of its branches in Ceylon, sends another
across Arracan and Pegu down the whole length of the
Malayan Peninsula, and along Sumatra, as far as the
islands of Banca and Biliton, where it may be con-
sidered to disappear. 2 As it approaches the equator
this vast range diminishes in height, from 6,000 feet,
above Quedah, to less than 3,000 in the provinces of
Rumbowe and Johore. 3 On each side of the ridge the
land undulates down to the sea. Extensive forests for
the most part cover the interior tracts with shade.
Plains. Small grassy plains intervene, in positions where the
1 Forrest.
2 Dr. llorsfield. See Bland, Journ. As. Society of Bengal, v.
575.
3 Newbold, i. 402. Mount Ophir, a detached mountain thirty
or forty or fifty miles east of Malacca, was roughly measured by
the well-informed Mr. Newbold, who calculated its height at 5,693
feet. Gold dust is found abundantly near its base, which at an
early period gave it the name Ophir, and later suggested it as the
source of Solomon's wealth.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 73
drainage of the more elevated region passes them and Abundant
settles in the narrow level valleys, which intersect the
hills. Profuse moisture charges the atmosphere and
the soil, encouraging a rank vegetation, which mantles
over the whole surface of the country. 1
Many capacious lakes have been formed by the accu- Lakes,
mulation of water in hollows, on the course of rivers. 3^^
The copious springs which break from the earth in all
directions, continually overflow their basins and dis-
charge the superfluous tribute of the hills into deeply-
worn channels, descending on either side of the central
range. The countless rills and rivulets thus formed
play down the sides of the mountains, until attaining a
gradual slope, they ally their volume and flow in large
streams into the China Sea on the east, or the Straits
of Malacca, and the Indian Ocean on the west. Their
swampy banks are covered with mangrove, nipah, and
nibong trees, which flourish in most of the islands in
similar situations. The nibong and nipah are palmites Vegetation.
the ready materials with which the natives form the
corner posts and flooring of their dwellings. From their
tough, straight, and elastic stems are made bows and Palms,
spears ; the leaves are used for thatch ; from the trunk is
extracted a sweet drink, and the leaf-like sheath which
envelopes the fruit is in common use in the Straits as a
vessel for carrying water. 2 In the depths of the woody Savage
region wander tribes of men, in different stages of
the savage life, whose traditions trace them to various
CJ *
origins. 3
In the forests of the north dwell the Semang and the
1 Newbold, i. 400. 2 Ibid. i. 443.
3 An admirable account of the wild tribes of the Peninsula, by
the Rev. P. Favre, apostolic missionary at Malacca, was commu-
nicated to the Journ. Ind. Arch, by the Hon. Lieut.-Col. Butter-
worth, C. B.
74
THE INDIAN ABCHIPELAGO,
Condition
of the hea-
thens of the
Peninsula.
Wild re-
ligious be-
liefs.
Various
tribes.
Udai ; in the south five tribes of aborigines, and on the
shores and islets, thellayetLaut, or "subjects of the sea." 1
These are Ichthyophagi, holding themselves apart from
the Malays, and clinging with the obstinacy of ignorance
to their traditional customs. .The wild inhabitants of
the interior subsist chiefly on the flesh of wild beasts, or
the seeds of wild grapes and fruit. In their dark minds
glimmer ideas of a God, and their humble veneration
is paid to him through the most splendid of hid works,
the sun. The presence of spirits, controlling with bane-
ful influence the actions of men, is acknowledged, and
among some tribes particular persons are believed to
possess the power of enforcing by magical spells the
service of these malignant beings. Wild customs and
strange modes of life prevail among them, though in
their barbarian rudeness traces of a fine humanity are
discovered. In their huts, raised on tall posts, and
reached by means of ladders, signs of comfort are visible.
In their uncouth ceremonies some delicacy is apparent,
and in their veneration for the dead, and their fear of
the great powers of heaven, we discover indications of
a temperament not hardened against the influences of
true civilisation. 2 Like many wild people, and espe-
cially the Black Tartars of Central Asia, they dread
thunder, and pause in the prosecution of an enterprise,
as though checked by the angry voice of the deity. 3
The Samsams, the Siamese, the Bugis, the Malays, and
many other settlers occupy the shores and the cultivated
1 Raffles divides them into the Orang Semang, or people of the
hills, and Orang Binua, of the plains, deriving Binua from the
Arabic J3eni. Memoirs, 33. *
2 The credulous traveller who described them ns cannibals
dwelling in the tops of trees, probably confounded them with the
orang-outang. Sonnerat, ii. 102.
3 Newbold. Claude Visdelou, i. 420.
ITS HISTORY AND PllESEXT STATE. 75
tracts of the Peninsula, distinguishing themselves by
their industry and application to trade and agriculture.
In navigation they are rivalled by the Rayet Laut,
expert divers and fishers, who construct boats, make The sea
long voyages, erect temporary villages on the coasts, p
and collect articles of trade, which they barter with the
Malays. Though refusing to associate their fortunes
with those of this conquering race, they have derived Barter with
from them their language, and some of them have ex- the Mala >' s -
changed their ancient ideas of religion for the faith of
the Prophet. 1
The resources of the Malay Peninsula, which have Resources
attracted to it the representatives of many races, are in
great part mineral. 2 Tin is its most important, be-
cause its most plentiful metallic product. This metal, Minerals.
wherever found, has in general a limited geographical
distribution 3 ; but in the Indian Archipelago occupies
a wider range than in any other region. Wherever it Tin.
exists, it is in great abundance 4 , and the ore of the
Malay Peninsula is remarkably pure. Great Britain
possesses productive mines, but not sufficient to her
wants ; and 700 tons are annually imported from Banca
and the neighbouring countries. 5 From them also the
markets of China and Hindustan, with many in Europe,
are supplied. The importations into Holland are con-
siderable, and affect the tin trade of Great Britain. 6
1 See a most valuable account of the Binua of Johore, Journ.
Ind. Arch. \. 242.
2 Coal has been discovered, and Captain Congalton has admirably
described his search for it. Congalton, Journ. Ind. Arch. \. 253.
The finest account of the geology is in vol. ii. p. 83.
3 Crawford, iii. 450.
4 Bedford, Description of the Tin Countries, unpublished MS. 4.
5 Dr. Lardner, Cabinet Cyclopcedia, No. 54.
6 M'Culloch, Dictionary of Commerce.
76
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Gold.
Iron.
Silver.
Vegetable
produc-
tions.
The gold mines which, in the idea of some writers 1 ,
still suggest the Malay Peninsula as the Aurea Cher-
sonesus of antiquity, produce annually to the amount
of 19,000 ounces. This quantity is probably little
more than the voluntary tribute of the earth, washed
down by streams, or deposited near the surface in the
neighbourhood of other metals. An accurate know-
ledge of the country would perhaps discover treasures
entitling it to the epithet still claimed for it by some
modern geographers. 2 Iron mines are known to exist,
but have never been well developed. The beautiful
and delicate metal so richly prized among the costly
ministers to luxury, is not found ; but the name of one
of the native states 3 , translated from the Malayan
original, is Silver; and an historian 4 conjectures it to
be the Argusa, or silver land of Ptolemy. A later
writer suggests that the inferior but useful metal tin,
may at first have been mistaken for silver, and given
that appellation to the spot, which retained it as a tra-
dition. 5 Men are averse from removing the names, as
well as the landmarks of their ancestors, and preserve
them long after they have lost their signification, and
dwindled into empty sound. 6
The wild and the true nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves,
pepper, camphor, dammar, indigo, gambir; cotton,
coffee, sugar, sago, rice, and tobacco, are produced on
the Peninsula in abundance, proportionate to the in-
1 Newbold, i. 430. Gold of Malacca. See Westerhout, Journ.
Ind. Arch. ii. 171.
2 It is mentioned as the Sopbora, or Land of Gold, by Josephus,
lib. viii. c. ii.
3 Perak. 4 Marsden.
5 Newbold, i. 426.
6 The land where peacocks were found (Kings, x. 22.) lias been
fancifully supposed the country round Ophir in the Peninsula.
Pennant, iii. 20.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 77
dustry applied to their culture and collection. The
cocoa and the betel nut ; the plantain, the teak l , the
ebony, the eagle, the aloe, the sandal and the sapan
wood tree, supply valuable articles for exportation, be-
sides rattans, ivory, salt, wax, and an immense variety
of fruits. 2 The qualities of the soil are excellent ; but Soil.
it has been subjected only to imperfect processes of
agriculture, and whole tracts remain in their original
nakedness, or clothed in the wanton profusion of ver-
dure characteristic of the tropical wild. The extensive
forests which attract the clouds to empty themselves
over the country, render its atmosphere moist. Other-
wise its salubrity is great ; but low fevers arise from
the swamps, and unwholesome exhalations generate
under the trees. The extreme of cold is never felt, and Climate.
the seasons are regularly divided into wet and dry,
though the surface of the region, in its beautiful variety
of outline hill, plain, and valley is covered with
perpetual green. This rich mantle is never, even in Beautiful
the sultry days of summer, deprived of its bright and v erd ure.
lively hue ; for the hot breezes, blowing from the land,
pass over wide tracts of forest country, and are cooled
by the moisture of the air. 3 The fiery blasts of India winds.
and the African deserts, travelling over waste and arid
plains, appear heated by the sun as they move, and
burn more fiercely the further they extend their influ-
1 Bedford, Description of the Tin Countries, unpublished MS. 18.
2 The delicious mangusteen, the boast of India among them :
" Cedant Hesperii longe hinc, mala aurea fructus
Ambrosia pascit Mangostam, et nectare Divos."
Bontius, Hist. Nat. Ind. Orient. 1. vi. c. 27. p. 115. See also
Martyn's Abridgment, viii. 755., and Herbarium Amboynense, i.
132.
3 Newbold, i. 400.
78
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Beasts.
The Mer-
maid.
Birds.
Reptiles.
Fish.
cnce. In the interior, the swampy banks of rivers
emit clouds of low brooding vapour, similar to the ex-
halations which rise on the shores of the marshy lakes
in South America.
Wild beasts of many singular species contest the pos-
session of the remoter districts with the wandering
savages, supposed aboriginal to the soil. The elephant,
the royal and the black tiger, the wild hog, the buffalo,
the bison, and the palandok, or pigmy deer, with many
other creatures, inhabit the woods. Near the neigh-
bouring coast is found what may be described as the
link between the creatures of the land and the water
the Duyong, or Daughter of the Sea, fabled in Oriental
romance as the mermaid of the Indian Ocean. Only
one species has been discovered, whose flesh is usually
set apart for sultans and rajahs, as too delicious for the
taste of inferior men. 1
The birds of the Peninsula are in endless variety,
from the splendid crimson-feathered pergam 2 , to the
crow and the sparrow, common to all quarters of the
globe. 3 The principal reptiles are turtles, croco-
diles, alligators, the flying dragon of Linnreus, the tiger
snake, and the cobra di capello. The sword and the
ray-fish, the zebra, and the hammer- headed shark
abound, among countless other species. 4 The Chaetodon
rostratum is an extraordinary creature which kills its
prey by the projection of a drop of Avater from its tu-
bular mouth. The blow is accurately aimed, and so
forcible, that it seldom fails in effect. 5 In the woods
1 Edinburgh Cabinet Library, viii. 76.
2 Sec Latham, 5i. 623. Supp. 111. 3 Newbold, i. 439.
4 Bedford collected the names and descriptions of more than a
hundred and fifty. ' Description of the Tin Countries, unpublished
MS. 46.
5 Newbold, i. 440.
ITS HISTORY AXD PRESENT STATE. 79
and morasses, the drone of innumerable insects, accom- Forest
panied by the howl of wandering beasts, fills the air souncls -
with a clamour like that which entertained the ears of
the great German traveller, among the forests of South
America * ; and the banks of rivers are all night illumi-
nated by glittering swarms of the fire-fly.
In the forests thus populous with the animal creation, Timber.
are found many kinds of timber applicable to the pur-
poses of the shipwright, the barge and boat-builder, the
cabinet-maker, and the turner. Some of the woods arc Cabinet
delicately veined, and may be polished like the maho-
gany of Spain. The universal inhabitant of the Eastern
wood the bamboo with the white-barked upas tree,
and others in unknown variety, afford to the natives
materials for the erection of houses, and the poisoning
of their weapons' points. In a general view, the re-
sources of the Peninsula may be considered among the
richest in the Archipelago, though few regions of
similar extent remain so uncultured and savage. 2
This important region has from an early period been Native
... . , , . . -, , states of the
divided into many states ; some independent, some peninsula,
united by a kind of federal alliance, and some depen-
dent on the neighbouring power of Siarn. On the
western coast are Quedah, Perak, Salangore, Malacca,
and Johore, extending in order from north to south.
On the east, Johore is joined to Pahang, which is fol-
lowed by Kemanan, Zinganu, Kalantan and Patani.
In the interior are Jellalu in the north, followed in suc-
cession southward by Janbole, Sungre Ujong, Srimen-
anti, Riunbowe, Johole, Jehlye, and Seganet, which
is contiguous to Johore, at the head of the peninsula.
Above Quedah and Patani, Lower Siam extends as far
1 Humboldt, Aspects of Nature.
2 See Le Poivrc, Voyage cTun Philosophe, 67. 78.
80
THE INDIAN AKCIIIPELAGO,
Neck of the
Peninsula.
Power of
Malacca.
Early policy
of tbe Por-
tuguese.
Character
of Albu-
querque.
as the Isthmus of Kraw. Across this neck of land, ac-
cording to a most acute and observant traveller *, could
be established an easy intercommunication between the
Indian and Chinese oceans. On the west, a navi-
gable river flows within six hours' journey of another,
which discharges itself into the Gulf of Siam ; and the
natives affirm that a canal might be cut between the
two 2 , connecting the Indian Ocean with the China Sea,
on the east, as that of Nicaragua will join it to the
Pacific on the west.
It will be remembered that when Sequeira arrived at
Malacca, the power of that state was felt and acknow-
ledged in most of the contiguous territories. The king
of Siam had already, indeed, attempted to- usurp an
influence by the force of his savage arms 3 ; but the
victory of the Portuguese spared the Lower Peninsula
from the ravages of an invasion. The conquerors ap-
plied themselves at first to the foundation of their do-
minion, as though their purpose was to profit by their
acquisition to the extent of its value. 4 Their triumph
celebrated in the spirit of the time by a jubilee of
havoc and plunder was secured by acts of unprin-
cipled power. Albuquerque has been described as the
greatest and wisest conqueror of his age. 5 He was an
able, but not wholly a politic man ; and if the graces
of humanity are required to complete the character
that is claimed for him, impartial history cannot accord
him the honour. When Malacca was captured, and he
entered on the course of policy which he judged would
conduct most safely to power, the means chosen dis-
1 Forrest. " Newbold, I. 400.
3 Bedford, Description of the Tin Countries, unpublished MS. 2.
4 De Barros, Decada in. vi. 3.
5 Mafiei, Inde Orientale, i. 145.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 81
played themselves as the true inventions of a barbarous
genius.
The first acts of the victors, nevertheless, though First acts of
severe, were not impolitic. A castle of great strength
was erected to overawe the population, and with it rose
a church as the citadel of a moral empire. The mer-
chants, whom fear had driven from the town, were re-
called by promises of indulgent treatment and liberty
of trade. The population of pagan and Mohammedan
natives, with the Malays as well as the Muslims from
"Western India and Java, were thus terrified by the guns,
while they were surprised by the religious rites of their
new rulers, and soothed by their promises of forbear-
ance. Short time passed before the treatment of the
native Mohammedans and the emigrants from Western
India initiated them into the mysteries of Portuguese
policy. They were condemned to a common slavery, Ensiave-
and the elevation of two unpopular chiefs one the ^"pie?
treacherous rajah Ninachetuan; the other, Utirnutis, a
pretender to the throne rooted a spirit of hatred deep
in the minds of the people. By their tyranny the
Portuguese inflamed the feelings of the conquered race,
and by their royal insolence alienated the few who had
owned themselves their friends. 1
W T hen despots desire to cut off those whom they fear, Cruelty to
it is their general and traditionary policy to accuse them
of treasonous plots. Albuquerque acted on this plan.
The rajahUtimutis and his son-in-law, whether through
a dangerous growth in opulence, or a sudden rise to
popularity, excited his jealousy. Innocent or guilty,
they had no resource. Accused of treating secretly
with the enemies of the Portuguese, they were brought
to condemnation, and put to death in the hall which
1 Crawfurd, ii. 402.
G
82
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Fate of Ni-
nachetuan.
Sacrifices
himself.
The rajah
Kampar.
Elevated to
power.
had been prepared by Mohammed for the banquet to
Sequeira and his company. The claim to mercy which
eighty years confer on every man, the supplications of
the old chief's wife, and the offer of 100,000 crowns,
failed to save him.
The fate of Ninachetuan though for two years he
stood tottering on the summit of the conqueror's favour
naturally introduces itself here. He was capriciously
accused, and driven with shame from his post. To
revenge the injury, he devised a plan, in conformity
with the religion he professed, and calculated to stir up
the anger of the fanatic race of pagans whose tempo-
rary governor he had been. Erecting a lofty funeral
pyre, in an open space, he piled it with costly perfumed
woods, and fragrant spices. The old chief ascended
the heap, and in the sight of crowded multitudes sacri-
ficed himself to his anger. He had learned to his cost
the lesson, that they who accept the aid of a traitor
seldom repay the service with consistent gratitude.
Certainly, of all men, Ninachetuan, who betrayed Ma-
lacca, could with least justice reproach its conquerors
for their little faith. The rajah Kampar of a state
on the eastern shore of Sumatra was named the suc-
cessor of this unfortunate pagan. When the native
powers of the Archipelago heard of the conquest of
Malacca, they sent missions of conciliation, and the
chief of Kampar was foremost among them. He had
formerly married a daughter of the king Mohammed ;
but had quarrelled with his father-in-law. He begged
the Portuguese to accept him as governor of the Ma-
lays in their new state. A present of lignum aloes
and gum Arabic accompanied this request ; but Albu-
querque, in the first instance, refused it. After the
sacrifice of Ninachetuan, however, the rajah of Kampar
was chosen to succeed him. He followed him in ruis-
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 83
fortune. A naked suspicion was enough to identify His fail,
him with a conspiracy. He was condemned, and his
execution, with the policy that dictated it, drove into
rebellion the Javan chief, whose hostility was long for-
midable to the new rulers of Malacca. 1
Nevertheless the conquerors, while in peculiar in- Policy of
stances they inflamed the hearts of the people, made qu e er r "~
lavish use of those means which inspire a barbarous race
with admiration of one which at least lays claim to civi-
lisation. Grand pageants and processions dazzled the
eyes of the populace, and the public distribution of
money won for Albuquerque that respect which the
pauper pays to his patron. The circulation of gold,
silver, and tin coins, with pompous displays of wealth
and power, were among the politic measures adopted
with the view of securing the acquisition of Malacca.
It was also the plan of the Portuguese to infuse into
the population a large proportion of strangers, to out-
weigh the national element.
The neighbouring kings, astonished at the sudden Embassies
apparition, the brilliant triumph, and the magnificence native
of the new power which had sprung up among the kin s s -
islands of the East, were eager to secure its alliance.
They foresaw that the dominion thus planted must
spread. To conciliate Albuquerque, therefore, they dis-
patched ambassadors to congratulate the conqueror on
his success. Envoys arrived from Siam, Pegu, Java,
and Sumatra, deprecating the hostility of a power su-
perior to them all. But the Spice Islands were the
most attractive regions in the Archipelago. The fame
of their costly productions had extended over the globe.
Although, therefore, Albuquerque replied politely 2 to Replies of
Albuquer-
que.
1 Maffei, Inde Orientale, i. 359.
2 Barros, Decada in. vi. 3.
G 2
84 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
the chiefs, it was on the Moluccas that his views were
mainly bent. An embassy, indeed, was sent to Java,
two years after the conquest of Malacca, and thirty-
three after the triumph of the Muslims in that island.
No conquest, however, was attempted there, and the
Portuguese are unnoticed in the native annals. 1
1 Crawfurd, ii. 340.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 85
CHAPTER IV.
THE Moluccas, though their prominence in the affairs The MO
of the further East commences at a later date, were
among the first islands explored by the Portuguese.
Antonio de Abreu was dispatched before the close of Abreu's
the year l to examine their situation, and procure speci- J^arch^f 1
mens of their celebrated products. The voyage led him them.
among groups of islets, various in size and form, but all
beautiful from the abundance of their vegetation. At Reception
Amboyna he was received with honour and hospitality,
The native races of the Archipelago have in most in-
stances welcomed strangers with a confidence and
cordiality seldom repaid. The captain of one vessel,
while De Abreu was sailing back to Malacca with a
cargo of spices, separated from the squadron, and, en-
countering a storm, was wrecked on the shore of a
desert isle. There his fate would have been to perish
miserably of hunger, had not some fishermen, paddling Hospitable
along the coast, observed a strange barque thrown on ers-
the beach, and making for it discovered the desolate
mariners. They took them on board their prahus, and
carried them to Amboyna. They were received by the
friendly natives with a hospitality characteristic of the
Moluccan race. 2 They were clothed, fed, and sheltered
with a humanity which should have secured their at-
tachment, but failed to prevent their treachery. 3
1 Barros, Decada in. book v. 6.
2 Drake in Purchas, i. ii. 54, 55. 3 Crawfurd, ii. 406.
a 3
86
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
First view
of the Mo-
luccas.
The nut-
meg.
Bancla.
Its beauty.
Quarrels in
the Mo-
luccas.
The result of De Abreu's voyage was not unimportant.
It revealed to the European eye what had long been
celebrated by rumours, romances, and the accounts of
Arabian travellers. At each place where the Portu-
guese landed, a small pillar was set up to commemorate
their visit. The view of the Moluccas, enchanting in
its beautiful variety, rivetted their gaze, as they sailed
slowly through the tortuous channels which separate
the islands. The nutmeg tree, dispersed in groves,
attracted every eye by the richness of its flowers and
fruit, variegated in hue like the iris, changing from blue
to brown, and thence into a flame colour, which deepens
into crimson. Of Banda, an island to the southward of
Amboyna, very fertile and abundant in its produce of
spice J , accounts were circulated in language of eloquent
exaggeration. It was described as the crown in wealth
and beauty of all this famous Archipelago. Teeming
with rare fruits, and inhabited by strange beasts, its
forests shaded at intervals the fertile plains that sur-
rounded a magnificent hill in the centre of the island.
On the summit, encircled and supported by a wall of
living rock, extended a spacious table-land. In the
middle of this stood a large grove, whose trees were
covered with variously tinted leaves. The soil sup-
ported natural plantations of spice-bearing shrubs,
watered by a thousand pure springs which bubbled up
abundantly and fed the numerous rivers irrigating the
plains below. The ample beauties of the island were
thus exaggerated in the ideas of the early voyagers, and
their credulity accepted every account with equal faith.
While Francis Seiran, the shipwrecked captain, was
at Amboyna, he excited his company to numerous
quarrels with the natives. The Moluccans quickly dis-
1 Maffei.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 87
covered the character of the wanderers they had wel-
comed to their towns. Nevertheless they endeavoured
to secure their friendship, as they perceived and feared
their power. At that period the kings of Ternate and
Tidor, sister islands in aspect, form, and produce,
were at war. Each was solicitous to secure the alliance
of the strangers. Bolief, prince of Ternate, as the more
powerful, succeeded. With ten vessels, and a thousand Treaty with
men, he proceeded to Amboyna, where he met the
captain, and instructed him, after a fashion of his own,
in the condition and resources of the Molucca islands.
The influence of Portugal was thus, by the accident of
Seiran's shipwreck, established in the Spice group. In
Siam it had been rooted by the conquest of Malacca, Siam.
which the king vainly claimed as a dependent territory.
Certainly, had he been restrained by no fear, he would
have attempted to punish the aggression on his do-
minion ; but feeling himself in the relation of a weaker
to a stronger power, he thanked the Portuguese for their
chastisement of a rebellious subject, and invited them to
remain on the Peninsula. They were content to flatter
his pride, while they fortified themselves in their new
possession. Next year they extended their researches A. D. 1512.
to Celebes, a picturesque and fertile island of the first
rank, divided from Borneo, on the west, by the Straits guese.
of Macassar. The king of Goa Macassar, a state in the
north-west, allowed them to found a settlement on his
territory. Some of the inhabitants of the province had
already abandoned the Pagan belief, and, under their
ruler, assumed the faith of Mohammed, exercising that
hospitality enjoined by the religion of the Prophet.
Having passed a year at Malacca to regulate the
framing of the new government, Albuquerque left a
deputy in charge of the settlement, and sailed with a
portion of his fleet towards Malabar, where events
G 4
88
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Wreck of
the admi-
ral's ships.
Attempt of
the Malays
to recover
Malacca.
Dangers of
the city.
seemed to call for his presence. Portugal had spread
her dominions widely in the East, and the arms of the
famous viceroy protected with vigour the colonies she
had formed on many coasts in the new world. Near
the shore of Sumatra he fell in with a violent tempest,
which left only a scattered remnant of his squadron
floating on the waves of the straits. The precious
gifts of the kings who had sought his alliance were lost
in the sea. Hardly was the adventurous conqueror
himself rescued by his crew. Several men, drifting
on a raft to Passe, in Sumatra, were well treated, and
sent in a trading prahu to Coromandel. The native
powers endeavoured, by such acts of grace, to conciliate
the strangers whom they feared to attack, and could not
hope to overcome.
Meanwhile the Malays of the peninsula, led by their
Laksimana, or general, a famous and influential chief,
gathered in great force to recover their conquered soil.
They invested Malacca, and prepared to assault it with
all the resources at their command. The Portuguese,
inferior in number but superior in skill and courage,
gave them battle, defeated them, and captured their
leader. Still the war only paused, and the belligerents
prepared to renew it with aggravated fury, when two
enemies appeared and speedily cooled their ardour.
These were famine and pestilence, which spread with
virulent effect among the troops. Subdued by this
double affliction, the Malays and Portuguese concluded
a truce.
The lieutenant of Albuquerque had now to contend
against another and a more formidable enemy. Having
saved Malacca from the first of the long series of sieges
it endured, his forces were required to march against
Patiquiter, the Javanese ally of the dethroned king.
Defeated, but not disheartened, Mohammed was re-
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 89
solved to attempt without censing the recovery of his
capital city and the crown of the Peninsula. The armies
met. The Javanese totally overthrown, retreated to the
seashore, embarked hurriedly in their prahus, put out and
fled to their native island. There Patiunus, a power-
ful chief of Japara, on the east of Java, was preparing
an armament for the invasion of Malacca.
In recollecting the dangers which threatened this city, Advantages
. 'of the Por-
we must remember that a place or such strength, gar- tuguese.
risoned by Europeans, might be invested by a host of
barbarians without standing in any extremity of peril.
The enemies possessed no batteries, no weapons of
assault formidable against walls and towers. The num-
bers of the besieging armies, also, are doubted, as well
as those of the Malaccan army defeated by Albuquerque. 1
The truth is, that we can rely implicitly neither on these
nor on any similar statements. Columbus is described
routing, with two hundred men, a hundred thousand 2 ;
but the probability is that a rude guess, or a misappre-
hension of native accounts, or the vanity which induces
men to exaggerate their own valour, originated the idea
of such armies. Early in the next year, however, the Attackupon
king of Japara sailed, it is said, with a fleet of nearly ^
three hundred prahus. When within a few hours' sail
of Malacca he was encountered by a Portuguese squad-
ron, and defeated with the loss of eight thousand men
and sixty vessels. These victories filled the Europeans
with pride, but failed to intimidate their enemies. Nor
were they politic enough, while defending themselves
against invasion, to secure their own power on the only
sure basis, the conciliated affections of their subjects.
The execution of Ninachetuan's successor, the Rajah of
1 Hon. E. Blundell, Journ. Ind. Archipelago, ii. 731.
2 Las Casas, Hist. Ind. liv. i. c. 104. MS., quoted by Washington
Irving, Life of Columbus, ii. 269.
90
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Disaffection
of the
people.
Johore.
A. D. 1514. Kampar, took place in 1514, and the inhabitants of
Malacca were disgusted by the act of cruelty. More
than one plot was formed to destroy or expel the Por-
tuguese ; but the weakness or imprudence of the con-
spirators led all their projects to the same result of
failure.
The people then evinced their hatred by the almost
total desertion of the city. They thronged to the
standard of Mohammed the ex-king, who still medi-
tated the design of driving out the Portuguese. Ex-
pelled from the territory of Malacca he descended the
peninsula, and entered the territory of Johore, which
spread from sea to sea. In an ancient period a rich
empire had flourished here, extending its authority over
several neighbouring countries. The two Mussulman
travellers of Kemandot, who visited the Archipelago in
the ninth century, describe the city of Zaba, which ac-
cording to some writers is the metropolis of that wealthy
oriental kingdom noticed by Ptolemy. 1 The Arabians
magnified its splendour as an opulent emporium of
commerce seated on the banks of the Johore river,
which they said was as large as the Euphrates. What-
ever was its ancient magnificence, the state had now
declined, and Mohammed, flying from Malacca, laid the
foundations of a Mohammedan city at the head of the
peninsula. The first Malay emigrants from Sumatra
had, according to their traditions, founded a colony here,
whence they were driven by invasions from Java. Still
the courageous prince continued the active enemy of the
Portuguese.
Before another year had passed, he collected, as king
of Johore, and, the adjacent isle of Bintan, a fleet of
again assails considerable strength, and blockaded Malacca by sea,
1 Wilford, Newbold, ii. 45.
A.D. 1515.
Mohammed
of Malacca
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 91
but without success. He returned to the attempt next the Portu-
year, was again defeated, and resumed it in 1518. A . D. 1516.
Seventy Portuguese only remained in the town. Mo- A. D. isis.
hammed, therefore, prosecuted the siege with great
vigour, but failed in breaking an entrance, though by
means of entrenched camps he held the city in strict
blockade during twelve months. Reinforcements for A. D. 1519.
the Europeans then arrived, assaulted his position,
carried it, and drove him with his army to Bintan.
The Portuguese saw the value of their influence in
the extreme East, and now attempted to extend it, for
the purposes of trade. One of their merchants, making
a voyage to China, visited for the first time the mighty First visit
island of Borneo. He touched at the mouth of a great
river on the north-east coast, and finding there a city
named it Brauni. 1
In Malacca, the Portuguese defended themselves with
success against the attempts of Mohammed, his allies,
and the disaffected populations of the peninsula. But
they also suffered disasters. Among the most eminent
native states in the Archipelago was Achin, on the Kingdom of
north-western extremity of Sumatra. The historian of
that island 2 describes it as the only Sumatran kingdom
whose annals are of a political consequence enough to
entitle them to a place in domestic history. It was
indeed a rich and powerful sovereignty, and, in the
brightest period of its existence, its alliance was claimed
by the great potentates of Europe. In actual territory Extent and
Achin only extended forty or fifty miles to the south-
east, but its conquests spread further on either shore,
and at one time reached Indrapura. The province is
1 Temminck, ii. 134. Mr. J. R. Logan, however, throws a doubt
on this statement. Journ. Ind. Arch, iii. 500.
2 Marsden, History, 313.
92
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Ancient
mart.
Civilisation
of Achin.
Kising in-
fluence of
the Achi-
nese.
Treachery
of their
king.
comparatively healthy, the soil light and fertile, the
productions varied and rich, the people superior in in-
dustry and intelligence to their neighbours. 1 Numerous
towns and ports were built on the coasts and river
shores. On a broad stream which flows through an
extensive valley at the extremity of the island stands
Achin, the capital. It is built on piles, and probably
remains little altered in aspect by the lapse of three
centuries. A flourishing commerce was once carried on
here in gold dust, japan wood, betel nuts, pepper, sul-
phur, camphor, benjamin, cotton cloths, and silks, with
other commodities prized in Europe and India. Here
was at one period the great mart of the further East ;
but the kingdom, after a brilliant struggle with the
Portuguese, declined from its importance, and has sunk
with the other native states. The people, submitting
to an hereditary tyranny, were barbarous and cruel.
It is a fact which may be valuable to the theorist on
crimes and penalties, that nowhere were offences
punished with more savage severity than among the
Achinese, who have been and remain one of the most
fraudulent and flagitious nations in Asia. 2
When the Portuguese arrived in the Straits of Ma-
lacca, Achin was rising to importance. They immedi-
ately opened an intercourse with its king, and established
a factory in his capital. When, however, the distresses
of the Europeans on the peninsula seemed to offer him
an opportunity, the Sumatran prince broke faith, arid
killed or captured all of their race in his dominions.
Honour between nations appears seldom to have formed
part of the creed of an Indian monarch ; and probably
the Achinese sovereign, slaughtering the Portuguese
who had confided in his protection, or the terror of
Marsden, 315.
2 Ibid. 32 L
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 93
their country's arms, reflected on the achievement as on
a virtuous and manly act. Morals among all but a few
are matters of habit as well as opinion. It is there-
fore, perhaps, unjust to try the actions of Asiatics,
governed by a peculiar system, by the laws of our own
national code. Nor were the Portuguese concerned
with many scruples save those of policy. Established
at Malacca, they meditated conquests on the opposite
island, to prosecute that search for mines which caused
their bankruptcy at last. 1 Accounts of its wealth in
precious metals had been rumoured through India and
Europe. Above all these were said to lie near its
coast, certain islands abounding in mines of gold and
other riches. 2 A Portuguese adventurer, named Diego Search for
Pacheco, was entrusted with the conduct of an expedi- ^Jf 63 '
tion to explore the seas in that direction, and inquire
into the truth of these reports. He sailed with one
ship and a brigantine. Arriving off Daya, on the west-
ern coast of Sumatra, the smaller vessel foundered.
Pacheco then proceeded alone southward to Barns, on the
same island, famous for its trade in gold and gum ben-
iamin of rare fragrance. 3 Prahus from the west of Market at
Bams
India and the neighbouring ports resorted here for car-
goes, bringing the cotton fabrics of India to exchange
O y O O O
for the less bulky, but more precious, merchandise of
Bams. A fleet of these curious barques, of various
size and build, was lying in the roads when the Portu-
guese arrived. Their crews terrified, fled to land. The
chiefs then sent to know whence the strangers came,
and why ? Pacheco replied that he sought friendship,
and offered liberty of trade at Malacca. A traffic was
1 Smith, Wealth of Nations, 354.
2 Marsden, 327. Heylyn, Cosmography, 923.
3 Marsden, 328.
94
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Humours of
the golden
Archipe-
lago.
New ex-
plorations.
Hostilities
with the
islanders.
opened, and in the warmest amity the merchants bar-
tered the curiosities of the East for those of the West.
Inquiring at all places for the islands of gold, the
Portuguese fancied that the people were reluctant to
disclose the secret of their situation. When at length
they gave any account, it was of a group lying a
hundred leagues off, and separated from Sumatra by a
maze of rocks and shoals impenetrable to large ships,
and to be threaded only by light and slender barques.
But Pacheco was not induced to abandon his search for
the golden oases in the sea, the paradise of his own and
his countrymen's fancy. He continued steering south-
ward, pursuing the unreached object of his hope, and
exploring all the neighbouring waters. The rich islands
were never discovered. Did any such exist, they were
probably the Ticos 1 , which may have been depots for
the gold of Menangcabao, and attracted the traders of
the East, who came to the Archipelago in search of the
precious metal. Pacheco, however, never abandoned
his belief in this insular El Dorado. Passing through
the Sunda Strait, he ranged the whole length of Su-
matra, and returned to Malacca by the east, being
the first European who ever circumnavigated the great
island. 2 Next year he once more explored the seas in
search of the Ilhas d'Oro, but quarrelled with the
natives of Barus, and was cut off with the whole of his
company.
In other parts of Sumatra, the natives, inflamed
against the Portuguese, commenced hostilities against
them, and invited conquest in their territories. A
vessel wrecked on an island near Achin Head was
plundered by pirates, and many of the men were killed.
A piratical attack was made on a merchant-man at
Marsden, 328.
Ibid.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE.
another place ; blood was shed, and the ship's cargo was
pillaged. The people of Passe also committed several
ravages, which induced the governor of Malacca to
send Manuel Pacheco with an armed schooner to blockade
the ports of Sumatra, cut off the supplies, and harass
the native fisheries. After a short contest the ag-
gressors apologised and sued for peace. The Portu-
guese relinquished the idea of revenge for the prospect
of trade, and gladly took cargoes of pepper and raw
silk. The pepper was to freight the ships preparing
for China. 1
To ground their influence deeply in Sumatra, the influence
conquerors of Malacca employed the obvious policy of
intervention in the affairs of native states. Through
an ocean of slaughter they carried a pretender to the
throne of Passe a child of tender age. Installed in
power by the Portuguese he was bound to reward
them. He acknowledged himself tributary to their
crown, granted them the whole pepper produce of his
country at a fixed price, and promised to pay the
expenses of a fort which they then commenced erect-
ing. A hundred men were left in garrison. The
squadron had no sooner sailed than these were attacked
by the forces of another pretender. After a brief and
sanguinary struggle the besiegers were routed and
wholly overthrown. 2
The influence of Portugal, thus planted in Sumatra, Among the
was in the same year further extended among the Spice ^pice
*. , r Islands.
Islands. George de Britto, dispatched thither with a
squadron of nine vessels, touched at Achin by the way.
There an incident occurred which, of no historical im-
portance though it be, deserves narration. A Portu-
guese, named Juan Borba, who had fled from Passe
1 Marsden, 329. 2 Ibid. 330.
96
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Treachery
of the Por-
tuguese in
Achin.
Accusation
against the
king.
Indian my-
thology.
Adventure
in search of
the temple '
treasury.
when his countrymen were attacked there, had pro-
spered at Achin on the kindness of the prince. lie was
afterwards shipwrecked, with nine of his companions,
and entertained in the same hospitable city. De Britto,
on his arrival, was met by this man, who poured into
his ear accounts of a certain temple reputed to be
stored with wealth, which he incited him to attack.
To justify him in the enterprise he declared that the king
possessed the stores and artillery of a stranded vessel,
as well as those of the brigantine lost by Pacheco,
during his unrealised dreams of the Isles of Gold.
These accusations he intermingled with accounts of the
king's barbarity, which determined De Britto, or rather
lent a colour of reason, to his demands. A messenger
came to offer refreshment to the fleet. He was charged
with a reply, requiring the restoration of the plunder.
The king's answer was, that the sea had swallowed them
up, and that his white friend must make application to
the powers of the ocean ; an answer which was taken,
as probably it was not meant, as an insolent jeer, since
the islanders have peopled all creation with deities, so
that the treasures of the wrecked mariners were possibly
believed to have been swept into the coffers of some
water-king, the Poseidon of Indian mythology.
Nevertheless De Britto resolved to attack the temple.
He was as confident of success as he was greedy of the
prize. His captains consented joyfully to the plan, but
when another vessel arrived to offer aid refused it, de-
siring neither to share the danger, nor to divide the
profits of the adventure. At break of day they landed
two hundred men in small boats, leaving orders for the
grand division to follow when the vanguard had secured
a position on shore. Advancing up the river they
captured a small fort on its bank, but fell into an un-
expected contest before the signal of attack was given.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 97
An unequal struggle took place, and was fiercely carry-
ing on, when the king, at the head of six elephants and
eight hundred men, suddenly appeared, and fell upon
the small band of Europeans. The reserve was sent
for, but ere it arrived De Britto received an arrow Slaughter
through the cheek, and another through the thighs, tuguesc.
while almost the whole of his companions were cut to
pieces, and the rest driven to the boats. Fifty men
<e of noble family," who had taken part in this plunder-
ing errand of treachery, were killed. Whether the
temple really was a treasury or not is problematical ;
but the supposition is supported by the number and
resolution of its defenders. Their zeal in the defence
of a religious edifice may, however, have been mistaken
for the courage which animates men when fighting for
their possessions.
The squadron left Achin in disgrace, and met two
ships which had been searching for the Isles of Gold.
They joined company, and sailed to Passe, where the
Portuguese were engaged in the erection of their fort. 1
The expedition to the Moluccas was not, neverthe- Voyage to
less, abandoned. Several ships, under the command of i llcca s.
Antonio de Britto, sailed thither, to explore their riches,
and establish the Portuguese influence at the courts of
the native kings.
Meanwhile the erection of an authority in Sumatra
was an object faithfully kept in view. One device has
been common to the conquerors of the New World.
Few have boldly declared that they claimed possession Policy of
of the soil by the right of arms ; but espousing the qu e er C r ""
cause of some native chief have made him the foil of
their ambition, and under cover of his alliance com-
pleted their own projects of aggrandisement. The
1 Marsden, 340.
VOL. I. H
98
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Politics of
Sumatra.
Politics of
the Indian
palace.
Civil war.
Spaniards in America, the Portuguese and the Dutch
in the further East, the English and the French in
India, flourished by this policy. In the example which
now presents itself the Portuguese suffered by allying
their arms with those of a Sumatran prince. The
details of the transaction illustrate a remarkable feature
in the social condition of those regions. When Ma-
lacca was conquered, Achin and Daya were tributary
to Pedir, and ruled by two slaves, sons-in-law of its
sultan. The condition of bondsmen in the islands was
not then, and never has been, so low as in most other
parts of the world. Men often bartered their liberty
for the protection of power, and the King of Achin had
thus sold himself, and held his dignity in dependence on
the sultanate of Pedir. Weak with years he resigned
the throne to his eldest son, who invaded the territories
of Daya, and rebelled against the Sultan's supreme
authority. The parent, on whose vacated throne he sat,
endeavoured to dissuade him from this dangerous policy ;
but the ambitious young sovereign, irritated by inter-
ference, imprisoned his father for life in an iron cage.
The revolt became formidable. By the pillage of some
merchant ships, and the capture of De Britto's cannon,
the King of Achin was well provided for a campaign.
By the combined arts of intrigue and war, the Sultan
was driven from Pedir to shelter himself with the
Europeans at Passe, and the chief of Daya compelled
to join him in his retreat. The rebel Ibrahim extended
his operations through the country, committed great
havoc among the people, and invested the fort with a
numerous army. The garrison was small, but the rude
fortifications were gallantly defended. One of the na-
tive chiefs of Passe, corrupted by the enemy, intrigued
with them, and thus increased the general danger.
Meanwhile the allies of Pedir made preparation to
ITS HISTOilY AND PRESENT STATE. 09
succour their master, and Henriquez, governor of the
fort, more of a merchant than a warrior, resigned his
post. He sailed for Malacca, and met two Portuguese
ships bound for the Spice Islands. Their commander,
informed of the extremity of his countrymen at the new
settlement, made all haste to succour them. He reached
Passe by night. The whole country was in the enemy's
possession. The capital alone, shielded by the Euro-
pean fort, remained unsubdued.
Heavy discharges of cannon, incessantly repeated, told Attack on
that an earnest struggle was even then going on. The gues^fort.'
Achinese army had made a desperate assault, carried Night bat-
some of the outworks, and driven the besieged to the * e '
point of surrender. In the dusk of evening they had dis-
cerned the sails of the Portuguese vessels appearing over
the horizon, and rushed to storm the city before aid could
arrive. Fortunately the valour of their enemies sus-
tained them at the critical moment. The vessels an- Repulse of
chored , the captains headed their men, threw themselves tbe Indians -
among the garrison, and encouraged them to a fierce and
effectual sally upon the besieging men. Ibrahim then
moved his camp to a distance.
The pride of the savage rebel was wounded to see New assault
fifteen thousand of his warriors repulsed by a body of by nifi tf
three hundred anel fifty men, weakened by famine and
fatigue. He summoned his chiefs and ordered another
assault, to be made upon all sides of the fortifications.
Eight thousand of his troops, before break of day, were
assembled for the attack. They spread themselves over
the ground, partially saved from the volleys of the be-
sieged by the gloom, and by a favourable shower of
rain. They closed in stealthy silence round the fort,
were discovered, and rushed with a tremendous shout
to the assault. Six hundred light ladders of bamboo
were placed against the timber ramparts, and principally
H 2
100
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Use of ele-
phants as a
battery.
Conflagra-
tion in the
port.
Desertion of
their strong-
hold by the
Portuguese.
Manoeuvre
of the be-
siegers.
near the entrances, but these apertures were vigorously
defended, and the whole country rang with repeated
volleys, shouts, and other sounds of conflict. The bar-
barians, with frantic valour, sought to scale the walls,
but were hewn down as they mounted, or swept off' by
the guns as they approached. Driven back they in-
vented a new device. A body of seven elephants was
urged headlong against the wooden stockades, which
fell before this living battery. Showers of pikes and
javelins were ineffectual to check the advance of the
ponderous brutes ; but explosions of gunpowder, glaring
in their eyes, struck them with terror. They plunged,
they turned about, broke through the ranks that goaded
them on from the rear, and fled away over the country
to the distance of several miles.
Still the Achinese pushed on to the assault, and closed
in increasing multitudes around the walls. Their own
fierceness prevented their success. They set fire to
several ships in the dockyard, and thus kindled a splen-
did torch, by the light of which the cannon of the fort
were pointed and played with more deadly effect than
ever.
The commander who had abandoned his post, driven
by unfavourable winds, re-entered the port, and assumed
his authority. His timid counsel prevailed. The Por-
tuguese resolved to desert the place. The small guns
and portable stores were packed as merchandise, and
conveyed to the ships. The heavy pieces of ordnance
were loaded beyond their strength, that they might do
execution among the enemy as they poured trium-
phantly in. The Portuguese then hurried to the place
of embarkation, and took to their boats. Immediately
the Achinese crowded the fort, quenched the matches,
broke the trains of powder, and turned the overcharged
artillery upon their flying and defeated enemies.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 101
The defence of Passe had been gallant, its evacuation Conduct of
was disgraceful. Had the garrison held out a few risen"
weeks longer, succours of stores and men would have
arrived. An army was on the march from Aru, an ex-
pedition hastening from Malacca. They might have
turned the war upon the Achinese, and maintained their
authority in the island. As it was, the king Orfacam
sought refuge with his allies in the peninsula, while the
Sultan of Pedir and the Daya chief claimed hospitality
from the King of Aru. 1
Antonio de Britto, who had sailed for the Moluccas, Return
now arrived at Banda. One of his countrymen, dis- hi^expe-
patched by Albuquerque's brother, was already there, dition -
and gave him information, for a while too marvellous
to believe, that two Spanish ships had entered the Mo- Arrival of
, ,11 i Spaniards in
luccan group through an eastern passage. Another
European flag had displayed itself in the Indian Seas. 2 P eia ?-
Fernando de Magellanes was a Portuguese gentleman, Magellan.
who distinguished his name in the wars in Africa and
India. For many years he served his country with zeal
and skill. When, after a long course of military labour, Proposal re-
he applied to king Emmanuel for an addition to his
salary of half a ducat a month, the gratitude of his royal
master displayed itself in a rejection of his suit. 3 The
brave adventurer, finding no honourable road to pro-
motion in the service of the Portuguese sovereign, aban-
doned it, and travelled to Spain, where he presented
himself at the court of Charles the Fifth. To that
ambitious prince he unfolded a design of conquest in the Spain.
East. The Moluccas, he said, by the convention of
Ferdinand and Isabella with John of Portugal, were
lawfully attached to the Spanish crown. He offered to
1 Marsden, 340. 2 Crawfurd, ii. 449.
3 Antony Pigafetta, in Harris's Collection, i. 12.
H 3
102
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Offer of an
expedition.
Engaged by
Spain.
An expe-
dition dis-
patched.
A. D. 1519.
Brazil.
Patago-
nians.
Straits of
Magellan.
Passage into
the Pacific.
Entrance
into the
Archipe-
lago.
The Isles of
Thieves.
conduct an expedition by a new route through the
Western seas, to discover the situation of those rich
islands, and obtain their treasures for Spain.
Charles the Fifth heard with delight the account of
his territorial privileges over the famous Spice region of
the Oriental ocean. Five vessels were equipped for
Magellan, with two hundred and thirty-five men on
board. The expedition sailed on the 16th of August,
1519. They passed Cape de Verde, laboured for many
days off the coast of Guinea, were becalmed for more
than two months before passing the line, and sailed
along the shores of Brazil. Of that country the his-
torian of the voyage l has left a singular description, in-
fused with the exaggeration or romance so characteristic
of the early travellers. Men of gigantic stature, who
roared at the white men with the voices of bulls, and fled
easily from the swiftest runners, with other natural won-
dei's, are delineated in the account. They reached the
straits, passed them, and Magellan's eye was gladdened
by the sight of the great ocean spreading before him, and
promising to open a way to the envied regions of the East.
They entered the Pacific in November, 1520, after losing
two ships, of which one had returned to Spain. 2
Entering the utmost eastern confines of the Archi-
pelago, Magellan discovered the Ladrones, or Isles of
Thieves. They have since been named the Marianas,
but still deserve their original appellation, as the people
of the surrounding groups stand in dread of their pre-
datory inhabitants. On one of the Meia-co-shimah isles
walls have been raised and pierced with loopholes, as a
defence against these roving banditti of the sea. 3 The
Ladrones lie about four hundred leagues east of the
1 Pigafetta, in Harris, i. 13.
8 Walter's Preliminary Discourse, 12.
3 Sir E. Belcher, i.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 103
Philippines. Only one of them is now tenanted, and
that by a small and savage tribe. Plantations of caper Description
trees in perpetual bloom, with groves of palms and d ron * g . '*
natural orchards of delicious fruits, render them in
aspect among the most enchanting spots in the Oriental
seas.
On the festival of St. Lazarus, Magellan discovered Discovery
of the Phi-
that group of more than forty islands , the most north- iippmes.
era. in the Archipelago, to which he gave the name of
the saint, but which were afterwards named in honour
of king Philip. Thirteen only of them are remarkable,
They occupy the only part of the Archipelago liable to
hurricanes, and derive many of their characteristics from
this circumstance, a soil of superior fertility, and
adapted for peculiar kinds of cultivation, as well as for
wheat and rice, Avithout fragrant spices, or fruits of very
delicate flavour. 2 Their appearance is singular. In Their gene-
many parts covered with basalt, lava-ashes, traces of
volcanic eruptions, and other ruins of nature, they
possess a rich alluvial soil. Beneath the surface, the Volcanoes,
internal fires of the earth are in continual activity.
They are to the Philippines at once the source of their
greatest danger, and the author of their fertility and
beauty. 3 Their agricultural produce is abundant and Vegetable
varied. Cotton 4 of admirable quality, hemp, indigo,
coffee, cocoa, sugar, black pepper, nutmegs, cinnamon,
ginger, rice, silk, sarsaparilla, saffron, and cochineal,
with moderate quantities of wheat, are produced.* Red-
1 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 67.
2 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, i. 11.
3 See Flora de Filippinas, Fr. Manuel Blanco, August, Col.
XXXVII. 887.
* The importation of raw cotton into the Philippines was pro-
hibited by Spain. Decree of the Cortes, Nov. 8. 1820.
5 Account of the Philippines, by John Wise (Manuscript).
H 4
104
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Ornamental
woods.
Mineral
treasures.
Miscella-
neous pro-
ductions.
Seasons.
Magellan
enters the
group.
veined ebony, much used in ship-building, fir trees,
woods for cabinet work 1 , and timber for the house -
architect and for masts 2 , may be obtained in unlimited
abundance. Tobacco grows plentifully, though the
Spaniards, in their spirit of monopoly, caused many
troubles by the vain endeavour to restrict its cultiva-
tion to two districts in Luzon.
The islands are rich in mines. Iron-ore, blended
with a foreign metal, peculiarly ductile ; copper, lead,
quicksilver, cinnabar, and gold, with some valuable
stones, have been discovered. Inferior mother-of-pearl,
tortoiseshells, amber, isinglass, beeswax, trepang, edible
birds' nests, and other articles, constitute materials of
a trade now very extensive. 3 Pearls of a fine quality
sprinkle the shallow waters near the shore ; but the
divers are timid, and the production of the fisheries is
inconsiderable. Formerly the islands were celebrated
for producing the best serpent-stones in the world "a
divine drug " 4 wrought into marketable form by the
Indian artificers of Luzon. 8 The year is divided, in
these islands, into two seasons ; the wet and dry. The
first enters with the south-west monsoon in June, and
continues until September or October, when the north-
east wind sets in, and the sky is free from clouds until
the end of the European spring. 6
Entering this Archipelago, Magellan steered to the
coast of Batuan in Mindanao, the largest and finest,
island in the group. There he landed, and the first
Christian rites were celebrated among the heathen in-
habitants of the Philippines a hardy, peaceful race, of
1 Mackmicking, Philippines, 308. K See De Comyn, 9. 30.
3 MS. account of the Philippines.
4 Valmont de Bomare, iv. 603.
5 Torubiat, Apparat pour THist. Nat. cCEspagne, i.
6 MS. Account.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 105
the Papuan l family, living in simplicity, on the fruits The natives,
of their prolific soil. Thence the navigator steered
through the centre of the group to Zebu, where he
sprinkled holy water, and set up a cross as the symbol Fir . st trans -
of his national religion. A hospitable reception wel-
comed him at both places. The King of Batuan invited Reception
. , 1-1 . by an island
the strangers to his palace a wooden structure raised king
on lofty piles where he entertained them in barbarian
state. A banner embroidered with the figure of a cross
and a crown of thorns was delivered to him, and he was
instructed to set it upon a high mountain, and pray to
it when storms, or war, or any other danger impended
over the country. Did any chance Christian traveller
light afterwards on the people of Batuan assembling to
worship this symbol of a mysterious creed on the peak Wonder of
of some lofty hill, it must have filled his mind with
wonder. Many of the credulous voyagers of those
early times would doubtless have excited their imagi-
nations with the idea of an especial revelation of truth
to these lonely islanders ; and priests would not have
been wanting to preach the miracle in the countries
round about.
At Zebu the king was baptized with most of the Baptism of
nobles, professing at once conversion to the Christian
religion and allegiance to the crown of Spain. A
Spaniard died, and Magellan desired permission to bury
him in the royal garden. The prince answered, that
he and all his possessions were at the service of Magel-
lan's sovereign, how then could he refuse a few feet of
earth to cover the remains of one of that sovereign's
subjects ? The work of conversion was rapidly carried Rapid con-
on. Christian names were bestowed on the chiefs, and vers >ns *
1 Thomaso de Comynes attributes the original peopling of the
Philippines to Malays, but it is by an obvious error, p. 7.
106
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Punishment
of a heathen
village.
False prose-
lytism.
Conduct of
Magellan.
Barter for
gold.
the people embraced a new religion, as though it had
been thoroughly explained to their understandings.
The medical skill of the strangers was ascribed to their
faith, and there was a portentous destruction of altars
and images when the brother of the king recovered
under the hand of Magellan. 1 One village of heathens,
it is related, refused to deny their ancient gods. Their
houses were levelled to the earth, and a cross erected
on the ruins. The people were inspired with awe by
the appearance of their visitors, whom they believed to
be endowed with celestial virtue. The pagans of the
Philippines, like the Brahmins of Ceylon 2 , were se-
duced into a new religion sine Christo Christiani
and took the names of Christians, not because they saw
the faith was true, but because it was preached by
wealthy and powerful strangers, whom they could not
but confess superior to themselves. It seemed a privi-
lege to worship the same God with the " Sons of
Heaven."
Magellan however great man though he was
possessed not entirely that circumspect and cautious
prudence which guided Columbus safely through so
many dangers. He discovered to the Philippine chiefs,
by many indications, his design of founding a new em-
pire, and establishing a new religion in the Eastern
seas. At the same time he repressed among his com-
panions that thirst of gold, which would have betrayed
to the islanders the cupidity of the European heart.
When a crown, massively wrought of the pure precious
metal, with a collar of the same costly substance, was
offered in exchange for a few necklaces of crystal
beads, he forbade the transaction. Great quantities of
1 Pigafetta, in Harris, i. 16.
2 Sir Emerson Tennent, Christianity in Ceylon. 64.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 107
gold were exhibited by the natives on the persons of
their women, and the decorations of their feasts. The
moderation of the admiral in his inquiries for this, the
great prize of the explorer, deceived many, who there-
fore attributed his zeal for proselytism to pure religious
enthusiasm.
But at the little island of Maktan, inhabited by the Challenged
by a native
worshippers of the sun l , one of the princes refused to prince,
recognise, in the envoy of Spain, the presence of a su-
perior power. He dared Magellan to combat, and, with
the chivalry characteristic of his age, the navigator
accepted the challenge. Arraying sixty of his com- Battle with
i *~ IT 1 * 1 p j.i tnc oarbu-
pamons in armour, he attacked a vast multitude oi the rians>
barbarians. By a feigned retreat, they led his troops
into a morass, where, up to their necks in water, the
Spaniards were overwhelmed by their treacherous ene-
mies. Magellan, with eight or nine of his companions, Death of
perished like Decius in the marsh, and the rest dissi-
pated the belief in their heavenly birth by a precipi-
tate and broken flight. 2 The body of their leader could
not be redeemed by any ransom ; and though the dis-
covery of the passage between Patagonia and the Land
of Fire has rendered his name immortal, the world
never knew whether Magellan had found a friendly
hand to dig his grave.
The Spaniards were no longer venerated as visitants
from heaven. The prestige of their celestial birth was
gone. Their religion faded in the imagination of the
islanders, and the power of Spain became less an object
of terror. The chief of Zebu, trampling his oath in Disasters
the dust, decoyed twenty Europeans to a banquet, g pan f ards
feasted them, and then made them the victims of a
massacre. The number of their company was now so
1 Pigafetta, in Harris, i. 16. a Crawfurd, ii. 450.
108
Fall in with
Borneo.
Presents
from a Bor-
neon king.
The Mo-
luccas.
Visit to
Tidor.
Homeward
voyage.
much reduced, that it became necessary to burn one of
the ships. The others proceeded in quest of the Mo-
luccas.
Wandering in search of this celebrated group, they
fell in with the unknown land of Borneo, and visited
Brune on the north-west coast. The king is described
in the old narrative as a great potentate, dwelling in a
magnificent court, and surrounded continually by a "vast
body-guard. 1 He sent, it is said, two elephants trapped
with rich silks, to bring the Spanish emissaries to his
palace. None of these animals are known to exist at
the present day, though probably they existed then,
and may still, in the depths of the interior forests, stray
in safe seclusion. From Borneo they sailed at the end
of July, and fought with a fleet of "Indian junks." 2
After many adventures they reached the Molucca group,
and, sounding its channels, found a depth of three
hundred feet. They were rejoiced, says the old narra-
tor a companion of Magellan for this disproved the
tales circulated by the jealous Portuguese, that the seas
here were so shallow that no vessel could navigate
them ; so full of reefs, rocks, and shoals, as to be impas-
sable and overclouded by a perpetual darkness that
bewildered and terrified the bravest mariner.
Tidor was the first island they visited. The chief
entertained them with profuse hospitality, supplied them
with provisions, and secured for their ships the precious
cargo they desired. If we may believe the nai-rative of
the voyager, he claimed the Spaniards as brethren, and
proclaimed that the name of his country was thence-
forward not Tidor, but Castille. The ships then en-
tered on their homeward voyage ; confirming, by their
1 Kerr's Voyages and Travels, x. 21.
2 Pigafetta, in Harris^ i. 17.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 109
rich freight, the accounts carried to Seville by the com-
panions of Magellan. It was this expedition that laid
the basis of the Spanish claim to the Philippines ; and
this was the first intercourse of that country with India.
The honour of the discovery was not disputed, but the Disputes in
right of possession was denied, though the islands in- Eur P c>
disputably lay within the circle drawn by the mystic
authority of the Pope, liberal as he was in the distri-
bution of the earth among princes who already governed
more people than were happy under their sway.
Eighteen of the company only reached Spain, under Remnant
the captain, Sebastian del Cano. The other ship had
taken a different route. Del Cano, therefore, being the
first circumnavigator, was titled, and the heralds gave
him for arms, a terrestrial globe with the motto, Hie
PRIMUS GrEOMETROS. 1
Twelve of Magellan's companions were left at Tidor. Spanish
De Britto soon after arriving, discovered and seized af Tidcr" 4
them. Then, meeting with the Spanish vessel bound
for Panama, which was driven back by stress of
weather, he captured it, and sent the crew prisoners to
Portugal. Such was the jealousy of this commercial jealousy of
nation. She endeavoured to drive all rivalry from the the Portu -
guese.
seas, not by asserting the honourable supremacy of
superior vigour and skill, but by the exercise of vio-
lence and craft. At first, like the Jesuit governors of
California, she dissuaded men from visiting the dearly
prized territories of the New World, by accounts of
their savage condition and barren soil ; but when the
fraud was exploded, met competition by the force of Armed
arms ; so that, in the commerce of the East, every traders -
trading vessel became a ship of war.
1 Walton, Preliminary Discourse > 13.
110
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Portuguese
policy in
the Spice
group.
Treaty with
Ternate.
Conflict in
Tidor.
Massacre
of the is-
landers.
Sack of the
native
capital.
The subsequent proceedings of De Britto were con-
sistent with his early acts. He sought for a convenient
spot in the Spice group, where a settlement could be
established. Tidor and Ternate divided his choice.
The king of the first island sought the preference
of the strangers, eager to receive into his territories
the envoys of a powerful European state ; but the
queen of Ternate disputed and obtained the dangerous
favour. The admiral, securing her submission, at once
usurped her power, and stirred up a rebellion round her
throne. At the same time he artfully excited a com-
motion in Tidor. Then, to subdue the spirit of his own
raising, he proclaimed the reward of a piece of cloth for
every Tidorean destroyed by his men. Six hundred of
these prizes were speedily distributed. Maddened by
the cruelty of their Christian visitors, the king and the
people made war upon them, and a sanguinary conflict
was carried on. The native army, inflamed by the
fresh memory of terrible wrongs, of sacrilege, slaughter,
and rapine perpetrated by the white strangers, furiously
assaulted them. A few partial victories betrayed them
into a dangerous self-reliance. The Europeans attacked
their capital, captured it, and left on the site a pile of
ashes. This signal success stimulated their ambition,
while it gratified their pride. They continued the war,
without dissembling their hope of subduing the Mo-
luccas.
Confident of this rich prize, they triumphed already,
as though the wealth of India was only in future to
freight the galleons of Portugal ; and Lisbon, in their
sanguine expectation, was alone the Eui-opean port that
should receive a fleet laden with the riches of the
further East.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. Ill
CHAPTER V.
THE successes of the Portuguese in the Spice Islands A. D. 1522.
were balanced by their reverses in Sumatra, and their ^
defeat at Bantam in Java. 1 The brilliance of occa-
sional victories, indeed, relieved the general gloom
which darkened their fortunes on the western borders
of the Archipelago. Yet these failed to establish the
dominion they coveted over the rich and extensive
country once divided among the princes of Daya, Pedir,
and Passe, but now included in the dominions of
Achin. Ibrahim was spreading his arms. The am-
bitious monarch foresaw the growth of European con-
quest, and resolved that his own should rival theirs.
By the catastrophe at Passe, the Portuguese had been
swept for ever from Sumatra, Nor was that island the
only scene of their humiliation. That expulsion was
foremost in a train of disasters. Encouraged by the and on the
victory of Ibrahim, the Malays of the peninsula, led by pen
an able chief, again descended upon their enemies,
gave them battle in the river Muara, and were rejoiced
by their signal overthrow.
The succession of misfortunes was continuous and
rapid. The King of Pahang. induced by the solicita-
tions of self-interest to ally himself with the authority
of Portugal, broke a contract now apparently useless.
He united his forces with the army of Ahmed, successor
to Mohammed of Johore, and raised the signal for a
1 Osorlo, ii. 346.
112 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
general massacre of the European settlers in his terri-
tory. The example set by the martial independence
of the Malays excited imitation in Java. The people
rose, and slew all the inhabitants of the factories on
their coast. At Malacca adversities thickened. The
city, invested by land and sea, cut off from supplies,
and imminent on the verge of a hopeless famine, sank
to the last depth of distress. The Malay general, ani-
mated by the hope of freeing the peninsula from its
invaders, and restoring the independence of his nation,
was inspired also by the honourable desire to create for
himself an illustrious name by the overthrow of the
formidable Europeans. Their vessels of war had dis-
appeared from the straits. The barbarian, at once
general and admiral, seized a merchant ship, and in-
furiated the garrison of Malacca by casting it adrift in
flames under their eyes. Two armed vessels came out
to attack his squadron, but remained trophies in his
siege of hands. The situation of the town was critical. An
Malacca. Q\\{Q^ fleet, powerfully equipped, blockaded it by sea ;
a vast army, led by a renegade Portuguese, laid siege
to it by land. Enemies increased, and the resources of
defence sank low. The day seemed to approach when
the European flag in those seas should be prostrated
by an irretrievable disaster.
Fortune, however, has followed that flag in the East.
In the last moment of hope, Alphonso de Sousa, with a
squadron, anchored in the roads. Malacca was relieved.
The barbarians, driven into the river Muara, were there
Reprisals, blockaded. Vessels then sailed to Pahang, and in-
flicted a severe retribution on the people. All the
merchant ships in the harbour, with many trading
craft from Java among them, were destroyed. Six
thousand persons fell during the massacre. The mul-
titude of captives taken was so considerable that each
ITS HISTORY AND PllESENT STATE. 113
Portuguese returned from the expedition with six slaves
at his command. The Portuguese then sailed to Pa-
tani, where other ravages were committed. The town
was shattered into ruins, and left a memorial of their
revenge. There was, in the conduct of war, little con-
trast between the savage sovereigns of the Archipelago
and their civilised visitors from Christendom.
The chiefs of the Indian tribes, when they retaliated A.D. 1526.
on their foreign aggressors, learned soon that success
was staked as a doubtful hazard, and that misfortune
brought not only disgrace, but ruin on their thrones.
The King of Bintan at length received this lesson to his
cost. When the Portuguese had accomplished their
other errands of revenge, they prepared, with a fleet of
twenty-one ships, manned by 400 of their countrymen
and 600 mercenary Malays, to punish him for his share
in the recent humiliation of their flag. On their way
they encountered the naval force of the intrepid Laksi- Action at
mana. Animated by a courage which no disaster
could subdue, the chief boarded a vessel and prepared
to tow her away in triumph. The crew rallied and
prevented his design. The Malay admiral then fell
back upon the capital of his Bintanese ally, guarded
the entrenchments, lined the approaches with armed
men, and opposed a desperate front to the Portuguese.
On their side, the King of Lingen, personally hostile to
the besieged prince, brought a willing auxiliary.
Aided by their allies, the Portuguese attacked the Conflicts
town, broke through the ranks of its defenders, and ^^^
swept the streets to the centre. The Laksimana, con-
gregating his troops there, revived their courage, ral-
lied them to the battle, and turned the onset against
the invaders. The native army, renewed in zeal, fol-
lowed the movements of the enemy, and fought along
the lines, with the bravery of men attached by all the
VOL. I. I
114 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
ties of life to the citadel of their independence. But
European discipline prevailed. Bintan was captured,
pillaged, and levelled with the earth. Ahmed then fled
to the mainland, and there, entrenching himself behind
nature's own fortification of rocks and hills, enjoyed
freedom without power. The Portuguese vindicated
their self-assumed authority. Their victory was some
solace for the losses and disgraces of the last three
years ; but their monopoly of European influence was
gone. While they restored the fabric of their dominion
on the Peninsula, another nation continued to labour at
the creation of an empire in the Archipelago.
Spain, at more than one period of her history, has
been enriched by mines of precious metals. Her pros-
perity has never been founded on the solid basis of in-
dustrial vigour, but on the hollow though splendid at-
tractions offered by an auriferous soil, or cities stored
with the spoils of chrysorhean rivers in the New World.
Herself, in antiquity a golden Chersonese, she supplied
Europe with silver 1 , and her wealth is celebrated by
the prophetic poets of Scripture 2 , whose allusions have
been laboriously illustrated in our own day. 3 But she
now sought no longer in her own rich soil the costly
metals for which she prized her American empire. The
companions of Magellan brought to Seville, and thence
Rumours of diffused through the country, relations of the wonders
in Europe. 3 of nature displayed to them in the remotest regions of
the New World. They painted in tempting colours
the opulence and beauty of the Oriental Isles, enriched
with every precious possession, and glowing in the
purple splendour of the East. Spain was dazzled by
tales of spices, gems, gold, Indian silks, gums, ivory,
1 Strabo, 216219. * Ezekicl, xxvii. 12.
3 Heereu's Historical Researches, A. N. i. 330.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 115
amber, and aromatic oils, said to be profuse in those
fertile and fragrant islands, long since reported to
Europe by the narrative of Marco Polo. 1 An expedi-
tion was launched to settle a commercial state in the
Moluccas. A squadron sailed under the command of New adven-
Father Loyosa, who died and was succeeded by Del tures in the
IMoluccus
Cano, who also died, and Martin Yanez, a Biscayan
navigator, undertook the conduct of the adventure.
One vessel was lost in the Atlantic Ocean. On the
last day of the year 1526 they reached Tidor, with a A. D. 1526.
company much diminished by disease.
The king and the people of the island were then The Portu-
resisting the attacks of the Portuguese inflicted on
them to revenge their hospitable reception of the
-Spaniards. The new comers joined the native prince,
fought their rivals, were defeated and compelled to re-
treat within a fortified camp. There the enterprise
was extinguished. The Portuguese held them in siege Ri va i e
for two years, when three vessels from New Spain ar- dition -
rived to their succour. Twice the joyful adventurers
commenced their homeward voyage. Twice they were
driven back by violent storms. At length, without
means of escape, without numbers or energy for self-
defence, they relinquished the struggle, laid down their
arms, and submitted to the sovereignty of Lisbon.
Their enemies triumphed as though the spirit of ri-
valry had been for ever quenched ; but the possession
of a dominion in the Indian Islands was too rich a prize
to be abandoned after two efforts had failed. 2
Still the authority of Portugal was, so far, para- success of
mount among the Moluccas. Her reign over them
was actually commenced. To pause therefore for a
1 Travels of Marco Polo. Notes by Marsden.
2 Walton, Preliminary Discourse 15.
i 2
116
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Fatal beauty
of the Mo-
luccas.
Their still
more fatal
wealth.
Ancient
intercourse
with the
Spice group.
general survey of the group is a natural digression.
From the period when the Spanish flag was first dis-
played among the Spice Islands, they claim our par-
ticular attention. The charm of romance is upon them.
They have been celebrated as the possessors of a fatal
gift. Tn the earliest times, before the Arabian voyagers
navigated the Archipelago, rumours of the wealthy Mo-
luccas were circulated through Europe. The fancy of
the poet depicted in dazzling colours the rich islands :
" The unfortunate proprietors of aromaticks and per-
fumes," 1 which in the fabled beauty of their aspect, and
the resources of their soil, appeared to excel every
other region of the earth. They had all to attract, and
nothing to repel, an invader. The courts of Europe,
plunged in indolence, lust, and luxury, favoured with
their patronage the merchant who brought from the
East spices to regale their senses, satiated with common
delicacies. The Moluccas were cursed with wealth.
As the barbarians of ancient Germany were allured
into Italy and Gaul by the celebrity of their wines 2 ,
so the adventurers of Christendom were attracted to
those remote islands by the nutmegs and cloves so
highly prized among the epicures of Europe. It is
well for the weak to be poor, or they are victims to
the rapacity of the strong. The natives of the Spice
Islands, however, could not, like the peasants of Egypt
and India, conceal their riches, and instead of remaining
undiscovered, their wealth, extraordinary as it is, was ex-
aggerated by the imaginative travellers of the early ages.
The ancients probably possessed no actual knowledge
of these islands, since little can be inferred from the
story repeated by the Bishop of Avranches of spices
"** Volney, Ruins of Empires, 23.
8 Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, i. 358.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 117
brought to the banks of the Nile by Egyptian traders
under the guidance of an Indian pilot, who had been
driven to the shores of Arabia in a storm. 1 Endeavours
are made to fix into certainty conjectures based on
doubtful phrases and ambiguous terms ; but no his-
torical proof exists that a link of intercourse was laid
down even between India and the Moluccas until
ninety-three years after the commencement of the
Christian era. 2 In the curious record of the commerce
of the Red Sea, elucidated by an able commentator 3 ,
there is no allusion to spices ; but in the reign of Corn-
modus, towards the close of the second century, cloves Consump-
and nutmegs appear in the list of commodities im- zjj^j,.
ported into Alexandria 4 ; and from that period forward antiquity.
they constantly occur as the most prized commodities of
India.
The productions of the Moluccas were, at first, con- Ancient
veyed to Europe through many stages, by land and sea. ^^ rdal
It is probable that the Arabs, before the appearance of
their Prophet, never reached the Spice Islands, since
there is no relic of a pagan Arab population. The
merchants of the East, however, early discovered the
value of the nutmeg and the clove, and defied the accumu- Growing
lated dangers which then attended all maritime adven- sp i ces<
tures. 5 We find in the annals of the Moluccas that their
fragrant products were sought by the Javanese in 1332. 6
Adventurers from the great island arrived, to form settle-
ments, at the time of the Muslim invasion, when they
brought with them the seeds of the new faith. The trade Indian
traders
was opened by the Malays, the Javanese, and the Bugis,
1 Huet's History of Commerce, 57.
s Crawfurd, History of the Indian Archipelago, iii. 187.
3 Vincent, Periplus of the Erythrean Sea.
4 Crawfurd, History of the Indian Archipelago, iii. 188.
5 Vincent's Periplus, i. 1. 6 Crawfurd, iii. 140.
i 3
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Fondness
for spices in
Europe.
Venetian
travels.
Chinese
merchants.
Their set-
tlement.
Djslre of
the Portu-
guese to
trade in
spices.
forming the first link in the extended chain that drew
the spices of these islands as far as the capital of the
Roman empire. They were conveyed to Achin or
Malacca, and carried westward by trader after trader,
until, at length, they perfumed the tables of the Italian
epicure, who knew not whence the richly flavoured
commodity was procured. l At the close of the thirteenth
century the spice trade was active in the Archipelago. 2
It is said, even, that the Venetians actually penetrated
to the further East, and that a galleon belonging to that
nation was seen bound for China with merchandize, and
steering through an ocean crowded by fleets of Indian
traders. 8 The earliest mention of a commerce with the
Celestial Empire occurs in 1465, when junks arrived at
Temate to purchase cloves. The Chinese themselves,
however, date their communication with the Spice
Islands at a period far more remote, and it appears true
that they navigated the narrow seas of this rich group
long before, though they settled nowhere in any numbers
until the establishment of European power secured their
safety. 4
The Portuguese themselves had settled for a con-
siderable period in Malacca, and had been thirteen years
in India before they reached the Moluccas. 5 This,
however, was not so much through indifference aa
through the dangers and perplexities which then beset
their position in the East. The valuable productions
of that celebrated group formed, as it were, the polar
star of enterprise. A rage for spices sprung up in
Europe, and continued, through the century, to furnish
1 Crawfurd, History of the Indian Archipelago, in. 212.
8 Marco Polo, De Eeb. Orient., in. 199.
3 Huet's History of Commerce, 1 73.
4 Crawfurd, History of the Indian Archipelago, iii. 155.
* Ibid. ii. 488.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 119
an object for the satirical effusions of the day. 1 The
natural flavour of all that is esteemed as delicate or Rage for
rich was drowned in powerful and pungent spicery,
and the tables of the opulent, like the funeral pyres of
antiquity, smoked with clouds of fragrance, from hot
and perfumed dishes. 2 The cloves, the pepper, and the
nutmegs of the East, were indeed, in that age, the
principal if not the only object of mercantile adven-
ture 3 ; an artificial value was conferred on these articles Artificial
of luxury, and the commodities which the companions valuc-
of Magellan bought at the rate of nearly six hundred
pounds for ten yards of good scarlet cloth, worth seven
pounds 4 , sold in England at three thousand per cent,
above their original price. 5
The name Molucca has by some been assigned to the Ancient ac-
whole family of islands which stud the sea, between counts of the
J Moluccas.
Celebes on the west, the Ami group on the east,
Morty on the north, and Timor southward. In
another view they are described as forming one group,
with the Philippines included, and their division is ac-
counted for, not by geographical, but by political rea-
sons, as the possessions respectively of the Spaniards
and the Dutch. 6 But the natural limits of the Philip-
pines are distinctly marked. It might, nevertheless,
be more philosophical to allow the term a more com-
prehensive signification, and include within the present
sketch all the territories subject to the jurisdiction of
the Molucca government ; but for the convenience of
the narrative we may accept the general application of
the name to " Amboyna, Banda, Ternate, Tidor, and
1 Dryden. z See Homes's Sketches of Man, ii. 141.
3 Dubois de Jancigny. Xavier Raymond, L'Inde Pittoresque.
A Adam Smith, Wealth of Nations.
5 Crawfurd, History of the Indian Archipelago, iii. 384.
6 Sonnerat, Voyages aux Indes, ii. 104.
I 4
120
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
cf thegroup.
General
view.
the smaller neighbouring islands," indicated by the
Geography Dutch writer. 1 Otherwise the plan of this history
wou j ( j k e altered, and the relation dropped while we
wandered over the extensive countries of Gilolo, Ceram,
Buru, and the three hundred isles 2 , with others yet un-
counted, that lie beyond the proper Spice group. They
will be introduced as the narrative proceeds, but it is
with the Spice Islands, strictly so called, that our occu-
pation now is.
They are small islands, situated in the expanse of sea,
rolling eastward from Celebes to the shores of New
Guinea, and within the latitude of 132. In aspect
they are generally similar. The lands near the coast
are low, or gently varied by hills, covered at intervals
with woods, watered by an abundance of streams, and
backed by mountains that stand towering in the centre,
clothed from base to peak in a mantle of living green.
Some of them present landscapes resembling the high
plateaus of Mexico represented in miniature, with ver-
dant levels, encircled by graceful margins, long slopes
sweeping down from the heights to the brim of the sea,
broad swells of verdure rolling towards the interior, and
an assemblage of hillocks that seemed piled in confusion
upon each other; but all with their outlines sharply
defined in the clear light of the East, and glittering with
brilliant vegetation. 3 The rarest productions of the
earth are natives of the Moluccas. The nutmeg, that
reaches on the average a height of from twenty to thirty
feet in the Straits' settlements, which are the limits of
its diffusion westward 4 , here attains fifty, flourishing in
Their sur-
face.
Their nut-
meg-tree.
1 Hogendorp, Coup dCEil sur I 1 Isle de Java.
Temminck, Possessions Neerlandaiscs dans TInde Arcliipc-
lagique^ iii. 300.
9 Ibid. 234.
4 Oxley, Treatise on the Cultivation of the Nutmeg.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 121
groves of unrivalled beauty, while many others thrive
which elsewhere are only found as sickly exotics, mock-
ing the care bestowed on them by the dilettanti of
botanical science.
The Moluccas, properly so called, form two groups, Situation
composed of numerous islands assigned by geography to and extentt
the fourth and fifth ranks, though in history they occupy,
from their commercial and political importance, a place
equally prominent with Java and Sumatra. Of them, volcanic
as of the Philippines, it is to be observed, that their origin on s in *
is volcanic, and that to the action of subterranean fires,
eternally in commotion to raise archipelagos into con-
tinents, and rend continents into archipelagos, they owe
their beauty, their fertility, and their chief natural
dangers. Every where, on their surface, remain traces
of the volcano's work, which continually changes their
aspect, as the tremblings of the earth cleave hills, and fill
up cavities, once characteristic features in a bird's-eye
view of the group. l The numerous craters in action Traces of
form probably, as a traveller long ago suggested 2 , the eiup lons '
issues of one mighty volcano lying below the whole of
the Molucca sea.
Although Ternate was in ancient times the capital of Amboyna.
the Spice Group 3 , Amboyna, or the Isle of Dew, is
politically the chief, and has always been valued by the
Dutch, among the most important of their possessions, the
crown and key of the Moluccas. 4 It belongs in size to
the fifth rank, although it has been assigned to the fourth 5 ;
1 Temminck, Coup cCCEil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises,
iii. 290.
2 Sonnerat, Voyages aux Indes, ii. 122.
3 Argensilas, History of the Moluccas.
4 Temminck, Possessions Neerlandaises dans VInde Archipela-
gique, iii. 219.
5 Temminck, Coup d(Eil, iii. 219.
122 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
for if we accord to Timor, Floris, and Ceram, that de-
gree 1 , Amboyna, which is not a tenth of their size, takes
its political a place below them. It is better peopled than any other
importance. J Q the group} an( J ta k es j tfl name f rom tnat Q f t ] ie
capital Ambon, the native appellation being Hiton, pro-
perly applied only to the north-eastern division, to which
the south-eastern or Leitomor of the Malays is attached
by a neck of land not more than half a league wide. 2
Harbour. This deep indenture affords two safe, well sheltered, and
spacious bays, with anchorage for large vessels. The
Area. area of the island is calculated at little more than thir-
teen geographical leagues, its population at nearly fifty
thousand. 3 Viewed from the sea Amboyna presents
its elevated surface to the eye, diversified by many
Form. varieties of outline. It rises from the sea towards the
centre, with a gradual but broken slope dipping into
valleys, throwing up clusters of hills, or gently expand-
ing into confined plateaus. Some of the eminences are
gracefully rounded and completely wrapped in vegeta-
tion ; near them are mountains girt at the base by a belt
of woods, and lifting their bald peaks to a moderate
height; others are wholly covered with bushes. The
broad valleys near the sea present a rich verdure, charm-
ing in its beauty and abundance. The writer of a sober
description fears to be confounded with the romancer
when repeating the accounts afforded by Dutch and
Fragrant English voyagers of the Spice Islands. The air, ac-
atmosphere. cor( ji n g to the grave advocate of Netherland's policy 4 ,
is literally loaded with the soft odour of aromatic plants
1 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, i. 3.
* Hogcndorp, Coup dCEil sur Java.
3 Temminck, Possessions Neerlandaises dans TInde Arcliipela-
gique, iii. 220.
4 Ibid. iii. 233.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 123
and flowers, sown in profusion over plains, shaded by
forests of the cocoa and sago palm. The prospect is picturesque
brilliant and enchanting, especially when the eye, after Ppect.
resting on tawny flats of sand, seeks the contrast of these
crowded assemblages of hills and valleys fantastically
grouped, and adorned with exuberant verdure, perplex-
ing by its changing outline, and dazzling with its show
of mingled tints.
There is one famous sketch of such a landscape from Dutch de-
the pen of a traveller who, with his pencil, has justified Jj^JJU^
the florid colours of his description. 1 They are of ravish-
ing beauty, we are told by this enthusiastic voyager.
You may wander over plains, surrounded by the slopes scenery.
of verdant hills, divided by sweeps of grass-land or
natural pastures sprinkled thickly with flowers, effusing
a powerful fragrance, that hangs in the air, too heavy
to be dissipated. Amid an infinite profusion of bios- Flowers,
soming plants are distinguished by their lustre and
grace, the Hibiscus Rosa sinensis adorned with elevated
clusters of berries and bright purple petals, another
with tapering coronal of crimson flowers, others with
blossoms of a delicate green, flourishing in the form of
trees, whose branches, gently bending towards the sun, Trees.
afford an umbrageous dome of foliage. The traveller
indulges in a rapturous apostrophe to the spirit of
pleasure : How delicious to enjoy a moment of repose
on the border of the Kiver of Elephants, where,
under the influence of a genial sky, perpetually serene,
shaded by lofty trees, and listening to the trembling
leaves of the palm, a Sybarite might rest and watch
the clusters of tufted branches gracefully swaying in the
wind ! Every sense may feed on the beauty of the scene,
1 Ver Huell, Travels in the East Indies, Dutch, qu. Temminck,
iii. 234.
124
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Perfumes.
Truth of
the picture.
Exaggera-
tion of tra-
vellers.
Capacities
for pro-
ductions.
Nutmeg.
the eye on the landscape, the ear on the harmony of
nature, while perfumes float around from the orange
groves, from the Sandal Malam, or Lover of the Night,
and from an infinite variety of aromatic trees and
shrubs, which enrich this favoured island. All that poetry
can imagine is realised here ; the ideal is exceeded, and
the traveller may believe himself transported to the
gardens of Armidea in the Tempean Vale. 1
The glow of fancy, breathed in poetical language,
suffuses this picture, but its truth is accepted by a grave
authority 2 ; though sober historians, dilating on a fa-
vourite topic, occasionally enlarge their recollections,
and exaggerate in the effort to be exact. Travellers in
the mighty island of Australia describe its vast plains,
and a traveller in Amboyna employs the same epithet 3 ,
which appears misapplied to an isle no larger than
Jersey ; but for the beauty of the scenes we have other
authority, and the views by the pencil of the writer we
have quoted 4 delineate landscapes equal to the richest
displays of nature in Southern Europe. 5
In some parts Amboyna is barren ; in others, where the
surface is arid and rocky, the clove has its favourite habi-
tation. In others a soil of great fertility prevails, though
these are not extensive ; but on them and the mountain
slopes a vegetation rich as that of Java flourishes wild. 6
The nutmeg, produced in perfection nowhere in the
world out of this, the third division of the Indian
Archipelago 7 , is found ; but it is for the clove that
1 Ver Huell, Reisen in der Oost Intlien, qu. Temminck, iii. 234.
2 Temminck, Coup d(Eil, iii. 235.
3 Hogendorp, Coup cTCEil sur Java. 4 Ver Huell.
5 Temminck, Coup (TGEif, iii. 235.
6 Temminck, Hogendorp, iii. 235.
7 Crawfurd, History of the Indian Archipelago, i. 3.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 125
the island is celebrated ; and that rich possession has
been to it a curse, as the gold of Mexico and Peru
was to the original tenants of those countries. It has itsinfluence
brought upon the people cruel and selfish masters, who group ^
have drenched the soil in blood that the natives might
be forced to lend their labour to the service of Dutch
monopoly a monopoly, however, first claimed by the
Portuguese. 1 About three hundred thousand pounds
are annually produced. 2 The culture and collection of Culture of
the spice employs almost all the population, and exhi-
bits a curious social picture, from the planting of the
young trees to the drying and packing rooms, in which,
according to a credulous and quaint cosmographer of old tales,
the sixteenth century, a pail of water would dry up in
two days, from the excessive heat of the cloves. 3 There other pro-
are, in addition to this natural treasure, numerous costly ductlons -
woods affording fragrant essences and oils with medicinal
virtues, besides exquisite woods for cabinet work, from
which slabs for tables six or seven feet in diameter are
frequently obtained 4 , though inferior in beauty to the
woods of Ceram. Coffee and indigo, with cotton and
pepper 5 , succeed well, though their cultivation is mi-
serably neglected. 6 Cinnamon is abundant, but of a Cinnamon,
poor quality, for it does not yield an oil rich, sweet,
and fragrant like that of Ceylon 7 , whence the tree
was transplanted to Java, while the Cassia lignea 8 , its
rival for the epicure's favour, is distributed throughout
1 Fr. Pirard, Voyages aux Indes.
Hogendorp, Coup d'CEil sur Java.
3 Heylyn, Cosmography, 918.
* Hogendorp, Coup d'CEil sur Java.
5 Crawfurd, Hist. Indian Archipelago, i. 485.
6 Temminck, Possessions Neerlandaises, iii. 227.
7 Ibid. 228.
8 See_Dioscorides, Mat. Med., 1. i. c. 62. i. 13.
126
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Its native
country.
Ancient
uses of this
spice.
the Archipelago, Southern India, and Southern China. 1
It is perhaps impossible to discover the original and
native country of cinnamon, though the Taprobane of
the ancients appears to declare itself as such. The
spice, Canella zeillanica, found its way into Greece
through Arabia, and a singular account respecting it
was afforded to strangers by the imaginative traders of
the Republic. The trees producing the bark grew, it
was said, in a valley swarming with serpents ; and for
protection against these reptiles, those who came to
gather cinnamon enveloped their hands and feet in
boots and gloves. 2 A third of the spice collected was
piled on the sand, as tribute to the sun, and the Arabs,
departing to a certain distance, usually turned round
and saw the heap in flames, sending up a cloud of fra-
grant smoke to the God who had kindled the sacrifice. 3
Elsewhere we learn that it was bought by the Arabian
merchants, who knew not whence it came, except that
it grew in some part of the East. 4 To the Persians it
is known as Dar Sin, or Chinese wood, which its name is
said to imply 5 , though this may apply to the Cassia
lignea, already mentioned as a product of that country. 6
However this may be, whether as an indigenous or
naturalised tree, the cinnamon flourishes in the Moluc-
cas, and especially in Amboyna.
these islands, so rich in the luxuries, yield few
Poverty of
Amboyna in among the ordinary necessaries of life, a fact observed
saricsofiifc. by the earliest writers. 7 The surface of Amboyna pre-
1 Pridham, Ceylon and its Dependencies.
2 Dioscor. i. 12. ; Hazelquist, Travels, 247.
3 St. John, Manners and Customs of Ancient Greece^ iii. 401.
4 Theoph. Hut. Plant, ix. 5. 2.
5 Valmont de Baumare, Hist. Nat. i. 568.
6 Rochon, Memoir on the Chinese Trade ; Voyage, 457.
7 Heylyn, Cosmography, 918.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 127
sents few extensive fields for agriculture, and the policy p H C y of
of the Dutch, influencing the spirit of the people as thc Dutch -
well as reducing their numbers l , diverted their industry
from the legitimate cultivation of the soil to exhaust
it in the clove plantations. 2 They were the slaves of
monopoly, though there are writers who attribute the
poverty of the islands to the natural indolence of the
people, observable especially among the Christian con-
verts. 3 It has also, however, been shrewdly suggested Neglect of
that the Dutch in their diplomatic craft encouraged the encouraged,
neglect of this branch of industry, that the people
might depend on them for support, and serve them
more sedulously on that account. 4 Nothing is more
probable, for the colonial policy of that age was marked
by many such features. The Spaniards in America Parallel
coerced the rebellious tribes and subdued them to hu-
mility by their power over the sources of food 5 , and
from the character of the Netherland's system we may
easily imagine it acting through a similar medium.
Whatever has been the cause, however, it is certain Waste
that a cultivated spot is as seldom met with in this a f pe ^ t of
Amboyna.
Itttle island as a waste tract in all the wide extent of
Java. 6 This was true, however, even before the Euro-
peans settled there, and has been accounted for by the
rough and barren nature of the country 7 , though it
was justly remarked that this must have been with
reference to some kinds of grain, as otherwise it is very
productive. 8 Rice and the sugar cane are enumerated,
1 Adam Smith, Wealth of Nations.
2 See Earl, Trading Ports, Journ. Ind. Arch. iv. 987.
3 Hogendorp, Coup (ICEil sur Java, 321.
4 Crawfurd, Hist. Indian Archipelago.
5 Washington Irving, Life and Voyages of Columbus, ii. 283.
6 Temminck, Possessions Neerlandaises, iii. 226.
7 Maguiris. 8 He^lyn, Cosmography, 918.
128
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Reasons
assigned.
Supplies of
food."
Rice.
The yam.
Bounty of
Providence
to these
islands.
Grasses of
Australia.
by the old geographer, among the fruits of the earth,
and it is suggested that the heat of the cloves, absorb-
ing all the moisture, dried up the soil and rendered it
unfit for many kinds of tillage. The views of a later
writer are differently coloured, and a strong contrast is
drawn between the Moluccas and the Philippines ; the
former described as flourishing under the high culture
carried on by the Dutch, whereas their principal wealth
is spontaneous, and the latter languishing under the
nerveless policy of the Spaniards. 1 Certain it is, at all
events, that the rice grown in Amboyna falls short of its
necessities, leaving large quantities to be exported from
the Southern provinces of Celebes 2 , with an annual
supply from Java 3 , as well as from Bengal. 4
The yam cultivated in the Indian Islands 5 is probably
indigenous there, and forms an article of food among
the Amboynese 6 ; but the sweet potato was probably
introduced by Europeans, and is known to them as the
Castilian yam. 7 The arrow-root is produced, and used
as food, with other materials of which the people them-
selves alone make any account. But nature never leaves
men without the means of life ; and they are equally
well provided on the snowy coasts of the polar land,
as on the naked and desolate tracts in the depths of
Australasia. There Providence has supplied grain-bear-
ing grasses 8 and nutritious roots ; and in the Moluccas,
the great staff of life, spontaneously abundant, which
1 Sonnerat, Voyages aux Indes, ii. 104.
2 Temminck, Possessions Neerlandaises, iii. 227.
3 Hogendorp, Coup d'CEil sur Java.
4 Raffles, History of Java, i. 239.
5 Crawfurd, History of the Indian Archipelago, i. 371.
6 Rumphius, Natural History of Amboyna, v. 347.
7 Crawfurd, i. 372.
* Sturt, Expedition into Central Australia, i. 135., ii. 140.
ITS HISTORY AttD PRESENT STATE. 129
makes up for the deficiency of rice or corn is the sago, Sa s-
or Papua bread, as it is sometimes called by the Ja-
vans. 1 Few require to learn that this is the medullary
pith of a palm, which, excepting the Nipa, is the hum-
blest of its tribe. That of the Spice Islands is the most Various
plentiful but least esteemed ; that of Siak on the north
coast of Sumatra being the best, and that of Borneo
second in estimation. 2 It furnishes the principal food Its con -
of the people 3 , its delicate flour being baked into cakes.
Here is its native country, between Borneo, on the one Ge s r apM
side, and New Guinea on the other ; Mindoro on the bution.
north, and Timor on the south ; and though it is natu-
ralised in other islands of the Archipelago, is never
found beyond its limits. 4 The process of extraction is Process of
simple but curious, and differs among many of the P reparatlon>
islands, as that of Mindoro from that of the Moluc-
cas. 5 So also does the size of the cakes ; those of Am-
boyna being four inches broad, and six long; while
those of Ceram are much larger. The people live
habitually on this nutritious substance, given by the
omnipotent Creator, as the natural historian of Am-
boyna expresses it 6 , instead of other grain whence to
make bread ; and little, indeed, may we wonder at the
neglect of agriculture among an ignorant people, when
the labour of five men felling the sago palms, extract-
ing the farina, and preparing the cakes, will maintain a
hundred. 7 The mass of medulla extracted is immense ; Abundance
600 pounds is not unusually afforded by a single tree, 3
1 Forrest's Voyage to New Guinea, 42.
2 Crawfurd, Hist. Indian Archipelago, i. 386.
3 Hogendorp, Coup dCEil sur Java.
4 Crawfurd, Hist. Indian Archipelago, i. 386.
5 D ampler, Voyages, i. 310, 311.
6 Rumphius, Nat. Hist. Amboinensis, i. 80.
7 Forrest, Voyage to New Guinea, 42.
VOL. I. K
130
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Other re-
sources for
food.
Mush-
rooms.
Worms.
Articles of
native ma-
nufacture
and com-
merce.
while the refuse, after the bread is made, is thrown in
heaps to putrify. 1 Thence a delicate edible mushroom
springs up, and in the piles, as well as in the decaying
wood, are generated worms of a white colour, held in
great estimation among the epicureans of the Molucca
islands. Certain wood worms were in the same manner
prized by the ancient Romans; and the taste of the
Amboynese has been shared by Europeans 2 , after a
struggle with prejudices, which are, indeed, mere
matters of custom.
From the Gomuti, the Amboynese were wont, in
their wars with the Dutch, to extract a liquor of corro-
sive quality, used in the defence of forts, and expres-
sively named by the Hollanders Hell- Water. 3 Similar
practices prevailed in Sulu, where the springs were
thus poisoned, while English and French ships were
watering. 4 An intoxicating drink is afforded by this
palm. The betel nut is also produced, with leaves of a
peculiar flavour 5 ; tobacco, the wild banana 6 , the bread
fruit, and others of exquisite fragrance. The materials
of food and luxury within reach of the people, are thus
abundant and varied ; but they scarcely ever employ to
flavour them their envied spices, for cloves, nutmegs,
and pepper are consumed almost in all parts of the
world, but those in which they are produced. Many
plants, yielding filacious barks, fit to be spun into
cordage, abound, with rattans and palms. Of timber,
teak was introduced by Rumphuis, in 1676 7 , from Ma-
deira, while, native to the soil, grows the enormous
1 See the best account of sago in Journ. Ind. Arch. iii. 228.
2 Crawfurd, Hist. Indian Archipelago, i. 393.
3 Ibid. 398.
4 Belcher, Voyage of the Samarang, i. 261.
5 Rumphius, Nat. Hist. Amboinensis, v. 338.
6 Crawfurd, Hist. Ind. Arch. i. 413. 7 Ibid. 450.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 131
Lingoa tree, used in house-building, rural economy,
and naval architecture, and producing fragrant blos-
soms, highly prized by the islanders. 1 Fancy woods, and
woods exuding gums and dyes, exist in profusion ; but
remain incompletely known. The cardamum was intro-
duced in 1670, and thrives well, though inferior to that
of Malabar. Ginger is also found with other articles,
too infinite in their variety, and too little important for
their present commercial value, to be enumerated. Of Animals.
the animal kingdom there is little variety, for the
poverty that in this respect afflicts Australia, extends
here. While in Java there are eighty-five of the mam-
miferous order, there are here but thirty ; and not a
single quadruman. The people draw occasional sub-
sistence from the flesh of wild deer, and that of the hog
an animal which, as the learned historian has re-
marked, seems to share with man the privilege of thriv-
ing in almost all countries, from the equator to the
poles. 2 Birds, however, swarm in the forests, display- Birds.
ing in their plumage all the rich hues of nature
purple, bright blue, gold, green, and gaudy crimson.
To China, the people of the Spice Islands send the
edible nests of the sea-swallow, with their cargoes of
trepang, shark's fins, and small parcels of gold. 3
They supply that luxurious country also with birds Birds of
of paradise, named by the Indians birds of Ternate 4 ; t r ^ariT
by the Ternatians, birds of God 5 ; by the Dutch, king's ous names-
birds 6 ; and by the Spaniards, birds of the sun. 7 These
1 Crawfurd, Hist. Ind. Arch. i. 452.
2 Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, note.
3 They have some galeopitheci. Lesson, Hist. Nat. iv. 413.
4 Valmont de Bomare, Histoire Naturelle, iv. 296.
5 Valentyn, Indian Archipelago, iii. 306 313.
6 Forrest's Voyage to New Guinea, 142.
7 Aldrovandus, Valmont de Bomare, iv. 297. The name Ma-
nucodiata, or Bird of God, has been adopted in modifications by
K 2
132
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Indian
fables con-
cerning
them.
Toetical
fancy.
Their
flight.
Method of
catching
them.
Trade in
the feathers.
the great Promeropes 1 the most beautiful of winged
creatures, were fabled also by the fancy of the Arabian
poet, as visitants from heaven to earth ; and among the
islanders, it is believed that when old, and feeling the
approach of death, they fly upward towards the sun ;
but having spent their strength in the inferior world,
fail to reach again their celestial home, fall and die as
they descend a graceful fancy not forgotten by the
moralist or the poet. 2 No representation can exagge-
rate their beauty, or excel the lustre of their plumage.
They fly always against the wind, and were supposed
footless, and incapable of alighting, until it was dis-
covered that the Indians cut off their feet before pre-
serving them. They are caught in New Guinea, to
which only are they native 3 , with a species of bird-
lime. In the nutmeg season also they come from their
breeding grounds in the interior of that vast island, and
sail in flocks of thirty or forty over the eastern borders
of the Archipelago. An intoxicating fragrance, rising
in clouds from the spice groves, is said to overpower
them as they fly, when they drop to the earth, and are
caught for the sake of the dazzling plumage which
seems not only to reflect but to retain the radiance of
the sun. Whatever the habits of these birds, they form
valuable articles of export. Europe is supplied chiefly
from Batavia, China from the Molucca and Arru isles,
while the natives of that remote group, with many of
the Malays, adorn their casques at martial pageants
with feathers plucked from their glittering wings. 4
several naturalists. Margrav. Srasil. 207. ; Rai, Syn. Ac. 21 27. ;
Briss. 2. 130. See Buffon, Hist. Nat. des Ois. Hi. 207.
1 Pritchard, Researches, i. 83. s See Camoens, Lusiad, book x.
3 Crawfurd, Journ. Ind. Arch. iv. 182.
4 Valentyn, qu. Forrest, Voyage to New Guinea, 142.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 133
The Amboynese are of the middle size, well made The Am -
and suited by their moral and physical characteristics
for military duties. Their martial spirit is finer than
that of the other Moluccan races, which, it may be,
prevented their earlier subjugation. They are good- Character,
tempered, though impetuous ; easily appeased, though
quarrelsome, and generally very sober. Rarely does
an Amboynese commit a capital crime. Occasional
thefts occur, but the principal offences are venial, and
the criminal calendar of the island is chiefly filled with
the names of strangers. Such is the view of them
which is supported by the long experience and most
finished judgment. * Other impressions of them exist,
especially among older travellers. They have been de-
scribed as a bloody, vindictive race, whose enslavement
is fortunate. 2 It is related, and the account is ac-
cepted by writers often judicious, that they formed one
of the most ferocious sections of the Malay nation, im-
placable enemies of the Dutch, who never showed
mercy to any of that race ; but keeping each prisoner
five days without food, ripped up his bowels, tore out
his heart, cut off his head, and preserved it in spice as
a trophy. 3 The Spaniards, it is said, were respected by
them as gentlemen, the Dutch despised for their sordid
dealings. 4 We can scarcely, however, imagine the
primitive character of a people that has suffered so much
from its civilized conquerors, and can judge only of
the impressions they make on observers at the present
day, who generally admit their estimable qualities. 5
Though retaining many of the ideas and customs they
1 Hogendorp, Coup d'CEil sur Java,
2 Adams, Travels in the East. 3 Home's Sketches of Man, i. 365.
4 Heylyn, Cosmography, 920.
5 Temminck, Possessions Neerlandaises, Hi. 229.
K 3
134
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Progress in
the useful
arts.
Primal
habits of
man.
Banda.
Beautiful
scenery.
Roadstead.
originally possessed, they have also abandoned many,
especially those characteristic of simplicity. When
voyagers in the early ages of maritime adventure visited
those islands, they found the people of Amboyna making
use of a hollow bamboo to boil their food in l , as the
Siamese use cocoa-nut shells 2 , and the Ostyaks vessels
of bark 3 , the contents cooling while the vessel burned ;
one of the earliest modes adopted by mankind 4 , though
still superior to that of some tribes of Australia, ignorant
altogether of the effect of fire upon water. 5 Recently,
intercourse with more instructed communities has
taught them to despise the rude utensil supplied by
nature, and they use iron pans from China. 6
Next in importance in the Molucca family is the Banda,
or chief nutmeg group, which lies south-east of Am-
boyna, alone in the sea. Described in the accounts of
the early voyagers as a paradise of beauty 7 , its at-
tractive landscapes are, indeed, alluring to the eye ; but
its wealth in nutmegs was the loadstone that drew to it
the attention of those merchant-princes, who long
ruled the destinies of Holland in the further East.
The rich products of this, known in the island as the
mountain nut 8 , with the mace, equally prized, the ex-
cellent maritime position, the superb roadstead, and the
fertile soil of Banda, render it conspicuous among the
Spice Islands : but, unlike Amboyna, it is unhealthy,
1 Constantine, Voyage de la Compagnie des Indes, iii. 32$.
2 Histoire Generale des Voyages, ix. 248.
3 Voyages au Nord, viii. 43.
4 Goguet, Origine des Loix, i. 171.
5 Oxley, Expedition to survey Port Cavis, Morcton Say, and
Port Coiven.
6 Forrest, Voyage to New Guinea.
7 Maflei. Istoria del? Inde Orientali, i. 327.
8 Valmont de Bomare, Histoire Naturelle> iv. 177.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 135
and exposed to constant danger from the volcano of Gu-
nong Api 1 , or the Fire Mountain, which has many times Fiery
burst in magnificent eruption, devastating the neigh-
bouring region, and blasting it with a shower of scorch-
ing ashes. 2 The three islands, Banda JSTeira, Nuthoir,
and Gunong Api, form a roadstead sheltered from every
wind, but the Fire Mountain is the curse of the group,
not only when in eruption, but on account of the insa-
lubrity it spreads around. 3 The base of the volcano,
called by the French the Grenade of Banda 4 , occupies
the whole surface of the islet to which it gives a name.
It rises with a gentle slope from the sea, increasing in
elevation, it is said, with every explosion of the sub-
terranean fire. Its present height is about two thousand
feet. The mountain is covered with magnificent vege-
tation, commencing at the line where the waves cease
to beat, and continuing upwards to the point where the
lava ceases to flow, being cooled by the air. From Eruptions,
peak to foot, however, may be traced the courses of fiery
torrents which occasionally have overrun the verdant
mantle that wraps the lower part of this vast volcanic
pile, blasting it to cinders, and leaving standing the
trunks of large trees 5 , dead and black, presenting an
aspect of desolation similar to that on the upper slopes
of the Sacred Mountain in Sumatra. 6 Around the base
grow woods of cocoa and other fruit trees, but the nut-
meg is not cultivated, and the isle is inhabited only by
a few emigrants from Timor. 7
1 Hogendorp, Coup d'CEil sur Java.
2 See the Verhandelingen part. his. 115.
3 Temminck, Possessions Neerlandaises dans rinde, iii. 289.
4 Valmont de Bomare, Histoire Naturelle, iv. 181.
5 Temminck, Possessions Neerlandaises, iii. 290.
6 Raffles, Memoirs, by Lady Raffles, i. 367.
7 Temminck, Possessions Neerlandaises, iii. 290.
K 4
136
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Soil.
Growth of
spices.
The clove.
Clove oil.
Use of
cloves.
In Ban da itself the soil is generally stony, and pro-
duces little more than nutmegs and mace. It was for
these, however, that the Spaniards, the Portuguese, and
the Dutch aspired to the possession of the island. The
fragrant nut, supposed to be indigenous only in Ternate,
is now no longer found there l , but abounds in Banda.
It may be cultivated with success in Borneo 2 and the
Straits settlements ; but, as already observed, refuses
to flourish, except as an exotic, in any other region of
the world, though it has been introduced into the Isle
of France 3 , while its congener, the clove, has spread not
only thither, but over Cayenne 4 over Asia, Africa,
and the West Indies. 5 Formerly, when the use of
spices was universal among the polished communities of
Europe, as much in obedience to fashion as to taste,
cloves were employed in every species of cookery. 6
They were also preserved by the Dutch in sugar, fresh
from the tree, and eaten as dessert on the voyage, to
promote digestion and prevent the scurvy. 7 The heavy,
fragrant, golden-hued oil they yielded, ranked among
materia medica as well as an article of luxury. 8 So also
nutmegs were pickled in vinegar, softened in water,
and served in syrup. They were eaten with tea, and
indulged in to an injurious excess by voyagers in the cold
north, who took them every morning, while the sailors
1 Oxley, The Nutmeg and its Cultivation, Journal of the Ind.
Arch. ii. 643.
2 Low, Sarawak and its Productions, 33.
3 Forrest, Voyage to New Guinea.
4 Crawfurd, Hist, of Indian Archipelago, iii. 393.
5 Oxley, Cultivation of the Nutmeg, Journ. Ind. Arch. ii. 642.
6 See Thevenot, Voyages, iii. 324.
7 Valmont de Bomare, Histoire Naturelle, iv. 1 80.
8 Cloves are now used by the French in flavouring a prepa-
ration known to the artiste as Tarragon vinegar. Cookery of
the Chichim Club.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 137
often employed them to chew instead of tobacco
or betel. l The annual produce of nutmegs is Annual
. produce.
about 650,000 pounds. 2 The other productions of
the Banda group are trifling. Rice is regularly
brought from Java to supply the deficiency in the
means of subsistence. The nut of the Amadi tree,
abundantly found in the jungles, is used as food, and
when prepared yields a superior oil. Many other in-
habitants of the forest are turned to valuable account. 3
Fuel in Banda is scarce, and part of the crews which Lime
man the trading boats to the Arru isles employ them-
selves, during their stay, in making chunam of lime,
from the coral abounding on the beach a profitable
occupation. 4 The custom appears to be of old date, as Verification
among the reported marvels which the readers of tra-
vels are warned by a grave geographer 5 to reckon
among "huge and monstrous lies" is, that in this sea
there are stones which grow and increase like fish, of
which the best lime is made. This evidently refers to
coral, which to the present day is burned in Ternate
into chunam to be mixed in a masticatory compound of
betel-nut and siriki-leaf. 6 With similar incredulity, ill-
founded, he mentions that oyster-shells are there found so
large that children might be christened 7 in them, which
is an obvious allusion to the Kima cockle, the fish of which
1 Valmont de Bomare, Histoire Naturelle, iv. 179.
2 Hamilton, East India Gazetteer .
3 Hogendorp, Coup (fCEil sur Java.
4 Stanley, Visit to the Arafura Sea ; Stokes, Discoveries in Aus-
tralia, i. 464. ; also, Forrest, Voyage, 59.
5 Heylyn, Cosmography, 925.
6 Belcher, Voyage of the Samarang, 5. 133.
17 The shells of the Taclabo, or gigantic Philippine oyster, are
actually used as fonts in the churches of that group. "Walton,
Preliminary Discourse^ 70.
138
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Aborigines
of the Spice
groups.
Dutch ac-
count.
Ternate.
Its ancient
power.
frequently weighs thirty or forty pounds. 1 Some of
the shells measure three feet across, are several inches
thick, take a fine polish, and form valuable articles of
the trade to China. 2 It is reported that one was found
weighing 278 pounds. 3
Humanity may blush to speak of the aboriginal
inhabitants of the Banda group, for their extirpation in
some of the islands is matter of history. 4 According
to the Dutch themselves it is a race passed away, reaped
from the face of the earth by their desolating sword 5 ,
though others still point to the existence in the wild
interior of a remnant of Alfoeras, Pagan savages, repre-
sented as hateful and brutal 6 , but too little known to be
correctly, too cruelly used to be harshly judged. It is
not well for the Dutch to acknowledge that they have
all but exterminated the people, and then condemn as
irreclaimable barbarians the unhappy relic of a race,
hunted down by them like the wild beasts of the wood. 7
Ternate lies off the western coast of Gilolo, and has
throughout the history of European empire in the
further East been regarded as an important possession.
It was once the centre and capital of a Sultanate,
extending its power over sixty-six 8 , or, according to an
1 Forrest, Voyage to New Guinea, 43. The curious may consult
Humph, tab. 47. E. Born. 80. ; Da Costa, Conchyll. vii. 4. ; Chem-
nitz, vii. ix. 495. ; Gmelin, Linn. Syst. 3300.
* See Bonan, i. 83, 84 ; Argenville, 23. Improving on this ac-
count the weight is here given as a quarter of a ton !
3 Dampier, Voyage to New Britain, in Harris, i. 124.
4 Crawfurd, Hist, of Indian Archipelago, i. 18.
5 Temminck, Possessions Neerlandaises, iii. 290.
6 Hogendorp, Coup cTCEil sur Java.
7 How the islands were originally peopled, or how it occurs that
the purest Malay is spoken in them (Raffles, Memoirs, i. 262.), are
questions I leave for the discussion of others.
8 Temminck, Coup d'CEil, iii. 142.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 139
old writer, seventy islands in the Molucca sea, many of
them far superior to itself in extent. From these de-
pendencies, it levied a militia of nearly a 100,000
men l , and rivalled the influence of Java long before
the Portuguese flag was spread in the Archipelago.
Little more than a 1 00 years ago, it was reported to
produce more spices than any of the other Moluccas 2 ;
but the policy of the Dutch has stripped it of this Dutch
rich inheritance, though, while they root up the trees
with indefatigable malice, nature continues to propa-
gate them by means of the nutmeg-feeding pigeon. 3
Ternate enjoys a climate whose salubrity is proverbial
in the Archipelago, and a sojourn there proves an agree-
able restorative to those whose health may have been
impaired by a residence in the less genial climate of
the Banda group. 4 Originally known as Leniagopie Origin of
& ,/ . ,. f, the name.
it received its present appellation, according to the
traditionary account, from an episode in the history of
Islam. The first ship, it is said, which sailed eastward Mohamme-
from Malacca with the apostles of the new faith on
board, was overtaken by a violent tempest, and driven
to and fro until the company were plunged into the
extremity of distress from the failure of provisions.
In this perplexity, the leader called on the Prophet
for succour to the Faithful. " If thou art the chief of
the true believers, prove thyself by guiding us safely to
a shore." Next day land was discovered, and the
country named Siedak Ternjate " it is proved " since
corrupted into Ternate.
This island, composed like Gunong Api of a single Form of the
mountain, is of volcanic formation, and has recently
1 D'Avitay, Histoire Generate de FAsie, 904.
2 Hamilton, East India Gazetteer.
3 Oxley, Cultivation of the Nutmeg, Journ. Ind. Arch. ii. 643.
4 Temminck, Possessions Neerlandaises, iii. 142.
140 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
been cleft in two by a convulsion of the earth. It
appears to serve only as the base of a fiery cone, that
shoots up more than 1000 feet, magnified in the old
accounts as a prodigious mountain, in height above the
clouds of the air, which is actually true ! ; continually
emitting huge flames of fire, dark smoke, and dreadful
Aspect. thunder. 2 The sides are covered with forests and
patches of tall rank grass, intermingled with flowering
plants of every tint and hue, and watered by innumer-
able fresh-water rivulets. 3 The base is beautifully
Cultivation, wooded. A little rice and maize, with the sago almost
universal in these islands, is all that is produced.
Dried venison, saltfish, and manufactures in wood or
glass, are exchanged for cotton clothes and supplies
of food. 4
Tidor. Tidor, like Ternate, whence it is two or three
leagues distant 5 , is formed in its southern part of lofty
hills. The soil is of great fecundity 6 , and plentifully
industry watered by streams from the peaks. 7 The people ap-
peopie. preciate these blessings, and labour more earnestly on
the land than those of the sister isle, distinguishing
themselves by an aptitude for agricultural occupation.
Near is Batchian, the largest of the chaplet of isles
surrounding Gilolo, fertile as Tidor, but neglected and
rotting in its wealth and beauty, under the hands of a
population universally indolent. 8 The soil is volcanic,
and below the active crater springs of sulphureous
1 Forrest, Voyage to New Guinea, 39.
8 Heylyn, Cosmography, 919.
3 Belcher, Voyage of the Samarang, \. 133.
4 Temminck, Possessions Neerlandaises, iii. 150.
5 Forrest, Voyage to New Guinea, 37.
6 Temminck, Possessions Neerlandaises, ill. 151.
7 Forrest, Voyage to Neiu Guinea, 39.
8 Temminck, Possessions Neerlandaises, iii. 154.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 141
water break from the ground in the most picturesque
situations. Among the people here, as in Amboyna,
the Christian converts are the most inert and servile. l Christian
mi T f i i i [ i converts.
Ihe situation and aspect of the island are beautitul, its
fertility is abundant, its climate leaves little to desire,
yet is all but a waste, with a scant and scattered
population immersed in poverty. Monkeys are to be Animals,
found nowhere else in the Moluccan Archipelago. 2
The Molucca sea is sprinkled with smaller islands Smaller
interesting and curious in themselves, but too little im- groups>
portant, and too numerous to be separately noticed.
Among them may be enumerated Tawali, Mandola,
Lutta, Hanika, Saparua, Ghissa, the Keffing Isles,
Amblow, Manifra, Kilang, Bono, Harekoe, Hominoa,
Noesa Laut, Hila, Kilwari, Binoa, Nelany, Manipa,
Manok, Myo, Tesory, Serua, Motir, Bally, Tomoguy,
Selang, Gag, and Battang Pally. There is consider-
able variety in their aspect, form, and size. Some, like
Battany Pally, are not half a mile round, though bear-
ing a grove of trees. Others, considerably larger, are
of moderate elevation, and wooded over their whole ex-
tent. Pulo Gag, unlike most of its companions, pre-
sents an English appearance, being luxuriantly fertile,
but with the exception of a few tall timber clumps,
entirely bare of trees. 3 Many are wholly uninhabited.
The greater and the lesser Keffing, however, now little
known islets, S.E. of Ceram, are well peopled by Mo-
hammedan Malays, and sprinkled with houses of traders
engaged in traffic with the Nassau, the Ki, and the
Tenimber Isles, where they sell the produce of their
fishery, tortoise, and trepang. The isles are low, but
remarkably picturesque, being shaded by groves of the
1 Hogendorp, Coup cTCEil sur Java.
2 Kolff, Voyage of the Dourga. 3 Forrest, Voyage, 545.
142
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
The whale
fishery.
whalers' cocoa-iiut palm. Little productive themselves, they
serve as depots for provisions, supplying the whalers
who occasionally visit these seas l , bartering arms, am-
munition, and calico, for fruit and live stock, which are
cheaply provided according to the Dutch an unlawful
trade. 2 The little group is encircled by very extensive
reefs projecting into deep water 3 , rendering it difficult
of approach. The Cachelot or spermaceti whale abounds
in this ocean, and might support an extensive fishery. 4
Some of the islets are low, sandy, girdled by reefs, and, as
in Ghissa, with a lagoon in the centre, absolutely swarm-
ing with fish, while the shores are peopled by ducks and
Bird island, snipes. 5 Pulo Manok or Bird Island lies midway be-
tween Ceram and the Serwatty group a high solitary
mountain resting on the bosom of the sea, with a trun-
cated cone, desert, and the refuge only of myriads of birds,
which deposit such vast quantities of eggs, that many of
the natives of the neighbouring isles visit the place and
subsist for whole days on this wholesome food. Sulphur
is also found on the rocks. The little communities ex-
isting in these scattered groups present curious phases
inhabitants of social life. Dwelling in houses erected on posts, they
of the isles. m man y instances surround their villages with rough
walls of coral, occasionally carrying a similar fortifica-
tion all along the shore. 6 Many indications among
them prove the existence of piracy. Slaves, nutmegs,
trepang, tortoiseshell, edible bird's nests, are bartered for
powder, shot, muskets, and small cannon, besides calico
and china-ware, betray the inclination of the people to
the use of arms. 7 Many of them, apparently peaceful
1 Temminck, Possessions Neerlandaises, iii. 301.
2 Kolff, Voyage of the Dourga, 299. 3 Darwin, Coral Reefs.
4 Crawfurd, Hist. Indian Archipelago, iii. 447.
5 Kolff, Voyage, of the Dourga, 288. G Ibid. 289.
7 Temminck, iii. 307.
Piracy.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 143
traders, are secretly addicted to piracy, though some
bear a character for innocence and love of industry
altogether inconsistent with this pursuit. l Among industrious
these are the inhabitants of Motir, a gentle, tranquil,
sober tribe, following the occupation of potters, and
supplying the neighbouring islands with vessels and
utensils of various kinds made of red clay elegantly
moulded and of good quality. 2 These compete in the
markets of the Molucca sea with the plates and pans
brought by the traders of Keffing from the Ki Islands. 3
The islands of Gilolo, Ceram, Bouro, occupy places
by themselves in this history, and it is evident that of
the numerous others, with those not noticed and yet
without a name, no more than a general sketch can be
given. That remote sea is still imperfectly known to
navigators, and amid its mazes of reefs and shoals per-
fectly bewildering the buccaneer finds an impenetrable
retreat. Some of the islands, like Batchian and Se-
land, are completely fringed with reefs. 4 On the north
Morty is lined with them for two or three miles from
the shore. 5 The multitude of these obstructions some Charac-
of them lying under water and discerned only by their tj^Tsea!
bright colour 6 , combined with the strong and perplexing
currents that prevail were sources of terror to early
voyagers, who in many places found the water too deep
for anchorage. 7 Large ships especially dread the reefs, Reefs and
though these sources of danger as they are contribute
1 See for Papuan trade, Asiatic Journal, n. s., vi. 336.
2 Hogendorp, Coup d'CEil sur Java.
3 Kolff, Voyage of the Dourga, 345.
4 Dalrymple, Darwin, Forrest.
5 liorsburgh, Sailing Directions.
6 Forrest, Voyage to New Guinea.
7 De la Flotte, Essai Historique sur FInde, Hi.
144
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Voyage
to New
Guinea.
Crime of a
Portuguese
governor.
also to the welfare of the islanders, who look to the
abundance of shell-fish they supply among the chief
means of support. 1 By another process, however, it is
maintained that they constitute an evil to the races of
the islands, for it has been ably argued that wherever
coral reefs are exposed at low water, animal decomposi-
tion goes on to an extent proportionate with their size,
and that the malaria thus engendered form a principal
cause of the fevers endemic there. 2 This is disputed,
and the point remains for investigation. 3
From this bird's-eye view of the Molucca islands,
imperfect as it necessarily is, an idea may be formed of
the region, which at the period we have now reached,
formed the theatre of very important events. Don
Garcio Henriquez was appointed to govern it, after
the disgrace of De Britto, whose conduct had filled to
overflowing the hatred of the native population. He
found the King of Tidor engaged in war, and resolved
to destroy all danger of his future enmity by a process
unworthy of the lowest savage. Almanzor, Prince of
Tidor, at peace with the Portuguese, fell sick and sent
a request to the new governor, that he would allow his
physician to attend him. The physician was sent, and
the first healing draught he administered was a subtle
poison which speedily carried off the unwary chief.
Such were the first lessons taught in the name of civi-
lisation and Christianity to the barbarian races of the
Indian Archipelago. Nor was this instance singular.
The conduct of the Europeans in the Oriental seas
was marked by many similar features. The spirit of
the age was savage, and the path of conquest was
1 Forrest, Voyage to New Guinea.
2 Robert Little, Esq., Journ. Ind. Arch. Hi. 413.
3 "Dr. Little's Coral Theory," Journ. Ind. Arch. iii. 690.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 145
stained with the deepest dyes, not only of simple blood,
but treachery and crime. Influence was established,
not through conciliation but through terror. Probably
the islanders, in the early ages of their intercourse
with Europe, entertained no better idea of the western
nations, than that they were great pirates, who roved
all distant seas in quest of plunder ; as in another
period the English were regarded as a race without
a home, that dwelt perpetually on the waves, and
were engaged in a continual voyage through all the
waters of the globe, pursuing the profession of the
freebooter. Nor did the Portuguese fail to deepen the
impression left by their earlier acts. First, they
introduced that spice monopoly, which afterwards they
made a reproach against the Dutch. 1 Anecdotes also
are multiplied in the annals of their progress which jus-
tify the severest judgment of history. In 1527 a Por- piratical
tuguese vessel, while on its way to Goa with letters adventure -
from Malacca, fell in, near the western promontory of
Sumatra, with an Achinese ship, said to be richly laden,
on her way from the Shrine at Mecca. Three hundred
of her own nation, and forty emigrants from Arabia
were on board. This force deterred the timid com-
mander from a close engagement ; but he immediately
opened fire, and battered his victim from a distance,
preparing to board when she should be disabled. Sud-
denly she heeled over, and went down in a moment.
The prize was gone ; but revenge might still be taken,
for numbers of the unhappy wretches struggled in the
water, and sought to escape by swimming. 2 It is the Massacre of
boast of their national historian that none survived. All
were slaughtered as they floated. 3
1 Fr. Pirard, Voyages, c. xv. p. 2.
2 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 341.
3 Diogo do Conto, qu. Marsden.
VOL. I. L
146
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Proceedings
in Tidor.
Native in-
surrection.
Rivalry
with the
Spanish
crown.
Consequently the murder of the Tidor king need not
shock us in incredulity. Don Henriquez was not con-
tented with this act ; but aimed at seizing the whole
territory subject to the deceased prince. He invented
an occasion of dispute, and settled it by arms before a
word of discussion was uttered. The first token the
people received was a sudden invasion of their island, a
fierce and ruthless irruption which laid their lands waste
and left their chief towns in ashes. Still there was a
courageous spirit in the island population, and they rose
from end to end of the country, with the vain desire of
exterminating their enemies and closing their ports for
ever against them. Powerful succour also appeared
to promise from Europe ; for Charles the Fifth of Spain,
whose cupidity had been excited by florid accounts of
the regions in the further East, resolved to make good
his claims upon the Moluccas, and, preferring arms to di-
plomacy, dispatched a squadron of six vessels to establish
his dominion in the face of opposition from every rival.
Two of the ships foundered by the way, two returned
to Europe, and two only, with a force of 300 men,
reached Tidor, where they were warmly welcomed and
encouraged to attack the Portuguese. Their timidity
restrained them, and the weakness of their enemies in-
duced a truce, not protracted, however, by any abate-
ment of their national rancour.
This pacific condition of affairs was of brief duration.
In the same year the governor of the Moluccas was
superseded by Don George de Menezes, the vilest of
that vile succession of petty despots ; and his contest
with Henriquez, who was loth to abandon authority,
kindled a civil war among the Spice Islands. Mean-
while the Spaniards, reinforced from Europe, took ad-
vantage of the division among their enemies, attacked
and defeated them. They also, however, received aid
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 147
from the mother country, and returned to the conflict
with animation. At length their superior force, energy,
and courage prevailed. They swept the Spaniards from
Tidor, and compelled them to accept a convention, re-
linquishing for ever all share in the dominion of the
Molucca seas.
The island Ternate now became the centre of a short
series of movements. Its youthful king, accused by his
uncle of dealing with demons, and practising the for-
bidden arts of sorcery, was in danger of a miserable fate
from the anger of his people. Imagining, in his credu- Ferocit y f
^
lous simplicity, that the Europeans would protect him,
he fled to the citadel and begged assistance ; but the Por-
tuguese governor refused his petition, and the unhappy
chief flung himself from a window to avoid a more dis-
graceful death. Menezes had not been deaf to the prayer
of this unhappy prince through friendship for his uncle,
whom he accused whether truly or not is uncertain
of killing a Chinese hog that was his property. On
this suspicion the usurper a patron of the Moham-
medan faith in the Archipelago was seized, imprisoned,
smeared with pig's lard, and then let loose to smart
under the bitterness of an insult, doubly revolting to
him as a follower of the Muslim prophet. Stung to
the heart by the opprobrious act, the chief wandered
among the tribes of the island to stir up a rebellion,
succeeding so far that the people refused to supply the
Portuguese fort with provisions.
To punish this refractory disposition, Menezes cap-
tured three of the principal chiefs, cut oft' the right
hands of two, and pinioning the other turned him loose
upon the beach to be torn to pieces by two wild and
hungry mastiffs. The governor then added a new
chapter to the history of his crimes by dragging to a
public execution the regent of Ternate, accused of an
L 2
148
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Desertion
of Ternate.
A.D. 1528.
European
policy.
Retaliation
of the
Achinese.
unreal conspiracy. This last and most infamous act
drove the people to what they had long been inclined ;
and almost with one accord, they rose up and left the
island, for ages inhabited by their forefathers, to be the
home and inheritance of a savage foreign conqueror.
This was matter of little moment to the governor of
the Moluccas, who did not propose to enrich the islands
and his own country at the same time. With the short-
sighted policy of all monopolists, he sought to drain it
of its national wealth ; and, considering it rather as a
mine to be worked and abandoned than as a fertile
country to be tended and developed, cared nothing
whether the people remained or fled, except that a
capitation tax was lost to the revenue. He continued
in his cruel, impolitic course, enjoying a lease of power
longer than usual on account of a disaster that occurred
at Achin in this year.
Simon de Sousa, coming out to supersede him, touched
by the way at Achin, where he encountered a retaliation
for the sinking of the pilgrim ship a year before. In
the actual transaction, the whole blame rests with the
natives ; but nothing else could be looked for from them
in return for the Portuguese atrocities. When de Sousa
arrived he was invited to land, or at least to anchor near
the beach, under shelter of the shore. A thousand
men were embarked in prahus and sent to attack the
vessel, under pretence of mooring it, as the Japanese of
the present day are accustomed to do. 1 The captain,
discovering the plot, fired on the squadron, and, after
losing forty men, slaughtered many and repulsed all
of his assailants. A second fleet was equipped, and one
boat sent in advance with assurances of friendship.
The Achinese admiral followed this false herald of peace,
1 See Belcher, Voyage, ii. 3.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE.
stimulated to courage by the king's assurance that he
should be trampled to death by elephants in case of
failure. A desperate battle followed. The vessel, sur-
rounded by the barbarian fleets, thundered out volley
after volley on all sides ; but the savages swarmed over
the bulwarks, were repulsed, renewed the attack, and
at length, after the decks were drenched with blood,
captured de Sousa with a few of his comrades, and led
them, grievously wounded, before the king. This crafty
prince pretended all imaginable surprise at the hostilities
that had occurred, and sent one of the captives to Ma-
lacca, bidding the governor send for his ship, inviting
an alliance, offering the restoration of the Portuguese
artillery, and by these means hoping to entrap more
victims. At war with the king of Aru, who had sent
an envoy soliciting aid from Malacca, he expected his
policy would prevent it, and was not disappointed. The
officer who was sent from Achin was killed in returning
by some piratical islanders ; while the belligerent kings,
after a drawn battle at sea, concluded peace, and vowed
common enmity against the common foe. 1
1 Marsden, Castaneda, Diogo do Conto.
149
L 3
150
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Farther en-
terprise in
the Archi-
pelago.
A.D. 1529.
Disaster at
Achin.
Composi-
tion be-
CHAPTER VI.
AT Malacca the Portuguese continued to flourish on
the increase of their Indian trade. A spirit of enter-
prise, then displaying itself in Europe, warned them to
anticipate the competition of other nations on the new
field of commerce, and they endeavoured to secure the
advantage they had obtained, as foremost in the race.
To insinuate their influence at the courts of the island
kings, they accepted offers of alliance, and attempted
on this basis to ground their power in Java. The ex-
periment failed, and this disgrace was followed by a
disaster at Achin. The prince of that country, im-
placable and bold, gave no leisure to his attempts against
the Portuguese. The unfortunate remnant of de Sousa's
company, with the captain of a trading vessel that fell
into his hands, were put to death l , and a plot was
organised at Malacca for the destruction of its garrison.
The conspiracy was discovered, and its leaders paid with
their lives the penalty of their intrigue. At this junc-
ture the main spring of this hostile organisation, the
sovereign of Achin died, and was succeeded by Aladdin
Shah styled " Aladdin, king of Achin, Barus, Pedir,
Passe, Daya, and Butta, prince of the land of the two
seas, and of the mines of Menangcabao." 2 The Portu-
guese, therefore, were relieved from the imminent danger
that threatened them.
They had learned, however, that in arms at least they
were not invincible ; and to narrow the avenues of danger
Marsden, History of Sumatra, 344.
Ibid. 345.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 151
proceeded to bribe the Emperor Charles the Fifth of tween Por -
ri e -i i J.T. O tu S al and
Spam into a renunciation or his claims upon the opice Spain.
Islands, by the payment of three hundred and fifty
thousand ducats of gold. He accepted the offer, as his
coffers needed replenishment ; but the convention re-
served for him a right of re-purchase on the same terms. l
In a similar spirit of peace a mission was dispatched A.I\ 1530.
from Malacca to Achin. The ruler of that kingdom
inherited, with his throne, his father's hatred of the
Portuguese, and resolved to be bound to them by no
ties of amity or faith. When the embassy arrived, he
treacherously attacked the vessel, and made a general
massacre of the envoy and all his company. The stra-
tagem was completely successful, and encouraged its
author to meditate the conquest of the Peninsula from
its European possessors. This he sought to accomplish
by the aid of a traitor within the walls ; but the scheme
was unsuccessful.
Diversified by episodes like these, the reign of the Progress of
*-.! i 11 thePortu-
Portuguese at Malacca was prosperous and generally gue seat
peaceful. In the development of the policy of alliance Malacca,
with native powers, they dispatched Gonzalez Pereira,
as governor of the Moluccas, directing him to visit Brune
by the way. The first treaty between the sovereign of
that kingdom, in the great island of Borneo, and any
European crown was then concluded. After the ac-
complishment of this object, Pereira sailed for the group
which he was to govern, and found thero anarchy and
wretchedness the common results of a profligate, tyran-
nical rule. Endeavouring to re-gather the scattered And in the
fragments of prosperity, he conciliated the goodwill of
the Ternate people, who once more returned to their
1 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 17.
L 4
152 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
native island. Peace was concluded with the king of
Tidor, and the first bud of promise appeared in the tran-
quillity of the Moluccas. But the Portuguese con-
stituting a foreign aristocracy amid a barbarous race
could or would not bridle their rapacity or subdue their
pride. A rebellion, fierce and bloody, was kindled in Ter-
nate. The new governor was among its first victims.
The king of the island, perhaps as an ally of the hated
strangers, was dethroned and hunted to a refuge among
the mountains. A bastard son of the late prince was
raised, in his stead, to the nominal sovereignty. His
enjoyment of the dignity was short. An usurper as-
sumed the title of Portuguese governor, became his
enemy, and drove him to a flight among the woods. By
the same authority, the king of Tidor was expelled, and
Fonseca, the self-styled governor, carried desolation at
the point of the sword, with flames and pillage, through
the island. He was interrupted in his royal career by
the succession of Tristan de Ataida, whose name may
be written among the worst of those who inscribed, in
characters of blood and rapine, their memories among
the waters of the Indian Ocean. He raised to the throne
the infant son of the late king's Javan concubine, a
woman who considered it no good fortune to see her
child raised to so perilous a post of honour. She refused
to countenance his enthronement; and for this obstinacy
was dragged to an upper window of the castle, and flung
headlong to the earth.
1531. This act was one of the principal among many of a
kindred character, which rendered the Portuguese name
landers. a by-word for 'all that was hateful to the native races.
They saw nothing in their white conquerors, but what
was infamous and cruel. Their enmity now consolidated
itself, and a league was formed among the princes of the
Moluccas, the Papuan tribes of New Guinea, and the
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 153
king of Gilolo, to exterminate the common enemy of all
the aboriginal nations an enemy that came murdering,
destroying, and oppressing, in virtue only of superior
art and power, setting up an absolute tyranny over the
original owners of the soil. The Portuguese were sud-
denly attacked, numbers were massacred, and their
fortress was blockaded by the Ternatians. The garrison
was reduced to the last extremity of famine. A long
series of conflicts took place, and the insurgents rejoiced
in the prospect of entire deliverance. Success, for a
considerable period, seemed to follow every effort.
During four or five years, they shut their enemies up,
and harassed them by a continual siege, only prevented
from overwhelming them altogether by the intermittent
succours that arrived from Malacca. At length, the A.D. 1536.
heroic and virtuous Galvan appeared on the island, a^Mstra-
restored the Portuguese to safety, and introduced some of Galvan.
order into their affairs. In the following year he pro- A.D. 1536.
ceeded to Tidor, with 170 European, and 230 Indian
troops, and encountered the allied army of the Moluccas.
According to their computation 30,000 men were drawn
up to receive battle. Whether, however, any means of
reckoning were possessed, or whether the whole was not
exaggerated by the vanity of an exulting conqueror, is
conjectural. Certain it is, nevertheless, that the ranks
led by the king of Ternate were broken, routed, and
dispersed, with the loss, it is said, of only one Portuguese
slave. Thus, Galvan commenced by a great victory the
administration which he proposed to conduct through
the paths of peace and wisdom ; but the jealousy of his
countrymen, and the rancour of his island subjects, threw
immense obstacles in the way of his projects. The
governor whom he had succeeded, was his envious
enemy, and combined a faction against him, stirring up
diacontent, and exciting a new revolt. In this scheme
154 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
he failed ; and at length, despairing of success, detached
his party of malcontents from the body of settlers,
quitted the Indian islands for the Indian continent, and
sought to establish a community in that splendid region,
from whose exhaustless soil have flowed the streams of
commercial wealth over the widest seas, to the most
distant quarters of the globe. Whatever were the
fortunes of this wandering herd of malcontents, they
never emerged from obscurity.
Reduced in numbers, and therefore in actual force,
the colonists had no reason to regret the departure of a
turbulent band, that loved only riot and plunder, com-
prehending no policy but that which pillaged the islands,
to enrich their foreign conquerors.
The plans of Galvan, originating in a liberal humanity,
were directed to restore the peace of the Spice Islands,
and to re-unite in bonds of amity the natives and the
Europeans. But the kings of Gilolo and Batchian re-
laxed nothing of their hostility, and made steady pre-
parations to recommence the conflict. They flung down
His chival- a challenge to the enemy. Antonio Galvan, however,
duct. C was no lver of bloodshed ; and animated by something
of a chivalrous spirit, which yet lingered in his age,
proposed to meet his crowned enemies in single combat
a plan which would be honourable, while sparing the
waste of human blood. The chiefs, with a tenderness
over the effusion of innocent blood, rare among the
royal and ambitious, consented to the plan, and the
battle was about to take place, when the king of Tidor
threw his intercession between the hostile champions ;
urged the virtue, the policy, and the possibility of recon-
ciliation ; and through the medium of his interposition,
the men who were preparing to meet in arms, came
together to sign a treaty of peace, friendship, and
mutual concession.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 155
The throne of Ternate now became vacant, and the Political
Portuguese resolved to restore a prince whom Ataida
had banished to the Indian continent. In the retire-
ment of his exile, he had embraced the Cross, and turned
his back as well on the faith of the Prophet, as on the
gods of his old idolatry. He was embarked in a vessel
bound for the Moluccas ; and, sailing to enjoy his re-
covered crown, touched by the way at Malacca, where
he fell sick, and died. Whether disease or treachery
brought him to his grave, is not related. It is impro-
bable that any foul means were employed, as the Portu-
guese desired his restoration ; but in their case suspicion
is neither gratuitous nor unjust. With those who
habitually commit great crimes, the affectation of in-
dignant virtue is a mockery ; and when the sword or the
poison cup had been so frequently made use of, it is
natural to conceive that some enemy at Malacca opened
for the prince of Ternate a short road to death.
Among the Spice Islands, however, there was at
least an interregnum of humanity, a brief supremacy of
justice, which shines as a sunny spot amid the dark
annals of Portuguese dominion in the further East.
Galvan's character was deformed by none of that profli- Character
i Til -n ofGalvan.
gate ambition, that needless cruelty, and shameless ill
faith, which distinguished his predecessors, as well as
many of those who succeeded to his authority. His
treatment of the Spaniards who visited the group was
marked by none of the wretched jealousy which irritates
the powerful, when they are conscious of possessing only
the right of superior strength, which dreads in every
man a rival, and fears in every friend an usurper.
Ferdinand Cortez, who opened the gates of Mexico, and Spanish
spread conquest with the sword wherever his courageous ren ewed.
genius had extended the circle of discovery, dispatched
two well-armed ships to the Moluccas, probably to
156
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Universal
spirit of
monopoly.
Theory of
trade.
ascertain whether they offered a valuable or easy field
for new aggrandisement. The ships, after being long
tossed by storms, entered the group, and were wrecked
on one of its shores. The crews, made prisoners, were
treated by the governor with a generous humanity that
did honour to his name.
Yet Galvan's character was not untinged by that
spirit of monopoly, which was the great commercial sin
of his sordid and bigoted age, and formed the source
of the most fearful crimes perpetrated by the con-
querors of the New World. The riches of the East
offered a prize to the adventurers of all Europe. To
secure them was the favourite ambition of his country-
men ; and Galvan's desire was to turn the wealth of
those teeming lands into one channel, which might flow
home, render Portugal opulent, and place her on the
throne of commerce. The common sense of mankind
already esteemed this the most solid and enviable of all
honours. But trade was not then viewed as a science ;
or, if it was, its professors were men, stultified by their
selfish passions, whose intellects revolved in a dark and
narrow sphere. They had learned from philosophy the
lesson, that monopoly is the dishonourable means by
which slothful avarice endeavours to satisfy its cupidity,
while it nurses its luxurious indolence. Galvan, the
wisest of all the Portuguese governors of the Moluccas,
while reaping the rich harvests of trade, sought to shut
out the native merchants, born inheritors of that com-
merce, from all share in its emoluments. But the
merchants of Java, Banda, Celebes, and Amboyna,
when the great avenues of wealth were thus closed,
resolved to open them by force of arms, and clear the
trader's path in a war against the enemies of their
industry. Leaguing, therefore, in brotherhood, these
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 157
barbarian champions of free trade assembled at Am- Rebellion
v . j , , ,, in the Mo-
boyna, organised an army, and prepared for a campaign. i ucc as.
Their purpose was soon defeated. Galvan, at Ternate, Gaivan's
received intelligence of their movements, collected a
force, dispatched it to meet them, and was soon grati-
fied by the announcement of their total overthrow.
Thus left with leisure to prosecute his policy of civilising,
conciliating, and gently subduing the islanders, he
now, when all his enemies were scattered, applied him-
self heart and soul to his self-imposed duty. The con- His excei-
version and education of the people were the great favours
features of his plan; and he commissioned many apostles
of Catholicism to preach in the towns and villages, and Preaching
among the pastoral tribes, the religion of God the
true religion, though clouded by the black mysteries
of the Papal church. That creed, however blemished
and false it may be, appears, of all others, the fittest
for propagation among savage races. To them it is
useless to discourse as to men with clear and open
minds. We must attract them to us, and to our re- True me -
V . Mil 1 i tn d f
ligion, not necessarily by shows and mummeries, but conversion.
by the ceremonials of a gorgeous ritual ; and better is it
even to set up an idol for their adoration, than by re-
pelling their imagination with the naked forms of a
faith too pure for minds accustomed to the worship of
material divinities, to drive them back to their woods,
to grovel before heathen images, amid the eternal tem-
ples of nature. Galvan instituted a school for religious Religious
education ; and this was subsequently privileged by the established,
approval of the conclave at Trent. Christianity, as
shadowed forth in the ministry of the Romish priests,
took speedy root among the Moluccas ; and not only
flourished there in a thriving infancy, but spread on the
north to Magindanao, and on the west to Celebes.
Nor did Galvan confine his measures to the conver-
158
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Love of the
people for
Gal van.
Jealousy of
his success
in Portugal.
Renewed
sieges of
Malacca.
sion of the people. When the yoke was on their necks,
when the terror of his arms had broken the spirit of
their independence, he instructed them in the elemen-
tary arts of civilisation ; he insinuated himself into their
affections, his name became a household word among
them, and they loved him. So high did their feeling
run, that they proposed he should cast away the sove-
reignty of the mother state in Europe, and mount their
throne as the elected king of the Moluccas.
The influence of Christendom continually thriving in
the East, through such a medium, would have fostered
civilisation among its people, and spared humanity many
of the horrors which afterwards afflicted it in the Ar-
chipelago. But in those days, the governor of a distant
dependency, in proportion as he rose in the esteem of
his temporary subjects, fell in the scale of favour at
home. Every friend made in the Indian Islands, cre-
ated an enemy in Portugal. Probably the prudence
and the faith of Galvan would have enabled him
steadily to resist the solicitations of the grateful people
to whom he first exhibited, in an honourable light, the
civilisation of Europe. Whether, however, jealous of
his success, or fearful of his ambition, the government
recalled him, and appointed in his place a low adven-
turer, who speedily overthrew the rising fabric he had
laboured to erect, and of which he had already laid the
foundation and the plan.
While, in the Moluccas, a short interval of peace was
enjoyed, war continued to harass the Peninsula, where
the European flag had been first raised. The new king
of Achin, undisheartened by failure, crossed the straits,
and laid siege to Malacca. His army landed under
cover of darkness, and committed some ravages. The
campaign, however, was short. He was driven from
the city, into the shelter of the woods, and again
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 159
hunted thence to the sea-shore, where the invaders
embarked and fled with the loss of 500 men. 1 The
king retired discouraged, not vanquished, to meditate
a new attack, while Aladdin of Johore lay in his capital
breathing hatred to his enemies. They foresaw that
his hostility was on the point of eruption; and, to an-
ticipate his movements, marched a body of troops to
reduce the city. The enterprise was unsuccessful ; but
was followed by another of superior force, when Johore
was assaulted, captured, and sacked. This triumph was
succeeded by another attempt of the king of Achin to
make himself master of Malacca. The fortifications
had been strengthened ; and though the enemy's assault
was fierce and courageous, so vigorous was the defence,
that after three days the siege was broken up 2 , and the
king led his fleet back to Achin.
The wars of this prince in Sumatra were numerous. War f of the
His contempt of faith was as flagrant as his contempt
for human life. He treacherously attacked the king of
the Cannibal Battas, after agreeing to a treaty of peace ;
and, encouraged by a reinforcement of 300 Arab adven-
turers, laid the country waste, and devoted it to an
unsparing pillage. The chief of the Battas was in-
flamed with rage. He vowed to eat no salt or fruit
until this wrong had been avenged. An army of 15,000
men, strengthened by allies from the neighbouring states
and from Borneo, was collected, and supplied with arms
from Malacca. The campaign was opened, and the
Achinese suffered more than one defeat ; but the dread
of an invasion from Siam drove the united forces back
into the Batta country, a distance of five days' march.
To spread the terror of his arms and stamp deeply the
impression of this triumph, the king of Achin made
1 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 345. 2 Ibid. 346.
160
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
war upon Aru, which, being opposite Malacca, would
be formidable in the hands of an enemy. Its sovereign
solicited aid from the Portuguese. 1
They were at that time engaged in civil disputes, and
at first neglected the application ; but at length sent
over a cargo of stores. The Achinese fleet of 160
prahus, with 17,000 men on board, laid siege to the
capital of Aru by sea. The city was taken by assault ;
the king was killed, and the queen, with a remnant of
the army, driven into the woods. There she hovered
around the skirts of the enemy, harassing them by a
guerilla warfare until the rains came on, and flooded all
the woods. "Without a place of retreat in Sumatra,
she fled to the Peninsula, vainly sought aid of the
Portuguese, but found refuge in the island of Bintan.
The brave admiral of that kingdom, with a manly,
though a savage chivalry, espoused her cause, declared
war against the Achinese, overthrew them in a great
battle by sea, and restored the queen to her inheritance.
Foiled and defeated, the invader visited his anger on
the leaders of his unfortunate army : they were be-
headed, and it is said, though on equivocal authority,
that the soldiers were condemned thenceforth to wear
women's clothes. 2
These scenes were enacting while Galvan's reign in
the Spice Islands was drawing to a close ; and while
Aladdin Shah the Second mounted the now worthless
throne of Johore, the Moluccas were relapsing into the
A.D. 1542. old anarchy and wretchedness. In 1542 Spain at-
tempted to spread her religion and military domination
throughout the Philippines. The baptism of one child,
and the naming of the group by its present appellation,
Relapse of
the Mo-
luccas into
anarchy.
A.D. 1540.
1 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 346.
z Mendcz Pinto.
ITS HISTOEY AND PRESENT STATE. 161
was the result. 1 The commander of the fleet, Vilalobos,
was strictly ordered to steer clear of the Moluccas that
the Portuguese might enjoy no cause of jealousy ; but
after his failure among the Philippines, he resolved to
break this command, and seek to atone among the
Spice Islands for the disgrace of an unsuccessful enter-
prise. His reception among them was such as to forbid
any further attempt, and sailing to Amboyna, he there
died of remorse and melancholy. The disasters of his
expedition, and the shame of failure, cut him off, or
perhaps he ended his life by suicide, rather than abide
the chance of punishment in Spain. 2
In 1544 George de Castro was the governor of the A -- 1344 -
Moluccas, and he renewed all the iniquities, the cruelties, of the Pof-
the oppressions, and the system of brigandage which tu s uese -
had distinguished the early sway of the Portuguese.
Peace was at an end. Discontent spread with renewed
rancour, and developed itself in an intermittent series
of rebellions. The chief of Ternate, disaffected towards
the usurpers of his kingdom, was made prisoner, and
exiled to Goa, then the most important city of their
empire in the East.
Two years later the natives of the Spice group, iin- A.D. 1545
poverished by the monopoly of trade arrogated by their
European invaders, renewed their endeavours to open
the commerce of the islands. A fleet of prahus was
equipped tc collect cloves. The Portuguese, resolved Protection
to vindicate their privilege of an exclusive traffic in
these precious commodities, fitted out a squadron of
twenty-five small vessels, sent it out to patrol the Mo-
lucca sea, and declared all private speculations in spices
rebellious and contraband. An encounter took place
1 Crawfurd, ii. 452.
2 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 17.
VOL. I. M
162
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Sea fight,
A. D. 1547.
Continual
conflicts.
St. Francis
Xavier.
Vast arma-
ment
against
Malacca.
between the native merchants and the protective fleet,
when the islanders were overthrown and scattered with
the loss of all the treasure they had collected to pur-
chase cloves with. Rejoiced by this success, the vic-
torious commander determined to carry it further, and
landed a force at Amboyna, where the people were
easily terrified into submission. This island, which had
been the centre of the movements for liberty of trade,
was annexed to the Portuguese possessions, but its
natural wealth was disregarded, and it remained only
as a watering-place and harbour of refuge until the
period of the Dutch conquest.
These events led in a train of wars and fears of wars,
throughout the Portuguese possessions in the Eastern
seas. Malacca, already threatened by many sieges, was
still exposed to the irreconcileable hostility of the
Achinese monarch, whose assaults became more for-
midable, as every defeat suggested to him new devices
of intrigue, or urged him to more headlong energy and
valour. In 1547 the salvation of the city from his
arms was ascribed to the sudden appearance of Saint
Francis Xavier, the apostle of India, who was now on
his pilgrimage through the East, and had recently made
600 or 700 converts among the pearl fishers of Manaar. 1
At the period of his arrival, Malacca was threatened by
a formidable invasion from the opposite island of Su-
matra, which was delayed, though not abandoned. On
the 18th of October the king of Achin, whose resources,
considering him as the sovereign of a barbarian state,
appear wonderfully profuse, was encouraged by the al-
liance of a league among the western provinces of India
to embark a large army, in seventy vessels, to lay
siege to the Portuguese metropolis. A body of Janis-
Hough, Christianity in India, n. iii. 188. ; Abbe du Bois, 3.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 163
saries who hired their swords to the most liberal master,
aided the expedition, which possessed 200 pieces of
ordnance, small and great. The result of this enter-
prise was similar to that of the last. The Achinese,
ere they had quitted their own coast, were defeated
with immense slaughter, and the king, dispirited but
abating nothing of his rancour, retired to brood over
the prospect of triumph and retaliation, under the light
of a more fortunate star.
St. Francis Xavier, when, in 1549, his mission on A.. 1549.
the Peninsula had opened the way into the region of Apostieship
the further East, proceeded with his Bible to the
islands to preach the gospel in the name of the Supreme
Church. Among the Moluccas he was successful, as
the Jesuits in almost all cases were, and sustained the
character of his order, as the most untiring, the most
zealous, and the most politic, of all proselyte makers.
Everywhere their's has been a career at least of tem-
porary triumph, in China, India, and the regions of
the South Pacific, while in some places they have left
a heritage of knowledge, the stored up treasury of
long and patient toil, for which humanity owes them a
debt of gratitude, not yet repaid even by the cheapest
flatteries of fame.
In the following year, a new league was formed A . D. 1550.
against Malacca. Aladdin, the king of Johore, gathered
around him the princes of the neighbouring Malay
states, and, joined by a fleet equipped by the warlike
queen of Japara in Java, clung to the attempt until
famine and slaughter compelled him to retreat, with
the loss of his best and bravest friend the Laksimana
and of his heroic son-in-law. This victory of the Portu- Triumph
guese gained them a few years of peace ; but the prince ^5^*:
of Achin died, and a new prince and a new enemy A. D. 1556.
ascended the throne of that country. He had, how-
M 2
164
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Transac-
tions in
the Spice
Islands.
A. D. 1559.
ever, witnessed the defeat of his predecessors, and
hesitated to renew an endeavour fraught with danger
and little encouraged by hope.
In the Molucca group the changing tide of affairs
was ebbing and flowing under the influence of an in-
constant fortune. The governor, Deca, continued, with
consistent policy, the succession of tyrants that had
gradually ravished the independence of the native
states. Chief after chief, incurring the capricious
jealousy of the European usurper, was exiled or put to
death. Another prince of Ternate, after a short enjoy-
ment of the dignity, by the slender tenure of his master's
favour, was seized, manacled, and imprisoned. The
people of the island, who patiently suffered their per-
sonal wrongs, revolted at this challenge to their loyalty,
and a general insurrection took place throughout the
group. It continued, with varying fortune, until the
governor in 1559 yielding to fear, released and restored
the dethroned and captive prince. Tranquillity once
more settled upon the Moluccas, for the peace of the
conqueror's dominions there was never broken, except
when their own despotism or rapacity raised the pas-
sions of a humble and submissive people. Throughout
this period the distraction of the Archipelago was occa-
sioned by small events, portentous then, in the narrow
circle of Indian politics, but wholly uninteresting now,
and worthy of record only in the barren tables of the
chronologer. The Portuguese, in the prosecution of
their mean and tortuous policy, struggled incessantly
with danger, and were perpetually entangled among
obstacles of their own creation. Their trade, indeed,
increased, and promised to repay them the cost of their
adventures, but nothing could atone for the lavish effu-
sion of blood, and the reckless exercise of tyranny whicli
every year made new enemies to be encountered, and
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 165
more subjects to be coerced. Among the native states General
successio
of events.
at the same time, the fortune of princes and people re- succcssion
volved in a circle, one despot falling to open the way
for another, the ignorant and slavish multitudes, con-
tinually discovering the folly of trusting in a master's
faith, yet never dreaming of retaining their birthright,
or exercising the power which was their own.
It was about this period, that Spain, recovered a A. B. 1565
little from the prostration of her long decline, again
displayed her flag among the waters of the further East, power.
and claimed a share of influence in those magnificent
regions. Her views were fixed on the Philippines,
whose productions were by no means of that rare or
precious description, which has tempted the avarice of
all the civilised world to the plunder of the unrivalled
East. No rich spices, no precious gums, no abundance The Phi-
of rare metals or drugs, were there to allure her cu- llp P ines -
pidity ; but there was a fertile soil, a genial climate,
and a race of inhabitants, hospitable, credulous and
simple. Probably the comparative poverty of the
Philippines was unknown to the navigators of those
early days, who confounded under a general description
the stately islands of the Indian Ocean, and attributed
to them, in their sanguine fancy, a fabulous splendour
and wealth. The Spaniards, nevertheless, appear to Spanish
have been guided in their plans of colonisation at P IIC T-
least in India by a theory which nations still more
great, and infinitely more free, might have adopted
with advantage to themselves and to all humanity. They
were not sordid monopolists ; they ruled less by terror,
and more by moral influence and the persuasions of
their priests ; and their power, not founded on the edge
of the sword, was tolerable to the native race. They
encouraged settlements; they allowed freedom to traffic;
and though they levied unjust and irksome taxes, their
M 3
166
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Dutch
policy.
Expedition
to conquer
the Phi-
lippines.
system has been productive, within its narrow sphere,
of more good than that of other conquerors in the
Oriental Archipelago. That their commerce in the
further East never developed itself to any lustre or
grandeur, is true ; but it was because their monopoly
was less rigid, not because their vigour was less manly
than that of the Dutch. Had Spain been more ener-
getic, and still more liberal, her prosperity in the Indian
Archipelago might have rivalled that which she once
enjoyed in the Western World. Had Holland accepted
the philosophy of trade, her commerce, instead of
being forced to an unnatural growth, displaying a
false brilliance for a period, and then sinking into a
premature decay, might have flourished for centuries
with an increase at once rapid and steady, to reach
its limits only when it had measured the full resources
of the further East.
Forty years after the discovery of the Philippines by
the unfortunate Magellan, Spain equipped an expedition
to conquer them. On the 21st of November 1564, an
expedition consisting of two large and two small vessels,
with an armament of four hundred men, left Europe.
It was accompanied by Andres de Milaneta, a Roman
Catholic missionary, who had abandoned the military for
the sacerdotal profession, and brought with him five
Augustine friars, to convert the islanders to the Chris-
tian religion. He had served in the Indian Archipelago,
and was well versed in natural science. Miguel Lopez
de Legaspi, a Spaniard of aristocratic family, was coni^
mander. He was a man of considerable capacity, and
had already displayed his aptitude for service in new
countries, where conquest and colonisation were to go
hand in hand, in the course of a long career in America.
Thus prepared with military and religious leaders, the
equipment was rendered complete by the addition of an
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 167
Indian interpreter, who had been carried to Spain in the
ship abandoned by the unhappy Villalobos.
When they had been a month at sea, the smallest of The voy-
the vessels whether accidentally or otherwise be-
came separated from the rest, and sailed on to Mindanao
alone. There loading with spices and gold, she did not
await the arrival of the squadron, but steering through
an unusual track, returned to New Spain. Legaspi,
pursuing the route indicated in his instructions, reached
on the 8th of January 1565, an island where the people
wore long beards, so unusual among the natives of the
New World. Thence he named it Barbadoes. On the
22nd they reached the Laclrones, or Isles of Thieves
since called the Marianas. On the 13th of February
they sighted the Philippines, and sailed to the southern
isle of Bohol, between the extremities of Zebu and
Leyte, where the people fled to their hills. They sue- Arrival m
ceeded in attracting them from their places of refuge by
conciliatory gestures. They brought down plentiful sup-
plies of provisions, which were purchased at a just
price, and the most amicable intercourse commenced.
The natives were generous and friendly ; the Europeans
liberal and prudent. Legaspi, being hospitably wel- Treaties
corned by a chief of the island, entered into a treaty chiefs.
with him. The convention was ratified by each of the
contractors drinking blood drawn from the other's arm,
and the Spaniards were then munificently entertained.
When they had enjoyed the festivities of Bohol, they
sailed to Zebu, where the chief, with his forces collected
on the shore, opposed their landing. 1
.Legaspi then declared that he had come to conquer Declaration
the island in retaliation of the treachery practised upon
Magellan and his companions forty-four years before.
1 Walton, Preliminary Discourse. 21.
M 4
168
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Had no such pretence existed his purpose would have
been the same, for he had been charged not to avenge
the name of Spain, but to add the Philippines to
her dominions. Still the fate of the great navigator
formed a plausible ground for his pretensions, to which
the hostile attitude of the Zebuan chief afforded a still
more complete justification. The Spanish commander
understood the method of warfare most convenient and
efficacious against such a foe. The race, which he was
now employed to subdue, was not, however, a horde of
savages, hurried on to the defence of their soil by the
promptings of an impulsive valour, but easily routed, and
state of the with a spirit to be broken by a blow. It was a nation
scattered in countless small tribes of from fifty to a
hundred families, each with its own chief, but all
united by a common solicitude for the independence
of their inherited lands.
This patriarchal system, occasionally divided as it
was by the feuds of unappeaseable private enemies,
favoured the existence of the Spanish dominion, when
once established, since it prevented formidable combi-
nations of force. At the same time it obstructed their
great schemes of conquest, as a thousand petty enemies,
animated by one spirit, though fighting under as many
leaders, were to be defeated in a thousand petty con-
flicts, wasteful of life and fruitless of renown. The
Wild races. Islanders Papuan, Malay, or Angolan were wild and
hardy men, subsisting on bulbous roots, or the spoils of
the chase, and retreating into their impenetrable woods
and other natural strongholds, as the civilised enemy
settled on the coast lands. The Tagala, who dwelt in.
the district round about Manila, and are derived, ac-
cording to their traditions, from the Malays, have sub-
mitted thoroughly to their rule, and become the servants
Primitive
institu.
tions.
ITS HISTORY AND PEESENT STATE. 169
of strangers. Tagal and slave are synonymous terms in
the Archipelago.
The state of morals among that rude people, at this
early period of their history, was superior to that of
most savage races : but their religion was a wild, mys-
terious idea, scarcely defined into a creed, which claimed
the adoration of the simple barbarian for all that was
awful in aspect, or strange to his comprehension.* Idols
and temples they had none ; but erected green bowers, T1 ^eir re-
where a priestess sacrificed the hog and dedicated the
oblation of its blood to the infernal gods or the souls
of the sacred dead. All natural objects of extra-
ordinary size or form were and are still among the
unconverted tribes supposed to be the dwellings of in-
visible divinity. Some mighty spiritual power, name-
less and immortal, haunted the air, and revealed its
presence in darkness by the influence of terror upon
the savage mind. In the course of years, however,
the Muslim faith blended itself with the incoherent
belief of the islanders, though when Legaspi com-
menced his campaign, their primitive religion remained
untainted by the introduction of a foreign creed.
The Zebuans appeared firm in the defence of their in- Success
of the
dependence; but were driven from their position by Spaniards.
a body of men landed in good order from the ships.
The Spaniards marched on a considerable town to
which they were directed, and found it in flames,
stripped of all its barbarous wealth. From that day a
series of petty conflicts was maintained, although Le-
gaspi carried on continual negotiations with the principal
chief, to induce his consent to an amicable intercourse.
In consideration of his submission, he declared Magel-
lan's death to be forgotten and forgiven ; but the Indiana
had sounded the depths of European faith, and con-
tinued to harass their invaders. Legaspi had a tent
170 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
pitched on shore, ordered the erection of a fortress, and
exhorted all his men to labour for the advancement of
the Spanish name. 1 To emulate the achievements of
the numerous conquerors in the New World, although
on a narrower field, appeared to him the taste fit for an
exalted ambition. The zeal, however, which inspires
the leader of a great enterprise, often fails to penetrate
the inferior ranks, partly perhaps because these perceive
that the labour is for them, while the reward is for others.
Florid eulogies and flattering harangues, often, never-
theless, fire whole armies with ambition, and the heart
of every soldier leaps as though his was to be the name
associated with every heroic achievement of the day ;
but one name is often all that is remembered, when the
piles of carnage are covered with earth, and the clouds
and dust of battle have dispersed. It was not so in this
instance. The followers of Legaspi, associating no ideas
of patriotism with their task in the Philippines, laboured
reluctantly to establish the influence of Spain, under
the orders of their half-military, half-missionary leader.
Murmurs were succeeded by mutiny. Severe examples
were made of a few, and the rest of the malcontents
were sent to Europe in the flag ship, which sailed
the first of June 1565, with a report of progress, and
solicitations for further aid from the imperial go-
vernment.
On the next day the chief, who had despised the over-
tures made to him, was compelled to seek terms, and
meeting Legaspi in formal conference, tendered his
First settle- homage to Spain, promised to bring down supplies, and
the Phi- granted land for the site of a town and fort, which the
lippines. Spanish admiral named San Miguel in honour of him-
self. This was the first European settlement in the
1 Crawford, ii. 453.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 171
Philippines. 1 Induced by the submission of their
chief leader, the inhabitants gradually left their moun-
tain retreats, descended on the plains, spread along the
shore, and lived on terms of peace with their visitors.
Their rude industrial occupations were resumed. These Submission
were principally rural ; but the famine which followed people,
the arrival of the Spaniards vividly illustrates the con-
dition of Zebu at that period. So little progress had
been made in agriculture, that this little influx of popu-
lation produced a scarcity which was at intervals relieved
by scanty supplies from the neighbouring islands ;
sometimes procured by traffic, but more frequently as
the prize of successful war.
For the Spaniards joined in alliance with their
Zebu friends and constructed light gallies, fitted for the
navigation of shallow seas, attacked the hostile towns,
and captured their stores of provision. Still, scarcity Progress of
continued to increase, although the natives of Luzon
sailed over in a fleet of prahus, with two hundred
baskets of rice. Parties were constantly sent out to
gain knowledge of the movements taking place among
the neighbouring islanders. Scout boats continually
departed and arrived with intelligence. Some of the
population were found anxious for friendly intercourse
with the Europeans. Others had swept all the means charac-
of subsistence from the plains into their places of ambush
among the hills, whence they hoped to enjoy the spectacle
of the Spaniards driven by famine from the Philippine
group to carry their arms, their merchandize, and their
religion elsewhere. ,
Still the wealth of the islands was so envied, that
danger and difficulty seemed more to enhance than
damp the spirit of enterprise among the leading Spanish
1 Charlevoix, Histoire du Japan.
172
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Collection
of gold.
Massacre
of a crew.
General
good for-
tune of the
Spaniards.
Jealousy of
Portugal.
Rivalry.
Hostile
princes of
the East
adventurers. They had been reduced to a state of
famine, and were desperately pressed when a vessel
from New Spain arrived with provisions and supplies.
The ship with the mutinous sailors had safely reached
Mexico, when the solicitations of its captain had pro-
cured this assistance for the expedition at the Philip-
pines. On board this vessel, bound on its mission of
succour to an exhausted settlement, in the weakness of
infancy, some bloody scenes of mutiny had occurred, but
her arrival was as welcome as a burst of sunshine after
a long night of storms.
It was now considered politic to send to New Spain
for the profit of king Philip, and as an encouragement
to his project of colonisation, a small cargo of precious
merchandise. With this view a galley sailed to Min-
danao to collect gold and cinnamon, with pitch for the
careening of the squadron. There the first great dis-
aster of Legaspi's expedition occurred. The islanders
attacked the party, and massacred every man. In a
general sense, nevertheless, the Spaniards were singu-
larly fortunate, and their settlements were established in
the Philippines with unusual facility, and encouraging
prospects of success.
The Portuguese viewed with undisguised jealousy
these movements of their neighbours in Europe and
their rivals in the East. Their selfishness was alarmed
by every attempt of another nation to introduce its flag
among the Indian waters. They endeavoured, now by
force, now by intrigue, to repel the intruding influence,
and secure a monopoly of intercourse with the rich
countries of the further East. Still their energies were
unequal to the first, and in the second the Spaniards
were their worthy rivals. Other enemies also were
busy in other directions. Mansur Shah, from the
Malay state of Perah in the Peninsula, ascended the
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 173
throne of Achin, combined his forces with a league
among the provinces of Western India, and equipped an
expedition for the subjugation of Malacca. To inspire
the Portuguese with a false sense of security, he pre-
tended his armament was preparing to invade Java,
and sent them a poignard as a present, with a compli-
mentary letter. During the passage of the straits, he stratagems
resorted to another device. A man fled to shore from
the fleet, as though escaping from punishment, to mis-
lead the Europeans with respect to the king's design.
But the craft of his enemy was equal to his own. The
fugitive was arrested, tortured, and forced in the agony
of the rack to confess himself a spy. The unhappy
wretch was then put to death, and his carcase, horribly
mutilated, sent as a reply to the letter of the Achinese
prince.
The enemy then discovered his purpose, laid siege to Attack on
Malacca, and put to a stern trial the valour of its gar- Malacca -
rison. Defeated at length, after a long series of con-
flicts, he retreated and left the sea beneath the walls
floating with the dead. 1 An immense waste of human slaughter
life accompanied these unavailing efforts of barbarian ofnisarm y-
valour; but the Achinese monarch would have spent p rodiga i
all the blood in his kingdom to enjoy the pride of a waste of
triumph over the Portuguese. In the following year A . D . ises.
he proceeded himself with another large armament to
renew the struggle ; but was overthrown in a san-
guinary engagement, with the loss of his eldest son, and
four thousand men.
From a series of intermittent conflicts, the contest now Exasper-
grew into a war incessantly carried on. A vessel sail- atlon of the
f> J enemy.
ing from Japara, with an envoy to Achin, was captured
by the Portuguese, who massacred the whole of her
1 Marsden, Hist, of Sumatra, qu. Diego do Conto ; Faria y
Sarsa, 350.
174
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
And an-
other.
Policy of
the Portu-
guese in the
Spice Is-
lands.
An act of
assassin-
ation.
[A.
1570.]
A. D. 1569. crew. 1 Hostilities followed, thick and fast. Another
Another twelve months had not revolved before an Achinese
stroyed." ^ eet was a g a i Q equipped to attack Malacca, but was
scattered with disgrace by a single man of war. Nor
A. P. 1571, did this disaster break the spirit of the enemy. In 1571
he fitted out another fleet, which was defeated by a
Portuguese squadron with infinite slaughter.
While enjoying this success on the western borders
of the Archipelago, the Portuguese pursued in the
Moluccas that policy of coercion which had excited so
many insurrections. The governor, under pretence of a
friendly conference with the restored king of Ternate,
assassinated him, and refused his friends the consolation
of receiving his body for burial, with the simple rites
of their religion. To perfect by a last refinement the
cruel act, he ordered the corpse to be mangled, hewn in
pieces, and then tossed into the sea.
To revenge his father's murder as well as the indignity
inflicted on his remains, Baber, the king's son, collected
the islanders under his flag, retired to the mountains,
and thence made frequent irruptions upon the Por-
tuguese settlement. This warfare was more harassing
than destructive. The young prince displayed con-
siderable prudence in hia plans of action, refusing to
meet a superior enemy in the open field, but scattering
his forces in small bands, sent them to attack the set-
tlement at different points, suddenly appearing, sud-
denly retreating, but never exposing themselves to
the arms of any formidable body. Irritated into im-
prudence by this annoying warfare the Portuguese
frequently followed the enemy into his stronghold, and
suffered severely in the rash adventure.
Marsden, Hist, of Sumatra, 350.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 175
CHAPTER. VII.
PORTUGAL, jealous to excess when the rivalry of any Feeble po-
European state appeared to threaten her monopoly of P c ^ t u ftbe
commerce in the Indian Archipelago, neglected, never- guese.
theless, the colonies, which alone could render it secure.
The settlement she had established, needed at first to
be liberally supplied with arms and stores, while the
perpetual war that raged beyond the line required a
formidable squadron continually to patrol the seas of
the New World. But while at the court of Lisbon the
glory of an empire in the East was conspicuous in the
royal dreams of ambition, feeble and desultory efforts Preroga-
were made to resist an invasion of the rights conferred Burped
by the sovereign authority of Rome. In the Moluccas by Rome,
the Portuguese were inflamed by an intense animosity
against their Spanish rivals in the Philippines ; but
their hostility was displayed in no active operations. A European
letter was despatched to the Spanish governor, express- " vall T-
ing a hope that the occupation of the islands was only 1567.]
temporary. Legaspi returned an evasive answer ; but Negotia-
prepared for contingencies by despatching a ship to tlons '
New Spain for reinforcement and relief. In little more
than two months the required aid arrived. The Por-
tuguese commander however did not make his 'appear-
ance for forty days, and even then without any hostile
demonstration. Each was probably fearful of the other.
The rival colonists, therefore, though burning with
bitter animosity, mutually occupied themselves in en-
deavouring to ascertain whether the settlement of the
176
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Spanish
plans of
conquest
Mission to
Panay.
Expedition
to found a
settlement.
Baptism of
the natives.
Spaniards in the Philippines were actually in opposition
to the declaration in the Papal Bull.
This moderation was indicative of nothing but weak-
ness. Legaspi, paying no attention to the diplomatic
protests of the Portuguese, occupied himself in extend-
ing the dominion he had planted here, at the northern
extremity of the Indian Archipelago. The island,
originally chosen for conquest, was too narrow for his
ambition.
Philip de Salcedo was therefore despatched to pre-
pare a spot for settlement on Panay, another fertile
and picturesque island. He was welcomed by the na-
tives with a warm hospitality, frequently given by the
unsophisticated savage to a strange visitor. In all cases,
except at Zebu, the Spaniards were offered the oppor-
tunity of friendship and peace, which they frequently
destroyed in their thankless spirit of cupidity. The
inhabitants of Panay were grateful to the Europeans
who assisted them in their wars with more powerful
communities. A hardy band of settlers was sent to
Masbate, a small island, undistinguished by any pecu-
liar features of fertility or beauty, which lies opposite
the Benardino Strait, at the south-eastern entrance to
the group. A garrison was also left at Zebu. Thus
the authority of the Spanish nation gradually spread
through the Philippines, unopposed by a simple and
friendly race of people. Supplies of stores and pro-
visions, with a company of friars, arrived from Acal-
pulco, and the colony promised to thrive under every
favourable auspice. The chief of Zebu, who at first was
hostile to the invaders of the group, now yielded to
them an unconditional allegiance. Observing how
powerful and kind the Christians were, he consented
to be baptized by the royal name of Philip, and num-
bers of his followers also embraced the cross.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 177
Two years later the Spaniards felt their ambition A. D. 1569.
again expand, and looked from Panay 1 to another seat
for colonisation, to be the metropolis of their empire in tion -
the Indian Archipelago. The island of Luzon, with its Luzon, or
fertile soil, and attractive aspect, tempted their desires. 2 Lucoma -
It is the largest of the group, and the best known to
Europeans. Long and narrow four hundred and fifty
miles by from ten to a hundred and forty its coast is
fringed with rocks and broken by many gulfs, inlets,
and capacious bays. The surface is covered through a sketch.
large portion of its extent by mountains two high
ranges in the north being divided by the Cagayar river,
which flows between two headlands into the sea.
In all respects Luzon appeared a desirable field for its advan-
colonisation, and the Spanish settlers' now considered tages>
themselves equal to its subjugation. Legaspi had de-
puted the inferior enterprises to his captains, but re-
solved to watch in person the conduct of this adven-
ture. He sailed from the old fort at Zebu, and touched Expedition
by the way at Panay, where the people gave him a
hospitable reception. The governor remained here a
short time, to overlook the erection of the forts which
were to throw their shadow over the independence of
the island, or to check the encroachments of the Portu-
guese, and defend the coasts from certain pirates of pi rate s of
Jolo and Borneo, who had acquired an infamous re-
putation among these islands. They had already cap-
tured a Spanish vessel and her crew, and had attacked,
though without success, the garrison of Zebu. Thus,
even in those early periods, were the freebooters formi-
dable to European commerce, as well as to the multitude
of native traders that floated from shore to shore in the
1 Crawfurd, ii. 453. 2 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 22.
VOL. I. N
178
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Spaniards
attack
them.
Expedition
to Manilla.
The town.
Present
aspect.
Native use
of artillery.
Storming
of the de-
fences.
frail barques of their own construction. In January
1570, Juan Salcedo attacked the pirate town of Man-
chura in Mindoro, captured it, and compelled the in-
habitants to redeem their liberty with a handsome
ransom in gold. The buccaneers retreated and en-
trenched themselves in the islet of Luban ; but the
Spanish captain pursued, assaulted, and again mulcted
them to a considerable amount.
In May 1670, an expedition left Panay for Manilla.
It was divided into two sections, one to conclude a
treaty with the dwellers on the shores of the lake
Barbon, and the other to attack a town situated further
up on the north-western coast. The first division was
received with hostilities, and the leader wounded with an
arrow. Failing to effect his purpose, he proceeded to
join the other invading troop. The town they were
about to assault was situated at the mouth of the river
Pasing, which pours the superabundant waters of the
great lake Baye into the sea. In front swept the splendid
bay, ninety miles from horn to horn, bordered by a
picturesque and fruitful country, now sprinkled with
villages, villas, groves, and gardens, and adorned by the
Spanish town Manilla. The chiefs of the territory sent
to proffer terms of peace ; but the hollowness of these
was either discovered or pretended, and the natives were
summoned to the defence of their fortified position at
the mouth of the river. They now turned against the
Spaniards the engines which they had at first believed
to be the arms of God. A volley of artillery was
discharged upon the ships, and some Spaniards who
went on shore were cut to pieces.
Eighty men then landed, stormed the walls, and drove
their defenders out. Expelled from their outworks,
they fled to the town, set it on fire, and retreated among
the interior hills, rejoiced at having damped in some
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 179
degree the triumph of the Europeans. Several large
cannon were captured, though the foundry was burned.
This must be regretted, as the examination of a cannon
foundry constructed at that early period by the native
artificers of Luzon, could not have failed to lead to in-
teresting results.
The Spaniards, although thus far successful, saw that
with the few troops they had collected, it would be
impossible to defend themselves agaist the swarms of
enemies who might be expected to descend upon them
from the hills. Delaying, therefore, only so long as Caution
was necessary to careen their ships, they sailed back to Spaniards
Pnnay. There they met three vessels from New Spain
plentifully stored, bearing despatches from Philip II.
That sovereign, delighted with Legaspi's plans and con-
duct, created him President of the Philippine islands,
and directed the distribution of land among the most
meritorious of those who had contributed to his success.
Encouraged by these favours, the President despatched
two ships to Acalpulco with cargoes of costly mer-
chandize, and then proceeding to Zebu, constituted the
town there a city, with a municipal establishment. The
erection of fortifications was diligently carried on, and
other means were adopted for the efficient defence and
proper government of the colony. 1
Thence returning to Pan ay, he prepared the ex- N ^w expe-
pedition for the final capture of Manilla and the sub- Luzon,
jugation of Luzon. The vessels sailed on the 15th of
April 1571. At the islet Latunga they touched for a
muster of the troops, who numbered two hundred and
eighty. With this force Legaspi proceeded to the ex-
ecution of his project, visiting Mindoro by the way, and
imposing a formal tribute on the people. On this coast
1 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 26.
N 2
180
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
First inter-
course with
China.
Pleasant
incident.
Capture of
Manilla.
Submission
of the in-
habitants.
he fell in with one of those unwieldy junks of China,
which have carried the enterprise of that curious empire
through all the channels of the Twelve Thousand Islands.
The vessel was in imminent danger of wreck when the
Spaniards saw her and afforded her effectual succour.
The incident alone would not claim a notice among
the historical episodes of the Archipelago ; but it is
sufficiently important, because China thus became first
acquainted with Spain, through the humanity of her
earliest colonists. The chronicles of Spanish conquest
would have worn a different colour, had men like Le-
gaspi held the helm throughout. He was a man of
ability and prudence. His humanity and judgment in-
clined him to prefer, and his skill enabled him to pro-
secute, a bloodless conquest, in many instances where
the Dutch or Portuguese would have met the natives
at the sword's point, and hewed them down with wanton
and unsparing slaughter. No scruples of territorial
right, indeed, induced any pause in his scheme of con-
quest ; but in recognising the right which civilisation
has assumed to itself of setting aside the prescriptive
titles enjoyed by the original possessors of any land, he
obeyed only the political spirit of the age.
The squadron entered the river of Manilla without
any demonstration of a hostile purpose. The inhabit-
ants, nevertheless, anticipating only a merciless assault,
set the town on fire and fled. It appeared dangerous
to confide in the humanity, and hopeless to resist the
arms of the invader. The Spaniards landed, took pos-
session of the place, and prepared for its permanent
occupation. Ingenious devices were adopted to induce
the natives to return and people the new city, whose
site was already marked out. They listened to the
promises of peace, yielded to the cajolements of their
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 181
strange visitors, and came down with their chiefs to
acknowledge the sovereignty of Spain.
Viewed by the light of modern theories, these trans- Character
actions appear to deserve enumeration among the p ()lic y.
achievements of piracy. Luzon had never sent forth
any marauders to attack the Spanish settlements ; her
inhabitants had never seized any shipping, or insulted
the conqueror's flag. A force was landed, the country
was declared annexed, and the people were summoned
to yield up their independence without so much as the
pretence of an excuse. With the navigators of those
days, discovery gave the right of conquest, as power in
all times appears to have given the right of oppression.
The example of William Penn was among the first
recognitions of a title in the savage possessors of the
soil ', but since that period opinions have passed through Right of
a filtering process, and we apply the rules of justice to c
'acts of territorial extension on the part of states, as to
those of appropriation on the part of private individuals.
The conquests of the Spaniards, considered from another
point of view, were beneficial to the Indian tribes. That
they afterwards ceased to be so 2 , was because the suc-
cessors of Legaspi departed from the line of policy his
wisdom had traced out. He preferred peace before
war, commercial treaties before the victories of the
sword, and endeavoured to uphold his authority by
other means than those of coercion. With his soldiers introduc-
he brought priests to subdue the people under the
powerful yoke of the Roman Church. By the influence
of religion, and by the influence, equally gentle, of a
mild and manly conduct, Legaspi established a colony
1 See the remarkable picture of this transaction by the accom-
plished pen of Hepworth Dixon among the first of living bio-
graphers.
2 Brooke, Borneo and Celebes.
N 3
182
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
A. D. 1571.
Foundation
of Manilla.
Fluctua-
tions of the
Spanish
power.
Prolonged
resistance
of the
islanders.
Action at
sea.
Method of
conquest.
which appeared the natural capital of Spanish dominion
in the East.
The erection of a city ' with a fort, a palace, a church
and a convent, formed the first labours of the Spaniards
after their peaceful settlement in Luzon. The event
was commemorated on the 15th of May by a solemn
festival and ceremonial rites. The conquest and coloni-
sation of Manilla may be considered as the foundation
of a power which has flourished ever since, through
various vicissitudes of fortune. At one period it rose
to wealth and splendour, but now, in diminished im-
portance, possesses an equivocal tenure on a few islands
to support a decaying trade.
Nevertheless, the conquest of Luzon was not al-
together effected by the arts of peace. Some chiefs of
the island, fired with a pride of independence, endea-
voured to rouse the people by representing the shame
of submission to a foreign flag. Two of the principal
equipped a fleet of forty prahus, and sailed to the Bay
of Bananay. There they received the ambassadors
from Manilla, with an insulting and derisive invitation
to a trial of arms. The challenge was accepted. A
small squadron of light galleys sailed out, encountered
the native fleet, and was victorious in a bloody engage-
ment. The Indian leader was killed by a musket ball,
and numerous prisoners were taken. These were kindly
treated and sent back to their friends. The courage of
the Spaniards in battle, and their moderation in the use
of victory, were so successful in mollifying the hearts of
the natives, that several chiefs, hitherto unsubdued,
offered their voluntary homage.
Companies of soldiers were sent among the hills to
reduce the warlike tribes who refused submission.
1 Crawfurd, ii. 454.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 183
Some resisted to the utmost, and were overcome with
considerable loss of life, others surrendered to the so-
licitations of a pious Augustine friar, who walked in
the van of the troops. Gradually all the provinces
near the capital were compelled or persuaded to submit,
and large tracts of land were allotted in rewards to the
men who had chiefly aided in the undertaking. The
revenue from a capitation tax on the natives was re-
served as booty for the King of Spain.
At this period occurred an incident illustrating the Result of
, .,. , i. -.an adven-
fortunate influence of the conciliatory policy pursued ture with
by the Spaniards during the youth of their dominion Chinese
in the Philippines. They had saved some Chinese sea .
from shipwreck off the coast of Mindoro. These
Chinese carried home an account of their happy rescue
by the Europeans, and now, in 1572, arrived with a A. P. 1572.
cargo of merchandise from their own country. Thus Opening of
, . , * i i a new trade.
an act of kindness was the germ or a commerce which
might have grown to magnificent dimensions had Le-
gaspi's policy been inherited by his successors. The
Acalpulco trade was now commenced, and the conver-
sion of the Chinese empire projected.
In May, 1572, Juan Salcedo commenced making the Expedition
circuit of the island. Starting on the north-eastern Luzon,
coast at Cape Bolinac he fell in with a Chinese junk,
whose crew had seized a chief of Luzon, with some of
his people, and intended carrying them to China. Im-
partial in his spirit of justice he released the Indians,
and by this simple act subdued the people of the neigh-
bouring district. In many of the towns his reception
was friendly. At Bixon he planted a colony of twenty- Little set -
/> -i -i f i f ITM i i tlements.
nve men, and erected a little fort. 1 hence he returned
round the southern shore to Manilla, where he received
news that his relative Legaspi was dead. This was a
loss to Spain. From his decease may be dated the
N 4
184
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
A. D. 1573.
Enterprise
in Borneo.
Precarious
situation of
the Portu-
guese.
A. D. 1573.
Slaughter
before Ma-
lacca.
A. D. 1574.
decline of her character among the races of the Archi-
pelago. For a brief period, indeed, Salcedo continued
his plans of action, and founded the city of Santiago
de Libon on the shore of a hilly province on the north-
east coast. The Augustine friars, who continually
arrived from Mexico, were entrusted with the charge of
districts, as the Jesuits were in California, and their
influence was considerable in maintaining peace among
the people, and nourishing the infant civilisation of the
island. The Spaniards never opened a course of con-
quest in a more politic or successful manner.
To extend the trading relations of their colony they
sent an expedition to Brune*, the only kingdom then
known in the immense island of Borneo. The monarch
of that barbarous state refused to enter into any con-
vention with his Spanish visitors, and dismissed them
as they came. 1
Their successes in the Philippines, where they were ex-
posed to no hostility external to the group, threatened
to eclipse the brilliancy of the Portuguese triumphs
in the west of the Archipelago. The conquerors of
Malacca were surrounded by enemies, whom all their
vigour was required to repel. Though generally victo-
rious their energies were wasted, not in acquiring new
territories, but in defending their first acquisitions. In
1572, the King of Achin, maintaining his league with
the little potentates of Western India, raised a new
army, and again besieged Malacca. Driven with dis-
grace from its walls he renewed the attempt in the
following year, in alliance with the Queen of Japara.
The air round the city was corrupted by the vast,
heaps of dead which he left to fester beneath its battle-
ments. 2 In the course of another twelve months the
1 Zuniga, Historical View of the Philippines, i. 160.
2 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 351.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 185
martial Javanese princess with a large army and a fleet
of forty-five war prahus assaulted Malacca, maintained
a siege of three months, and only retired before the
desperate valour of the garrison. This triumph of the
Portuguese had nearly been their last, leading in, as it
did, a greater danger than they had known before. In
1575, the inveterate prince of Achin, unconquered by A - D - 1575.
defeat, and undismayed by failure, again drained the
resources of his kingdom to carry on the contest with a
power he hated and feared. The fleet is described as immense
covering the whole straits, and three frigates, it is re- armament.
lated, were destroyed by the simultaneous assault of this
immense armada. The city was defended by no more
than ] 50 men. Driven to the last push of extremity,
they were reserving their ammunition for a forlorn
struggle. The enemy construed their mysterious silence
into the preparation of some portentous device of war.
They trembled under the ominous pause. Suddenly Panic in
they became infected with a general panic, and after a
siege of seventeen days, broke up their camp at the
moment when the Portuguese were about to stake their
safety in a last frantic struggle. The Achinese fled
with precipitation 1 , and Malacca was probably saved
from utter sack and ruin ; for had Mansur Shah, armed
with hereditary hatred of his European foe, succeeded
in penetrating their defences, not one soul had escaped
the edge of his vindictive sword.
Achin was now among the most formidable powers Power of
of the remote East. The most distant countries of S^of 8 "
Asia sought its alliance. A liberal commercial policy Achin.
had crowded its port with a lucrative trade. Vessels
from Mecca on the west, and Japan on the east, came
with the products of their soil for sale or barter. The
* Marsden, History of Sumatra, 351.
186
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Feudal in-
stitutions.
Curious
politics.
A.D. 1574.
Alarm of
the Chinese
emperor.
Chinese en-
terprises.
interior condition of the country was flourishing, but
the people were, of course, oppressed, since if the king
was not in the enjoyment of absolute power, his au-
thority was only checked by the jealousy of a proud
and profligate body of nobles. These, the feudal lords
of Achin, possessed fortified castles in the city, and
kept the population in awe by a display of shotted
cannon and ranks of well-armed guards. They readily
countenanced the king in his designs against the Portu-
guese, shared in the spoil of the people's substance, but
in the true spirit of an oligarchy resisted the attempts
to burden their wealth with duties that could more
easily be wrung from the poverty of the laborious
classes. Occasionally the king came into collision with
his nobility, and was usually overthrown by the shock.
It was during the preparation of a new expedition
against Malacca that one of those revolutions occurred
with the features common to such dramas in Asiatic
countries. The Portuguese were thus relieved, for a
while, of this fresh danger ; but they were never safe
from the implacable enmity of Achin. Their power in
all parts of the Archipelago rested on a frail foundation,
and trembled under every breath of war. An enemy
which menaced the Spaniards in the Philippines also
menaced them.
The planting of the Spanish settlements within three
days' sail of the Celestial Empire was the source of no
small alarm on that continent. The emperor looked
with a timid eye on the progress of a nation whom his
barbarian vanity included among the savage races of
the earth. From a period whose date is lost in the
uncertainty of tradition, the traders of China had car-
ried on an intercourse with the Indian Archipelago.
Native records alone point to the commencement of
a series of enterprises continued to this day by the
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 187
shrewd and cautious merchants of that ancient empire.
They visited Java, it is known, in the ninth century,
and it is the opinion of one of the ablest and most dis-
tinguished authorities on all subjects connected with
the Archipelago l , that their voyages extended to Borneo
at a far remoter date, even before the foundation of the
Malay kingdom at Brune. In the thirteenth century
this intercourse wore all the appearance of long es-
tablishment, notwithstanding the idea of one historian
that, previous to the voyage of Marco Polo, it was
neither active nor important. The narrative of the
Venetian traveller who penetrated into those distant
regions long before De Gama had opened their gates to
the traders of Europe, deserves attention, especially
since it has been elucidated by the learned Historian of Adventur-
Sumatra. 2 We there find accounts of the Chinese s te c r h ^
adventurers among the Indian islands, which suggest that peo-
no idea of an infant intercourse ; following him, was p
the Arabian traveller of the fourteenth century 3 , whose
relation corroborates his. Evidence indeed, too con-
vincing to be doubted, too abundant to be detailed
here, has been accumulated by a learned and laborious
writer 4 , which proves that long before an European
settlement was established in the Archipelago, its marts
were visited by regular traders from China, exchanging
the products of that empire for the luxuries supplied
by the islands. The pepper, camphor, and gold of Their trade
Borneo furnished the palaces of Pekin and ministered
to the tastes of the opulent epicures, celebrated for
1 J. R. Logan, Journal of Indian Archipelago, ii. 611.
2 Marsden, edition of Marco Polo.
3 Ibn Batuta, De TArchipel d'Asie, trans. Du Laurier.
4 J. R. Logan, Antiquity of the Chinese Trade with India and
the Indian Archipelago, J. Lid, Arch. ii. 663.
J88
T1IE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
"Visits to
the Phi-
lippines.
Rise of a
Chinese
colony.
Hostility of
the is-
landers to
Spain.
Success of
Spanish
policy.
A. D. 1574.
The pirate
Limahon.
their attachment to spices, perfumes, and dazzling
ornaments.
In their annual voyages between Java or Borneo, and
their own coasts, the Chinese fell in frequently with
the Philippines and opened a trade with them. Some
of their annalists pretend that the group was originally
colonised from the Empire. Such traditions deserve
inquiry ; they belong, however, to the antiquarians of
history. Whether or not the Philippines were peopled
from China or from any of the regions lying between
that and Hindustan, they were at an early period visited
by its merchants. Enterprising, ambitious, crafty, but
headlong in their pursuit of fortune, the Chinese speedily
threatened to become formidable opponents to the foun-
dation in that quarter of the Eastern seas of a Spanish
authority ; an authority which they viewed as an en-
croachment on their own. The other enemies of the
new power, divided, scattered, held in check by terror,
almost relinquished the struggle for independence on
their native soil. The Spaniards settled in peace on the
rich coast-provinces, although they never succeeded in
quenching the unconquerable spirit, in subduing the
energy, or softening the hatred, of some more bold and
savage tribes who scorned the humbler race that had
submitted itself to the white men's yoke. They retreated
to their haunts amid woods and hills, swamps and rocky
valleys, where they defended an independence which
they could never be persuaded or compelled to yield. In
spite of their hostility the Spaniards consolidated their
plans of colonisation, and were only alarmed by the
turbulent population of Chinese, which soon grew up
under their flag.
In 1574 an enemy appeared on their coasts, of a
novel and formidable character. This was the great
rebel pirate Limahon, the terror in those days of all
ITS HISTORY AXD PRESENT STATE. 189
the Indian waters, whose achievements were similar in
audacity to those of his descendants at the present time,
and his rivals among the Malay islanders. When the
Spaniards captured Manilla, he viewed their arrival
with awe ; but receiving accounts of their riches and
their weakness, conceived the idea of freighting his fleets
with the spoils of the European merchants. His re- nis career.
nown was so great, and his depredations had been so
daring, that the Ernperor of China, who indeed was
comparatively a feeble potentate 1 , equipped three squad-
rons to scour the neighbouring seas in search of him.
Averse to an encounter with the imperial arms, he re- nisachieve-
solved to seek at once a new theatre for his predatory
achievements, and steered wide of the China coast. A
junk from Manilla laden with merchandize and bound
for the continent, crossed his track ; he seized it, and
from the captain learned the situation of the Spaniards
in their chief city.
Animated by the intelligence 2 , he resolved to attack Resolves to
attack Ma-
Manilla, though defended by the arts of European for-
tification. With sixty-two junks, manned by 2000 His fleet.
fighting men, besides great numbers of sailors, many
pieces of artillery, and with 1500 women on board, he
anchored in the bay, near an avenue leading to the city.
His arrival took place in the dead of the night. With- Arrives by
out clamour or confusion, this huge armament was dis-
posed along the outer walls, while a Japanese chief,
named Sioco, landed with 600 men, and commenced
his march in silence towards Manilla. The darkness
concealed them, and by dawn they were close to the
fortifications, where a resident had his house outside.
The guards were cut to pieces, and all the inmates of Attack of
the dwelling put to death. Continuing to advance, the cl ty.
1 Duhalde, China, I * Crawfurd, ii. 458.
190
THE INDIAN AKCHIPELAGO,
The Spa-
niards
alarmed.
Limahon
retires.
Renewed
assault.
Conflict in
the city.
they encountered a body of Spanish troops, just raised
to the defence of the city. An engagement took
place ; the Europeans fell on their enemies with infinite
courage, but lost eight of their number, and were on
the point of flight when another company of soldiers
arrived in greater force. The Chinese were assaulted,
considerable slaughter followed, and at length the pirate
ranks were broken. Sioco, foreseeing no success that
day, drew off his men, and took to the boats. All the
city was now awake. Every chance of a surprise was
gone, and the renewed attack was postponed until next
morning.
Juan de Salcedo, the governor, was then in the
maritime province of Ilocos, and saw Limahon's fleet
pass by, not far from the shore. He lost no time in
collecting his forces, and sailing to the rescue of his
capital, reached the bay on the night after the attack.
To deceive the Chinese into the belief that a large
armament had arrived, he announced his arrival by
flourishes of trumpets, salvoes of artillery, and the dis-
play of numerous lights, as though signals were passing
from ship to ship along the line of a fleet. Limahon,
in the meanwhile, steadily advanced his junks towards
the city, and before day-break his armament was under
the shadow of its fortification. 1
Sioco again landed with a large body of men, ar-
ranged in three divisions. One was to march along the
principal street to the square, commanded by the fort,
where' he hoped a sortie would be made. Another was
to skirt the beach, and the third he would himself lead
up the river bank. The Chinese obeyed these orders
well. They arrived in the square, throwing brands
into the houses as they passed along. These quickly
Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 28.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 191
kindled the light bamboo edifices which then, as now l ,
constituted the bulk of the habitations. They provoked
the people by every device of outrage, and challenged
them by expressions of defiance to sally forth, to leave
their vantage ground behind batteries and walls, and
engage the enemy hand to hand. The Spaniards were
too wary. As their besiegers became more densely
massed in the street and square, they discharged their
great guns, sweeping down whole ranks, and making
deadly havoc. Sioco, despairing of provoking a sortie,
gave the signal of assault. The Chinese rushed for-
ward. Their number and previous courage appeared to
promise success. The palisade shook before their onset,
and was overthrown. They poured in and approached
the interior fortifications. Salcedo with reinforcements
at this moment entered the square, broke their ranks
from the rear, hewed a passage through them to the Flight of
citadel, and there led such an attack upon the Chinese
that they retired with precipitation towards the shore.
Limahon now entered the river with his junks. He
saw his ranks flying under the fire of the Spaniards.
All seemed lost. He sought to rally- them through the They rally,
impulse of despair, withdrew the vessels and left his
pirate followers the alternative of plunging into the
water, or checking their rout and recoiling to a second
assault. They remained passive under the guns of the
citadel, and he was compelled to land with 400 men by
way of reinforcement. A few ships lying high and
dry on the beach were burned, and Limahon prepared
to sack that part of the town which was not already in
flames. The valour of Salcedo disappointed him even
of this triumph, and the humiliated buccaneer was
driven to the refuge of his fleet. Sioco had fallen in They re-
1 Alvarez y Tejero, De Las Mas Filipinos, qu. Revue des Deux their junks.
Mondes.
192
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Flight from
Manilla.
Cruelty of
the bucca-
neers.
Their place
of refuge.
A.D. 1575.
They are
followed by
the Spa-
niards.
They are
surrounded.
the conflict, and numbers of the Chinese had shared
his fate. Limahon, dispirited by the loss and disgrace
that attended this catastrophe, sailed for the coast of
Pangarinan, on the eastern side of the island, while the
Spaniards, having defeated their enemy on Saint An-
drew's day, ascribed their triumph to his favour, and
celebrated it in an ovation at his shrine.
On his way to Pangarinan, Limahon landed at the
mouth of a river and massacred a number of Indians
who were hostile to his expedition. He then conversed
with the chief of the province, and encamped on the
banks of the Lingayen river.
In March next year, Salcedo, leaving fifty Europeans
in Manilla, led the remainder, thrice that number, with
1500 Indians, to attack the pirate encampment on the
beautiful borders of the Lingayen. Limahon's junks,
moored in the river, were easily captured. The troops
assaulted the advanced works, burst through them, and
committed terrible carnage among the Chinese, who
retreated to the shelter of a grove. Thence they were
driven to a fort, which had been erected as the citadel
of their encampment. It was too lofty to scale, being
constructed of tall palm trees, driven into the ground
in close order, and presenting an appearance of far
greater strength than it possessed. Salcedo ordered his
men to form in a compact mass and rush against this
imposing fortification. It gave way and fell before the
shock. The pirates fled within their last entrenchment.
There, with strange weakness, the Spaniards allowed
them to rest, turning from the prosecution of their
victory to the plunder of the camp.
Limahon at once strengthened his defences, and
rallying four hundred men, drove his enemies without
the works ; but was again forced back within his
second line of palisades, which he successfully defended.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 193
To spare the effusion of blood, and to husband his
strength, Salcedo turned the siege into a blockade, and
requested a friendly Chinese trader to open negotiations
with a view to a peaceful arrangement. Limahon,
accustomed perhaps to imperial treachery in China,
replied that he knew he was looked upon as a savage
tiger, to be caught at any risk, and refused to confide in
the faith of his enemies.
With a tenderness for human life not too frequently
displayed by the Europeans in their warlike intercourse
with the islanders of the Indian Archipelago, Salcedo
marked his line of circumvallation beyond range of
the pirate's guns, and guarded the river to prevent
their escape. Limahon was not to be subdued. He ingenious
collected the fragments of his junks, built others from
the wrecks, and then in the dead of night, employing all
his men, cut by degrees a canal from the little estuary,
which formed his prison, to the open part of the river,
and withdrew with all his forces. 1 He is supposed, by
some, (o have led his men into the interior wilds, and
founded the tribe of the Ingorots, whom the Spaniards
afterwards persecuted for gold, with which their country
abounded. Salcedo thus lost his triumph, but had
succeeded in disarming a formidable enemy. The
attack of the Chinese had incited the islanders to rebel-
lion, and many ravages were committed. The revolt Progress
was, however, subdued through the influence of the
missionaries, whose position was gradually becoming
important. Several convents were now possessed by
the numerous Augustine friars who were distributed
over the island, and were aided in their labour of love
by seventeen Franciscans. The colony progressed
steadily in tranquility, under a vigorous administration
1 Spanish Colonial History, Chin. Rep, vii, 291.
VOL. I. O
194 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
of affairs. On the following year, when Salceclo died,
Spain lost one of the most zealous and the most sagacious
of her colonial servants. He conquered more by the
influence of conciliatory acts than by arms; though,
when an obstinate enemy presented himself, no man
more readily engaged in war. 1
Emigrants Following this enemy, an outcast from China, came
from China. s t rearns of emigrants, who overflowed all the barriers that
a barbarous despotism could erect to confine them, and,
in spite of the timid spirit which opposed their entrance,
settled down in swarms among the Philippines. They
brought with them their characteristic habits of industry,
their attachment to the culture of the soil, their manu-
facturing skill, and also their national pride, their tur-
bulent spirit, and other qualities, which may explain the
numerous disasters that afterwards befell them in the
Philippines.
Jealousy The new governor, Don Francisco la Sande, though
ne issued no positive edict against them, viewed their
immigration with displeasure, and when an envoy ar-
rived from China with proposals of trade, dismissed him
empty handed. Two friars accompanied the ambassador
when he left Manilla, after his fruitless mission, and on
them he retaliated the treatment he had experienced from
their rulers. On a wild part of the coast near Cape
Bolinac the padres were put on shore, stripped naked,
and severely flogged, while their attendants were cruelly
beaten. 2 The Chinese, from every account of them,
appeared to be a degraded race, satisfied only with
anarchy, brutal to the weak, sneaking to the strong,
and addicted to fraud, in such a degree that it may be
suspected to form part of their nature. Nevertheless,
the hostility displayed to them by the new governor of
1 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 32.
1 Sjxinish Col, Hist., Chin. Rep. vii. 296.
ITS HISTOEY AND PRESENT STATE.
the Philippines was impolitic, especially as it was in-
effectual. The Chinese thronged to the Philippines for
the purposes of agriculture and trade. Their shrewd- Their in-
ness and industry, indeed, render them a valuable dusti r-
element in the population of any colony, where the
organization of government is sufficiently complete and
powerful, though their presence in a youthful settle-
ment, weakly ruled, was the source of continual trouble.
o a
196
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
CHAPTER VIII.
Borneo.
Early visit.
A. D. 1576.
Transac-
tions of the
Spaniards
with Bor-
neo.
Borneo Pro-
per.
MORE than half a century had passed since an European
voyager discovered the immense island of Borneo. The
companions of Magellan in 1521, the Portuguese in
1526, 1527, 1530, and afterwards, from time to time,
visited the city of Borneo on the north-west coast, and
endeavoured to open a trade with that wealthy country ;
but this intercourse was desultory, and the result of it
insignificant. The Spaniards had sent one fruitless
mission, but were not discouraged from a new attempt.
In 1576, Sirela, king of Borneo, was deposed by an
usurper, and fled to Manilla, where he promised to lay
the whole island under tribute to the sovereignty of
Spain, if the colonists would espouse his cause. 1 The
region, indeed, which he engaged to render subject
to the imperial crown, was not his own 2 ; but the
princely munificence of his gratitude was not less
flattering on this account to the Spanish conquerors of
the Philippine group. They agreed to become his ally,
and restore him to the throne of his ancient kingdom.
The country known as Borneo Proper has remained,
since its discovery to the present day, in the same con-
dition, peopled by the same race, subject to the same
civilisation. 3 Colonised at an early period by the
Malays of Sumatra or the Peninsula, it grew into an
1 Zuniga, Historical View, i. 160.
s J. R. Logan, Notices of European Intercourse with Borneo,
Journ. Ind. Arch. ii. 499.
3 Ibid.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE.
197
important kingdom through the usual stages of progress.
A few families settling at the mouth of a river larger History of
immigrations from regions distracted by civil war, the Col a ^
discovery of natural riches to attract adventurers from
the parent state, the transplantation of some sapling
from a royal stock to the new soil, the recognition of his
divine right, the erection of a kingdom, first tributary,
then independent such have been the invariable epi-
sodes in the history of a Malayan state. Such was the
kingdom found flourishing on the banks of the Brune Malay
1r " 1 f
river by the Spaniards, and described in exaggerated jj 1 "^" 1
terms by the narrator of their voyage. 1 Its antiquity
cannot now be measured, though probably it was
founded at a date long anterior to the triumph of the
Muslim faith over the ruins of Mojopahit in Java.
Many various ideas exist on the point, which, however,
is of little importance in the political history of the
Archipelago. It never was very populous or powerful, Wealth of
and never enjoyed a brilliant commerce, though gold,
diamonds, pepper, cloves, nutmegs, pearls, camphor,
benjamin, dragon's blood, bezoar stones 2 , aloes, musk,
civet, amber, rice, and rattans 3 are enumerated among
the productions it yielded to furnish the cargo of
the merchant. Whatever was its wealth, size, anti-
quity, or population, it appears to have been the chief
kingdom of Borneo 4 , at the date to which these
events refer.
The island has never been united into one empire ; its political
but, on the contrary, divided into several kingdoms, the s
limits and power of which have been constantly chang-
ing, their extent and influence habitually depending on
1 Pigafetta, Harris's Collection.
* Valentyn, quo. J. R. Logan. 3 Herbert.
* J. R. Logan, Traces of the Origin of the Malay Kingdom of
Borneo Proper, Journ. Ind. Arch. ii. 519.
o 3
198
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Native tra-
dition.
Several
states.
Aspect of
the island.
the ambition and ability of their "sovereigns. The Ma-
lays who settled on the north coast, during the prosperity
of the parent state in the Peninsula or Sumatra, have
so mingled with the Javanese who colonised the
western and southern shores, that they have given their
name to the whole posterity of the emigrant tribes. It
is nevertheless easy for a person familiar with the eth-
nology of the Archipelago, to distinguish the native of
Brune from the descendant of the Javan settlers, and
these differ as much from the parent people of the
parent island as from the citizen of the capital.
The native tradition is that the kingdom sprang from
large settlements of Chinese. It is also related J that
the brothers of Sherrif Ali, at the close of the fourteenth
century, the first Muslim sultan of Mindanao, extended
his influence to Borneo, where his relatives reigned as
kings. It is probable that his brothers, of whom one
became Sultan of Salana, swelled the train of their fol-
lowers on the way from Mecca among the Malayan
tribes on the Peninsula, and thus have appeared in the
regions they afterwards governed as temporal princes
as well as spiritual teachers. It is improbable that the
three came together, but the Sultan, himself successful,
invited the others.
From whatever sources sprung, however, the popula-
tions of Borneo were divided into numerous nation-
alities, under rival or hostile rulers. Brune was among
these, as it has already been said, the principal, though
its real condition remained long unknown to Europeans.
There was little to attract the traders of the East,
though reports of its wealth in gold, gums, and spices
were circulated among the islanders. The mariner,
sailing along the coast, saw its hills covered with rich
Forrest, Voyage to New Guinea.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 199
verdure retreating from the sea, the beautiful blue of
the water near the shore, the broad pebbly beach be-
yond; and, still further, the land rising in successive
swells, overlaid with a mass of jungle, and throwing
up mountains with every variety of outline, yet the
" land of Brune " has ever worn a desolate aspect. The
alluring beauty of its landscapes, the fertile banks of
its river, the green and sweeping shores of its bay, and
the graceful foliage of its woods, tempted the eye of
the traveller in search of the finest scenes in the East.
Yet the dwellers in Borneo were a fierce and savage
race, continually in the ferment of war, desolating
with sack and bloodshed the luxuriant provinces laid
out for their use by nature. Europeans have aban-
doned it to neglect, and the remote interior has never
been explored.
Even the Chinese, an enterprising people, who found a immigra-
home everywhere in the further East, came at first slowly Chinese.
and seldom to this inhospitable coast. In the early ages
of European intercourse some of them settled in Brune,
and engaged in pursuing those branches of industry in
which they peculiarly excel. At one period, it was said,
they had swarmed so densely, that the native power was
eclipsed by theirs, and this ascendant influence threat-
ened to throw up barriers against the aggressions of the
European conquerors. They had cleared wide sweeps Their
of land, and were busy over its surface in the culture of
pepper ; they planned gardens ; they erected houses, and
amassed wealth by the honourable means of labour.
They wandered up the interior, spread along the bor-
ders of rivers, selected the fine timber trees, felled
them, floated them down the stream to primitive docks
of their own construction, and then built large and
solid junks, which they stored with wealth, steered to
China, sold with their cargoes for enormous sums, and
o 4
200
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Anarchy at
Brune.
Piracy on
the coast.
A. D. 1580.
Civil com-
motions in
Brune.
Spanish
policy.
returning in inferior vessels, collected new heaps of
merchandise, constructed new junks to convey it, and
accumulated immense fortunes in the process.
For a considerable period this continued, and Brune
prospered on the industry of China. But domestic
anarchy broke forth in violent eruptions ; a war of tribes
wasted the country ; pillage and murder formed the re-
sources of the great, oppressions and poverty the lot of
the humble. This drove the Chinese from the interior,
and piracy, then raging along the coast, amid the islands
of the Sulu group, and over all the narrow seas of the
Archipelago, drove them from Borneo, turned the flow of
their emigration into other channels, and left the north-
west coast of that great island again as neglected as be-
fore. We here see the root of the pirate system, which
has developed itself so largely throughout the whole
region of insular Asia.
Such was the condition of Brune or Borneo Proper,
when the Spaniards opened their intercourse with it
after the mission of Sirela to the Philippines. 1 An ex-
pedition was dispatched to restore him, which suc-
ceeded, though the pacification of the kingdom was not
effected. In 1580 the prince was again dethroned by
his brother, and again his crown was recovered by the
aid of the Spanish arms. 2 The sovereignty of the im-
perial power was acknowledged by the unfortunate
king; but history has omitted to state whether the
court of Madrid ever ratified the acts in virtue of which
he relinquished his independence. The latter expedi-
tion was equipped in thirty galleys, which were after-
wards employed in ineffectual attempts to levy tribute
from the islanders of Jolo and Mindanao.
1 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 32.
* Zuniga, Hist. View of the Philippines, i. 164.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 201
A third European power now appeared among the A third EU-
. . . ropean flag
waters of the Indian Ocean a power which the his- j n the fur-
torian, without being influenced by national partiality, ther East
may describe as the only one which has not signalised
its progress by acts of oppression and cruelty. This ^ ir * i En s-
was England. The reports of Portuguese and Spanish ture.
enterprises had been widely circulated in Europe. Fired
by a spirit of emulation, France and England equipped
vessels to seek a passage to the East; some by the
north-west, some through the vast sea that rolls upon
the Cape from India on the east, America on the west,
and the Antarctic continent on the south. Voyage after
voyage was attempted, but the sea swallowed up many
a company of hardy seamen, unskilled in the naviga-
tion of its unknown waters, while searching for a route
to the shores of the opulent East. 1
At length, in December, 1577, a squadron left Ply-
mouth, bound on a warlike voyage along the western
coasts of Spanish America, and accomplished the un-
premeditated achievement. It sailed under Sir Francis sir Francis
Drake, who steered in the track of Magellan, passed the
straits which bear that navigator's name, and committed
great havoc along the shores of the enemy's empire.
Then fearing to encounter some superior fleet on his
return, Drake resolved to pass the old bounds of the Passage to
5i . i n the Pacific.
manner s adventure, to traverse the immense space or
the Pacific, to search for the famous Spice Islands, and
bear a cargo of their costly products to astonish his
countrymen at home. Entering the Archipelago he was
delighted by its beauty. He steered first to Ternate. visit to
There the king, who still held his nominal sovereignty Ternatc<
over seventy islands 2 , was engaged in a struggle with
Barchou de Penhoen, Hist, de I Empire Anglais dans Flnde, i. 22.
Harris, Drakes Voyage.
202
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Homeward
voyage.
the Portuguese, who continued to pursue their favourite
policy in the group. He received the strangers well,
dazzled them by displays of Indian splendour, ex-
changed presents, and allowed his people to trade with
His success, them in spices. A valuable cargo was taken on board.
Delighted with this good fortune, Drake visited nu-
merous shores, amazed at their prodigious fertility, and
pleased with the simple manners of the people. Among
other islands they saw Java, then an unknown region,
and collected some information concerning its resources
and condition.
Thence they spread sail for their great voyage to the
Cape, reported by the jealous Portuguese to be crowded
with dangers from hurricanes, tornadoes, reefs, breakers,
and all the terrors which could daunt the inexperienced
navigators of that age. 1 Without once touching land,
Drake steered through this wide sea, visited the Cape,
and blew to the winds every idle rumour circulated by
the craft of the Portuguese. He arrived in England
after a voyage of two years, ten months, and some
days. The people flocked to behold the first ships of
the English, and the second of any nation, which had
made the circuit of the world. The news of Drake's
achievement spread through the country; the shores were
covered with multitudes incessantly renewed ; Queen
Elizabeth, having delayed a few days to save appear-
ances to Spain, which complained of the ravages com-
mitted on her shores, visited the vessels, and conferred
knighthood on their bold commander. A voluminous
collection might be made of the songs, sonnets, odes,
and lyrical poems composed and sung in honour of this
great adventure. 2 The example of Drake immediately
1 Drake's Voyage. Harris's Collection. Barchou de Peuhoen,
I? Empire Anglais dans FInde, i. 22.
2 Barchou de Penhoen, IS Empire Anglais dans Flnde, i. 24.
Triumphal
return to
England.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 203
revived the ardour which so many disasters had con-
spired to quench, and the favourite ambition of the
most sanguine aspirants in England was to spread a sail
on the waters of the remoter East. 1
The arrival of Drake opened a new era in the history New era
of the Archipelago, for though he came as a meteor and 1 ^. th ? A
so disappeared, the reports he carried home gave an im-
pulse to the spirit of commercial adventure. The rich
islands that had been seen, the marvellous relations that
had been heard were described in language that fired
the imagination of the hearer. The travellers' eye,
feasting upon scenes, already conjured up by fancy,
saw in all the East gorgeous splendour and abundant
wealth. His ear, accustomed to the romantic accounts
that were brought circuitously into Europe, readily
drank in the wildest tales. An exaggeration of real Rumours of
scenes, an indistinct comprehension of native reports, lts wealth -
the pleasure of exciting marvel, and a florid style of de-
scription, account for the strange relations which crowd
the pages of the earlier travellers, and were accepted by
the credulity of the age.
The Portuguese in the Moluccas, iealous beyond Jealous y f
p , ,. J . . the English.
expression or the discovery that threatened to bring a
second rival into the commerce of those seas, grasped
fiercely at the chances of aggrandisement. But theirs
was a false policy, creating perpetual wars, every con-
flict reproducing itself, and sinking only to break out
again with unabated rancour. But the final scene of Decline of
their dominion among the Moluccas was drawing to a poweMn. 686
close. A king of Ternate having long maintained a the M -
luccas
struggle for the independence of his country, rallied the
islanders to a new insurrection, and struck the blow A - D - 1581.
which turned the upward flight of Portuguese power,
1 Barchou de Penhoen, U Empire Anglais dans VInde, i. 24.
204
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Union of
Spain and
Portugal.
A. D. 1582.
Vicissitudes
of Malacca.
Progress
of the
Spaniards.
and impelled it to its culmination. He attacked their
fortress, and though it was bravely defended by a well-
armed garrison captured it, and once more Ternate
remained in the hands of its original possessors.
The Portuguese kingdom did not survive to redeem
this disgrace. In the same year, by its union with
Spain, on the deaths of Don Sebastian and Don Henry,
its Indian possessions reverted to that country. 1 She
inherited no peaceful dominion in the Oriental islands.
The year following her accession to this extended
power, Malacca the first site of European empire in
the further East was again attacked by the king of
Achin, and though his forces were again defeated, this
success was more than balanced by the total failure of
an expedition dispatched from the Philippines to recover
possession of the Spice Islands. It was undertaken by
Penalosa, who arrived at Manilla in 1580.
His first act had been to mark out a quarter for the
exclusive residence of the Chinese in Santiago, in a
position commanded by the guns of the fort. An in-
sult such as this, added to the oppression heaped on
that people, naturally led them to hate the conquerors,
with whom they now only consented to associate
through objects of gain so miserable was the inter-
course which was originally opened by an act of hu-
manity on the part of the Europeans. Discontent was
fomented, and the state of the Spanish colonies in the
Philippines was that of a society of which one class
perpetually held the other in terror, the direst hatred
animating the breasts of both.
For his attempt on the Moluccas, Penalosa was not
responsible. The project had been debated in Spain,
and was commenced in obedience to orders from the
1 Spanish Colonial History, Chin. Rep. vii. 294.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 205
Imperial court. It sailed in 1582. On board one of the
vessels was Pablo de Lima, who had married a daughter
of the king of Tidor, and pretended a right to some
towns, occupied by the sovereign of Ternate. The op-
position of the natives, with an epidemic that broke
out among the troops, forced Penalosa to retreat to the
Philippines, where, next year, he died, it is said, of A. D. 1533.
melancholy caused by the disputes between the people
and the priests, as well probably as by the failure of
his attempt upon the Spice Islands. At his funeral in Conflagra-
the Augustine church the tapers set the building on n \i" ai in
fire, and the flames communicating to some houses,
spread through the city with terrific violence. In a
few hours nearly all Manilla lay in ruins, which over-
whelmed many of the inhabitants, besides a vast amount
of merchandise. 1 The misfortunes that had recently
accumulated upon the Spanish crown, particularly in the
Indian islands, almost induced the abandonment of these
colonies. Through the miserable system of trade be- Spanish
tween Aoipulco and the Philippines, their possession p c raercial
entailed little more than an expenditure of Mexican sil-
ver; and it was only the aversion of the Church to re-
linquish a foot of empire, or a single subject in any part
of the world, that prevented them from being restored
to their original rulers. 2
The successor of Penalosa was Don Santiago da A. i>. 1584.
Vera, who came with the members of a high court menTi^tiie
of justice to retail law at Manilla. He renewed the at- Philippines.
tempt on the Moluccas ; but the tribes of those islands
preferred their own tyrants before the tyrants of Europe,
and effectually resisted the invasion. The rapacity and
oppression of the Spaniards in Luzon had also wearied
1 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 34.
2 Heeren, Historical Researches, i. 133.
206
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Second visit
of the
English.
A. D. 1586.
Voyage of
Cavendish.
Reception
in the
Philippines.
the people of their sway. 1 A conspiracy was entered
into with the Malays of Borneo to burn the city and
expel the white men. The plot, discovered, was sup-
pressed, while others of a similar nature were occur-
ring in various parts of the group. It had been easy
to receive the yoke, but to cast it off appeared im-
possible.
While the Archipelago was distracted by these and
similar events, the English paid their second visit,
though again they disappeared without establishing
their influence on any of the islands. Thomas Caven-
dish, on the 21st of July, 1586, sailed from Plymouth to
follow the track of Francis Drake. He steered through
the Straits of Magellan, wasted the shores of the Spanish
possessions in South America, captured several prizes,
launched himself on the Pacific, and for the first time
displayed the English flag among the Marianas and the
Philippines. 2 When the people of this group discovered
that their new visitors were not Spaniards, but were
in hostility with them, their joy burst into extravagant
expressions. Their arms were laid at the feet of the
English, to aid them against their enemies, and an uni-
versal revolt was promised if ships of war would come
to support it. 3 Cavendish refused to engage in the ad-
venture then, but stipulated for a welcome on his next
visit. He carefully studied the geography of the Philip-
pines, traversed the Molucca sea, ranged the great chain
of islands extending from Sumatra to Timor, visited
Java, and entered into a convention with the natives. 4
Nothing was neglected to render the navigation of the
1 Barcbou de Penhoen, E Empire Anglais dans flnde, i. 25.
2 Ibid. i. 25.
3 Mill, History of Jlritish Indian Empire.
4 Barchou de Penhoen, IS Empire Anglais dam VTnde, i. 25.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 207
Archipelago easier to the future explorer. The aspect Caution of
of the heavens, the position of the stars, the course of ners!" 3
the winds and currents, the situation of the islands
were noted, to serve the English in their next voyage.
Cavendish then sailed for the Cape, and thence home-
wards, where he arrived at Plymouth in September,
1588. His account of the adventures he had met with, A.D. 1588.
the scenes he had beheld, and the information he had
received, was a panegyric on the wealth and beauty of
the East. " I navigated the islands of the Philippines, Cavendish's
hard upon the coast of China, of which country I have re P rt -
heard such intelligence as hath not been heard of in
these parts; a country the stateliness and riches of
which I fear to make report of, lest I should not be
credited. I sailed among the islands of Molucca, where,
among some of the heathen people, I was well entreated,
and where our countrymen may have trade as freely as
the Portugals." l
The English nation had already indeed opened an in- English en-
direct intercourse with the East. The Levant Company, ter P rises -
privileged in the undertaking, dispatched ships to the
eastern coasts of the Mediterranean, where depots of
Indian merchandise were collected by the overland
traders. Another association, formed to conduct a
commerce with Russia, had sent its agent across the
Caspian Sea into Persia, where he saw, in the city of
Boghar, a concourse of merchants, not only Russian
and Persian, but Indian and Chinese. The same ad-
venturer performed this journey seven times, and esta-
blished a considerable traffic in silk, carpets, spices,
precious stones, and other commodities -, just as a
private individual commenced the intercourse between
1 Mill, History of British India.
2 Barchou de Penhoen, L' Empire Anglais dans Vlncle, i. 26.
208 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Independence and New Mexico, now carried on by the
Santa Fe caravans. These successes conspired to direct
the attention of England to the East, and other circum-
stances stimulated its desire. The prizes captured by
privateers displayed in their rich freights a tempting
lure. Cavendish had taken a deeply laden galleon,
bound from Acapulco to Manilla ; Drake brought
home another; and Sir John Boroughs seized, near the
Azores, a small ship stored with spices, silk, gold, pearls,
precious drugs, porcelain, ebony, and other rare com-
modities, which dazzled the imagination of the trader. 1
Still, though the thirst of commercial enterprise had
been excited, the apathy of the rnHng powers in England
checked the national spirit, and the great results of these
events were long delayed.
Wars of The affairs of Europe, involved in disorder by wars,
and the ferment of a religious revolution, demanded the
attention of her leading powers, and obscured the claims
of private ambition. The rivalry of Spain and England
was begun ; the one forming the imperial stronghold
of the Papal Church, the other, with Holland, nursing
in her bosom the rising principles of the Reformation.
Preparing for the naval campaign that afterwards
covered the seas with fleets, there was little more than
individunl enterprise to spare for the prosecution of a
commercial struggle beyond the line, which was
regarded as also beyond the law of nations. Spain,
therefore, continued still for a few years to enjoy the
unrivalled trade of the remote East, bequeathed to her
by the extinction of the male line in Portugal, 1580.
A. D. 1589. A severe blow, however, was dealt against the feeble
prosperity of Manilla, by the wreck of two splendid gal-
leons near the fortress of Cavite in Luconia.
1 Barcliou de Penlo?n, i. 27.
e Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 34.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 209
The weakness of this colony belonging to a nation Spanish at-
which claimed the sole dominion of the sea 1 , was illus- pr i va te
trated by the failure of an expedition against Magin- haunts.
danao and Sulu. 2 The Spaniards were repulsed in
several engagements, and their disgrace was not com-
pleted here. To resent their attempt of invasion an
armament from that extensive island visited the coasts
of their possessions, and committed great havoc in the
maritime provinces. Ascribing all their misfortunes to
the conquerors whose tyranny burdened their soil, the
tribes of the Philippines continually fretted under
authority, and to coerce them into loyalty a new fort
was erected, and several pieces of ordnance were cast.
Under the administration of Gomez Perez Dasmari- Defences of
nas a wall of stone was erected round Manilla, A "^'isgo.
and another fort constructed at Santiago. Hospitals,
magazines, and asylums were built, and the garrisons
increased by reinforcements from Mexico. A letter Native em-
and a mission from the Emperor of Japan now ar-
rived 3 , with another from the King of Camboja,
who sent a present of two elephants and prayed for
assistance against his enemy the sovereign of Siam. 4
These incidents are remarkable, as illustrating the pro-
gress of European influence in the neighbouring regions
of the Archipelago. The fame of the Spanish arms
had spread far through the East, and the native poten-
tates struggled for a favour which often brought on
them disaster and ruin. But the governor of the
Philippines, while proud of these confessions of his
country's authority, was too deeply engaged in schemes
of private conquest to listen to applications from the
princes of the main land. Spain saw that the con-
1 Heeren, Historical Researches, i. 134. 2 Crawfurd, ii. 469.
3 Crawfurd, ii. 466. 4 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 35.
VOL. I. P
210
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
New plan
of conquest.
Chinese set-
tlers at Ma-
nilla.
Their con-
duct
Hated by
the Spa-
niards.
Massacre of
elusion of the contest then begun would open the seas
of the East to the rivalry of Europe, and endeavoured
to forestall the ambition of her neighbours. A new
plan of conquest was laid against the Spice group, the
victim of rapine, more cursed in its unequalled wealth
than the most naked wilderness inhabited by man.
Again, nevertheless, the islanders succeeded in driving
away the invading fleet, which returned to Luzon,
where other disasters were accumulating upon the
Spanish power.
The Chinese settlers in the Philippines, competing
for the prizes of industry, drew on themselves the
jealousy of the ruling class. Rival, with the Spaniards,
signified enemy, and all imaginable means were con-
ceived to harass these persevering invaders of the soil.
Their insolence, indeed, chafing under authority, aggra-
vated the hatred of the governor ; but it was less for
their turbulence than for their commercial success, that
he viewed them with animosity. It is said, indeed,
that the discouragement of the Chinese at Manilla was
reprobated by the home government l ; but its subse-
quent policy renders such an idea scarcely credible.
Whatever, however, was the truth, it is certain the
Chinese were persecuted, and, jaded by insults and
injuries, they took every occasion to express the bitter-
ness of their hatred against the Europeans. During
the expedition to the Moluccas, an incident occurred
to kindle their discontent. Dasmarinas went on board
a galley, and pressed a hundred and fifty Chinese to
row the vessel. Nor was this all. The men laboured
under the lash ; and this last humiliation, which even
slavery will not always accept, roused their hot Asiatic
blood. The galley was by stratagem separated from
Heeren, European States and Colonies.
ITS HISTOKY AND PRESENT STATE. 211
the rest of the fleet; and before she had emerged upon a Spanish
the Sea of Celebes, the Chinese rose to a man, seized
whatever weapons lay within their reach, and falling
upon the governor and his companions, made of them a
bloody sacrifice to their revenge. Only a few escaped
by plunging overboard and swimming to the nearest
shore. The mutineers then resolved to steer the galley
to their own country ; but pausing to water at Ilocos
in Luzon, lost twenty of their number in an affray with
the Indians. It is said they then landed at another
place, and sacrificed a Christian prisoner to their gods.
Afterwards they proceeded to Cochin China, where the
people plundered them of all they had. 1 Nor can these
men be too harshly blamed. Allowing for the circum-
stances of their civilisation, and the degradation which
had been imposed on them, we cannot wonder if, when
the sword was in their hands, they employed it to cut
off tyrants of whom they entertained none but memories
of wrong.
Some of the Chinese succeeded in escaping to their New influx
own coast, and their countrymen in great numbers
then resorted to Manilla. Nor were these all of the
mercantile or industrious classes. Some were of the
order which bears the dignity of indolence, and wears
the authority of rank and title. This movement was surprising
viewed with much suspicion by the Spaniards, who saw the |?f a "
in every settler a competitor, and in every competitor
an enemy. Their progress in the Philippines was con-
sequently impeded as much by their own bigotry as
by the hostility of the natives, whom their policy had
changed from submissive subjects to disaffected tribu-
taries, impatient of the yoke they bore.
We now arrive at an important era in the history of Great event
1 Spanish Colonial History, Chin. Rep. vii. 298.
r 2
212
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
in the
history.
Rise of Hol-
land.
Importance
of com-
merce.
Valour of
the Dutch.
The'retolt
of the Ne-
therlands.
Early
Dutch
voyages.
Their gal-
lant conduct
at home.
the Indian Archipelago the appearance of the Dutch
to assume a share in its commerce. The barren empire
of the sea, arrogated by Spain since the fall of Por-
tugal, was disputed by England and Holland. The
Republic of the United Netherlands, rising up amid
the old monarchies of Europe, displayed a naval force
which, with that of England, launched fleets such as never
had been known before. 1 Ships, colonies, and commerce
acquired a new importance. The freedom of the sea,
asserted by the pen of Grotius*, was vindicated by the
armies of Holland, borne by the bravery of a nation
which had conquered its territory from the sea, and
defended it with works of splendid magnitude. A race
of fishermen and shepherds, in an obscure corner of
Europe, had broken the yoke of one of its oldest
empires ; and the cities of Holland rising, like Tyre
and Venice, amid marshes and banks of sand, gave
a refuge to the persecuted, but sent them to gather
means of subsistence from every quarter of the world. 3
The rapacity of Spain drove from the country fugi-
tives who became exiles on the sea, first corsairs, then
heroes, then the founders of a Republic. A decree
of the people abolished the authority of Philip, and
his name disappeared from the laws. 4
While Holland was struggling for existence, in the
enjoyment of her new liberties, she sought to extend
her influence to the farthest regions of Asia, and share
that commerce claimed as the exclusive privilege of
Spain. To be free from the odious burden of imperial
tyranny, she had loaded herself with a burden ten times
more heavy 5 , and to retrieve these sacrifices no means
1 Heeren, Historical Researches. s Grotius, Mare Libcrum.
3 Montesquieu, Esprit des Loix, xx. 5.
* Schiller, Hist, of Defection of the United Netherlands.
5 Burke, Speech on the American War.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 213
were so legitimate as an extensive trade with the East.
It is with pain the historian must turn from the con- Their be-
templation of a noble struggle in Europe, signalised by a ^J
acts of heroic valour, to a series of conquests in the
Indies, rendered infamous by the atrocities which
characterised them. Yet this is his duty. The pen
that would emulate the enthusiasm of the Dutch
writers themselves, while dwelling on the manly valour
and constant patriotism that broke the yoke of Spain,
must follow the train of events in the Archipelago and
show the forms of Dutch achievements there.
Religious persecution drove the Pilgrim fathers to ' impulse to
America, to found a mighty state on the borders of that t i 1 msa "
new continent, where, in the second youth of the
British people, the genuine descendants of a hardy and
pious ancestry have already given examples of wisdom to
the oldest nations of the world. Commercial persecution
impelled the traders of Holland to seek a field for their
enterprise in the world of islands which had risen to
view among the waters of the East. 1 Excluded from
the ports of Spain and Holland, and from the advan-
tage of distributing the products of India among the
markets of Europe, they resolved to open for themselves
a road of maritime adventure. Philip, decreeing heavy Miserable
penalties against any of his subjects who should traffic
with the Dutch, enriched them by the plan he had crown,
devised for their ruin, for they sought in the emporiums
of the Indies themselves what they had hitherto pro-
cured at Lisbon. 2
Thus the wars which desolated the United Nether- Causes of
lands at the close of the sixteenth century, were the
sources of their greatest prosperity. When Spain was
1 De Constantine, Recueil, i. 199.
2 Barchou de Penlioen, Empire Anglais dans Vlnde.
P 3
214
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
English
commercial
adventures.
The route
to India.
Cornelius
Iloutman'
imprisoned.
imperial among the powers of Christendom, spreading
her arms to the remotest coasts, and leading the dis-
coveries of all the world, the navigation of Holland was
confined to the waters of the narrow Baltic, to the
Mediterranean Sea, and the German Ocean. As long
as they were persecuted within the limits of endurance
they allowed their despotic mistress to reap the full
harvest of her ambition ; but the last strain upon their
patience discovered to the patriots of Holland, that
tyrants can only oppress while nations are content to
be enslaved.
The English Company of the Levant had already
dismissed an expedition to India, in search of the
richest trading cities, and some of their agents had
travelled across the Indian Peninsula as far as Ma-
lacca. 1 The routes by sea were still, however, involved
in mystery, and it was debated which was best to be
chosen for the first enterprise. Two officials in the
Netherland service, in conjunction with several mer-
chants, undertook to open the gates of Oriental com-
merce. The north-west passage was selected. They
resolved to range the coasts of Tartary, the golden
shores of Cathai, as far as China and Japan, and
thence steer into the Archipelago, through one of the
Philippine channels. The expedition was planned, and
its leaders chosen ; but the way was not yet open ; and
while these men were deliberating on the new route,
others were preparing to reach India through the old. 2
Cornelius Houtman, a Dutch merchant, being at Lis-
bon, was tempted by curiosity to inquire concerning the
commerce of the East. Those whom he questioned
carried information to the court. The king, considering
such investigation as a conspiracy against his monopoly,
Anderson, History of Commerce.
Macpterson, Annals.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 215
signified his displeasure by an act of power, and Hout-
man was thrown into prison, in default of the heavy
penalty he was condemned to pay. Without private
fortune, he was likely to languish in the gaol at Lisbon.
A project, however, occurred to him. lie wrote to the Negotia-
merchants of Amsterdam, begging them to ransom him the Amster-
from captivity, and promising in return to reveal the dam mer -
information he had collected concerning the trade and
resources of India. They acceded to his request, and
he was faithful to his engagement.
After studying his report they resolved to establish Equipment
" The Company of Distant Countries," and despatch to dron?"
India, in the track of the Portuguese, four vessels with
Houtman in command. Many able and experienced
mariners were engaged to accompany him. Their in- its object,
structions were chiefly to mark well the route, to open
a trade in spices, and secure the commerce of those
places where Europeans had not already settled. 1
On the 2nd of April, 1595, the vessels weighed it sails,
anchor at Texel, and set sail. Two were of 400
tons burden; the third, half that size; and the last,
a light pinnace for the navigation of rivers and shallow
waters. They passed the Canary Isles, and on the 28th voyage.
had above them a vertical sun that left no shadow on
the decks. On the 4th of May, they hailed two Portu-
guese caravels, which attempted to escape, but lowered
their flags when the Hollanders closed upon them in
pursuit. Their captains then, with much hesitation,
said that land lay about eighty leagues further east, that
they were bound for Goa, and had been twenty days
at sea. The ships then exchanged presents, separated,
and each pursued its course.
On the 1st day of June, after a perilous voyage, A>Dt 1596-
1 De Constantine, Recueil, i. 4.
P 4
216
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Sight of
laud.
The In-
dians seen.
The Archi-
pelago in
view.
Aspect of
the isles.
First meet-
ing with
the natives.
Exploring
the Archi-
pelago.
Native
barques.
crowded with adventure, they saw land. On the 6th
they met several canoes, which hovered at a distance
from the vessels and dared not approach. An armed
boat was sent in pursuit ; but the savages paddled their
long light canoes away, ran them on shore, and escaped.
They were tall slim men, armed with bows and arrows.
Black hair, streaming over their shoulders, added to the
effect of their wild faces, which glowed with alarm as the
pale strangers rowed in chase of them.
The great islands of Sumatra and Java were now in
view, realising to the voyager's eye all that had been
rumoured of their magnificent vegetation and stately
beauty. The Straits of Sunda dividing them, opened
in the prospect, though a multitude of little isles,
crowding its channel, hid from view the interior waters.
Most of them were low blunt cones, wrapped with
verdure, with the sea beating and tossing roughly
among them. The Dutch vessels commenced the pas-
sage, steering under the lofty coasts of Sumatra, and
met three barges with sails and oars. On board were
seven men rowing, with nine others girdled with cotton
cloths and wearing muslin turbans, who reposed under
a party-coloured awning. Nothing could be learned
from them ; but in their unintelligible tongue the names
Japara and Bantam were many times repeated. They
pointed to Sumatra, and made signs that it was very
wealthy. 1
The pinnace was consequently sent to examine its
coast, and returned with an account of seven villages
that had been seen near the sea; but no further in-
formation was collected. Other native vessels were en-
countered, which were thought to be the corsair boats
proceeding to Menancabao. Whole flotillas of prahus,
1 See Nicollas, Collection, 18.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 217
indeed, passed the strange squadron; but none other
than an amicable intercourse ensued.
When the savage and the civilised man first meet, The savage
their natural feeling is one of reciprocal curiosity. Next Biased
succeeds what appears almost an instinct, the desire to man.
barter evidently in all parts of the world the infant
essay of the commercial spirit. When the Portuguese
discoverers, and the English who followed them l , sailed
into the Archipelago, the vessels, as they floated in their
mighty bulk and mysterious grandeur over unknown
seas, were watched by the natives from every shore.
The first impulse of the barbarians on learning that
these strangers were men, and not wanderers from
heaven, was to put off in their canoes with vegetables,
fruit, and other provisions.
The Dutch squadron was welcomed in the same Reception
manner ; and the vessel rounding Java Head at the pre-
sent day, encounters a similar reception to that which
Sequeira and Houtman received at that early period. 2
Light prahus, full of men and women dressed in the
loose sarong, but bamboo hats, surrounded her, bringing
supplies of fruit, vegetables, and turtle. Occasionally
a brass swivel, highly polished, betrays itself among the
heaps of provisions at the bottom of the boat, with other
implements of war, indicating a variety of occupations
on the part of these shrewd traders. 3 At the mouth of Market at
the Straits of Sunda, distinguished as the gate of the JJ*
further East, a singular fair is held under the shade of
a spreading banyan-tree, where the voyager entering or
leaving those seas may purchase the splendid birds and
curious animals of those islands, as mementos of his
visit. 4
1 Beeckman, Voyage to Borneo.
2 Earl, Eastern Seas. 3 MS. Notes of a Traveller.
4 Belcher, Voyage of the Samarang.
218 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Traffic. The Dutch entered readily into traffic with the
islanders. Fish, rice, water-melons, sugar-canes, cocoa-
nuts, and many delicious kinds of fruit, were received
Friendly in exchange for red and blue glass beads. Accompany-
ers> ing these friendly natives to the shore, they met by the
way some curiously built prahus, whose passengers were
attired in robes of sky blue cloth, and surrounded by
men armed with staffs. In company with several of
the chiefs, they visited a village of about twenty houses,
First see built of palm wood. There, for the first time, they saw
pepper. pepper growing, like the hop, over tall poles. They
bought as much as was offered, with some nutmegs and
women cloves. Here a few women were seen. They wore
seen. heavy armlets, and were girdled with a kilt of cotton,
descending to the knees, and also a band passed up-
wards to conceal the bosom. Their hair was partly
gathered up, partly allowed to flow over the person in
heavy tresses. A pleasant barter took place, the
savages exchanging the fruits and produce of their
Indian island for trinkets and other trifles from Europe. At
pilot length the crew of a little boat was engaged to pilot
the squadron, in consideration of five pieces of eight
from every ship. Sailing along the coast they every
where met with a warm and courteous welcome, and
every day's voyage opened to their view an expanding
panorama of rich variety in outline, hue, and aspect.
In one place the islanders inquired by signs whether
the Dutch came from Goa and Cochin China, and were
bound for Bantam.
See a junk. In a beautiful bay on the coast of Java, they saw a
vessel denominated by the natives a " junk," with three
masts and an immense lateen sail. The enterprising
traders of China had long been carrying on commerce
with the western islands of the Archipelago, as the
Spaniards had found them among the Philippines and
ITS HISTORY AND PliESENT STATE. 219
the Portuguese among the Moluccas, actively engaged
in loading their junks with spices and the other treasures
of those islands, between which and Java the desires of
the Dutch continued long to hover. Java is, perhaps, Java,
the most magnificent of the whole group, from its fer-
tility and the abundance of its natural resources. From
end to end it is intersected by small ranges of moun-
tains, joining in central cones, attracting clouds to
empty themselves in springs of perpetual flow, which
play through the high sloping valleys, carrying down
the soil from the hills and irrigating the lower plains.
At the foot of these ranges open vales of unequalled its fertility.
fertility, where the soil, from ten to fifty feet in depth,
yields the noblest harvests in the world. From end to
end the island presents a series of picturesque land-
scapes.
Near Bantam, on the north-east coast of Java, they
saw a flotilla of sixty prahus, manned by fishermen.
They also met a galley with six Portuguese attended Portuguese
by their slaves, who came to inquire who the strangers Bailey.
were and what their object was. Houtman answered
they were Dutchmen and came from Holland to trade
in the Indian Archipelago. The Portuguese, who had a
factory there ! , said that this was a wealthy place, but all
the valuable products of that season had already gone to
China. They gave information also that the king of Native po-
Bantam was besieging Palembang, a rebellious city in
Sumatra, and had died after a partial victory ; that 200
war prahus had left, but most of the crews had perished
of hunger ; that a child of five years was heir, and that
the people had named a regent. Some of the Portu-
guese declared they had been at Ternate with Francis
Cavendish ; and others, that they had accompanied
1 Temminck, Coup d'GEil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises.
220
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Message
sent to Ma-
lacca.
Politics of
Java.
Portuguese
influence.
Trade with
the people.
Lancaster in his voyage through the Straits. A message
was sent to the governor of Malacca, assuring him that
Holland was come to join in the trade with all amity,
in friendly emulation. These courtesies were returned ;
and, say the Dutch, the Portuguese feigned infinite
joy, but they parted rivals in jealous animosity.
Houtman found the power of the king at Bantam
rapidly sinking before that of an emperor, who appeared
winning a dominion^ over the neighbouring states. He
had resided long with the Portuguese at Malacca, and
now resumed an authority belonging to his family, as
he declared, from an early period. Refusing to support
his claim, the Dutch were not ashamed to avow that it
was from no doubt of its legitimacy, but because a pro-
tracted sojourn among their rivals had imbued his mind
with a preference for them, and proportionate hostility
to all others. They discovered, however, that the Por-
tuguese influence, faintly displayed at Bantam, was
declining, and promised soon to be extinguished alto-
gether.
To a message from the king they sent for answer,
that they had come solely for purposes of trade. A
display of their gold and merchandise tempted the
people to bring large quantities of pepper, which they
sold at the rate of about 280 pounds for nineteen florins.
Houtman was invited on shore ; he evaded the request,
and asked the chiefs to visit him on board. Mutual
assurances of good will were pledged, and the Dutch
were requested to lend the aid of their artillery towards
battering down the rebel city of Palembang in Sumatra.
Meanwhile, the Portuguese, jealous of this intercourse,
endeavoured to create distrust between their old friends
and their new rivals. They warned the Javans against
the Dutch, and the Dutch against the Javans. On the
other hand, the Hollanders listened with delight to
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 221
aspersions of the Portuguese, who were described as
double-hearted hypocrites. At length a deputation Progress of
f ,, , . . ,, , intercourse.
from the squadron was sent to visit the governor, and
was received with great ceremony. Afterwards the
governor himself came on board, attended from the
shore to the ship by a flotilla of prahus. The Dutch
excused themselves from an armed alliance, but an in-
tercourse of the most amicable nature was nevertheless
established. The chief of Bantam saw with wonder
and admiration the display of wealth and force, in the
admiral's vessel, and trembled as he entered the state
cabin. Impressed by high ideas of Dutch power, he
was persuaded to agree that no spices should be sold to
any other merchants while their ships were loading.
On the 1st of July, Houtman landed and visited
the emperor of Bantam. His commissions were read,
translated into Arabic and Portuguese, and explained
to the prince. Houtman declared he had come to treat
for alliance and claim the privileges of trade. The
natives appeared well pleased with the Dutch, and
warned them against the merchants of Portugal. The Dutch libels
Hollanders, as they assert, defended the people of that
nation, praying that they might not be confounded with
those pirates, the English, who were already, on the
strength of strange reports, hated and feared throughout
that region. Whatever may be true in these accounts,
it is certain that each of the European adventurers
endeavoured to supplant the other, and secure the mo-
nopoly of traffic. A sordid spirit of avarice betrayed Their
itself in their dealings. Spices were offered for sale by avance '
the Arab and Chinese merchants ; but refused, since
Houtman imagined they could be extorted from the
Javans at an inferior price. Cupidity usually suc-
ceeds in overreaching itself, and ultimately the Dutch
embroiled themselves with the people of Bantam. A
222
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Hostilities
resulting.
Slaughter
at Bantam.
The voyage
renewed.
battle took place between the ships and the native craft.
Great havoc was committed ; the town was cannonaded,
and some prisoners who fell into the hands of the
governor, were sentenced to death. No mercy was
contemplated, but the chiefs could not agree as to the
mode of inflicting the penalty. Some were for shooting
them with arrows ; others, for blowing them from the
cannon's mouth ; others, for dispatching them with
poniards. Meanwhile, the battering continued, and the
king's palace was visited by a bullet from one of the great
guns. Once involved in hostilities, no measures were
held. A miserable destruction of life took place, and
Houtman at length weighed anchor, leaving nine of his
company in the enemy's hands. Some strange caprice
in the native mind saved them from death, and they
were allotted as slaves to the chiefs who had lost vassals
in battle. To induce them to forswear their faith they
were tortured, though to no purpose. According to the
Dutch, the Portuguese offered to buy these captives at
a heavy price, but were unsuccessful.
Houtman now made sail along the coast. The vessels
were short of water, but feared to enter the mouths of
any of the numerous rivers which pour into the sea on
the eastern shore of Java. They proceeded to Sumatra,
encountering many adventures among the natives, and
refreshed their company. Afterwards they renewed
the attack on Bantam, throwing several volleys into the
town, and then steering to Soartam, where a conflict
took place. The Dutch carried on the slaughter until
absolutely weary of hewing or shooting down their
miserable enemies. The rest of the day was passed in
flinging the dead into the sea ; and while the wretched
people were timidly searching over the waves to pick
up the bodies of their friends, the Dutch continued
ruthlessly to fire upon them.
ITS HISTOET AND PRESENT STATE. 223
The nature of the forces against which the Dutch Description
1 _, of Bantam.
now brought to bear the arts of European warfare,
which had nobly been employed against the fleets of
Spain, may be indicated by a sketch of Bantam, where
their sword was first drawn. Once an open village, it
was situated in a fruitful country, at the foot of a high
mountain. On each side was a shallow river, of fine
sweet water, with another traversing the centre. Strong
wattled fences were extended across their mouths,
a singular illustration of the advance in warlike skill
among the islanders at that period, when hurdles of
woven bamboo were erected to oppose the armed fleets
of the Archipelago. Bantam was not comparable to the
most insignificant town of Holland, then only growing
out of a morass. A rough wall surrounded the city,
which consisted of three straight streets, leading, the
one from the sea to the palace, the second to the country
gate, the third to the gate of the mountains. The
avenues of approach were weakly guarded, though the
passage through the city was rendered difficult by
rivulets of water intersecting it in all directions. At
intervals rose clumps of palm-trees, shading the houses,
which were merely thatched with straw or twigs,
supported by pillars of wood elaborately carved.
There were three markets in the city, where traders Markets of
from Portugal, from Arabia the Holy Land of Islam the Clty-
from Turkey, from China, and from Pegu, from
Bengal, Guzerat and Malabar, thronged to traffic for
the produce of the Indian islands 1 , bartering the trea-
sures of their respective lands for the metals and spices
of Java and the neighbouring regions. The people are
described as malicious, cruel, slandering, lying, thieving,
servile, and greedy ; but nevertheless a hardy and
1 Raffles, History of Java, ii. 163.
224
THE INDIAN AHCHIPELAGO,
Dutch po-
licy.
Visit Ma-
dura.
News of
their ar-
rival.
Princes of
Java.
courageous race. This account, however, is received
from voyagers who sought a palliation for acts which
stained the first adventurers in those seas with the blood
of the people. The broadsides of Dutch ships, thrown
among the wretched thatched houses of Bantam, laid
them in ruins, and early taught the Javans what to
look for from their new European visitors. Holland
then commenced in the Indian Archipelago a struggle
which has not yet terminated. She thought to expel
other powers from all share in the commerce of the
islands ; but has never attempted, by conciliation and
humanity, to endear herself in the minds of the abori-
ginal population. The sword drawn at Bantam has not
long since been sheathed, but with the same instru-
ment Holland has conquered and governed. The his-
tory of her progress in the further East is a narrative
alternately of rapine and intrigue.
From their slaughtering ground at Sidayu, the Dutch
proceeded to Madura, an island outlying the Java
coast. The news of their arrival had travelled before
them ; for, as in the first great voyage of Columbus, the
natives carried in their canoes, from shore to shore, in-
telligence of the strange armaments that had visited
their waters, so the Indian islanders spread in their
swift prahus, the story of the bloody scenes that had
been enacted at Bantam, Soartam, and Sidayu.
At that period had arisen in Java the power of the
first prince of the House of Mataram, which was
spreading itself over the island, and threatening the
independence of the smaller states. Many of these,
however, still remained unsubdued among them Ban-
tam, Cheribon, Jakatra, Surabaya, and the neighbour-
ing isles of the Madura group * ; separated from it on the
1 Crawfurd, Hist. Indian Archipelago, ii. 340.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 225
north-east, by a broad straight channel. It is very
fertile, and abounds in rice. Fertile in soil, it is sub-
ject to many floods, so that the labourer frequently
works up to his knees in water. Large ships cannot
easily approach, from the dangerous nature of the na-
vigation near the shore. The population then subsisted Pirates,
chiefly on the fruits of a petty predatory system, which
the Javanese feared to retaliate, as Madura was the
granary whence, in seasons of dearth, they drew their
supplies of grain.
The Dutch declare that an attempt was here made
on the life of one of their company, in revenge for a
wound received at Sidayu. Were this true, it is a
poor palliation of the atrocity that followed. The Prepar-
prince of the island, with a numerous train, prepared to rec < dvin r
visit the white visitors, and a large flotilla of prahus the Dutch,
put out. Some were crowded with the wives and
children of the chiefs ; and on one was an elevated
bridge, with three ranks of well armed warriors arrayed
upon it, probably as the prince's guard of honour.
With confident pleasure they approached the vessels
welcome in their faces, and friendliness in all their
movements.
The flotilla drew near, dancing over the waves, with Tragedy at
gay streamers fluttering from the sterns, and the people Madura-
signifying their delight by every kind of gesture. The
four Dutch ships lay steadily without. The scene was
one of peculiar interest. Java, with its mighty range
of coast, swept away on the right, Madura, green and
beautiful, rose before, all around lay the sea, blue
as the Adriatic the vessels reposed on its undulating Animating
breast, and the quaint barques of the Indians, fan- s
tastically adorned, painted with gaudy colours, thronged
with children, women, and warriors, with chiefs sitting
in state, and laborious oarsmen plying their task ; and
VOL. I. Q
226
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Massacre
of the
islanders.
Ferocity of
the Dutch.
Prisoners
captured.
all moving forward to meet their strange visitants from
an unknown region.
The crews were on deck to witness the spectacle.
They were doubtful as to the nature of the visit. The
prahus thickened and drew nearer to the ships. Trem-
bling under the terrors of a guilty conscience, the
Dutch imagined some act of treachery on the part of
the Madurese. They fired three great guns on the
royal prahu, and swept its deck of the crew. This was
the signal for slaughter. The men swarmed over the
bulwarks, and crowded all the boats. They put off
from the vessels, dashed amid the native craft, rowed
to and fro through the fleet, followed up volley with
volley on the bewildered savages, hewed down all who
fell within reach of their steel, and overtook with the
bullet those who attempted to escape by swimming.
A struggling mass of wrecks drifted along the water
the prahus shattered to fragments under the broadsides
of the Dutch ships. Nevertheless they continued to
pour in their hot and furious volleys with murderous
effect, killing men and women, young and old, until, of
the whole holiday company, not many more than twenty
survived. Among the dead was the prince, who wore
a girdle crusted with precious stones. They spoiled the
body of its decorations, and returned it to the sea. l
Several prisoners were taken and interrogated. From
some, fear wrung the avowal of an intended attack.
Others steadily denied it, pointing to the bodies of their
wives and children, as the melancholy testimony to
their innocence. Satisfied at length of the fatal error
into which their ferocity or their cowardice had be-
trayed them, they gave the wretched creatures their
lives. One exception was made in this roll of mercy
Raffles, Hist, of Java, ii. 105.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE . 227
in the instance of a young man suspected of intriguing
against the Dutch, who was sentenced to die. He
wept bitterly on hearing the announcement of his con-
demnation. The prince's surviving child a boy only
six or seven years old then fell at the admiral's feet,
and with graceful earnestness besought his compassion
on the unhappy prisoner. Houtman was moved by his
supplication, and yielded. The prisoners were set on
shore with the exception of two, kept for the service of
the ships. They then left the scene of this dismal
catastrophe the sea floating with dead bodies, rem-
nants of prahus, furniture, and numerous articles, in-
tended, doubtless, as gifts.
They continued their voyage, and notwithstanding The voyage
the bloody traces of their passage, already left at several contmued -
spots, met with general kindness from the people.
Everywhere, nevertheless, their arrogance and cupidity
were displayed. Nor among themselves did there exist
concord or good fellowship. The commander of the Murder in
Maurice died in a sudden and mysterious manner. the ships -
The council was assembled, and a surgeon declared him
the victim of poison. He was marked with blue spots,
his throat was choked with blood, and the hair dropped
from his head. A general murmur was excited. Hout-
man, suspected, was put in irons and examined. His
incessant quarrels with the man who was dead were
remembered. They had once fought and seized bay-
onets to stab one another ; and the admiral was heard
to exclaim that, so long as his enemy lived, he should
enjoy no peace ; and he added that poison should re-
move the object of his hatred. In spite of this evidence
Houtman was acquitted, though suspicion still lay heavy
on his character.
The squadron visited several places of smaller conse-
quence, and would probably have continued to explore
Q 2
228 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
the Archipelago, but that jealousies and bitterness pro-
duced open quarrels among the crews, and it was re-
Voyage to solved to return to Europe. Little pleasant feeling
could exist in an expedition whose leader had been tried
for murder, and remained equivocally cleared of the
guilt. Two years and four months from the date of
their departure, they again reached Texel. The success
of their voyage had not been great. More perils than
profitable adventures had been encountered ; more blood
had been spilt than friendly relations established. The
name of Holland had been introduced in the further
East, associated with terror and devastation ; but enough
had been seen to spread the spirit of maritime adven-
ture. The idea was at once conceived of establishing a
factory in Java. 1
other expe- The Dutch despatched several expeditions to prose-
cute the enterprise commenced by Houtman. Some
met with success ; others failed ; but every voyager
returning from those distant and romantic seas, added
his evidence in testimony of the wealth of nature in the
A. D. 1598. Oriental Archipelago. The merchants of Amsterdam
fitted out eight vessels under the command of Admiral
Neck's Van Neck. In November he anchored before Bantam
with only three ships in company, and trafficked so suc-
cessfully for spices, that, within five weeks, the cargo
was nearly completed. 2 About a month after the other
vessels arrived, displaying flags as signs of joy. They
had separated in a storm off the Cape of Good Hope ;
and their coming, as also that of many after them, was
spoken of by the Dutch to the natives impolitic in
them as merchants, for the people were thus taught to
1 Barchou de Penhoen, UEmpire Anglais dans I'lnde, \. 43.
2 Voyage de Van Neck. Voyages qui out servaient a VEtdblisse-
ment de Compagnie des Indes. Constantine.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 229
hold their pepper dear, and prices rose. Van Neck
established a factory at Bantam l , and thence sailed to
Sumatra for water, since that of Bantam was white and
bred worms. The fleet parted, some making sail for
Europe, others for the Moluccas, firing so many salutes
as they took their different ways, that the islands, they
tell us, shook under the echoes. The four ships that
visited the Moluccas opened a trade in spices, engaged
alternately in war and barter, but were continually
harassed by the Portuguese. The Amsterdam left the
Spice group after firing 300 volleys of artillery. 2 Van
Neck returned to Holland, with abundance of wealth to
display as the fruits of his adventure ; and the traders
of the young republic were fired to emulation of his
great achievements. One expedition sailed to Achin, A< D> jgoo.
where the king anticipated their treachery by his own. A . D. 1601.
Next year, regarding nothing of what he had done, he
sent two ambassadors on a mission to the Netherlands'
government. One died by the way. The other reached
his destination, and returned, flattered by many pro-
mises of friendship. 3
Rejoicing in the sweetness of their new-found liberty, Rise of Hoi-
proud of their eminence as a free state among the land *
ancient monarchies of Europe, delighted by dreams of
an Indian Empire that should freight their fleets with
the gold, the ivory, and the spices of India, the adven-
turers of Holland pressed forward eagerly in the race
of maritime enterprise. Already their vigour in the
use, equal to their valour in the conquest, of freedom,
had given to the world the spectacle of a navy only
rivalled by that of England. Spain had attempted to
1 Raffles, ii. 166. 2 Constantine, Voyage de Van Neck.
3 See Voyage de Constantine ; Recueil, i. 199. 509688.
Q 3
230 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
secure the supremacy of the sea, but all she ever won
was a barren empire ; while the energies of the United
Netherlands, applied to productive industry, promised
to elevate, on the level shores of the German Ocean, a
commonwealth, superior in opulence and power to any
state ever founded on a territory so confined.
ITS HISTORY AXD PRESENT STATE. 231
CHAPTER IX.
IN 1598, Oliver Van Noort, of Utrecht, began his cele- A.D. 1593.
brated voyage round the world 1 , and in June 1600 A. D. IGOO.
reached the little grove-covered group of the Ladrones, Oliver Van
whose inhabitants made the best canoes ever constructed Noort.
by savage architects. Many of these ingenious islanders
visited the ships and brought articles for barter. They
appeared amphibious, plunging into the sea, and diving
into deep water, for pieces of iron thrown to entice
them into displays of skill. The men were finely
formed and active. The women were of considerable
beauty, with gracefully rounded limbs, and delicate
forms, concealed only by a girdle of broad banana
leaves. From the Isles of Thieves, the Dutch passed to
the Philippines, where the people seemed to belong to
the lowest race of savages. About the middle of Oc- Arrival in
tober they reached the noble bay of Manilla, and pe iago.
anchored some leagues to the north of the city. They
were met by a Portuguese, paddled in a canoe by some
natives, who directed them to the town. Most of the
people they saw were naked ; others wore a cotton
girdle. They found Manilla walled, and commanded
by the guns of a citadel. Hence they made sail to the
Isle of Capuls, where the inhabitants were worshippers
of the Devil, and entered the Molucca Sea through
Boby Strait.
Here an incident occurred, which illustrates the spirit
1 De Constantine, Recueil, ii. 1. 130.
Q 4
232 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
of that age and the humanity of the Dutcli naval
officers. There was a Spanish pilot on board one of
the ships who was allowed to sit at table in the cabin
and treated very kindly. Falling ill one day he im-
prudently hinted that he had been poisoned, and re-
peated the charge before some officers. A council of
war was held, and it was resolved to throw the poor
pilot overboard to punish the slander he had uttered.
Van Noort now made sail for Borneo, and captured
by the way several vessels laden with Portuguese mer-
chandise, which had been abandoned by their owners,
Fight with and were drifting over the sea. On the 14th of JDe-
Spamards. cemDer they saw two ships, bearing from the Straits of
Manilla, which they at first mistook for frigates. A
nearer view discovered them to be traders bound for
Borneo, " qui y faiseaient le commerce," and an engage-
ment ensued. The merchantmen, never unprepared for
war, closed. One broadside from the Dutch was poured
in. The Spaniards steered alongside their ships, threw a
body of men over the bulwarks, a martial band, glit-
tering in gilded helmets, bucklers, and all kinds of bar-
baric armour. " Yield dogs !" they shouted, rushing on
the Hollanders, who shook under their onset, but rallied,
drove back the assailants, and pursued them to their
own decks. The fight continued all day. The vessels
were locked together. Each party of the belligerents
alternately scaled the bulwarks of the other, and at
length the Spaniards threatened to prevail. The Dutch
energies appeared to slacken. They appeared ready
to surrender. But their leader scouted the idea, went
below the bridge, and threatened to blow up the ship
if his men refused to rally. They resumed their courage.
An impetuous onslaught was made on the enemy, who
sought to disengage their vessels and sheer off. Mean-
while two Chinese junks came in view, crowded with
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 233
men, but feared to approach within range of the storm
of shot that poured from the great guns of the Maurice
and the Amsterdam. At length the flag of Holland
was carried to the mast-head of the Spanish vessels.
The largest of these went down, overwhelming with her
great numbers of the dead, and leaving above 200 of
the living struggling with the waves. The cries of Massacre
Miseracordia ! with which these drowning wretches ap- Spaniards
pealed to the mercy of their conquerors, were unheeded ;
and the Dutch sailed amid them, knocking on the head
as many as they could reach, and steered for Borneo. 1
They were the first voyagers of the nation who visited
that island. 2
Arriving off the mouth of the Brune river, they saw Reach Bor-
many armed prahus, kept by the Sultan for the protec-
tion of the coast villages and the fishers' fleets. A
Chinese pilot was sent to the king, with a present, and
many assurances of friendship, and good intentions. A Traffic.
traffic was at once commenced, in pepper, camphor,
fruit, and provisions, in exchange for Chinese cottons.
The manufactures of Holland were refused, though Euro-
pean money was cordially welcomed. The wily sove-
reign of Brune, experienced in Spanish policy, was cour-
teous in his dealings with the strangers. On the other
hand they were compelled to be vigilant against surprise,
as even then the capital of Borneo Proper was re-
puted to be a nursing-place of piracy. More than one
attempt, indeed, was made on the ships, and on the 5th A. D. 1601
of January Noort departed, bearing away no good im-
pression of the people or their king. 3 He visited Java 4 , visit Java,
into which the use of tobacco was about this time
1 De Constantine, Recueil, ii. 111.
2 Logan, Journal of the Indian Archipelago, ii. 504.
3 Harris, Collection, i. 35.
4 Logan, Notices of Intercourse with Borneo, J. I. Arch. ii. 505.
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
New enter-
prises.
introduced by his countrymen, and, after collecting much
valuable information connected with the geography
and the resources of the Archipelago, returned to Rot-
terdam.
In December, 1599, four vessels of the New Company
of Bantam, which were at Amsterdam, were despatched
under Caarden, and after a voyage of eleven months
reached Achin. The king consented to a treaty, al-
lowed a factory to be established, regulated the price
of pepper, and entered into all the preliminaries for
trade ; but faithlessness on one side, and rapacity on
the other, disappointed both.
While the Dutch were making their first experiment
of trade in the Indian Archipelago, the English were
projecting others. A company was formed in London
to open the commerce of the East l ; and in May, 1601,
Lancaster's Lancaster sailed with five ships to prosecute the enter-
prise. He reached Achin, was favourably received,
concluded a treaty of peace, obtained permission to
establish a factory 2 , took a cargo of pepper, and steered
for the Moluccas. During the passage of the straits
he made prize of a large Portuguese merchantman,
richly laden with cottons and spices, and, after other
adventures, returned to England, satisfied with the suc-
cess of his voyage. 3 From that period a succession of
enterprises took place, and the profits acquired were al-
ways above 100, and seldom below 200, per cent. The
early attempts of our countrymen in the East were
exclusively directed to the islands ; and it was not until
some years after, that an agent of the company, learn-
ing that the cotton fabrics of the continent were
English
Company
formed.
voyage.
1 Purchas, Pilgrimage, i. 139.; see also 160.
2 Raffles, History, Introd. i. 22.
3 Barchou de Penhoen, L' Empire Anglais dans Vlnde, i. 33.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 235
highly prized among the populations of Java, Sumatra,
and the Spice group, recommended the settlement of a
factory at Surat and Cambaye. 1
Intelligence of every movement in the Archipelago War beyond
was transmitted to Holland, and the active ambition of
her merchants urged them to seize forth with a share in the
empire of Indian trade. A fleet was equipped for the
Moluccas, and an intermittent warfare was carried on
amid the channels of that group, as well as in the
neighbouring seas. The Portuguese forts were attacked,
and several advantages were gained over the original
conquerors of the islands. Two ships sailed for Banda,
passing by the way the isle of Sepai, an object of terror
to all the natives of the group. It was, they said, the abode The Devil's
of a devil, and to approach it was perilous. Should a
stray fisherman happen to go too near, he sought to escape
with all speed, and to conciliate the king of darkness
by chaunting hymns of homage and adulation. The
Dutch were accompanied by no superstitious fears, and
boldly sailed among the islands, to establish their au-
thority, and secure the prize of commercial monopoly.
Few narratives of travel are more copious or interesting
than those which describe their adventures at the com-
mencement of the seventeenth century in the Indian seas. 2
While the English were introducing their flag in Spanish po-
several quarters of the Archipelago, and the Dutch Philippines,
were commencing their war upon the independence of
the islands 3 , the Spaniards endeavoured to consolidate
their position in the Philippines. For some years they
had enjoyed a comparative tranquillity, though their
commerce was not flourishing with any remarkable
1 Barchou de Penhoen, Empire Anglais dans I'lnde, i. 34.
2 Voyages de la Compagnie des Indes. Constantine.
3 First Relations between the Dutch and Achinese, 1G02. Tem-
ininck, ii. 18.
236
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
A. D. 1602.
Embassy
from Japan.
A. D. 1603.
Embassy
from China.
Rumour of
its design.
The Chi-
nese in Ma-
nilla.
vigour. In 1602, the emperor of Japan sent an em-
bassy to the governor soliciting the privilege of trade
with Manilla, as well as the aid of some skilful ship-
wrights. 1 The Spaniards were gratified by the request,
and determined to miss no opportunity of strengthening
their commercial position, especially with an empire so
opulent and powerful as that of Japan was reported to be.
In the next year they received an ambassador from the
emperor of China. That potentate sent three mandarins,
to inquire into the truth of a report current among his
people, that the fort of Cavite in Manilla was built of
solid blocks of gold. Perhaps this was a fiction in-
vented to conceal the character of a spy ; but if it was
the true design of the mission, there was probably good
reason in the Spaniards to fear an invasion of their
islands. Rumour magnified the schemes of the emperor,
and an army of a hundred thousand men was reported
to be in preparation. On these suspicions the settlers
acted. Indeed a circumstance did soon occur to justify
their vigilance, but none to excuse the events that fol-
lowed, which stand distinguished in the annals of the
Archipelago among the most portentous atrocities by
which the European name has been disgraced. We
must remember it was perpetrated by the represen-
tatives of Spain, the leader of religion in the old world,
and once the inheritor of an empire as extensive as that
of Rome.
The Chinese in Manilla formed two classes, the
annual traders, who now resided in the city for a short
time in the intervals of their voyages, and the settlers,
who inhabited an isolated quarter outside the gates. 2
1 Crawfurd, ii. 466. The Philippine envoys were, in 1597, mur-
dered in Japan. Chin. Rep. vi. 466, 467.
2 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 36.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 237
This suburb was exclusively their own. An opulent Their sub-
merchant of their nation, who had embraced Catho-
licism, and lived on terms of cordial amity with the
Spaniards, was still willing to conciliate his country-
men, who, perhaps, were indignant at his apostasy and
free consort with the barbarians. He, therefore, under-
took to build a wall round their quarter. The work
was commenced without concealment or fear. Imme-
diately the Spanish jealousy was inflamed, and the
erection of the wall was construed into the first act of a
conspiracy. No less a design than a massacre of all ^'s 11 im -
the Christians was imputed to the Chinese. Danger them,
appeared to threaten from the completion of their
undertaking. From all the wealth of devices at their
command, the Spaniards selected the boldest, and pre-
pared to protect their own safety by an achievement
absolutely astounding for the magnitude of its
cruelty. *
To slaughter the whole Chinese population, number- plan to
ing 25,000, was the bold project. The historian of the them,
transaction seeks for it many palliations. That the
Chinese rebelled ; that they set fire to some houses, and
laid a third of the town in ashes ; that they killed some
Indians, and cut to pieces a body of 130 Spaniards
sent against them ; that they paraded the heads of Apology
the officers to excite a revolt ; these are the excuses
which were considered sufficient to justify the gigantic
crime, and which have induced an English writer to
doubt whether any other measures could prudently
have been adopted. 2
The massacre commenced. The victims fell by Theslaugh-
thousands. Some fled into the interior, like the Sin-- ter '
7 O
halese of Ceylon, " to seek the company of beasts on
1 Crawfurd, ii. 459. z Walton, Preliminary Discourse.
238 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
mountains, rather than be subject to the more beastly
villanies of men." l Some killed themselves to avoid
the sword of the enemy. In a perfect frenzy of fero-
city, the Spaniards plied their works, encouraged by
the priests, who declared that Francis was among them,
urging on the havoc, and assisting to point the guns.
The unhappy Chinese, driven from place to place,
sought to defend themselves by the hurried erection
of fortifications ; but they were hunted from cover to
Number of cover, and 23,000 of them fell under the hand of the
victims. enemy. A miserable remnant, houseless and poor to
beggary, escaped to China, and the rest, falling into the
clutches of the Spaniards, were hanged. 2
Conduct of The narrative of these transactions reached the Em-
Chinese p eror ' s ear ^ an( ] explanations were required from the
Spaniards. They apparently found it easy to con-
ciliate him. Probably the Imperial savage neither
expected nor cared for a satisfactory reply. His
viceroy declared he was in no concern respecting the
lives of such people : perhaps, indeed, the common
spirit of despostism was gratified by the extinction of a
body of men who might be as energetic in rebellion
as in commerce. Be this as it may, the paternal
government of China was little affected by solicitude
for the disasters of its subjects; and a fleet of richly
laden prahus visited Manilla next year. 3
From these domestic enemies of their own creation
the Spaniards turned to others, not only formidable to
European settlers, but to the whole commerce of the
further East. The pirates from the south, whose
marauding expeditions were bold and destructive,
1 Faria y Sousa, History of Portuguese Asia,
2 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 38.
3 Spanish Colonial History, Chin. Rep. vii. 472.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 239
visited the Isle of Kan, near Zebu, and carried off 1000
people to their slave-marts in Sulu. The strongholds T . he Philip-
Dine biic**
of these buccaneers had been attacked by the Spaniards, cancers,
but the assailants were driven off by the pirate
islanders with great loss. Another fleet sailed to
Panay, and captured 500 men. We thus see illus-
trated the rigour of that system which has progressed
in a parallel line with European influence in the
Archipelago. There were no peace-societies to protect
the freebooter against the legitimate trader ; but the
weakness of civilisation at that period performed for
them the same office. Had it not been, however, for Tbeir ra-
the war continually waged against them, they would
probably have swept the Archipelago of every trading
barque, and created among the islands of the further
East a mighty rendezvous of pirates to devastate all
the coast of Asia. Though the Spaniards were un-
able to subdue, they succeeded in checking, them ;
and the Dutch, readily joining in a crusade against the
enemies of all commerce, aided in preserving the Archi-
pelago from the unrivalled sovereignty of the Malayan
buccaneers.
Many peculiar features are characteristic of piracy character-
/nT A 11 IT istics of
in the Oriental Archipelago, and these have dis- piracy.
tinguished it from the earliest times. At the period
we are now engaged upon, indeed, the adventurers of
every country followed a hybrid occupation, partly
merchants and partly privateer, though the buccaneer-
ing system of the further East wore a more re-
markable character. The petty sovereigns derived
their revenue from the pillage of the trader, but
feared openly to identify themselves with these trans-
actions. In this has lain one difficulty in the way of
repressing such outrages. Now pirate, now merchants ;
now engaging to make war upon the freebooters, now
240
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
participating their gains, the princes of Sulu and
Borneo would not assume the bold attitude of the
Algerine Dey ; but escaped the responsibility of their
acts by wearing a false character, which, indeed, has
secured them an apology from more than one among the
leaders of opinion in an age more enlightened than
Freebooting that of Drake and Raleigh. The ruler of Brune was
among these equivocal personages. He notoriously
encouraged the pirates to prey on all people but his
own to plunder whom was the especial privilege of
his royalty, but often professed a liberal love of honest
trade, when circumstances rendered it politic. When
A. D. 1604. Van Warwyk, in 1604, visited the coast of Borneo in
quest of diamonds at Succadana, eight Dutchmen,
navigating an unarmed vessel, were brought to the
court of Brune. Such spoil was a dangerous posses-
sion, and the king politely sent them to their country-
men's squadron. From him and the chiefs they ex-
perienced fair treatment, though the people, unused to
such courtly acts, persevered in their accustomed bru-
tality. l Many attempts were at this time made to
extend the Dutch commerce along the shores of
Borneo.
In the neighbouring island of Celebes, hitherto
all but a blank on the map of the Archipelago, Por-
tuguese missionaries were endeavouring to make pro-
selytes among the chiefs of Goa, Macassar, and Pullo.
They offered the king of these territories a Bible,
but a Malayan convert to the Muslim faith had al-
ready offered him a Koran. It is related that he
was dubious of a choice, until the hereditary sena-
tors of the state advised him to kiss the Prophet's book,
Celebes.
The Bible
and the
Koran.
1 Valentyn, quoted by Lognn, Notices of Intercourse with Borneo.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 241
since it came first, and God never allowed error to
precede truth.
In Celebes, as in Ceylon *. the conversion of the Conversion
. ^ ' , , . of Celebes
king implied the conversion of his people. In conjunc- by the Mo-
tion with them the Malay apostle spread his faith by famine-
force of arms through the neighbouring state of Boni,
and among the whole Wajo nation, until all the inhabit-
ants of that coast adopted the new religion, and sent
their hearts, in prayer, on a pilgrimage to Mecca. That
Mohammedanism spread so rapidly in the Archipelago
is accounted for by the number and the zeal of its pro-
pagators, as well as by its own nature more congenial
to the ideas of uneducated races than the loftier truths
of Christianity. Our faith made only poor conquests,
for the Europeans were more deeply engaged in spill-
ing blood than spreading their civilisation. It may be The Indian
prudent to proceed cautiously in the attack on a na- creeds -
tion's old religion ; but the Pagan races of the Archi-
pelago were unlike those of the continent. Among
the followers of Brahma and Vishnu, there was a won-
derful creed, resting on the reputation of immea-
surable antiquity, supported by the authority of a
vast literature, preached by whole classes of priests,
and wedded to the conscience of the people by bigotry,
pride, and the fascination of its rites and ceremonies.
Among the islanders existed little more than a vague Religious
sentiment, which sought an object of worship in every s
object of nature ; which embodied the divinity of terror
in the storm ; gave the fiends a residence on lonely and
desolate islands, saw a benignant deity in the sun, and
heard songs of adoration in the winds ; which peopled
all creation with spirits, nameless, unknown, and only
recognised by the restless instinct which compels men
1 Tennent, Christianity in Ceylon, 93.
VOL. I. K
242
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
A. D. 1605.
Dutch
cruizers.
to acknowledge some grander power than is displayed
on earth ; a religion without a system, traditions with-
out an accepted history, and faith only supported by
wild fancies. Upon this indefinite creed the apostle of
any other more rational could easily make impressions ;
and this, perhaps, should have induced the civilised
conquerors of the Archipelago early to add a religious
triumph to the long list of their victories over the
ignorant islanders. Nevertheless it is, though easy to
declaim, difficult to decide justly upon the duties of
men 150 years ago. Whatever the Dutch neglected
for truth's sake, they omitted little that could serve
their own mercantile ambition.
Their cruizers were constantly scouring the Archi-
pelago, engaging the Spaniards or Portuguese when-
ever they fell into company with them, and carrying on
a war upon the independence of the native powers.
The fleet which brought back the ambassador from
Achin to Holland was conspicuous for its achieve-
ments. In February, 1605, it anchored in the bay of
Amboyna, and a body of men landed. To the ques-
tion, Why did they appear with an aspect so threaten-
ing, before a place confided to the governor by the
king of Spain? the Dutch answered on the spot,
that they had come to capture the fort and conquer
Capitulates, the island. The lofty tone of the Spaniards was at
once lowered, and they capitulated on honourable
terms. l Nevertheless, the commandant, accused of
some offence, was in danger of suffering a disgraceful
punishment. To save him from ignominy, his wife
poisoned him. " A strange government," says the his-
torian, " where notorious criminals were not punished,
and an innocent person was so persecuted that she
Attack on
Amboyna.
Constantine, Voyages d'E. 7. van der Hagen, ii. 295. 325.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 243
who loved him took away his life, lest they should
take away his honour, who had none of their own. " l
Thence the squadron made sail to Tidor, where much Capture of
bloodshed took place. The fort was stormed and cap-
tured, after a valiant resistance. The Portuguese were
allowed to escape to the Philippines. Their women and
children at first took refuge in a strong building on a
hill, wholly inaccessible save by a single narrow path,
ut embarked on a promise that their lives should be
spared and their persons respected, 2 In these enter- Aided by
prises the Dutch were aided by the natives who hoped
for a better, and could not imagine a worse, master
than they had been accustomed to. Indeed the Por-
tuguese confess, that the people were tired out by their
insatiable avarice. To the unhappy, the prospect of any
change is adorned with hope, which may explain the
submission of mankind to a long succession of oppres-
sors, expecting the tyranny of one to be atoned for
by the virtues of his successor.
Discouraged in no small degree by their losses in Europeans
the Spice Islands, the Spaniards and Portuguese now mSumatra -
turned their arms in a new direction. They en-
deavoured to establish their power at the western ex-
tremity "of Sumatra. An expedition was prepared,
during an unsuccessful siege of Malacca by the Dutch 4 ,
and sent, professedly by the king of Achin, for allowing
the vessels of Holland to trade at his port in contra-
vention of the treaty. There was no disposition on the
part of the barbarian prince to confess any fault, or
offer any reparation. He met arms with arms, and his
1 Faria y Sousa, Hist, of Portuguese Asia.
'* Constantine, Voyage d'E, I. van der Hagen.
3 Faria y Sousa, Hist, of Portuguese Asia.
4 Marsden, History of Sumatra.
B 2
244 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
city walls, composed of turf and stones, resisted the
assaults of the enemy.
Expedition This defeat in the Straits was balanced by a success
group. I e tne I* 18 *- tne J enjoyed among the Spice Islands. 1
Tidor was captured, then Ternate 2 , and the king of this
once the capital of a great dominion was driven to a
refuge on the slopes of a high jungly hijl. He sent mes-
sengers with proposals of peace, offered to yield up his
forts with the settlements of the Dutch, promised to
deliver up the Spanish deserters, with all his Christian
prisoners, his ammunition, arms, and stores, besides
ceding two dependent islets. His oifers were accepted ;
a garrison was planted at Ternate, and he was then, by
a breach of faith, carried prisoner to Manilla. At Tidor
the Dutch had settled ; but to revenge the disgrace that
had stained their military reputation, the Portuguese
and Spaniards fitted out a large armament, which sailed
A. D. 1606. in February, 1606, and re-established their power. The
chiefs of this group already " snuffed the approach of
tyranny " from Holland, and conspired to destroy their
enemy before he was too powerful to contend with. 3
Decline of The dominion of Spain in the Indian Archipelago,
" never splendid, became continually more feeble and ob-
scure, In the Philippines a haughty policy galled the
spirit of the people, especially of those foreign settlers
whom the reported riches of the group had attracted
from their own countries. The Japanese had visited
the islands in large numbers. In 1591, Taxardo, a man
of talent and ambition, had visited Manilla, observed the
wealth of the colony and the weakness of its rulers,
returned to Japan, and exaggerated them both to his
1 Marsden, History of Sumatra.
8 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago.
9 Crawfurd, ii. 436.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 245
master, who had risen from the ranks of the people
to the imperial throne. The vision of conquest in the
Philippines thenceforward played before his eyes, and
he long meditated a plan of invasion. His subjects
entered into the design with good will, and began by
a rebellion, which was suppressed through the influence
of the friars. 1 However, their frequent turmoils caused Japanese
an edict for their expulsion 2 , which was imperfectly
enforced; for, like the Chinese, they flocked to the
Philippines in spite of persecution. Unlike their neigh-
bours of the continent, however, they were a frank, po-
litic, generous race, qualities which earned for them
the flattering description of the Castilian writers, that
they were the Spaniards of the East. Most slaves are
cheats, and the Japanese were no exception to the rule.
They outwitted their rivals in the marts, and when
their presence was intolerable to the conquerors, en-
couraged their emperor to war. The despot despatched Letter from
a letter in these terms : " Acknowledge yourselves
my vassals ; come without delay to pay me homage, or
I will destroy you utterly. These commands I dictate,
that they may serve to you as a memorial, and that you
may communicate them to the king of Spain and Por-
tugal. Those who offend me cannot escape ; but those
who obey me sleep in quiet." 3
The governor of Manilla received this letter, and de-
liberated in council upon the answer to be returned.
The Jesuits advised an evasive reply; the merchants,
weary of the restricted trade between Mexico and Ma-
nilla, desired that an embassy should be despatched to
the Japanese court. The Jesuits describe it as a cere-
mony of homage ; the Franciscans, as a dignified salute,
1 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 39. 2 Crawfurd, ii. 467.
3 Spanish Col Hist., Chin. Rep. vii. 299.
B 3
246 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
such as should be sent by a powerful ruler to~ one
Friendly whom he neither despised nor feared. Whatever was
the tone of the message it conciliated the emperor, and
a treaty of commerce had been concluded, relations of
amity established, and a trade actually opened, when
the arrogant authority of the Spaniards produced a
revolt among the Japanese settlers. It was not the
policy of the government, nor the conduct of one go-
vernor, that roused these insurrections. An unvarying
system of selfishness and oppression was pursued, de-
cade after decade, unmodified by the numerous catas-
trophes it produced. Occasionally the men were changed,
but not the policy, and so nothing was produced by the
alterations except a disarrangement of routine, which
always ensued. Don Christophal Telles de Almanza
succeeded the governor who drove the Japanese to re-
volt; but, like many of his predecessors, was remarkable
for nothing but his superb and sonorous name.
Dutch pro- He continued the ineffectual scheme against the
gress m the Dtit; C n in the Moluccas ; but recovering from their de-
Moluccas.
feat, they again asserted themselves masters of that
A. D. 1608. group. A treaty was concluded between them and the
king of Ternate, in opposition to the progress of the
Spaniards, who were speedily forced to withdraw to
the Philippines. There another revolt of the Japanese
took place, and was repressed with considerable waste
of blood.
in Borneo. Since the voyage of Oliver Yan Noort, Dutch enter-
prise had directed itself to Borneo ; and in October,
1608, an ordinance was issued in council at the factory
of Bantam, decreeing the establishment of a factory on
the coast of that vast island. 1 A director was named,
with power to conclude agreements with the princes
1 Radninacher, 44 50. ; Valentyn, iii. 245.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 247
of Sambas, Santah, Pontianah, Banjar-inassin, and
Brune. Succadana, on the west coast, was then go-
verned by a woman, to whom the Dutchman, armed
with blank treaties, presented himself with a letter
from Prince Maurice of the Low Countries to the in-
dependent powers of Borneo. He desired to engage in
a special agreement ; but the princess refused, declaring
the trade of her country was open to all. At war with
several of the neighbouring states, as well as the Suma-
tran principality of Palembang, she declined to secure
an ally who might afterwards be her conqueror. A
factory was established to watch the interests of the
Dutch trade here and at .Landock. In 1609, another A . D. 1609.
was settled at Sambas, with the exclusive privilege of
commerce. 1
The active contest between the ambitious traders of contest
Holland with the less vigorous adventurers of Spain Wlth Spam<
was carried on with untiring animosity. 2 One victory
won by the first conquerors of the Philippines was coun-
terbalanced by the success of their enemies in nego-
tiations with the native powers of the Archipelago.
The treaty concluded at Ternate two years before was
ratified, to give the Hollanders a fairer show of fighting
in defence of their rightful privileges. These treaties Treaties of
are curious records of Netherlands' policy. They com- p
mence with a sounding preamble and hollow exchange
of adulation, the Dutch engaging to assist their allies
against enemies abroad, and rebels at home, against
especially the Spaniards and the Portuguese. All the Monopoly of
allies of Ternate were included in this agreement, in
return for which the monopoly of cloves was secured
with other commercial advantages. At Bantam the
1 Logan, Notices of Intercourse^ Journ. Ind. Arch. iii. 506.
2 Spanish Colonial History, Chin. Rep. vii. 473.
it 4
248 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
king was induced to sign a convention excluding the
Spaniards and Portuguese from the trade of his domi-
nions, but granting to the Dutch a strong fort, free
traffic, guarantees for life and property, and immunities
from duties and taxes. 1 Another of these documents
. was executed at Banda, placing the islands under the
protection of Holland, and pledging the people to sell
at a fixed rate the whole spice produce of their soil.
Perpetua- Thus the Spaniards had abundant cause of hostility
war. against the Dutch, and collisions repeatedly took place
between the squadrons that patrolled the Archipelago.
A treaty was signed in Europe, in 1609, engaging the
Imperial Crown to amity with her revolted dependency;
but the old saying, " No peace beyond the line," was
literally true. Conventions drawn up on parchment,
and sealed in state offices, extended none of their
influence into the New World. There war perpetually
reigned, and the hatred of the rivals was fed from a
Losses of the perennial source of mutual injuries. The Spaniards
Spaniards. were infuriated by the loss of one of their rich galleons,
and with their courage warmed by this provocation they
overthrew a Dutch squadron in the Philippine sea,
made three prizes, and acquired a booty of five hundred
thousand dollars.
Fresh from this triumph, they fitted out a powerful
armament to sweep the channels of the Archipelago,
and destroy all Dutch vessels, whether found on errands
of trade or war. The fleet of the Hollanders refused to
meet them except on a vantage ground, overlooked by
the batteries of Amboyna, where a strong fortress had
been erected. The Spaniards would not venture to the
trial of arms on the theatre favourable to their enemies,
and withdrew without a battle. Nevertheless their
1 Baffles, History of Java, ii. 166.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 249
hostility was dangerous to Holland. The rising Re-
public now saw the full value of the Indian islands,
and meditated a scheme of conquest that should spread
her influence through the length and breadth of the
Archipelago. She had been encouraged by the success
of her early adventures. Every new expedition opened
fresh prospects of wealth and mercantile eminence. A Riches ac-
few naval losses were forgotten, while the warehouses Holland^
of Amsterdam were piled with the spices of the East,
and the support of a great navy was considered no bur-
den on a people that acquired through its aid the com-
merce of the richest countries in India. 1
The charter accorded by the States General to the A company
Company of Far Countries granted it various privi-
leges. It was empowered to trade at all places eastward
of the Cape of Good Hope, to arm its navy, to enlist
troops, and erect forts for the protection of its commerce.
It was at first established on a capital of six million six
hundred thousand florins 2 , and administered by ten
directors in chief, subject to the unlimited control of
the States General. These were authorised to choose,
in the name of the supreme authority, governors
general of the Netherlands East Indies, to reign for
a term of seven years. Each fleet bound for those its organi-
waters was to be commanded by an admiral responsible sation -
only for the acts of those on board, and independent of
all others which might at the same time be ranging
those remote, and then little known, seas.
This organisation served its purpose during the first
years of Dutch dominion in the Archipelago. No
nation ever enjoyed a more liberal chance of flourishing
on the broad and firm foundation of commercial supre-
1 See Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 40.
2 Temminck, Coup <T(Eil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, i. 14,
250 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
macy than Holland. Her trade with the Indian
islands gave her more wealth, and tempted her to more
crimes than any other circumstance in her history.
its progress. Seven years of success, stained by numerous outrages,
displayed the advantages a consolidated Indian govern-
ment would bring in the protection of their commerce,
and the fortification of their influence in the further
east. Fleets, equipped for war and trade, had opened
the golden gates of the Archipelago, and established
relations between Holland and Java, Johor, Queda,
the Spice Islands, Bengal, Ceylon; even with China
and Japan. Factories had been established at various
points, and now that the treaty with Spain withdrew
the recognised armaments of that power, and left the
seas to be disputed by privateers alone, the Dutch
resolved to establish a government for the adminis-
pianofcon- tration of their affairs in India. The plan was con-
quest, ceived, it is said, by Cornelius Matalief, an able
navigator in the service. He was experienced in the
trade of the East, and acquainted with its riches. The
memorial drawn up by him is a curious document, illus-
trating strongly the policy of Holland in the Oriental
Archipelago. It exhibits considerable familiarity with
the condition and the capabilities of the region, together
with no small amount of ability.
Memoir on "MEMOIR PREPARED BY ADMIRAL CORNELIUS
the Indies. MATALIEF, ON THE CONDITION AND COMMERCE
OF THE INDIES.
" When I consider the state of our country, and the
wars by which she is afflicted, with an enemy no less
powerful than Albert of Austria, sustained by the House
of Spain, as well as by his own House of Austria, it
appears to me impossible that our affairs in India can
prosper, if committed altogether into the hands of
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 251
the Lords Directors. For I cannot conceive how their
authority alone should be sufficiently great or respected
here in the East to insure the desirable result.
" There are, as enemies here, the Spaniards and the Enemies of
, , . , the Dutch.
Portuguese, who commenced their adventures more
than a hundred years ago, who have already penetrated
into many countries, who have built fortresses, and
govern, on a regular plan, their numerous subjects.
Thus can they conduct their affairs with more security Their ad-
and convenience than we who are compelled to bring
from Holland men weakened by the voyage, while they,
in their own communities, are fresh, vigorous, and full
of health.
" For although the Portuguese have not enough force
in the Indies to do all they plan, and at the same time
defend themselves against us, it is far easier to reinforce
them than us. Vessels coming from Portugal sail only
as far as Goa, where their companies land, and are
refreshed before they proceed on the expedition; as
also do the Spaniards on their way from the Manillas.
" If then we desire permanently and advantageously Necessity of
. i i i ,i TT * territorial
to establish ourselves in the Indies, it is necessary to acquisit i on .
possess some point where we shall be welcome and free,
on our voyage from Holland. This will be the means
of great advantage. There shall we find ready, refresh-
ments for the crews, and refittings for the vessels, which
will augment our reputation among those Indian poten-
tates, who have not yet learned to repose full confidence
in us. They acknowledge with all willingness, that Views of
the Hollanders are a friendly nation, more gentle tbe natlves -
and tractable than the Spaniards. But they add,
' What matters that to us. They come hither as they
wander, and only pause in their passage of the ocean.
As soon as their ships are laden, they disappear. We,
therefore, are abandoned to the Spaniards and the Portu-
252
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Portuguese
intrigues.
Commerce
of the
Indies.
Spices.
guese, impotent to defend ourselves against them, and
they will attack us for having traded with their enemies,
the Dutch. On the other hand, by allying ourselves
with the Spaniards, they at least will protect us in our
need. But, if the Hollanders themselves had power
enough to protect us, we should have nothing to fear
from them, though we trafficked with the Portuguese.
They would leave us in peace, and we should only have
to manage our own concerns. But at present the best
part we can take is to favour the Portuguese, lest they
exterminate us.'
" These are the reflections which all the Indians make.
Besides this, the Portuguese exert all their efforts to
persuade them that we have no power, that we are a
scattered people, who have scarcely fixed ourselves in
our own country, much less are able to erect solid esta-
blishments in the Indies ; that as for themselves they
have settled permanently, and desire to contribute to
the prosperity of the original population. It is neces-
sary, therefore, that we devise means to gain over the
Indians, to show them we have power, and that we
wish to establish ourselves among them. Otherwise we
must expect our affairs to be unprosperous.
" The commerce of the Indies consists principally, 1 .
In pepper, which may be had at Bantam, at Johore,
at Patani, at Queda, and at Achin. 2. In cloves,
which may be had at Amboyna and the Moluccas.
3. In nutmeg and mace, or nutmeg flower, which
may be had at Banda. 4. In the trade of Cambay.
5. In the trade of the Coromandel coast; and, 6. In the
trade of China and Japan.
" If any one of these branches of trade does not remain
in a single hand, whether in that of the Portuguese, or
in our own, one must destroy the other : the cost of com-
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 253
inodities will be raised in India, and they will be offered
at a miserable price in Europe.
" Nevertheless, with respect to pepper, it is impossible Pepper,
to secure the whole trade in it to ourselves. For, be-
sides the Portuguese, the English have opened an inter- English in
course with Bantam ; they have their factories and
houses ; they traffic in peace, while we are at war with
the Portuguese. We defend Bantam and them together,
while they reap profits which cost them neither money,
blood, nor trouble.
" It is impossible to address ourselves to the king of
Bantam, who is yet but a child, to engage him in
commercial relations with us. He is not yet able to
form a bold resolution. It would be necessary also to
lavish on him large sums of money at the risk of losing
them, for apparently the scheme could not ultimately
succeed. I hold it as certain that, should this or any Treaties
other Indian prince make treaties with us, or with any pr01
prince, state, or nation whatever, treaties, the strictest
and most solemnly sworn to, the moment he finds
himself in danger, or foresees a greater advantage to be
obtained from others than from his allies, he will never
hesitate to break the convention.
" Besides, we are at peace and on good terms with the
English. It would be dishonest to seek a device for ex-
cluding them from a trade they have already opened.
This project, then, cannot be entertained. But it would
be easy to take measures that would prevent them from
taking any share in the trade for other spices. As for
pepper, we must let it serve as ballast, and by this
means to offer it at a rate so low, that other nations,
finding no profit from the commerce, will be compelled
to relinquish it, while we look for our profit to other
commodities.
" For, in my opinion, we could easily secure the whole
254
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Plans of trade in nutmegs and mace. To effect this, instead of
seizing Banda, and building a fort upon it, which would
be costly, and render us obnoxious to the Indian princes,
this is what I propose :
in Celebes. "As the sovereign of Macassar is a powerful chief,
whose country is populous, aud abounds with rice and
other productions, which it sends to Malacca and Banda,
let us make a treaty with him and send him three
vessels, with 200 men, for service by land. These
would suffice with the native forces of Macassar to in-
vade Banda, which we might engage to leave in the
king's hands, without claiming any reward for our as-
sistance than an agreement that no nation but ours
should trade there, and that every year the nuts and
the mace shall be delivered us at a fixed price, namely,
that which they command at the time of the expe-
dition.
" I have no doubt that the king of Macassar would
lend his ear to this proposition. In addition we might
build, at his expense, an edifice, as large and strong as
we will, to hold our merchandise, and protect it against
an enemy, in any situation we choose to indicate. As
the king would not make his abode on the island, which
would be governed by an Orang Kaya, there is no
doubt that a few presents to that official would insure
his homage to our desires. By these means we may
raise a formidable enemy against the Portuguese, and
secure to ourselves a powerful friend.
" We might even lay down other conditions to insure
the safety of the country : that he should transport the
nobles of Banda into his own kingdom, and assign them
a place of residence ; that a portion of the Macassar
nobility should make their abode on the island ; that all
the chiefs should live in one place, near our factory, in-
stead of dispersing themselves, as at present, in five or
In the Spice
Isles.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 255
six cities ; that every fifteen days the country people
should be forced to visit our factory and bring their
commodities to sale ; that as soon as the crops are col-
lected and prepared they shall be delivered ; that they
shall pay on the spot ; that, to prevent the inconvenience
arising from the accumulation of debts, customary in
Banda, they shall be forbidden to trust one another, on
certain penalties. If things are put on this footing, it
seems to me we should be masters of Banda, and bound
to the king of Macassar by a tie all but indissoluble.
" As for the trade in cloves it is difficult to secure it. Clove
We have those produced in Amboyna, Luho, and Cam-
belo, but not those of the Moluccas. The only plan of
acquiring them is to drive the Spaniards from Ternate,
and it may well be seen that this is not easy to accom-
plish. Nevertheless I shall not refrain from developing
my ideas on the point.
" The thing does not appear to me impossible. If we Conquest of
desire a strong centre of operations, let us resume the Malacca
enterprise against Malacca. For if the Portuguese had
lost Malacca it would not be easy for them to send
from Goa to succour the Moluccas ; and I imagine it
would not be difficult to cut off the supplies from Ma-
nilla to Ternate. It would be necessary, in the first
place, to send three or four ships to the king of Min-
danao, whose country is well peopled, and who, it is
said, can launch fifty corocorros on the sea. All this
armament should sail to Panama, or Panato, which is
near Manilla, and where there is a place called Pating,
only guarded by eighteen Spaniards and very indifferently
peopled. This port might be destroyed, or, if the blacks
of Mindanao would guard it, we might deliver it up to
them, as it abounds in rice and other productions which
are transported to Ternate.
" Thence I would proceed immediately to Manilla, Of Manilla.
256
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Chinese
trade.
Scheme of
extensive
trade.
and destroy every vessel in the port, so that they could
send no succour to Ternate. Afterwards despatch to
Mindanao a ship of 160 or 200 tons to cruize with
the king's corocorros in the Taquina Straits, to cap-
ture any sail that might be bound for Ternate.
There is no other route, and, after taking one or
two, no others would venture, so the garrison would
perish of hunger. For, as to rendering ourselves mas-
ters of the island by force of arms, I believe the
Spaniards are so numerous and well fortified there, that
a large armament would be necessary to drive them
out.
" It would be difficult for them to procure cottons, the
few they have now being brought by Chinamen to the
Manillas. This scarcity of cottons would irritate the
inhabitants, who would have to send to Malacca, which is
not to be easily done. If we could also despatch a cruizer
to Ternate it might aid by harassing the Spaniards.
" The commerce of China depends also on Malacca.
If we chase the Spaniards from this place, they must re-
nounce the Chinese trade. With respect to the Chinese
themselves, I have nothing now to remark. When I
have extended my travels into their country I may
speak with more authority.
" The trade in cottons on the Coromandel coast is of
great importance, since all the people of India are
clothed in these fabrics. They are of different kinds
for each nation according to its taste. One sort
is manufactured at Negapatam, another at Masulipatam.
If Malacca were wrested from the Portuguese they
could no longer carry on this traffic, even though they
should keep Negapatam.
" If no means are found to return and besiege Malacca,
they may employ their energies to obstruct our com-
merce with Coromandel. For, as that is a regular coast,
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 257
with little depth of water, they can always steer be-
tween our ships and the shore. There is also great
danger in the navigation, if an enemy be active and
watchful. They can communicate in eight days with
Goa, whence it is easy to dismiss their armaments
against us.
" It is evident that if we can chase the Portuguese
from Malacca, they must abandon their trade with the
Coromandel coast, for no channel would remain open to
them, and in their other traffic no profit would accrue,
since the expense would overbalance the gain. Thus,
I believe, their commerce in the East Indies depends
on Malacca, and that to capture the one is to destroy
the other.
" After this the inhabitants of Bantam would no doubt Trade with
perceive that, when our establishments are fixed, the Java *
English having no other trade saVe that in pepper,
would no longer make their long voyages with so much
expense. The pepper of Jambu, of Indragiri, and other
places now brought to Bantam, would be carried to
Malacca, where cottons would be offered in return.
" I know not whether the Portuguese be powerful in with Ben-
Bengal. All who speak on the subject say, a fine trade ga '
might be opened there. There are two ports, one
named Porto Pegueno, the other Porto Grande. As
far as I can remember, the latter is the more western,
and belongs to the king of Cambaya. It offers nothing
except rice, but that in great abundance, which is taken
to Cochin : Pegueno is to the east, and carries on a
considerable trade in cottons.
" It would be useful to send two ships to Arracan, with Ar-
and endeavour to trade there, especially as the king has racan -
earnestly invited us. A Portuguese, named Philip de
Britto, possesses a fort there, with eighty men. It is
situated fifty miles inland, and holds all the people in
VOL. I. S
258
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
With Mala-
bar.
awe. Powerful as is the king of Arracan, he is unable
to drive out this Portuguese, who alarms all the king-
dom of Pegu, which is distracted by civil war. It is
immensely rich, particularly in precious stones.
" I do not think we shall effect much at Cambaya,
while the Portuguese influence is strong on the coast
of Malabar. The king has not the best opinion of us.
Let us wait until he knows us better, and understands
the policy of the Spaniards. For while he refuses per-
mission to visit his ports, there will be great danger,
large ships being unable to enter. Besides, his country
is so near Goa, that whenever we arrive the Portuguese
will be ready with their forces, while no aid could
possibly arrive for us.
" All I have said shows the importance of Malacca, in
the establishment we propose in the Indies ; therefore
it is worthy of consideration. It is time to fix upon a
place of secure retreat. Any other must cost prodigious
sums before it can compare with Malacca, and no other
can be more advantageously situated."
Dutch po- The bold, yet subtle, eloquence of Matalief represents
quLt. fC n " admirably the policy of the Dutch East India Com-
pany , It is remarkable as a disproof of the assertion
put forward by the historians of Holland, that, when
their countrymen first planted a factory on the shores
of Java, their ambition pointed to no territorial domi-
nions, no conquest among the islands, no monopoly to
the exclusion of other nations. We find them, in the
dawn of their intercourse, plotting the subversion of
the Spanish and Portuguese authority and the expul-
sion, by the means of craft, of the English from the
Archipelago. Fair professions of honesty fill the me-
morial ; yet it discovers a scheme to drive our country-
men from the shores of Java, by selling pepper at a
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 259
false price in Europe. Another commercial people has
entered with us into the rivalry of Eastern trade, and
endeavoured to break up our privilege to supply the
world with its products ; but it is by bold competition,
not by force or fraud. Holland never adopted this
liberal course, and whatever she acquired, was won by
arms or by intrigue.
s 2
260 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
A. n.
CHAPTER X.
1609. ON the 27th of December, 1609, the States-General
sovernor- declared jt urgent to establish a governor-general for
the Dutch the administration of the Dutch East Indian posses-
East indies. g j ongj an( j t h e protection of their trade. The first choice
was made by the supreme legislature and all his suc-
cessors, by the company, subject to its approval. The
influence exercised by the States-General as an im-
perial authority was no more than a moderate reserve
of power. As a private association of merchants, the
company assumed, nevertheless, a public responsibility,
and nothing was more desirable than the control of the
personal will of the traders by the voice of the majority
in the mother state. All the acts of the governor-ge-
neral in council and the directory of the East India
Company were to be p-oclaimed in the name of the
States- General of the United Provinces. The defined
duties of the association were, the preservation of terri-
torial acquisitions, the maintenance of order and justice
among their subjects, and a regard for the interests
and the dignity of Holland in all their intercourse with
foreign races.
Right of no- By reserving the right of veto on the nomination
of a governor-general, the mother country made that
functionary its real representative, and accepted respon-
sibility for all his acts. This is no slight consideration
in a review of Netherlands East Indian policy, since
every achievement of their ministers abroad, unless for-
mally condemned at home, reflected its credit or its
guilt upon the mother country.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 261
Their choice first fell upon Peter Both, infinitely First gover-
iii**.. , . i nor-general.
lauded by the historians, who extol, m unmeasured peter Both
eulogy, his prudence, ability, courage, and experience.
The hour of his selection was happy, say his biogra-
phers, since no man was more fit than he to check the
insolence of the Portuguese and Spanish conquerors.
He was armed with ample instructions, and enjoined
most urgently to spread the influence of the Company
among the islands of the Molucca sea. To acquire, if
possible, an exclusive trade with those fragrant gardens
of the East was among his distinct duties, and the
counsellors appointed to deliberate with him were com-
manded to aid in the enterprise. It is well to note
these details, as the apologists of the Netherlands po^
licy now plead, in defence of their acts, the irresistible
control of events. The plans for spreading the Dutch
empire in the Archipelago are contained in the charts
of their first governor-general, who sailed from Texel
in January, 1610, with a squadron of seven vessels. A. D. I6io.
The boldness of a modern historiographer * denies this Dutch his-
original intention of conquest. By him the complexion
of their policy is totally changed. They are described as
an association of merchants, who limited their ambi-
tion to the possession of factories, and one central point
of operation, without projecting their desires into the
sphere of territorial acquisition. The force of events,
the rivalry of the Portuguese, and the necessity of sub-
duing into respect the native princes, compelled them
to rule where they only wished to trade, and to extend
with arms the influence they sought to rest upon com-
mercial intercourse alone. A company of peaceful
traders, they were compelled to assume the tone of
conquerors and the habits of war; to become sovereigns
1 Temminck, Coup cTCEil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, i. 15.
s 3
262
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Law of
nations.
Character
of Dutch
policy.
Other Eu-
ropean en-
terprises.
in self-defence. How far this theory, urged by the
Dutch historian, can be reconciled with truth, the spirit
of their charter and the narrative of their achievements
will prove.
Nor can any advantage be derived from the attempt.
Posterity will never look back with less admiration on
the early efforts of Holland, because she contemplated
an empire in the East. It has been a dream with every
nation, and an honourable ambition has urged them to
secure it. No states at that period held any delicate
respect for the principles of international law. Vittoria
and Soto had written, asserting a right of independence
possessed by the inhabitants of the New World 1 ; and
Grotius 2 had defended with his masterly pen the liberty
of commerce on the sea ; but arms were still the umpire,
and the power that could discover no apology for its acts
in the code of international ethics referred its defence to
the sword. That Holland invaded the Indian islands to
found an empire among them, is no charge upon her
national reputation. There are, among great theorists
upon the duties of states, those who contend that the
destinies of Europe will not be fulfilled until her arms
have spread over the length and breadth of Asia ; but
it is in the details, not in the object, of their policy, that
the guilt of the Dutch lies. Some of their writers re-
pudiate these acts, others defend them; but the former
most clearly comprehend their duty, and the dignity of
the historians' task.
While Holland was preparing to lay down a solid
foundation for her projected empire in the Indian seas,
the English contemplated a grand career of commercial
enterprise. The Spaniards were gathering the last har-
1 Mackintosh, Retrospect of Scholasti/c Ethics, 108.
2 Heeren, Historical Researches.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 263
vest of their triumphs in South America; and the French
were disturbing the icebergs of the North, in the esta-
blishment of fisheries and hunting stations. The ac-
quisition of dominion in the East was, therefore, a desire
inspired by the spirit of the times, and they who impute to
the Dutch a humbler ambition do them a very ill office.
Peter Both reached Java in 1611, and landed some A.D. leu.
soldiers at Bantam with thirty-six women, brought out pete^Both.
for the comfort of the Dutch settlers. He chose his
seat of authority at Jakatra. It was well situated, and
naturally adapted as the site of a commercial city. In Foundation
1611, therefore, exactly a hundred years after the nflu e n c e
foundation of Portuguese authority at Malacca, the in Java-
Dutch planted theirs in Java. Peter Both proceeded
forthwith to exercise the power confided to him, and
lost no time in introducing the influence of his country
to those whose favour would be a valuable acquisition. 1
From the fall of Mojopahit, during a hundred years, Politics of
Java had been divided into a number of small states, i slan
ruled by descendants of the first Mohammedan mis-
sionaries. The principal of these were Damak, Cheribon,
Padang, and Jakatra, on the eastern coast, and Bantam
on the north. The other districts were still more mi-
nutely shared among petty chiefs, half-priest, half-soldier,
who rested their title to public favour on the aid their
sword had given to the overthrow of the Hindu em-
pire. About the end of the fifteenth century a series
of distractions had commenced, which resulted in the
ascendancy of another state, that of Mataram, which
gradually spread its power over the richest provinces of
the island. The crimes of its princes were as con-
spicuous as their ability. When the Dutch arrived, the Native
first of the family occupied the throne with the title of
1 Crawfurd, ii. 342414.
s 4
264
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Rivalry of
Europeans.
A. D. 1612.
English
East India
Company.
Early
voyages.
Panambahan, or " object of obeisance." l He gave them
permission to settle at Jakatra, to erect a fort and
factory, and added several privileges of trade. It was
stipulated that all merchandise brought in other than
Dutch or Chinese vessels should pay duty, while the
Spaniards and Portuguese were excluded altogether. 2
The rancour that sprang up between the Imperial
nation and its revolted dependency was aggravated
to the last excess of bitterness by mutual injuries, vin-
dictively inflicted. In 1612 the governor-general wrote
from Jakatra to the king of Tidor, inflaming his mind
against the Spaniards, describing to him their ferocity,
" which has destroyed in our country upwards of forty
thousand persons, and put to the sword, or worked to
death in the mines, millions of people, whose blood, as
well as ours, cries out to heaven." Such and similar
means w r ere employed to excite the Indian chiefs against
the original conquerors of the Archipelago, that the
Dutch might insinuate their influence into the places
they hoped in this manner to make void.
Their jealousy of England discovered itself less
boldly, partly perhaps because our countrymen were
their rivals in the new empire of the sea, and partly
because they were engaged on the wider arena of Hin-
dostan. The first enterprises of the East India Com-
pany were, as already shown, directed to the fur-
ther East, to the raw silk, fine calicoes, indigo, cloves,
and mace of Sumatra, Java, and Amboyna, especially
the gold, camphor, and benjamin of Achin and Teku ; the
pepper of Bantam ; the gold, silver, and painted deer
skins of Siam ; the silver, copper, and iron of Japan ;
the diamonds, bezoar stones, and gold of Borneo ; the
1 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago.
1 Raffles, History of Java, ii. 166.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 265
rice of Macassar ; the nutmegs of Banda, and the other
valuable commodities which could be obtained in ex-
change for the woven fabrics of India. ' After a struggle
with the Portuguese they reached Surat. On the con-
tinent they were favourably received, and, by an imperial
firman, permitted to remain. The splendour of the ideas of
Mogul empire had not yet begun to fade ; and to erect
a British dominion, that should overflow the borders of
that colossal monarchy was a dream which had not yet
dazzled the imaginations of the traders in their humble
factory. 2 The merchants, also, had not become dis-
ciples of that commercial philosophy now universally
accepted. They aspired to furnish the luxury of Europe
with spices, gums, ointments, perfumes, and precious
silks, rather than to supply millions with the humbler
conveniences of life. They looked, therefore, on the
cotton trade of India more as a means of procuring the
cloves and nutmegs of the islands than as the staple of
their commercial transactions. Events forced them
into the broader system ; and the experience of a few
years proved its advantages; but it was long before
they abandoned the desire to include the Moluccas in
their sphere of operations. The Dutch, fresh risen to
liberty, competed on favourable ground with the English,
who were struggling through the dark approaches to a
civil war. Nevertheless, while an enemy threatened in
Spain, they hesitated to declare a rupture of their peace
with England 3 , though they trenched on her privileges
in Java.
Unable to maintain a firm position in that island, A. D.ISIS.
their countrymen resorted to Sumatra, where Captain Aching *
Best presented to the king of Achin a letter and some
1 Bruce's Annals, i. 188.
2 Mill, British Empire in India. Wilson, i. 29. 3 Ibid, i. 4.
266
Dutch pro-
gress.
Their con-
quests.
Rapid
growth of
power.
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
presents from James the First. Permission was granted
to establish a factory, and the envoy, invested with an
honourable native title, was diverted with battles of
elephants, buffaloes, rams, and tigers. 1 The princes of
Achin were never uncourteous to the English.
Meanwhile the Dutch continued active. They con-
cluded treaties with the king of Ternate, and other
petty sovereigns of the Moluccas conventions, in
which all the substantial advantage was secured to the
Europeans. Of the privileges they obtained, the chief
was a monopoly in the clove trade. One of the most
significant among these agreements was that between
the Prince of Bantam and Commodore Schlott in 1613.
The Company bound itself to protect him against all
enemies, and he promised to induce the people of Banda
to follow his example. The exclusive enjoyment of
trade, liberty of marriage with free women, and per-
mission to preach Christianity were numbered among the
stipulations. This peaceful conquest was succeeded by
the seizure of the Portuguese settlements in Solor and
Timor, and a rapid series of movements carried widely
the seeds of their authority in the Moluccas. It is in-
teresting to note the ebb and flow of their influence at
this period of their colonial history. Fifteen years
after their first visit to Java, and three after the organ-
isation of their plans, they were powerful in the Ar-
chipelago. They possessed three forts in Ternate, one
in Morty, three in Machian, and onje in Batchian. The
Spaniards and Portuguese had one in Ternate, three in
Tidor, and several in Gilolo, possessing also a patrol
guard of a frigate, a smaller ship, and numerous rowing
galleys.
The progress of the Dutch flag, pushed forward often
1 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 359.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 267
under false pretences l , caused them infinite alarm. They
fitted out a squadron to attempt once more a general
conquest of the Spice Islands. If they had failed be-
fore, they failed more signally now. The native princes
were protected by the broadsides of Dutch men-of-war,
and the Spaniards, with disgrace and loss, were driven
from the group. Nor did their enemies pursue the
Spartan policy, of confining their triumph to the field
of action. Ten ships of war were equipped to pursue
the defeated armament, to ravage the Philippines, and
pillage all their coasts. 2 A leader well versed in similar
occupations was entrusted with the expedition, and he
left, as the evidence of his fidelity, some smoking towns
and villages, surrounded by wasted fields, whose un-
happy tenants had fled into the interior. The explorers' Devastation
path was literally lit up with the flames of the native chipeiago."
habitations which commemorated the visits of Euro-
peans, though, in justice to the English be it said, they
had, at least in the Indian Archipelago, no share in the
crimes which rendered Christendom the terror of the
island races.
The temptations to trade with them were strong in Tempt-
the native breast. The people of Banda, in spite of ^ t . 1 ns to
their treaty, furnished them with cloves. The king of Letter from
Achin wrote a letter to the king of England, desiring Achin to
an alliance for mutual benefit. He styled himself lord
of all Sumatra, a name which he had probably learned
from the Europeans, to whom alone it is familiar. 3 He
begged that our monarch would choose, from the beauty
of his nation, a woman to be the wife of the Achinese
king. She should be the mother, he said, of a son,
1 Crawfurd, ii. 436.
2 Spanish Colonial Hist., Chin. Rep. vii. 474.
3 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 359.
268
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
A. D. 1614.
Career of
the first
governor-
general.
A. D. 1615.
Second go-
vernor-ge-
neral.
His voyage.
whom he would make ruler over all the Pepper Coun-
tries. His friendship, however, was of a fitful character,
and he neglected the interests of his people's trade, to
pursue a piratical war upon his more feeble neighbours.
His contemporary, the sultan of Mataram, was, in
the same manner, carrying his arms along the eastern
provinces of Java, too deeply intent, perhaps, on schemes
of conquest, to guard himself effectually against the
insinuation of Dutch influence. The brief, but success-
ful, career of the first governor-general closed in
January, 1615. He sailed with four richly freighted
vessels on his homeward voyage. Off the Mauritius, a
great storm swallowed up three of the ships, with Peter
Both and many of his countrymen, while the remaining
barque reached Texel in safety with news of the dis-
aster. Holland is grateful to this unfortunate man, as
the able founder of her empire in the East.
His successor was Gerard Reynst, whose talents
were highly prized by the Council of Seventeen, or
Court of Directors. They instructed their " brave and
worthy " servant to rule with prudence the territories
placed under his care, especially Banda, and to promote
with all possible integrity and diligence the Dutch trade
in the further East. He commenced his administration
by securing the relations of the Company with the king
of Jakatra, who promised the utmost liberty to their
merchants, and engaged to put their factories beyond
danger of destruction by fire, by demolishing all the
wooden habitations near them. Henceforward none
but stone houses were allowed in their vicinity.
From Java he made sail to Amboyna, and expelled
all the English who had unlawfully settled there, and
were conniving with the natives at a contraband trade
in spices. Thence he steered for Banda, and, on the day
of his arrival, the fires of Gunong Api broke out with a
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 269
noise so terrible that the whole region was filled with
alarm. A singular coincidence is noticed by the Dutch
historians. Two hundred and nine years afterwards,
when a governor-general again sailed, in the same
month, from Amboyna to Banda, the volcano burst into
explosions, emitting vast columns of smoke, hot stones,
and cinders, which rained down on all sides of the island.
On the occasion now remarked, a hail of scorching frag-
ments from the crater fell over the sea for miles, and
the fort was so battered that its artillery could not
easily be restored to action.
With his advent so welcomed, Gerard Reynst
brought a large squadron into the group, and captured
Pulo Aye, one of the nutmeg islands ; but the people,
nerved with a sudden impulse of courage, immediately
rose and expelled the invaders of their soil. 1
Any enemy of the Portuguese was in some measure
the ally of the Dutch, who, therefore, rejoiced in the
dangers that threatened Malacca from the armies of its
old foe. The kings of Achin never wearied of the war Siege ot
against the arrogant masters of the peninsula. Arma- alacca -
ment after armament had been destroyed, but no defeat
was effectual to quench the hope of ultimate success.
Four years had now been spent in the preparation of an
armada. It was at length furnished with all the equip-
page of barbarian warfare, and fitted for sea. If we
believe the historian's account 2 , which is, however,
doubted by an able and judicious writer 3 , a hundred
large galleys, with several cannon, and four hundred
smaller prahus were launched. Every chief in the king-
dom was compelled, on peril of his life, to assist in this
holy crusade against the enemies, at once of the faith
1 Crawfurd, ii. 437. z Marsden, History of Sumatra, 360.
3 Hon. E. Blundell, Journal of Indian Archipelago.
270 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
and the freedom of the land. The people were forced
to serve without pay, and to bear the charge of supplies
and stores. The prince, with his family, accompanied
the expedition, and the host of prahus made way for
Malacca. Before evening they came in view of some
Portuguese ships, and several shot fell among them ;
Great en- but they refused to give back the fire. At dawn, the
gagementat Beninese fleet was discovered, drawn up in the form of
sea.
a crescent. The enemy's force was small, but infinitely
superior in the resources of skill and effective arms.
A desperate engagement continued without intermission
until midnight, when the native armament gave way.
Flaming and shattered wrecks broke the whole line of
the armada, drifting amid the prahus, and increasing the
confusion of the rout. Every oar and sail was bent, and
the unwieldy mass was steered to Bencoolen, whence it
swept up the coast to the port of Achin. The Portu-
guese, though remaining masters of the Straits, refrained,
less from forbearance than from fear, from pursuing
their victory, and retired to Malacca. An act of
mutual humanity, which the barbarians were the first
to propose, signalised this struggle. The prisoners
were exchanged. l Other wars and rebellions distracted
the Archipelago : Spaniards, Portuguese, and Dutch,
sharing with the native powers, in perpetuating the
confusion. The English alone remained pacific,
entering into friendly relations with the king of
Macassar. Matalief 's proposal had not been embraced
by Holland, and Celebes still remained free from the
influence of Europe. The prince accepted terms of
peace with England, but stipulated that no attempt
should be made to entice his people from the faith of
the prophet, by the preaching of any Christian apostle. 2
1 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 360.
* Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 271
In the war between the merchants of Spain and "Variations
Holland, perpetual variations of success maintained a
balance of hope and power. The Spaniards, fitting out
an armament to capture all ships and forts bearing the
Netherlands flag, failed in the enterprise. The Dutch,
equipping another to retort upon Manilla, found the
whole population, including the clergy, under arms, and
were driven back with considerable loss. Nevertheless
the general cause of the war inclined towards the vic-
tory of the younger state, whose resources were far
more ably wielded than those of the Catholic empire.
The third govern or- general, appointed in the name Third go-
of the United Provinces, was Laurent Real. He is neraT"'
enumerated among the men whose talents gave lustre to
the dawn of the seventeenth century. Apropos of his
genius, the historian indulges in a grandiloquent apo-
strophe of the great admirals, generals, navigators, and
statesmen, the illustrious pleiads that rose over the
horizon of Dutch East Indian affairs, for an English
writer has denied their existence. l Laurent Real was
the son of a rich citizen of Amsterdam, a poet, a
lawyer, and a master of science, who had run through a
long course of academical studies, and polished his mind
in the society of Anna Vischer, the " Sappho of the
Netherlands." Men more great than he have occupied Dutch eu-
darker niches in the temple of historical fame, and the
attempt to dignify his abilities with epithets too florid
for the noblest genius, will not draw his mediocrity into
the light. His administration in the Archipelago was
vigorous indeed, and the conflict with the Spaniards
was maintained with unfaltering determination. On A - D .16*-
the fourteenth of April, 1617, a drawn battle took place
between the hostile fleets. Nearly equal in actual force,
1 Crawford.
272
THE INDIAN AKCHIPELAGO,
Rise of the
Company.
neither as yet, by their system of naval architecture,
Naval archi- possessed a superiority over the other. The Dutch at
first built their ships without the lofty forecastle and
the bridge, which afterwards were in fashion. From the
experience of a few years they learned to prefer that
model. Guns, mounted on the high platform in front,
swept over the native fleets with destructive effect.
When a ship was boarded, the crew fled thither as to a
citadel, and played their fire upon the deck, until time
was given to rally upon the enemy.
Though without an absolute triumph, the Dutch con-
tinued to flourish on the decay of the Spanish power ;
and if in the person of Laurent Real there was nothing
to justify the flowery eulogiums of this biographer, he
discovered many qualities of a superior order. Resid-
ing during his administration at Ternate, he more
especially strengthened the influence of Holland in this
and its companion islands. In all parts of the Archi-
pelago the interest of his employers were conscien-
tiously watched; and when, in 1617, Laurent Real
retired, it was from a post of honour honourably filled.
The power of the Company had greatly increased.
Between seventy and eighty vessels, formidably armed,
floated through those seas. In Java, in the Moluccas,
and elsewhere, were 3000 soldiers, with several hundred
pieces of ordnance, while numerous fortified buildings
had been erected to store merchandise in the various
islands.
In Java the wars of the inferior native states
contributed to the power of Mataram, which rose
as they fell, and founded its greatness on their
ruins. The ambition of its princes could only be
slaked at the sources of unbounded power. They
appear to have devoted little notice to the trans-
actions of Europeans, exhausting their vigilance, and
Wars in
Java.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 273
spending all their vigour in finding or forcing op-
portunities of war upon the less potent kingdoms.
The sovereign of Achin, no less aspiring but more
cautious, sought to destroy his Portuguese enemy,
while he prosecuted his views of conquest in Sumatra.
He attacked and captured Quedah, which offered him
facilities for carrying on his implacable war against
Malacca. At Delhy, on his own island, the Portuguese in Sumatra,
were also fortified, and the Achinese displayed no in-
considerable art in laying siege to the place. Deep
trenches were opened, and every preparation made for
a long campaign. In six weeks the town was captured l ,
and the king, elated by triumph, proceeded to improve
the reputation of his arms. The Portuguese were at
length meditating an invasion of his country ; and an
armament was reported to be preparing at Goa with
that design. 2 It is remarkable that for a hundred years
they suffered his attacks without effort at retaliation.
They defended themselves, but never followed their
routed enemy over the straits into his own capital, as
though some lawgiver, like Lycurgus, had inspired them
with the Spartan policy, which forbade the pursuit of a
defeated foe. The stroke, however, was even now de-
layed, though it hung over the Achinese, and held them
in some terror.
Meanwhile the native princes of the Archipelago, Policy of
instructed by experience, discovered their error in ever
welcoming the establishment of European influence on
their shores. In all cases, almost, it was the forerunner
of war and ultimate subjugation. But the fault had
been committed. All that remained was to find a
remedy, and to retrieve by arms what had been lost by
1 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 361. Beaulieu.
2 Faria y Sousa, Portuguese Asia, trans. Capt. John Stevens.
VOL. 1. T
274 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
policy. They had learned the great superiority of their
enemies in the open field of battle, which the vanity of
brave men often leads them to deny, even to the injury
of their cause. They now trusted chiefly to conspiracy.
With a low idea of the resources commanded by the
leading states of Europe, their imagination suggested to
them little beyond the forces now in their view ; the
forts that watched their coasts, the fleets that patrolled
their seas ; and could these, by some sudden blow, be
swept from the whole Archipelago, they believed that
European power would be at an end. Probably, in-
deed, had their design been successful, its triumph
would have been a heavy discouragement to the English,
Dutch, and Spaniards ; but, with the experience of
history before us, we can scarcely imagine the utter
extirpation of their influence in the Archipelago. In-
deed, it is not easy to disbelieve, and it is ridiculous to
deride the theory, that it is the destiny of the West to
spread its dominion over the East, through the length
and breadth of Asia. I put faith in the fortunes of
Great Britain, which may lead her to possess, if not
the whole, at least most of that region which she has
proved herself, of all others, the most capable to rule.
The tide of conquest, in remotest ages, rose with the
sun, and flowed westward. It may be that, when it sub-
merges America, another change will occur ; and in the
revolutions of the world it is not impossible, that a new
Asiatic empire, like that of Darius or Cambyses, may
rise to spread its power over the subjugated states of
Europe.
League of The audacious daring which conceived this league
kings. among the Indian princes was allied well with the deep
policy which disciplined its movements. The Dutch
were their most hateful, as they were their most for-
midable, antagonists ; and they endeavoured, like some
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 275
soldier politicians of antiquity, to employ their weaker
against their stronger enemies. Thus a double purpose
would be answered. The English, throwing their forces
upon Holland, would assist in annihilating its power,
while they weakened their own, and became less pre-
pared to stand against an attack of the united Indian
armies.
The sultan of Mataram, the regent of Bantam, and
the kings of Jakatra and Cheribon, were the heads of
the conspiracy which ramified into Sumatra, into Ce-
lebes, into the Moluccas, and many other islands. Cir-
cumstances, peculiarly fortuitous, favoured their policy,
raising up for them a powerful alliance, and for their
enemies a dangerous hostility.
From the earliest appearance of the Dutch flag in English
the Indian waters, its advent had been viewed with
jealousy by the merchants of England. Our country-
men, though still unconscious of their fate to be the
inheritors of an empire then decaying under the Great
Mogul, were consolidating their company, endeavouring
to open avenues to the resources of India, and especially
directing their attention to the islands. There is an
exchange of accusations between the rival companies.
The English occupied the small islands of Polaroon
and Rosengen, not possessed by the Dutch, but con-
nected with the territories under their influence. They
were attacked unsuccessfully, but their ships were
seized, and towed into a Netherlands port, where they
were declared to be held in security until our country-
men relinquished all pretensions to the Spice Islands.
In considering this dispute, it will be just to notice each
nation contending for a claim which it asserted to be
a right. The Dutch memorialised James I., setting
forth that, at their own expense, they had expelled the
Portuguese, and guaranteed protection to the natives.
T 2
276 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
The English traders had not only sought to share the
fruits of their adventure, but incited the people against
them. In retort, the English accused them of many
injuries, especially at Tidor and Amboyna. 1 They were
charged, in reply, with the plunder and destruction of
a Dutch ship bound from Patani to Bantam. 2 Com-
pensation was demanded. It was refused. Those were
not times of delicate diplomacy, nor were statesmen so
attached as at present to political compromise. In the
Indian Archipelago, a short negotiation in a peremptory
tone was all that preceded the actual commencement of
war.
Attacked by All the English buildings near the Dutch fort at
the Dutch. _, . * - . . .
Bantam were destroyed. In revenge tor this, the coast
was blockaded, and an armament sent to threaten the
defences of the Dutch factory. These were by no
A.D. 1618. means formidable. In December, 1618, so little had
they advanced, that they had hardly completed the
foundations of two stone forts, flanked by small bas-
tions and a cavalier, the whole surrounded by a slight
rampart, not yet many feet high. They were vigor-
ously defended. Rich stuffs, and other merchandise,
brought from the stores, were piled up to barricade the
A. D. 1619. avenues of approach. 3 On the 1st of January, 1619 4 , a
naval action took place. The rival armaments, with
respect to force, are variously described. They fought
all day, and separated at night without drawing the
battle to an issue. At dawn a large squadron of En-
1 Memorial of Dutch East India Company, and Reply of English
India Company, in 1616. East India Papers, in State Paper
Office, q. Bruce, Annals, i. 202,
s Temminck, Coup d'CEil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, i. 17.
3 Ibid.
4 Crawfurd, Hist. Indian Archipelago, Temminck dates it 29th
December, 1618, i. 17.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 277
glisli ships appeared in view, and the Dutch hastily made
sail for Amboyna, leaving the fort, with a promise of
succour, in charge of Van der Bronk, an African tra-
veller, well experienced in war. Four hundred persons, Conflict.
of whom thirty or forty were women and seventy or
eighty children, with many Chinese, and only a small
proportion of Hollanders, remained with him in the
beleaguered fort. The orders left were to defend the
fort while it was possible, and then to surrender it, not
to the natives but to the English. Meanwhile a vessel
was despatched to the Straits to meet all the traders
and warn them of danger.
The rupture between the Dutch and English was Progress of
simultaneous with the rising of the confederated Indian conspiracy.
chiefs against their foreign enemy. An overwhelming
force laid siege to Jakatra, which was reduced to the
most imminent danger. According to one historian, an
able but prejudiced writer, treachery was practised to
circumvent the Dutch ; whereas treachery, in truth,
was the cause of their safety. The governor, he re-
ports, was invited to a feast by the prince of Jakatra.
He complied, was seized, trodden under foot, chained,
and compelled, with a dagger presented to his breast, to
write his countrymen an order to surrender and save
his life. After long resistance he obeyed, and was
thrust into a dungeon underground. The garrison re-
fused to acknowledge this authority and held out,
though the English, whose conduct is represented as
cowardly and cruel, were evidently leagued against
them. The spirit of treachery, almost universal in the
breasts of Asiatic princes, came to their aid.
The regent of Bantam, forgetting his patriotism in
his cupidity, and becoming jealous of the rich plunder P i ded."
which would fall into the hands of his allies, resolved to
adopt a course which ultimately defeated the whole
T 3
278 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
object of the expedition. 1 A design, conceived in the
secret reveries of his selfish ambition, was put in execu-
tion. He commanded a large division of the besieging
forces. Possessed of this power, and animated by this
spirit, the faithless chief prepared a body of 2000 men,
placed them under the directions of a brave and wily
leader, and sent them to the theatre of conflict. They
marched to the camp, and penetrated to the tent of the
prince of Jakatra. There the captain of the band held
a dagger to the breast of the astonished chief, and dic-
tated terms which he could not but accept. Through
this breaking up of the alliance the Dutch were saved,
though attacked at once by the natives and the English.
Triumph of An agreement was drawn up. The confederated
the Dutch. arm i es dispersed. The prince of Jakatra consented
that the Dutch forts should remain as they were until
the arrival of the new governor-general Koen, and that
the English should be compelled to situate their factory,
with those of all other nations, at a fixed distance from
the forts of the most favoured traders. 2 But these
concessions of privilege were of no avail now ; and the
independence of the kingdom fell before the shock of
Dutch revenge.
Exaggera- In their prodigal expense of eulogium, the Dutch
tion of writers describe one governor-general after another,
Dutch.
writers. adorned with all the ornaments of humanity and genius,
each greater than the last, and each excelled only by
him who followed. They embalm their memories in
the most fragrant wrappings of panegyric ; but the
odour is too powerful to please, and excites a sentiment
very different from admiration. Jan Pieterz Koen is thus
eulogised by his biographer ; and though we smile upon
the extravagance of his portrait, we concede him the
1 Crawfurd, ii. 416. * Raffles, History of Java, ii. 166.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 279
title of genius. He held several appointments in the
commercial departments of the Netherlands' administra-
tion in the East. He was first governor, and then di-
rector-general, which brought all the Company's trade
under his care. It prospered in his hands ; for his dili-
gence was equalled by his integrity and conscientious
exactitude. He was charged with the care of the great
books, which were examined in Europe with the most
unremitting and sedulous scrutiny. Peter Both had
been directed to compile an estimate, or general view,
of the Company's affairs ; but Jan Pieterz von Koen
was the first to complete a survey, or inventory, of
all the property, all the claims and the credits of the
association. The whole of its possessions were calcu-
lated at their value in money. The class of account
books then employed continued in use throughout all
the transactions, and throughout the existence, of the
Company.
On the 28th of May, 1619, the Dutch flag appeared A. D .iei9.
J > . ., f A Capture of
in view at Jakatra, and, after a rapid voyage trom Am- jakatra.
boyna, Koen's fleet rode off the Javan coast. At sun-
rise the next day, a force was landed from the eighteen
ships ; several battalions were ranked in order of battle,
and marched upon the town. The assault was sudden
and furious. The defences were carried after a short
and bloody struggle. The inhabitants no strangers
to the practices of Dutch revenge endeavoured to find
refuge in flight; but few succeeded. 1 The majority of
the men were mercilessly cut to pieces. Whether from
humanity, whether from policy ; whether from a desire
to retain them as slaves for their service or their
pleasure, the conquerors spared all the women and
children. The fallen prince, leaving his capital to be
1 Crawfurd, ii. 417.
T 4
280 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
levelled with the ground, fled, and Jakatra was de-
stroyed by flames, or the engines of war. 1 Its name
only remained, and even that the Dutch afterwards
Batavia obliterated. Still the site of the town was thought too
e ' advantageous to be abandoned, and another city rose over
the ruins of the last. It was Batavia. The sovereignty
of the native ruler was at an end. 2 Driven from his
patrimony of despotism by the arms of foreign mei
chants, he wandered away, and is supposed to have
terminated his days as a fisherman, industrious and poor.
Close of the The conceit of a moralist might lead him to speculate
career. on ^ ne happiness of this change ; but, in spite of all that
is said of kingly cares, it appears that the weight of a
crown is not so great or galling as philosophers would
induce us to believe. Wearisome, anxious, full of bit-
terness, and dangerous as the possession of a throne
may be, it is remarkable that men will forsake repu-
tation, despise justice, tread upon humanity, and
waste the blood of myriads, to retain a sceptre. The
prince of Jakatra was doubtless as sorrowful over the
loss of his power as the Dutch were delighted. How-
ever this may be, the foundation of the Netherlands'
authority had been laid in the extensive and productive
island of Java.
Choice of a Laurent Real had neglected, in his zeal for the pro-
motion of his patrons' interest, to fulfil their positive
orders with reference to the selection of a permanent
seat of authority, a convenient rendezvous for the trade
of the East India Company. He had been instructed
to choose it with the following conditions :
That the place chosen should be of convenient ap-
proach to European vessels.
1 Temminck, Coup cCCEil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, i.19.
8 Raffles, History, ii. 167.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 281
That during one of the monsoons, Chinese junks
might steer safely towards it.
That the town itself and the surrounding lands
should abound with sweet water, wood, and all con-
veniences for the refreshment and repair of Dutch
shipping.
That the governor-general should engage the people
to enter into no rivalry which should encourage the
English, or any other nation, to interfere with Dutch
commerce at the port.
That the situation should be easy of defence by land
and sea, and not exposed to the irruptions of great
hordes from the interior.
That it should possess a good harbour or road, where
shipping might be conveniently repaired, refitted, and
careened.
That it should be commodiously situated for the
annual departure, if necessary, of warlike armaments
against enemies, or succour to friends; and that the
possessions, whether stores, provisions, papers, or books,
of the Company should be safe from the chance of vio-
lence and incendiary, which had destroyed them before
at Bantam and Pulicat.
These were the directions of the States-General.
Yet Laurent Real, on the 22nd August, 1617, issued
a proclamation, stating that the place of residence
should be decided with a view to the welfare of com-
merce ; but that it was impossible to fix a permanent
seat of authority, or an universal rendezvous. Koen,
however, saw the urgency of obedience to the supreme
government. The States-General called his attention
to the isle of Banka, famous for its tin mines ; the little
isle of Sabek in the Straits of Sunda ; Johore, near
Singapore ; Malacca, and Ontong Java. On this
place his eye fell. It lay some miles to the west of
282 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Batavia, on the river Tanjerong. 1 It belonged to the
dethroned prince of Jakatra, who had already sold to
Peter Both a piece of ground near his capital, and who,
when a new cession was proposed, became alarmed at
the ambition of his visitors, and refused. A prophecy
found among the traditions of America, as well as of
the East, urged him to deny the proposal with all the
firmness he could assume, " that one day a white
nation, with cat eyes and fair hair, should invade and
subdue the Indies."
Various The proposition of Koen to choose Ontong Java was
suggestions. no j. f avoure( j by the directors, who recommended Banar;
but he disregarded their advice. Aniboyna disputed
his choice with Java. This, the key of the Spice
group, appeared a favourable point ffappui for the
armed flotillas blockading the channels of that sea. But
the great island, rearing either end over the passages
from the Indian into the China Ocean, tempted, by its
extent, its position, its natural wealth, and the harbours
abounding along its coast. The decision of the gover-
nor-general at length fell on Java, and it only remained
to choose a city which should become the metropolis of
Extension the Dutch possessions in the East Indies. Already
of Dutch masters of the Cape, of Ceylon, of some extensive pro-
influence. l .
vinces on the Coromandel coast, and several forts in
the Moluccas, the ships of Holland were afforded a
leisurely route from Texel to the southern point of
Africa, thence to the mouths of the Ganges the Nile
of the Indian continent, thence to the Straits of Sunda,
and through the channels of the Oriental Archipelago to
China and Japan. 2 Already the enterprise of the
young republic had spread the seeds of a rich commerce
1 Temminck, Coup dCEil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, i. 16.
1 Ibid.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 283
through those remote waters. Had the wisdom or hu-
manity of the conquering merchants been equal to their
vigour, and paramount over their ambition, it would
have been a pleasant task for any writer to contemplate
their progress, brilliant and rapid as it was.
The governor-general was now not long in fixing the
position of the new city the seat, the centre, and the
capital of the Netherlands' Indian empire. Batavia Batavia
was chosen, and, as no obstacle existed to prevent a set-
tlement and the erection of fortifications there, works
were at once commenced. By the fortune of war, the
territories of Jakatra lay at the mercy of her European
enemies.
The unhealthiness of the site was probably not then Situation of
, i.. i i-ii'-i- i, Batavia.
known, but it is such as would have driven any but
the Dutch from the most favourable situation in the
world. It lay encircled by a sweep of marshy lands
and stagnant lakes. In the morning pestiferous odours
were brought to the city by the early sea breezes ; the
meridian sun called up from the earth every kind of
noxious exhalation ; and, in the evening, dull, unwhole-
some vapours brooded over the plain, generating nu-
merous destructive fevers. 1 Yet, as Batavia stood near
the sea, was excellently situated as a commercial em-
porium, was encircled by lands rich in their crops of
rice, and protected by lines of hills, Koen was induced
to select it. He is thence styled by some of his national
historians the founder of the Dutch East Indian em-
pire, though others have claimed that title for Peter
Both. It is difficult to conceive the infatuation that
clung to this place, whose whole neighbourhood was an
overflowing graveyard.
1 Eoberts, Embassy to the Eastern Courts.
284
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
CHAPTER XI.
Dutch esta-
blished in
Java.
Geographi-
cal rank of
Java.
Its position.
Historical
notes.
THE Dutch had now established their authority in
Java. The merchants of Amsterdam were become the
founders of an empire. From that day the history of
the Archipelago is the history of their progress. It
will be proper, therefore, to describe the situation, re-
sources, and aspect, the people, the religion, and the
political state of the extensive island which was their
chosen seat of power.
Java ranks in size next to Sumatra, and is far su-
perior to it in fertility. Its coasts are washed on the
south and west by the Indian Ocean ; on the north-west
the Straits of Sunda divide it from the greater island ;
and, on the south-east, a channel two miles wide separates
it from Bali. It forms a link in the vast chain which,
commencing with Achin, sweeps in a gentle curve from
the Bay of Bengal to New Guinea. 1 We cannot dis-
cover whence was derived the island's name : Java
with Europeans, Jawa with the natives. The ancient
geographer 2 calls it Jabadia, the most fertile region in
those seas ; and he was evidently well informed respect -
ing it. 3 Some fantastically trace a connection between
it and the Javan of the Scriptures. 4 The Arabs, as
1 Raffles, History of Java, i. 2. 2 Ptolemy, vii. 4, 5.
3 Heeren, Historical Researches, Asiatic Nations, ii. 429.
4 Ezekiel, chap, xxvii. Of course this is absurd, Javan, or
Yavanas, being used by the Hindus to mean Tones, as it is used in
Genesis, chap, x., and in the Arabic, Persian, Coptic, and Ar-
menian languages, to signify Greeks, lones being once the ap-
pellation of all the Greeks. Plato de Leg. iii. 684.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 285
well as the people of Celebes know, as " the dwellers in
Java," the inhabitants of this and all the neighbouring
islands l ; while others believe the country was so named The name,
in the Sanskrit literature as Yava, or the Land of Bar-
ley. 2 It produces, however, little of that grain 3 , though
celebrated as the rice-granary of the Archipelago. The
inquiry, indeed, is not important, except to the anti-
quarian, who endeavours to quilt together ancient tra-
ditions of incongruous shape and pattern, which fre-
quently mislead and bewilder more than they instruct.
Nevertheless, an investigation of this nature, when con-
ducted over solid ground, is interesting; but usually
there is more to admire in the ingenuity or courage
than in the success or judgment of such inquirers.
Java, noticed by an old chronologist as Epitome Ancient ac-
Mundi*, was described to the great Venetian traveller
as the largest and richest island on the globe. 5 Pro-
bably accounts of Borneo were confused in the reports
carried to him ; for, in addition to its enormous magni-
tude, it was said to be peopled by idolaters, and incre-
dibly abundant in gold, pepper, spices, perfumes, and
drugs. From his work the cosmographer no doubt de-
rived his ideas, who spoke of two Javas, the one 2000,
the other 3000, miles in circumference, in the neigh-
bourhood of Sumatra. 6 At that early period, however,
the tales of travellers were accepted without fear, and
no picture of the Indies could be rendered too wild or
dazzling for belief. Even to this day strange reports
from countries little known are circulated, which the
inquiries of another age will probably prove fabulous.
1 Raffles, History of Java, I. 3.
2 Ibid. i. 4. 3 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago.
4 Scaliger, Exercitationes, 147.
5 Marco Polo, notes by Marsden.
6 Heylyn, Cosmography, 921.
286
Extent
Neighbour-
ing isles.
Pirate
haunt.
Shape of
Java.
Its aspect.
Surface.
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
The extreme length of Java, described by De Conto
as resembling in shape a hog crouched on its forelegs *,
is 666 statute miles. 2 Its breadth varies from 135 to 45,
and its area may be computed at 50,000 square miles
Numerous islands are scattered along the coast, espe-
cially on the north, where, with headlands, small pro-
montories, and the bays lying between, they form har-
bours of various capacities. The sea near Batavia is
covered with innumerable islets. The group, called the
Thousand Islands, long formed a nest of pirates, and
had not been explored twenty years ago. 3 The neigh-
bourhood of these little clusters is thickly interspersed
with reefs of coral and other formations, which fringe
the shores in this and other parts of the Archipelago. 4
Java is remarkable for the rectangularity of its outline.
It might be divided into five or six parts, each a rec-
tangular parallelogram drawn by an unsteady hand. 5
The aspect of Java is richly diversified, marked by
bold, but elegant, outlines, and affording a long succes-
sion of landscapes enriched by innumerable beauties.
Approaching its shores, lines of palm-trees display
themselves along the brim of the sea, and behind this
natural colonnade the plain mounts gently, in graceful
swells, to the base of the hills in the interior. The
champagne is now liberally cultivated, and embellished
by the native hamlets, whose groups of cottages, built
of light bamboo, are spread over the levels, and shaded
by clumps of fruit trees. Where the ranges approach
the coast, immense sweeps of land may be viewed,
covered with crops of rice, which wave down the
bosoms of the hills, stretching in an amphitheatre from
1 De Conto, Decada, iv. 1.
2 Raffles, History of Java, i. 8.
4 Darwin, On Coral Reefs, 183.
5 Raffles, History of Java, i. 8.
3 Earl, Eastern Seas, 67.
Horsburgb, ii. 436.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 287
the sea to the central chain. 1 The landscape is en- Tints of the
,../,, . -r landscape.
livened by the variegated tints of the vegetation. In Succession
one field, the plough or the harrow is passing over the of crops.
soil; in another, the husbandmen are sowing; in the next,
transplanting ; in a fourth, the grain begins to flower ;
in the fifth, the bright golden crops are assuming the
last rich tinge of maturity ; and, in the next, old men,
women, and children are busy gathering in the harvest. 2
At intervals the ancient woods still stand, and the
natural beauty of the island is contrasted with the plea-
sant aspect of a country subdued by industry and art.
An uninterrupted line of hills, varying in altitude mils.
from five to fourteen thousand feet 3 , passes from end
to end of Java. Their round bases and conical tops
are evidence of a volcanic origin. Some appear blue,
and are so named ; others are rich and green from base
to summit : others are covered with woods, or scorched
black by fire. 4 Many of the peaks are lightened in the
evening by that rosy blush w T hich glows on the moun-
tain tops of Switzerland 5 and the porphyry hills of
Egypt. 6 Each is distinct, standing detached from the
rest. A few groups are situated close to the shore.
There are about thirty-eight large mountains. They
vary in form, but agree in their general character,
being scattered in a confused rank from north to south,
on a fertile plateau, little raised above the level of the
1 Temminck, Coup cTCEil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, i. 305.
2 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, i. 363.
3 Temminck, CoupcCCEil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, i. 317.
* Raffles, History of Java, i. 19.
5 Zollinger, Tidschrift von Neerlands Indie. Journ. Ind. Arch.
iv. 204.
6 See notices of this beautiful phenomenon in " Isis : an
Egyptian Pilgrimage" J. A. St. John, ii. 89.
288 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Formation sea. All are apparently of late formation. 1 Indeed,
the whole island is apparently of recent growth. 2 Some
of the craters are extinct, though the traces of their
smoke of action are unequivocal : others continually discharge,
the voica- through small apertures, volumes of sulphury smoke or
vapour, which roll upwards, shine like golden fleece
in the light of the sun, and float away, adding to the
landscapes of Java an enchanting touch of beauty.
Volcanic The living volcanoes of Java contribute important
lountams. f ea t ures f o its aspect. Among the most remarkable is
Tankoeban Prahoe, which, after an eruption, presented
Their vege- a wonderful spectacle to the traveller. 3 The base was
encircled by a belt of coffee shrubberies, surrounded by
plantations of tea and rice. Above these the forest
clothed the slopes. Trees, more than a hundred feet
high, rising forty or sixty feet before throwing out a
branch, and standing sufficiently far apart, resembled
columns supporting the roof of a vast temple. Not a
breath of wind visits them. The scene is enriched by
infinite varieties of inferior vegetation. A thick car-
peting of moss, with immense ferns springing above it,
Beautiful overlays the ground. Myriads of blossoms are unfolded
amidst the masses of green ; fantastic creepers mount the
trees, and hang across their lofty arches in festoons of
gaudy flowers scarlet, yellow, purple, and crimson.
Beyond this blooming solitude a spectacle far different
is presented. Nothing there is fresh or lovely. The
wreck of a wood thousands of trees, black and blis-
tered, or covered with grey powder is displayed : the
ground is thickly strewn with cinders. There is not a
1 Raffles, History of Java, i. 13. ! Darwin, Coral Reefs, 134.
3 Logan, Present Condition of the Indian Archipelago, J. I. A.,
i. 6.
4 Dr. Bleeker, Tidschrift Voor Neerlands Indie. Trans, in
Journal of the Indian Archipelago.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 289
leaf left green. Further still, the fires of the volcano
have consumed all, and the slopes are encumbered only
by piles of fine black ashes. 1 The crater is nearly a
mile and a half round 2 , and 800 feet deep. At the Singular
bottom, whence the sides rise perpendicularly, a lake of
dark mud, hot and bubbling, sends up huge volumes of
steam and smoke, with an occasional flood of fire. 3
Water in Java, as in most hilly countries, is abundant, streams.
Its streams are very numerous. Few of them, indeed,
are large, since the formation of the island does not ad-
mit of long, deep, broad rivers. Five or six of them,
however, are at all times navigable for several miles
from the sea. There are about fifty which float down
rafts of timber from the interior, and hundreds, perhaps
thousands, which aid the operations of husbandry by
irrigating the soil. The most important stream is the
Great Solo, which winds through a course of 356
miles, though traversing only 140 miles from its rise to
the sea. Along the waters are floated flat-bottomed Boats.
boats, bearing from 5 to 200 tons ; some of them
well built, and furnished with cabins. They carry
down pepper, coffee, and other products of the interior,
which are bartered for salt and foreign merchandise.
About eight days are occupied in the downward voyage
from Surakarta, though almost four months are con-
sumed on the return, working against the stream, with
delays, to wait until the waters swell. 4
On the low belt of land encircling the island, and Climate,
broken by several lofty tracts, the climate is in many
parts unhealthy. The moisture of the air and the soil,
admirably fitted for rice cultivation, is especially in-
1 Bleeker, Tidschrift von Neerlands Indie. J.I. A.
2 Ilorsfield, Batavian Transactions.
3 Bleeker, Tidschrift von Neerlands Indie. J. I. A.
4 Raffles, History of Java, i. 21.
VOL. I. U
290 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
jurious to the European constitution. As you journey
towards the interior, a change is sensible, after five
miles' progress. A purer air is breathed ; brighter scenes
display themselves. The dull marshy ground is left
behind, and huge mountains, rising in groups, present
their shaggy sides, or long, gentle slopes, clothed with
harvests. 1 Cataracts, thundering over the ledges of
hills, have been subjected to the use of man, and forced
to spread their waters in a thousand channels among
Verdure. the fields and plantations. 2 The verdure of the earth
is perpetual. Springs, which never fail, refresh it ; and,
as one leaf or blossom withers, another is blooming to
supply its place. The fresh cool green of the plains is
shot and streaked with innumerable hues, never parched
by excessive heat, or nipped by severe weather. In
the hottest season the air is pleasant ; in the driest, the
rills and rivulets, as well as deeper streams, contain
plenty of water; while, generally, they flow rapidly
along, full to the brim, sparkling and glittering among
the fields, or over the long slopes, which they cover with
everlasting fertility. Down the sides of the mountains
are traced ribs, sharp and high, taking a winding course
as they approach the base, and forming narrow, sloping,
tortuous valleys, each watered by a stream. Near
Soil - the mouths of the rivers alluvial plains are formed
* by deposits from the hills, excessively rich in soil, but
unhealthy. 3
Weils. Wells, of various temperature and impregnation, are
numerous, chiefly, however, of petroleum. A few,
which break from the craters of volcanoes, are strongly
infused with sulphuric acid. 4 They are distributed all
over the island. In Cheribon they especially abound. A
1 Raffles, History of Java, i. 23.
8 Temminck, Coup (TOSH, i. 306. 315.
3 Raffles, History of Java, I 25. 4 Ibid. 24.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 291
white plain, near Karsang, is sprinkled with them, and
overspread by a cloud of vapour. In the vicinity are
strewn rocks, with elegant crystals and spars of eccen-
tric formation. 1 In some places, deep perforations ex- Crystal
tend into the heart of the hills ; in others, broad muddy
plains are broken up by frequent explosions, and there
are wells which yield hundreds of tons of good salt. 2
Occasionally terrific eruptions of the volcanoes occur.
From these and from all other circumstances it is
evident that Java is exclusively of volcanic origin.
The great Asiatic chain, noticed already as coming Geology,
down the Peninsula and terminating in Biliton, does
not rise here. 3 No granite exists in the island. 4
When Java assumed its present shape, whether it ever Geological
joined Sumatra or Bali, or whether it forms the high- histor y-
land of some half-emerged continent, it is impossible to
determine. It is related in traditionary tales, that
many of these islands were once connected, but were
rent by the pangs of nature. 5 Time, however, can
alone answer the inquiries of science.
The constitution of the island is unfavourable to Absence of
minerals. Like other naturally flat countries for the mmerals -
mountains are only elevations of the surface, reared by
plutonic agency it produces no gold. Those who ac-
cept the theory, that climate influences the distribution
of metals G , may find an open field for speculation in this
and the neighbouring region. There is no iron in Java,
and none of the costly metal, which is agreeable to
this view. Attempts have been made to extract them as
well as silver, but without result enough to reward the
1 Raffles, History of Java, i. 25.
2 Horsfield, Mineralogy of Java. Bataoian Transactions.
3 Horsfield, On Mineralogical Constitution of Banco.
4 Raffles, History of Java. 5 Ibid. i. 32.
6 St. Pierre, Etudes sur la Nature, i. 117
u 2
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Stones.
Depth of
soil.
Fertility.
miner. 1 A little iron has been discovered, but so
diffused in the soil that it is useless. No diamonds,
or other precious stones, are found, though there is
abundance of schist, quartz, jasper, agate, obsidian,
porphyry, &c. Java is exclusively an agricultural
country. 2 Its soil is excessively rich, perhaps the
richest in the world 3 , and remarkably deep, in many
places ten and often fifty feet. 4 The plains are con-
stantly enriched by deposits washed down from the
mountains, which perpetually grow through the action
of the subterranean fires.
The soil of the island is superior to any other in the
Archipelago. It resembles, in parts, the richest garden
mould of Europe, and where irrigation is abundant,
requires no manure, and bears, without injury, one
heavy and one light crop annually. There is some
Qualities of variety in its character, but all is fertile. The red light
soil of the western is inferior to the stiff dark brown of
the eastern provinces. The best is near the beds of
rivers, or on the slopes of great mountains ; the worst
on the low calcareous hills. 5
The seasons in this, as in all countries within ten
degrees of the equator, are not divided into winter and
summer, but into wet and dry. They depend on the
periodical winds, which are very regular, if not exact, in
their changes. The westerly gales, bringing rain-
clouds, set in annually about October, settle steadily in
November, subside towards March, and in April give
way to the easterly breezes, and fine bright weather,
which continues during the next half year. The wettest
1 Transactions of the Batavian Society.
2 Raffles, History of Java, i. 34. 3 Earl, Eastern Seas.
* Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, i. 345.
5 Raffles, History of Java, i. 34. Crawfurd, History of Indian
Archipelago.
the soil.
Season.
Monsoons.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 293
months are December and January ; the driest July and
August, when the nights are coldest, and the days most
sultry. The change of season is often accompanied
by storms like those of the West Indies, bringing
dangerous winds along the coast though never on
shore. The currents appear to vary with the mon-
soons, which tortured the speculative imagination of
old devotees to science. 1 At all other times vessels Harbours
may ride safely in the bays on the northern coast.
Thunder storms are frequent indeed almost daily in
the dry season, on the hills and occasionally de-
structive to life. Earthquakes are common in the
neighbourhood of volcanic mountains, but seldom injure
the substantial habitations in an European town. The
rainy season in Java is varied by many clear, bright
days, and the hot months are refreshed by occasional
showers.
The heat on the coast has reached ninety degrees, Atmo-
but usually ranges between seventy and seventy-four,
morning and evening, with eighty-three in the afternoon.
Thirty or forty miles inland, with a gradual elevation of
the surface, it is five or ten degrees lower, and in the high
valleys of the interior has been experienced at twenty-
seven. 2 Ice, as thick as two Spanish dollars, has been
found 3 , and hoar frost, named by the natives " poisonous
dew." The land and sea breezes continually cool the
air, and on the range of surface sloping from the coast
to the height of the interior, you may enjoy a change
varying two or three degrees every ten miles. 4
Java therefore, for salubrity, is greatly favoured Salubrity of
the islands of the further East. With the ex-
1 Vossius, Motion of the Seas and Winds.
2 Raffles, History of Java, i. 35.
3 Raffles, Address to Batavian Society.
4 Raffles, Batavian Transactions.
u 3
294 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
ception of a few localities on its northern coast, it may
be considered as healthy as the healthiest parts of
British India, or indeed of any tropical country in the
world. It is favourable to the human frame, especially
the Asiatic. The Dutch, however, selected as the
metropolis of their Indian empire a pestilential marsh.
Some fatuity bound them to it. The deaths during one
period of twenty-two years 1730 to 1752 l were more
than a million of souls. 2 In 1805, one in eleven of the
Europeans died ; one in thirteen of the slaves ; one in
twenty-nine of the Chinese ; one in forty of the Ja-
vans. 3 Indeed, throughout Asia, Africa, and the
West Indies, the same providence is evident, and the
climate is tempered to the constitution of the native
race. 4
vegetable The vegetable wealth of Java is immense. Its
wealth. .
variety is equal to its abundance. One naturalist 5 ,
distinguished for science, collected in his herbarium
more than a thousand plants, most of them unknown in
Varieties in the Old World. From the tops of the mountains to
natural . . . .
history. the seashore, six distinct zones may be said to exist,
each furnishing its peculiar botany, six families of
plants indigenous to as many climates ; while every
region of the earth may find its particular products
represented in some part of the island. 6
Rice - Rice, in upwards of a hundred varieties, is produced
so plentifully that Java is the granary of the Archi-
pelago. 7 Maize, or Indian corn, is grown on the higher
1 Raynal, Etdblissemen, i. 293.
z Raffles, History of Java, i. 38.
3 Prichard, Researches into the Physical History of Mankind.
4 See Lind, Essay on Diseases, 144. 5 Dr. Ilorsfiold.
6 Raffles, History of Jura; Address to Satavian Society.
"' Temnainck, Coup d"CEil ftur les Possessions Neerlandaiscs,
i. 244.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 295
lands, particularly suited to its cultivation. 1 Cotton, other
which is already exported in considerable quantities,
might be made of infinite value to the island itself, as
well as to Holland. It could be planted after one rice
harvest, which is the best season, and gathered before
the next. 2 The culture of coffee has been improved,
but not nearly developed. 125,000,000 pounds, it is
said, might be produced annually. 3 Eight varieties of other pro-
, , . , . . , . ductions.
sugar-cane, tobacco, pepper, indigo, aniseed, cummin-
seed, cubebs, and a variety of other articles, enter into
the catalogue of its vegetable riches. 4 The cinnamon-
tree has been introduced, and yields abundantly. Cloves
have been attempted in spots, carefully chosen, with the
most expert cultivators from Amboyna, but without
any success. 5 Beans form an important material of
food. Cocoa-nuts abound, with several trees whose
seeds and kernels are edible. The bread fruit, similar
in species, though inferior in quality, to that of the
South Sea Islands, flourishes in all the provinces, but
is little esteemed and seldom found in the Javan pro-
vision store. There are many tuberous roots, edible
and nutritious, besides the Java potato, and a kind of
manitot. On a few low marshy plains the true sago
is found, but its delicate medullum is left to ripen and
rot, as though a people partly civilised is too proud to
accept the spontaneous gifts of the soil. From another
tree, however, a similar substance is procured in large
quantities. There are numerous palms, whose tops are
edible ; but rice and other esculents are so abundant
1 The rich districts still waste are noticed by J. Rigg, Esq.,
Journ. Ind. Arch. iii. 85.
2 Hogendorp, Coup d'CEil sur Java.
3 Temminck,C0H/> d'CEil sur les Possessions Neeriandaisps, i. 249.
4 Raffles, History of Java, i. 40.
5 TemminckjCb?^ d'CEil sur les Possessions Necrlandaises, i. 254.
u 4
296 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
that all humbler species of food are disdained. Wheat
and potatoes, with almost every European vegetable,
Fruits. thrive well. Java is also celebrated for its fruits. The
mangusteen, styled Pride of the East, the durien, the
jack, forty varieties of mango, the plaintain, guava,
pine-apple, custard-apple, pomegranate, tamarind,
orange, citron, lime, wild rasberries of a rich violet
colour, peaches, Chinese pears, with others unknown
to Europeans, as well as fruits from the Cape and
from Japan, flourish in immense orchards, shading
every village, and adorning the approaches to every
Flowers. town. The island is profusely sown over with flowers,
much used in the ornament of the person. Myrtles,
spikenard, which the Javanese, it is said, used to flavour
their food with *, and roses, with innumerable others,
known only by native names, grow in thickets, or flush
the slopes and plains with their variegated colours
springing up in thick patches of red, or gold, or blue,
amid the ferns and grass. 2 Rows of trees in full blossom
at certain seasons line the roadsides. 3 They contribute
to the riches no less than to the beauty of the island.
From one a deep brilliant, permanent scarlet dye is
obtained. The rind of the mangosteen, mixed with a
particular bark, yields a glossy black ; other compounds
afford a rich yellow. 4
Teak Java is the only island in the Archipelago where the
teak timber is very easily available 5 , growing near the
sea, or on the borders of navigable river?. In Sumbawa
and Celebes it grows far inland, and has hitherto been of
i Valinont de Bomare, iv. 201.
* Raffles, History of Java, i. 41.
3 Jonathan Rigg, Tour in Java. Journal of Indian Arcliipulago,
ill 75.
4 Raffles, History of Java, i. 44.
6 See Raffles, Memoirs, i. 107.
ITS HISTORY AND PEESEJN T STATE. 297
little service to the people. 1 The Dutch value it highly,
and are so fearful of its exhaustion, that they have
formed nurseries of teak trees; but this cultivated timber
never equals the wild growth of the forests. Many Ornamental
other woods are found, some heavy, fine-grained, and
hard ; others variegated, marbled, and richly coloured,
for house and boat building, and cabinet work. The
Upas palm, celebrated by extravagant fables, yields a
deadly poison. Rattans, with trees yielding soap, tal-
low, oil, resin for varnish, scented wax excellent for
tapers and rfiother producing a fine silky wool, add to
the list of vegetable products. 2 The vine was intro-
duced, but afterwards prohibited, though probably it
would thrive well on the slopes of hills covered with
ashes from volcanoes. 3
Java, like the other islands of the Archipelago, is Character of
not a pastoral country. The region is not adapted to
communities, like those of Scythia and Arabia, reckon-
ing their wealth alone in flocks and herds. Narrow
seas, rivers, mountains, abundance of spontaneous pro-
ducts, of roots, of honey, of fish, with few extensive
plains, afford little temptation or opportunity for the
shepherd life. 4 There is, indeed, no evidence of a hunt-
ing or pastoral tribe dwelling under the torrid zone. 5
Nevertheless, in this island, a superior breed of cattle is Absence of
fed on the undulating pastures, buffaloes, bulls, and pas1
cows, which supply the European and native shipping
to a great extent. 6 They have been improved by the
introduction of another species from Sumbawa. 7 Horses, Animals,
strong, fleet, and well made, though small, are reared in
1 Earl, Eastern Seas, 45. 2 Raffles, History of Java, i. 43.
3 Mackenzie, quoted by Raffles, i. 49.
4 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago.
5 Home, Sketches of Man. G Earl, Eastern Seas.
7 Ruffles, History of Java, i. 54.
298
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Wild beasts.
Birds.
considerable numbers. A few sheep, called by the
natives European goats, feed on the hills; while the
hog is fattened principally among the settlers from
China, who delight in the flesh, if not in the companion-
ship, of that animal. 1
Tigers, leopards, jackals, wild dogs, wild oxen, wild
hogs, wild deer of various species, with the rhinoceros,
a few monkeys 2 , besides weasels, squirrels, and the be-
zoar, constitute the principal animal kingdom of Java. 3
Two hundred varieties of birds have been enumerated,
Turkeys, geese, ducks, fowls, pigeons, carrion crows,
and owls, among the chief. The natives adorn their
heads with the dorsal feathers of the white heron, and
Reptiles. plume their arrows from the wings of the falcon. 4 The
cayman, or Egyptian crocodile, a large, fierce, rapacious
creature ; huge alligators, lizards, turtles, land tortoises,
green frogs, which are used as food, toads, and frog-
fish inhabit the rivers and marshes. The seas near the
coast abound with fish, and vast quantities of shells are
cast upon the beach, reported by old travellers to be
empty at the new and full moon. 5 Honey and wax
abound. A little fine silk is produced, but the cultiva-
tion of the mulberry has never been carried to any per-
fection, and the spirit of speculation in this valuable
article promises to be altogether extinguished.
Edible Another commodity entering into the commercial re-
sts< sources of Java is peculiar to the Archipelago, the
nest of the sea swallow. At Karrang Bollang, on the
southern coast, are the great caves, famous as the de-
positaries of these singular articles of luxury. To enter
them the natives are swung down by ropes, over the
1 Raffles, History of Java, \. 56.
2 Temminck, Coup cFCEil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, i.322.
3 See Lesson, Hist. Nat. des Cetaces, ii. 45.
4 Raffles, History of Java, i. 58.
6 Vossius, Motion of the Seas and Winds.
Bird ca-
verns.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 299
face of tremendous cliffs, and, entering the natural por-
tals in the rock, find the nests clinging to the walls of
caverns nearly 500 feet high, partly flooded by the sea,
and pervaded by a gloom seldom broken in its further
recesses by a ray from the sun. 1
Java is believed by some to have been peopled from The people.
the original Tartar stock that has spread itself over
Eastern Asia, distinguished by invariable characteristics,
and inhabiting all the region to the south of the Indian
peninsula. 2 The accidents of climate, position, soil, Their
manners, and habits, induced by these, and intercourse origin '
with various races, have impressed different features on
different families of them, but they wear the evidence
of a common origin. 3 To examine or develop any
theory of ethnology is beyond my purpose. All the
Javans are Malay, according to one authority entitled
to no little attention. 4 No negroes, and no traces or re-
cord of them, exist in the island. That the Malays are
a Hindu-Chinese race, which was originally cradled on
the plains of Scythia, is an opinion which embraces and
reconciles these ideas.
Being a people especially addicted to husbandry, iiusband-
which is an occupation esteemed honourable among men '
them 5 , we do not look among the Javanese for that
restless spirit of adventure which impels man to search
in strange countries and dangerous enterprises for gain
or occupation. Their own soil is the most fertile in the
Archipelago ; therefore, no change could profit them in
1 Tidschrift von Neerlands Indie, trans, in Journal of Indian
Archipelago.
2 Buchanan, Asiatic Researches, v. 212.
3 Raffles, History of Java, i. 62.
4 Crawfurd, On Malay and Polynesian Languages and Races, in
Journal of Indian Archipelago.
5 Temminck, Coup d'CEil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, i. 292.
300 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Character that respect. They seldom embark in mercantile specu-
vanese. * lations, yet four-fifths of the sailors in the seas have been
said to be Javans. 1 They form, indeed, the crews of the
Chinese, Arab, and European vessels. Restrictions op-
press their industry, and confine their trade 2 , so that their
energies expand chiefly on the culture of the soil, to which
by nature they are peculiarly adapted. They are con-
sequently a more polished, but a less liberal or inde-
pendent people than those of Celebes and the Malay
Their in- peninsula. The others have colonised, and speculated ;
the Javans have remained at home, or served for hire,
in the trade of strangers. In ancient times they are
said, indeed, to have cast off swarms of settlers to
Borneo, the Peninsula, Sumatra, and even Celebes ; but
when the Europeans arrived they were possessors of
their own island alone. 3 The ascendancy of a new race
may have broken their national spirit, or perhaps en-
gaged all their vigour in a struggle for independence.
Certain it is that before the Dutch arrived the Javans
are mentioned as carrying on a lucrative commerce,
seeking the spices of the Moluccas, and collecting them
with other products, in great quantities for sale in the
Trade of markets of the Archipelago. 4 The trade of Java with
the various ports of the East is still considerable, and
might be developed with immense advantage. An in-
finite variety of valuable materials are produced, and
the island is admirably situated as the natural emporium
of insular Asia. This had been discovered long before
the Europeans arrived, and vessels from every maritime
state in Asia, from the lied Sea to Japan, visited the
port of Bantam.
1 Earl, Eastern Seas.
2 Ibid. Raffles, History of Java, i. 65.
3 Raffles, History of Java, i. 65.
4 Carlctti, Viaggi ddl" Indie Oricntali, $v. 1 19.
ITS. HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 301
Had the province of Jakatra possessed a more salu- situation of
, , . . . Batavia.
brious climate, no situation could have been better
chosen, as the capital of the Dutch empire, than Batavia.
It was to the East what the Cape of Good Hope then
was to Europe and India. It lay on the great com-
mercial highway between Hindostan, China, and Japan.
It was the halting station between Europe and the re-
motest shores of the further East. It was the centre
of the native trade, and attracted merchants from every
commercial community in insular or continental Asia. 1
It is humiliating to the civilisation of Europe to influence of
confess that the establishment of its influence in Java
broke up this free and thriving commerce. The features
of Dutch policy will display themselves in the progress
of the narrative : one of its results may be indicated
here. The restrictions they long enforced destroyed Mon P oI y-
the native trade. On the south coast, the most minute
writer on the subject 2 describes an extent of upwards
of 600 miles without any places of trade. The greater
part of it, indeed, is difficult of access through the heavy
surf continually rolling in from the Indian Ocean ; but
the western shores of Sumatra are equally exposed to
this inconvenience 3 , and the harbour of Madras is far
less easy of approach. 4 The Indian islanders will enter
a port however the surf may foam and boil, if there
be no cordon of restrictions drawn across its mouth to
prevent them.
If, however, the policy of Holland has depressed, it importance
has not destroyed, the industry of Java. In the useful of Java '
and in the decorative arts, as in agriculture, it ranks
before all the other islands of the Archipelago. In a
1 Adam Smith, Wealth of Nations.
2 Milburn, Oriental Commerce.
3 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 1 1 .
4 Walter Hamilton, Description of Hindostan, ii. 407,
302
Manufac
tures.
great degree, indeed, the natives have wasted their
skill in the erection of temples ! , instead of applying it
to works of public and permanent utility. There was
not, thirty years ago, a stone bridge, or a durable sluice
in Java 2 , though in construction of roads the people
have displayed immense good will and zeal. The manufac-
ture of hides, thatch for houses, furniture, mats, cotton,
and woollen fabrics, dyes, leather, rope, and cord, are
considerably advanced, and no barbarian villages are
more graceful or more neat than those which are scat-
tered amid the rice-fields and sugar plantations of
Java. 3 The profession of the smith, like that of the
husbandman, is held in estimation. In the working of
metals, from the manufacture of a kriss to that of a
copper pan, the Javans excel. Gold and silver are in-
geniously wrought, diamonds cut, wood carved, with
taste and ability. Paper making, sugar boiling, timber
felling, pearl and other fishing, with the manufacture of
salt, form so many divisions of native industry.
The arts never flourish in a thinly peopled country.
Java has at all times been comparatively populous. 4
Recently an extraordinary increase has occurred.
Thirty years ago it was under five millions 5 , but had
Population, been stated in England as one. 6 It is now, according
to one authority, above 10,000,000 7 , standing in 1845
1 But these were of splendid structure. Raffles, Memoirs, i. 221 .
2 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, i. 174.
3 Raffles, History of Java. Crawfurd, History of Indian Ar-
chipelago.
4 The pure and beautiful architecture of Java far excels the
uncouth and grotesque style of Southern India. Raffles, Memoirs,
i. 148.
5 Raffles, History of Java, i. 73.
6 Colquhoun, Statistics of Great Britain.
7 Bleeker, Tidschrift von Neerlands Indie, trans, in Journal
of the Indian Archipelago.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 303
and 1846, 9,442,045; or, by another account, 9,560,380.'
If these be true, and the historian of 1820 was exact,
that writer's observation, though generally correct, was
inapplicable to Java, that, wherever in those seas a
Dutch influence has prevailed, depopulation has fol-
lowed. When he wrote, however, the stricture may
have been just. The ruins of temples, indeed, are not Ruins,
the only ruins on the island. One of the largest cities
in Java, at Japara, was observed an utter wreck by an
able and well-informed traveller in 1832. 2 Woods and
wildernesses to this day occupy parts of an island whose
resources are equal to the support of an immense popu-
lation. 3
The Javans are rather below the middle size, well Physical
made, slender, with small wrists and ankles. In most
particulars they allow nature her free development.
But the barbarous practice of confining the waist by
pressure, with the still more unnatural whim of flatten-
ing the woman's bosom by tight bands drawn across it,
has been adopted. The hue of virgin gold is their
acme of beauty in complexion. 4 The men are better
looking than the women. Indeed they are said to be
beautifully formed, engaging in their manners and
graceful in their deportment ; while the females, deli- Women.
cately limbed, with bones and skulls of singularly fine
construction 5 , have degenerated in their persons from
labouring and bearing burdens in the heat. 6 The con-
1 Spenser St. John, Journal of Indian Archipelago.
2 Earl, Eastern Seas, 44.
3 Jonathan Rigg, Tour in Java, 1. I. A. iii. 85.
4 Earl, Eastern Seas, 58. Albinos are well-known in Java.
Prichard, Researches, i. 223. Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, i. 23
5 Vrolikh, Considerations sur les Diversites de Differentcs Races
Humaines. Prichard, i. 328.
6 Raffles, History of Java, i. 67.
304 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
dition of women, it is an indisputable truth, affects
their form and features. An ill-fed, overburdened
people is never beautiful. Much of a nation's civilisa-
tion may be learned from the appearance of its women.
Moral cha- The character of the Javanese can scarcely be drawn
with exactitude, since accounts of them are so various.
From a comparison of various views, we may neverthe-
less estimate it, with an approach to fidelity. They
appear to be an acute, ingenious people, susceptible of a
fine polish, fond of the elegan-t arts, addicted to gay
pleasures, yet sober l , credulous, vain, and reverential to
authority. 2 They are bound to their traditions, but
easily led where these are not concerned. 3 Many ac-
counts agree in representing them as a faithless race,
observing a treaty only until they enjoy an opportunity
to break it. 4 Their vanity, vindictiveness 5 , and treachery,
were noticed by early writers 6 , and to lie was reported
honourable among them 7 , though these arts were usually
employed against strangers. But this is denied. 8 The
character of the humbler is superior to that of the higher
orders, corrupted by congregation in cities, the influence
of native courts 9 , and, formerly, by the example of the
Dutch. 10 While there is a conflict of opinions with re-
spect to their feelings towards women, it being said, on
the one hand, that they are distinguished by an apathy
natural to their constitution n , and, on the other, that
I Stavorinus, Voyages, 743.
8 Raffles, History of Java, i. 272.
3 Temminck, Coup d"CEilsurlcs Possessions Necrlandaises, i. 290.
4 Homo, Sketches of Man.
5 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, i. 65.
6 Ban-os, Decades of Asia. 7 Hcylyn, Cosmography, 920.
8 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, i. 72.
9 Raffles, History of Java, i. 282. 10 Tavernicr, iii. :5.>s.
II Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, i. 42.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 305
they arc fiercely jealous and inflammable l , it is cer-
tain large classes of them are to the last degree im-
moral. Their code of ethics is indeed good, but their
practice is the reverse. 8
The immorality of Java may, indeed, have long immorality,
checked the increase of its population. It produced
hideous diseases, introduced probably by Europeans,
which were once known as the Portuguese disease 3 , or,
among the Javans, the royal distemper, possibly from
being common in palaces. 4 Polygamy can be indulged Polygamy,
in only by the wealthy, but the intercourse of the sexes
is exceedingly loose. Among the lower classes the
nuptial ceremony is rarely performed, and cohabitation
forms of itself no bond, since women are frequently
seen living with their fourth or fifth partner, without
any great degree of scandal. 5 The result is an odious
prevalence of immorality, which can only be remedied
by the introduction among them of a new civilisation. 6
Their virtuous qualities, however, are not to be for- virtues,
gotten in our reprobation of their vices. 7 It is well for
the Dutch 8 to describe them as an idle race 9 , who de-
stroyed all the objects of their industry 10 ; but they are
not generally indolent, and few nations savage or civil-
ised have accomplished so much under the weight of
a similar despotism. The little stores they amass they
1 Raffles, History of Java, I 278.
2 For the notices of the old travellers see Nieuhoff, 315. 319. ;
Linschotten, 20. ; Le Brun, ii. 197.
3 Pigafetta, Voyage, 215, 216. 4 Crawfurd, i. 33.
5 Earl, Eastern Seas.
6 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, i. 78, 79,
7 They are not ill-described by Barros, iv. i. 76, 77.
8 Domick, Report, 1812.
9 Temminck, Coup cTCEil sur les Possessions Ncerlanrlaises, i. 290.
10 Raffles, History of Java, i. 284.
VOL. I. X
306 THE INDIAN AHCIIirELAGO,
distribute with a- generous hand to those who need
and claim their aid. 1 Civilisation, indeed, may in many
respects render superfluous this liberal practice of hos-
pitality to strangers ; but it is lamentable that the love
of gain should ever destroy it altogether. While the
barbarians of Java were exercising a hospitality like
that of the Arabs, the commercial spirit, universal in
Holland, so completely absorbed all others, that no office
was performed without payment. 2 In Java an old
English voyager remarked, that the natives supplied
them far more generously and courteously than the
Dutch. 3 Among themselves, indeed, a similar courtesy
is prevalent ; and while in the capital of the British em-
pire men bandy the vilest and most opprobrious epi-
thets, the half savage inhabitant of Java never applies
to his antagonist a harsher term than buffalo ! or goat ! 4
Among other of their characteristics, the love of living,
or still more of dying, at home is remarkable. 5
To complete the sketch of Javanese character one
trait is essential. Though a courageous people, who
form an exception to the axiom of the historian Hero-
dotus, that it is not given by the gods to any country
to produce rich crops and warlike men G , they have dis-
tinguished themselves by the basest worship of princes.
Canine Rebellions, indeed, are sufficiently numerous in their
loyally. annals, but only to exchange one despot for another,
each with a right recognised as only not divine. They
absolutely mimicked the beasts of the fields 7 , and en-
1 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, \, 53.
2 Montesquieu, Esprit dcs Loix, xx. 2.
3 Becckinan, Voyage to Borneo.
4 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, i. 52.
5 Tcmuiinck, Coup tC(Eil surles Possessions Neerlundaiscs, 5. 290.
c There arc many facts which, at least, give a colour to this
theory.
7 See Hamilton, New Account, ii. 72.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 307
joined in their moral law a, canine servility perfectly
revolting to human nature. 1 To kneel on their bare
knees, to crawl in the attitude of brutes, and speak
with grovelling tongues, was a part of their ethical
code. 2 No people can be compared to them better
than the polished slaves of Spain and the serfs of Sar-
dinia 3 in the feudal age. Their language has in conse-
quence been degraded by a copious vocabulary of the
terms of adulation, such as it is difficult to imagine
the lips of a man pronouncing. 4 Perhaps this is the
only characteristic in which human nature has degene-
rated below the nature of the horse and pig.
Otherwise, the language of Java is the most full and Language
polished in the Archipelago. 5 It has been enriched and
modified by numerous infusions from other countries. 6
In the literature of the island, its history, romance, and
poetry, there is much that is curious, and no little to
admire. If this be the mirror of civilisation, all who
are interested in the social progress of the world will
acknowledge the debt due to Sir Stamford Raffles, John
Crawfurd, and J. R. Logan, for their investigations,
which have been pursued with infinite philosophy,
industry, and patience.
The religious history of Java, curious as it is, does Religion.
not enter within the scope of our present task. Far as
our knowledge extends, it finds the Hindu faith para-
1 Raffles, History of Java, i. 273.
2 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, i. 99.
3 See Tynclalle, Sardinia, iii. 278. Compare with the Chinacida
of Syria, Montaigne, Essais, b. xi. c. xii. p. 168.
4 Lebrun (ii. 109.) gives a good account of a Javan court, with
its effeminate and licentious king.
* Crawfurd, History of the Indian Archipelago, ii. 1.
6 Temminck, Coup d'OSilsur les Possessions Necrlandaises, i. 298.
According to Raffles, the higher language of Java is entirely
Sanscrit. Memoirs, i. 265.
x 2
308
of Hindus.
mount, though whether, or at what time, the Buddhists
were rivals of the Bhramans, no inquiry has hitherto
rendered clear. That they existed is proved beyond
doubt, by the numberless monuments which still remain
Mohamme- o f their piety and skill. Before the arrival of Euro-
tianapo?tles. ,, . , . . . , i i A
peans in the Archipelago, Arab missionaries brought
their creed to Java, and propagated it with cautious,
but unremitting, zeal. Tombs of their saints have been
discovered bearing date a hundred years before Mojo-
pahit fell (1478). 1 Gradually their influence rose;
from traders and apostles they became conquerors and
Retirement crusaders, armed rivals of the Indian priesthood. The
old system fell before the new, and, at length, a solitary
tribe among the Tenghar hills, dwelling after a singular
fashion, represented alone the ancient idolatry of Java. 2
They were an innocent, simple people, without criminal
laws, because almost without crime, forming, with
the inhabitants of Bali, the last followers of the Hindu
religion in the Archipelago.
To the aspect of Java, the traces and relics of the
Hindu faith, which abound in all its provinces, lend
singular touches of beauty. 3 The thousand temples of
Borobodo, though shattered by time, and blemished by
neglect ; the countless places of worship, the pillars,
caves, images, and sacred tombs, which everywhere at-
tract the traveller's eye, are among the ornaments of
t\\o country. 4 They are indeed ruined, wrapped in
Ancient
temples.
1 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, ii. 214. The head-
dresses of some hermits (Raffles, History, ii. 10.) are exactly similar
to those on some of the figures at Elephanta. Pollier, i. 90. Dalton
maintains that even in Borneo remains of Hindu temples and
pagodas are found. Asiatic Researches, n. s. vii. 153.
s Raffles, Address to Batavian Society, Life, ii. 443.
3 Rigg, Tour of Java. Journal of Indian Archipelago, iii. 80.
* Temminck, Coup d'GEi\ sur Vlnde Archipeliigique i. 5.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 309
moss, and obscured by the wildernesses in which they
stand. Trees grow upon the solid old walls, weeds and
rubbish choke the consecrated wells ; but there is still
in them the charm of an association with antiquity.
The mutilation of these structures may be attributed, in
many cases, to the image-breakers of the Prophet's
faith. Time does not shatter ; it rubs to dust ; and now
that the iconoclastic zeal is no longer active in Java,
they may be expected long to exist as the memorials of
the Hindu empire. Those who put faith in the desti-
nies of the Revealed Religion must believe that the
worship of Buddha, Brahma, and Mohammed will one
day be succeeded by Christianity. When, however, Architec-
those three creeds have disappeared, the works of jj"^,]^ am i
their votaries will remain ; for one thing is due to the Mosiims.
Plindu and the Muslim they erect their temples as
though with an idea of the eternal duration of their
faith. We, for the most part, build our churches as
though the necessity for their use would perish with a
few generations. When the historian of the future, Value of
after twenty centuries of time, looks back for memorial rums>
ruins, he will find no works like the pyramids, or
the rock temples of Elephanta, as the records of our
civilisation. It may be that two poetical conceits en-
courage to this neglect. Printing may have rendered
unnecessary these monuments. We inscribe our actions
on a million scattered leaves which descend to posterity,
and are reproduced with every age, instead of leaving
them engraven on walls of hewn granite, or colossal
pillars of marble. Perhaps, also, the vanity of our
civilisation may deny the possible advent of a time
when men will look back to this as a period of igno-
rance and gloom. Of Christianity the prophecy is fair,
for truth is imperishable ; but of institutions and forms.
x 3
310
TUE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Political di-
visions of
Java.
Empire of
Mataram.
Muslim
mission-
aries.
Parallel
with Euro-
peans.
of power, what one of them will last and require no
record to carry down even the idea of its existence, to
instruct or warn the future generations of mankind ?
When the Dutch arrived, Java was divided into
numerous petty sovereignties, acknowledging the su-
premacy of two superior states *, Pajang on the south,
and Demah on the north. 2 The empire of Mataram
had also risen, and the island was drenched in blood by
the struggle between these rival princes. The new
monarchy, founded on crimes, which no malignity could
exaggerate, was gradually overthrowing the pretensions
of the other, and aspiring to spread its conquests over
every province of Java. 3 The Mohammedan faith was
almost universally acknowledged; but its laws were
never rigidly obeyed. There appeared, therefore, an
open field for the European conqueror and for the
Christian apostle. While, however, the one was speedily
established on a ground of operation, the exertions of
the other were few, feeble, and almost without reward.
The reason is easily discovered. The missionaries of
the Koran conciliated the natives, acquired their lan-
guage, adopted their manners, assumed their costume,
intermarried with them, shared their interests, and be-
came part of their society. The Europeans, on the
other hand, displayed violence, rapacity, pride, and un-
principled disregard of the natural rights enjoyed by
the people. 4 The Mohammedan is faithful to his re-
ligion, which indeed admits an element of Christianity.
He has preached it with success, because he has breathed
1 One, according to Raffles, Hist. i. 8. ; but if supremacy was
claimed by one, it was disputed by another.
2 Temminck, Covp cTCEil sur Vlnfle Archipclagirjitc, i. 16.
3 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, ii. 340.
4 Ibid. 417.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 311
the spirit, and worn the manners, of sincerity. Nor
can we regret his success; for he has never replaced a
purer system by his own, a better by a worse ', but has
at least aided in the spiritual elevation of the human
race, by reclaiming millions from a brutal uncouth
idolatry to an acknowledgment of one God, though of
strange attributes ; of a heaven, though sensual and
material ; and of a social law, though indeed one that
is at variance with the sentiments and the ideas of our
civilisation.
Before the dominion of Holland was founded, many Javajiese
Javans made the pilgrimage to Mecca, and even great to M CC ca.
chiefs journeyed to Arabia, to pay their vows at
the Prophet's tomb. But when Dutch influence was
established, these voyages were checked. The man
who had worshipped at the holy shrine of Islam was
invested by his countrymen with attributes of a supe-
rior order ; and his authority, antagonistic to that of
the Europeans, was regarded by them with aversion
and envy. Consequently, by all the means in their
power, they sought to close the road to Mecca. Nor
was it an extraordinary policy. The efforts of these
travellers was constantly directed to foment rebellion
and discontent ; to rouse the national feelings of the
people, and inspire them with a pride of independence
which would fret under the supremacy of men belong-
ing to a foreign race, and possessing a strange religion.
Consequently, while it was natural for the Javans to
visit Mecca, to desire the free occupation of their o\v n
country, to conspire and plot against its invaders, it
was also natural for the Dutch to repress these tenden-
cies, and secure themselves in their infant empire.
i Thomas Curlyle.
x t
312 THE INDIAN AKCI1IPELAGO,
From this period, their history in the Archipelago is
that of conquest. They wore various characters as
they proceeded, encountered some checks, and created
not a few obstacles by their own choice of policy ; but
their career was nevertheless brilliant, rapid, and acce-
lerated as much by their vigorous abilities as by their
ambition.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 313
CHAPTER XII.
IN the year following the reduction of Jakatra and the Treaty i>e-
founding of Batavia, the Dutch sealed a convention j^^ an e d
with the English East India Company. They agreed English.
to peace, and proposed the joint conquest of the Banda
group. Our countrymen declined. Their open plea
was want of resources ; but the secret ground of refusal
probably was the idea that a joint enterprise, under-
taken by rivals, is the sure precursor of a quarrel.
With this conviction in their minds, the English held
back from the adventure. They are charged with sup- Negotia-
plying arms to the islanders, and exhorting them to
resist the aggressions of Holland. The assertion must
OO
remain uncontradicted, for there is no evidence to dis-
prove, as there is none to establish, the fact. At any
rate the Dutch were not deterred from the enterprise.
On the 8th of March, 1621, seventeen companies of A. D. 1621.
troops were landed on Banda. A line of batteries, for-
midable in appearance but poorly served, threatened
them, and they refrained from advancing within range
of the guns. The slopes of the central mountain
swarmed with enemies, and the invaders were driven to
their boats.
The natives were successful in two or three struggles, conquest of
but the superior resources of the Europeans overcame
their opposition. Banda was captured. Some of the
inhabitants submitted; others fled into the interior; and
though the group was occupied in the name of the
United Netherlands, several provinces were maintained
314 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
in virtual independence by the fiery spirit of the people.
Among the most resolute of the tribes were those of
Loitar, who entrenched themselves in their wild re-
treats, and there defended their little relic of liberty,
until hunger broke their determination, and they sur-
rendered to the number of eight hundred. This band
of prisoners was transported to Batavia. l
Eager always to extend their own influence, they were
still more impatient whenever there appeared, in any
state of Europe, signs of a desire to share the advan-
tages of Eastern trade. The spirit of enterprise had
gradually spread through Christendom, and the French
revived their ambition of securing a place among the
French a-- eminent powers of the Archipalego. In 1621 they
Archipe- * ma( ^ c their appearance under General Beaulieu, who
lago- brought from the king of France letters and rich gifts
to the king of Achin. That prince was gratified, but
not contented, by these attentions. All his craft was
employed to obtain more presents. In the narrative of
Beaulieu's expedition we find that many obstacles were
thrown across his path, and much extortion was prac-
tised before he was able to negotiate for trade. We
may perhaps, however, understand this extortion, in the
sense of the day, as a refusal of the natives to exchange
for trash the costly products, especially the pepper, of
their country.
The course pursued by the Dutch had produced a
feeling of distrust among the Achinese. They feared
now to tempt strangers by a description of the valuable
commodities afforded in their country, and insinuated
that the pepper plantations in the kingdom had been
destroyed, to make way for a humble, though a more
profitable, culture of the soil. They also frankly st-itcd
1 Crawfurd, ii. 438.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 315
they had no desire to trade with Europeans, lest A chin
should be ruined by the same fate that fell on Bantam
and Jakatra.
The confession made to the French relative ito the
pepper cultivation, explains the expulsion of the English
and Dutch from Priaman and Tico, the chief depots of
that valuable product. Even while they remained, the Failure of
king's suspicion was so deep, that the governors of these
towns were changed every third year, in order that no
community of interest should grow up between them and
the strangers. Long intercourse might lead to a dan-
gerous alliance. At Padang also, whither the authority
of Achin now extended, the Dutch were expelled.
Encountered by these obstacles, General Beaulieu's
mission was a simple failure. His countryman accom-
plished nothing in the Archipelago. 1
An universal, but unsuccessful, revolt among the Revolt in
Philippines, shows that at this period the Spanish rule
in that group was hateful to the native race. It was
too firmly established, however, to be easily over-
thrown/and the inflamed spirit of the people, quenched
in blood, once more sank under the power it sought to
destroy. The first century of Spanish history in the
further East was brought to a close. The date is
marked by a tragic and romantic incident, which,
though not essential to the political narrative, may be
noticed as an illustration of the manners of the Spa-
niards in their Indian settlements. Taxardo, governor Anecdote of
of Manilla, whose administration was vigorous and not Spamsh
manners.
unsuccessful, married a Spanish woman of extraordinary
beauty, and belonging to a noble family. She was
faithless to him. He discovered her infidelity, watched
her to a house where infamous meetings took place,
1 Marsdcn, History of Sumatra, 36.
316
Enterprise
in Borneo.
Pirate
voyages.
surprised her, bade her pray and confess her sins, and
then, with his own hands, buried a dagger in her breast.
Two years afterwards he died of melancholy, and at
his request was buried in the Augustine chapel of
Manilla, by the side of his wife. 1
Peter de Charpentier, the fourth Dutch governor-
general, was unfortunate in the auspices of his adminis-
tration. The factory at Succadana was suppressed, as
to hold it was too dangerous, and to relinquish it was
no reason against future enterprises. 2 The introduction,
indeed, of any European influence in Borneo would
then have been a blessing on the people. The condition
of the island was melancholy beyond conception.
Broken into numerous states, governed by wretched
despots, as rapacious as they were cruel, it was deso-
lated by ceaseless wars. The wealth of its diamond
mines, the rumoured abundance of bezoar stones, then
supposed to be a mineral, led to constant struggles.
Armed prahus, manned under the authority of the pirate
kings, continually ravaged the coasts, plundering the
maritime towns and villages, wasting the river borders,
or blockading their mouths, and cutting off or carrying
into slavery all who were not powerful enough to pro-
tect themselves. As a consequence of this unhappy
anarchy, freebooting confederations were formed, and
Borneo was the theatre of a war, in which to remain
neutral was to be a victim. Whatever, therefore, was
the character of the Dutch government, it could scarcely
have failed in bringing a fortunate change to the tribes
of Borneo, had chance placed them under its sway.
Whenever the historian, admiring the rugged vigour
of Dutch policy in the Archipelago, indulges in a f'a-
1 Spanish Colonial History, Chin. Rep. vii. 477.
Lcyden, Sketch of liurtico, '25.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 317
vourable view of their share in its affairs, he is recalled
to the old channel by some act which no exigency could
excuse. It is now necessary to dwell upon transactions
over which humanity would draw a veil. They have
been variously described; but it is impossible to palliate
them, though an English historian has not been wanting
to attempt the task. The same writer found a conge-
nial occupation for his pen in excusing the villanies
practised against the English in the Black Hole of
Calcutta. 1
In the treaty between England and Holland, stipula-
tions were made for mutual aid and defence. Their
animosity was nevertheless more bitter, if possible, than
before. Our countrymen, as the weak, were probably,
in most cases, the aggrieved party. They complained
that their Company was loaded with the expense, while
the Dutch monopolised the conduct and the profits of
the joint articles of the treaty. They made strong re-
presentations of the cruelty practised against the islanders
of Banda. In reply, they were accused of intriguing
with the Portuguese 2 ; but whether this was or was
not true, history will never cease to condemn the re-
venge which was wreaked upon them. 3
In February, 1623, Captain Towerson, nine other -*.D. 1623.
^Englishmen, nine Japanese, and one Portuguese sailor 4 , Amboyna.
accused of a conspiracy against the Dutch in Amboyna,
were seized, put on a mock trial, subjected to fearful
tortures, condemned, and put to death, in violation of
all law, all honour, and all justice. The confession
wrung from their lips when their limbs were on the
rack was false. When they approached the hour of
execution, and stood on the verge of eternity, they re-
1 Mill, History of British India, iii. 166.
2 Anderson, History of Commerce. Macpherson's Annals, ii. 305.
3 Crawfurd, ii. 439. 4 Mill, History of British India, i. 52.
318 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
pented, and recanted the excusable lie. 1 It is no pal-
liation of this atrocity to contend, that torture was then,
among the Dutch, a legal instrument in the hands of
justice. 2 Nor is it of any better avail to charge the
English with similar deeds. No such charges are
proved 3 ; and had they been true, one vile act does not
extenuate another. Even by the historians of Holland,
the injustice and impolicy of the proceeding is ad-
mitted. 4 Whether any plot ever existed is more than
doubtful. No evidence of it was ever discovered ; no
criminatory papers nothing but a confession extorted
by agony from two soldiers in the Dutch service. Not
more than twenty Englishmen were on the island, while
the Dutch had 300 in the fort, and several garrisons in
Apology the neighbourhood. The English had no arms or ammu-
nition, and not a single ship ; while the Dutch were plen-
tifully supplied, and had eight vessels close at hand. 5 It
may, indeed, be possible that our countrymen had con-
cocted some wild scheme with the Javanese troops 6 ; but
no offence of theirs could justify the punishment inflicted.
In Java, when news of the transaction arrived, the
English president and council prepared a representa-
tion to the Court of Directors at home, declaring a
commercial union with the Dutch impossible, and call-
ing for the protection of a squadron in the Archipelago. 7
Kagc of the In England, intelligence of the catastrophe awakened
English. the gpj r it o f the entire people ; but their pusillanimous
king was content to sleep in his palace after a pitiful
affectation of anger. The whole press teemed with
1 Thornton, State and Prospects of India, 12.
2 Mill, History of British India, i. 54.
3 Wilson, Notes to Mill, i. 55.
4 Vie des Gouverneurs Ilollondais. Hist. Gen. dcs Voyages, xvii. 33.
5 Thornton, Slate and Prospects of India, 12.
c Wilson, Notes to Mill, i. 55.
7 Will, History of British India, i. 56.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 319
publications representing the English in Amboyna,
stretched on the rack in convulsions, and expiring under
the pangs of torture. 1 Memorials and petitions thick-
ened upon the government. 2 The horrid scene was long
afterwards mimicked on the stage 3 , and the popular
fury rose to such a height, that the Dutch merchants
in London applied to the Privy Council for protection.
The directors, called upon to answer these complaints,
denied a part, and confessed some of the share they had
in encouraging the outcry. 4 It was too universal for
them to apprehend anything from the acknowledgment.
Petitions, with thousands of signatures, ppured in on Demand for
all sides upon the king. 6 An inquiry was opened. Its *
report still further inflamed the public mind. Reprisals
were demanded ; but when the Dutch government, in
answer to representations from this country, offered
the English leave to quit their settlements free of the
usual duties, and build forts at not less distance than
thirty miles from their own, declared their own right
to administer the law as they pleased, and contended
for their exclusive privilege to the Spice Islands, James Apathy of
was content and the matter rested. 6 The Company
accepted a part of the proposal, murmured at the rest,
but was unable to achieve anything in redress of the
English interests dishonoured at Amboyna. Holland
escaped the retaliation which might have been expected
to fall upon her. James had spent vast sums of money
on the navy, and hewn down immense quantities of
timber to launch new ships ; so that, as he represented
1 Relation of the Cruelties of the Dutch at Amboyna, 12rao. 1665.
Second part, 1673. In British Museum.
2 Mill, History of British India, i. 56.
3 Dryden, Tragedy of Amboyna. Scott condemns this play.
4 East India Papers, in State Paper Office, qu. Mill, i. 57.
5 Barchou de Penlioen, Empire Anglais dans VInde.
6 Bruce, Annals of East India Company, i. 258.
320
War be-
tween the
Spaniards
and Dutch.
A. D. 1625.
Colony in
Formosa.
A. i). 1G26.
A. D. 1627.
Second ad-
ministra-
tion of
Koen.
to the Commons l , our maritime force was in a better
condition than it ever yet had been. It is singular to
find, in an historian usually very exact, that the English
people submitted almost without a murmur to the
atrocious proceedings of the Dutch in Amboyna. 2 Our
national library contains evidence of the popular fury 3
awakened ; but the Tory writer probably committed
the common Tory error of confounding the English
government with the English people.
Spared the effects of the fiery rage which their con-
duct had excited in England, the Dutch continued to
pursue their career in the Archipelago, carrying on war
against the Spaniards, and attacking them in their own
settlements among the Philippines. 4 They resisted the
effort, and established a new colony in Formosa, where
the people received them with welcome, and readily
listened to the preaching of their friars. An expedition
was also equipped to retaliate upon the Dutch, and
harass their commerce. At Siam, where they enjoyed
the king's favour, a number of junks were destroyed 5 ,
and the Siamese mission on its way to China was
captured.
The influence of Holland was, however, too firmly
established to be effectually shaken by such a power as
Spain. In 1627, Koen was again created governor-
general, and his vigour at once gave an impulse to the
Company's policy. His arrival in Batavia spread great
alarm among the native princes, who still held to the
hope of driving away for ever the strangers in their
country. The lustre of the infant power in Java was,
1 Parliamentary History, vi. p. 94.
2 Hume, History of England.
3 The Amboyna Massacre; Relation of the Cruelties of the
Dutch at Amboyna, London, 12mo. two parts.
Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 41.
Ibid.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 321
however, brightening with every year of its existence.
All the Indian princes were astonished by its growth.
They looked with wonder and fear upon the rising light
of the new city, which threatened to eclipse in wealth
and splendour the capitals of their most ancient king-
doms. The emperor of Mataram especially beheld in
it a rival to be destroyed, or one day acknowledged
supreme.
While, therefore, the Spaniards and the Dutch were A - D - 1628<
. . -11 i Designs of
involved in transactions with the other native powers, the Mata-
the Sultan of Mataram fourth of the dynasty con- ram cm ~
. peror.
ceived the project of ridding Java of its invaders. He
designed the conquest of the western provinces, and
sent a mission to Batavia, requiring aid in the under-
taking. The Dutch refused, influenced by a politic
fear of his power.
Furnished with a cause of quarrel, the sultan put an First siege
army into the field, and, towards the end of August,
despatched it to lay siege, for the first time, to Batavia.
His forces invested the city, after a fruitless attempt to
take it by surprise. They trusted for success to their
numbers. Rude stratagems were employed to seduce
the besieged into danger. Fifty war prahus with 600
picked warriors descended the coast, an4 professed to
bring the garrison a supply of cattle for sale. They
were received with a welcome from the batteries, which
was the signal for open war. To defend Batavia from
its host of enemies, exaggerated by the native chronicles
to 100,000 men, the Dutch had but a handful of troops,
with some Chinese, and a few brave soldiers from Japan,
always in the front of battle and last in the retreat. 1
They sallied upon the besiegers. A desperate conflict
took place, and the Javanese army was at length driven
,J l Crawfurd, ii. 419.
VOL. I. Y
322 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
far from the walls. Arrived upon an open plain, they
rallied to the attack and pressed the forlorn hope of the
Dutch within their gates.
Elated with their success, and confident in their in-
creasing numbers, they again attempted a storm. It
was made by night. Vast crowds rushed towards a
redoubt, where the garrison, with close and rapid volleys,
held them in check, until the masses of the enemy be-
came almost overwhelming. The soldiers retreated,
fighting inch by inch, and were gradually becoming
faint and dispirited, when one cried out, " It never shall
be said that these naked villains overcame men so well
clothed as ourselves. I know well what to do." His
comrades renewed the battle, while he fetched a pot full
of indescribable filth and poured it over the bare bodies
of the assailants. The stroke of steel was not so ter-
rible to these half Muslim, half heathen islanders, in
their dread of defilement, as contact with an unclean
substance. They retreated ; and the soldiers, each arm-
ing himself with a vessel, flooded them from the sinks
of Batavia, until they fled in confusion, crying out
that the Hollanders were devils, who used their infernal
filth in war.
Reinforcements at this juncture arrived to the
Dutch. The Javanese gave up their enterprise. They
set fire to the camp, and were soon on the retreat.
A body of troops followed and routed them with
great slaughter on the plain near Batavia, dispirited
and hopeless, thinned by famine, sickness, and the edge
of the sword, to a tenth of their original number. 1 The
broken host took the road to Mataram, and the Dutch
were delivered from their first great peril.
Fury of the The sultan was furious at the ill-success of his cx-
sultan.
1 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, i. 239. 418.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 323
pcdition. His army had pursued the siege with credit-
able valour, and their commander, as a barbarian, had
shown no want of skill. Yet the failure was imputed
as a crime, and visited by a heavy punishment, which
curiously illustrates the civilisation of a Javan state at
that period. The spirit of despotism here displays
itself in its clearest colour and proportion. When on Military ex-
its retreat from Batavia, the Mataram army, was en- e
camped by the way, public executioners arrived from
the sultan, and put to death the chief commanders, of
whom one bore a severe Avound to reproach his master's
cruelty. They, however, had acted a similar part, and
left 754 dead bodies, headless or pierced with stabs and
otherwise mutilated, for their ill-success at the storming
of Batavia. 1 Kings have adopted many singular de-
vices to insure the loyalty of their people ; but the
Sultan of Mataram here gave an original example, not
unaptly imitated in the Austrian military code of the
nineteenth century.
While he had men to command, the ambitious prince Prepara-
was resolved to carry on a war against the Dutch. No ! e "nd r *
task was easier than the creation of a large force in his siege.
country, where every man bore arms for his personal
defence, and was continually ready for war. A mandate
was issued to the governors of provinces ; these trans-
mitted them to the heads of villages, who chose from the
peasants men to recruit the broken ranks of the army.
Driven from the cultivation of the soil, a mass of un-
willing valour, the armed slaves, without discipline or
zeal, went to the conflict excited only by the opposition
of the enemy. Some battalions of regular guards, how-
ever, were posted in front of the heavy intractable host,
the organization of which occupied less than a year. A. D . 1629.
1 Crawford, History of Indian Archipelago, i. 236.
T 2
324 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
It is said to have consisted of 120,000 men. The cam-
paign was immediately opened. The army descended to
Jakatra, and made three terrific assaults upon Batavia.
Each time it was driven back with great slaughter.
New defeat The defenders were steady to their duty. The zeal of
nese. C " the Chinese, the solid courage of the Hollanders, and
the fiery valour of the Japanese, stood unbroken before
the vast columns that rushed upon them with reckless
determination. A constant vigilance, and a bravery
which never slackened, gave the enemy no chance of a
surprise. Every conflict sent the Javanese routed to
their camp. The waste of blood was immense. 1 At
length, loss in battle, famine, desertion, and wholesale
executions reduced the besieged to half their original
force. The sultan then recalled his army. Its second
failure was accompanied by a second bloody visitation
upon the defeated troops. The Dutch found in the
deserted encampment 800 carcases, gashed with in-
numerable wounds, laid out in rank and file in the
attitude and on the spot where they had died to expiate
their inferiority in the art of war. 2
Native war- One aid to the Dutch in their defence of Batavia was
the fact that no system of commissariat was adopted in
these campaigns. The Javan king allowed the war to
snpport itself. Each man brought at his own expense
a small stock of provisions ; but the country was laid
under contribution for the rest. The Javans, in times
of necessity, indeed, are examples of abstinence ; and
have subsisted, after the utter desolation of a district,
on wild roots, the tender young leaves of forest plants
and trees, enduring every privation and hardship to
satisfy their king's ambition. 3 To be grateful, ho\v-
1 Raffles, Hist. Java, ii. 170.
* Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipdtigo, \. 236. 3 Ibid.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 325
ever, does not belong to the prerogative at least of
Asiatic princes. The noxious climate of the province
was another ally of the Dutch against the armies of
Mataram. Their fortifications, roughly built of coral,
were more formidable in appearance than in reality. 1
Able to defend their city, the Dutch were unequal A. D.I 633.
to the chastisement of their enemy ; and it was not
until 1633 that they entered on any design against
him. An embassy was then sent to Bali, claiming as-
sistance from the king of that island against the prince
of Mataram, whose power was dreaded in all the neigh-
bouring countries. Even this resulted in no immediate A.D. 1634.
action, for the attention of the government was drawn
to Amboyna and the rest of the Spice group, where a
fierce rebellion had broken out, which long continued
to disturb the Dutch authority.
The Portuguese at this time experienced a misfor- A. D.I 635.
tune at Achin, where their minister was imprisoned of the POT!
with all the factors ; an injury which the governor of
Malacca felt himself too weak to revenge. Nor were
the Spaniards without a share of misfortune. They
had, with considerable energy, pursued their interests
among the Philippines, opening new relations with
China, Camboja, and Japan, attempting to punish the
buccaneers of the Sulu group, and effectually resisting
the encroachments of the Dutch. In 1637, they sailed A.D 1637.
from their military capital against Mindanao from
that day to this, a haunt of formidable pirates. An-
other expedition visited the Sulu Sea. These visita-
tions of their anger reminded the buccaneers, from time
to time, that their depredations were offensive to the
European powers. A short fit of havoc, the overthrow Ravages
of a few strongholds, and the dispersion of some armed piracy>
1 Macartney, Embassy to China*
T 3-
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Their atro-
cious cha-
racter.
The Mo-
luccas.
A. n. 1638.
A.D. 1639.
New mia-
sacre in the
Philippines.
bodies, however, was all that could be effected, and
predatory islanders were left to their independence. 1
Had England, Spain, and Holland leagued to destroy
this enemy alike to civilisation, commerce, and nature
itself, not the most sensitive theorist upon the original
liberties of mankind could have censured the achieve-
ment. Ships were plundered, coasts laid waste, villages
burned, towns sacked, men cut to pieces, women and
children torn to slavery by the freebooting hordes
which infested the Sulu group, and the shores of Min-
danao. The old, the sick, and crippled were massacred ;
the peace of innocent communities was broken ; and all
amelioration in the social state of the Archipelago ren-
dered impossible, by swarms of robbers who gave the
name of war to their pillaging adventures.
The Spaniards had not the power, the Dutch had not
always the inclination to become the destroyers of this
system. The Council of Batavia, occupied with other
schemes, directed little notice to the transactions on the
northern borders of the Archipelago. Troubles in the
Moluccas continued to render their possession of the
group uneasy and dangerous. To secure it by fixing
their influence on one of the most important islands in
that sea, they despatched an envoy to Goa and Macassar
in Celebes, where their first treaty with the king was
concluded in 1639. 2
Another horrid scene in the history of Spanish pro-
gress in the Philippines now opens to view. The
massacre of three and twenty thousand Chinese, six and
thirty years before, had not prevented the settlement,
in great numbers, of that enterprising and industrious,
1 Crawfurd, ii. 471.
2 Crawfurd, Hist. Indian Archipelago, ii. 439. (M. Tcmuiinck
dates it at 1637.)
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 327
but unruly people, demoralised by many ages of sla-
very. They had increased again to thirty thousand.
Their rapid multiplication appeared to the governor of
the Philippines to be full of danger. The activity of immigra-
the Dutch squadron in the China Sea failed to prevent Q^^ es ^ e
their continual immigration ; and year after year, squa-
drons of huge junks arrived at Manilla. Their commer-
cial competition was not now to be feared, since they
engaged chiefly in agriculture. The Spaniards feared,'
perhaps, that the portentous crime of 1603 was remem-
bered, and would some time be revenged. Added to Their op-
/ -i t <^ii i i pression.
this, they round in the Chinese active rivals, who occu-
pied the avenues to wealth and influence, with a success
not flattering to the vanity of men who claimed to be
by right, the lords ascendant of all the East. They,
therefore, oppressed them, used every occasion to humi-
liate them ; laid restrictions on their industry ; sought,
indeed, to make of them a Pariah caste; and accumu-
lated in their treatment all that could insult and ag-
grieve them. There is a point where the most servile
will refuse to suffer. Possibly the Chinese were delibe-
rately driven to despair, that their insurrection might
justify a massacre.
At any rate a few of their number, galled by their Revolt,
wrongs, revolted and a general rising took place. In
a moment the Spanish sword was out. 1 The wretched slaughter.
Chinese, without arms or discipline, making only a few
faint efforts at resistance, were slaughtered wholesale ;
driven from place to place, cut to pieces when they
stood at bay, hunted down when they fled. The thirty
thousand were reduced to seven 2 , when they capitu-
lated, having killed only three hundred and fifty of their
executioners. 3 This dark and bloody drama provoked
1 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 41. 2 Crawfurd, ii. 460.
3 Spanish Colonial History, Chin. Rep. vii. 529.
T 4
328
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
A. D. 1640.
Designs of
the Dutch
on Malacca.
A. n. 1641.
The city
acquired.
Their
jealousy of
Spain.
A. D. 1642.
Occupation
of Formosa.
A. . 1643.
Van
Diemen.
no retaliation from China, where domestic troubles con-
sumed all the energies of the imperial government.
The Dutch had long meditated the conquest of Ma-
lacca from the combined powers of Spain and Portugal,
and were preparing for the attempt, when the rise of
the Duke of Braganza to the independent throne of
Portugal separated those kingdoms. The king of
Achin sent twenty-five prahus to assist in the siege. On
nis death, the queen who succeeded refused to lend her
aid ; but the Dutch were resolved to take Malacca, cost
what it might. They established a blockade, and in
five months the city surrendered to their arms. 1 Im-
mediately afterwards they received intelligence that the
crowns of Portugal and Spain were separated, which
was immediately followed by a revolt of all the Portu-
guese colonies from the Spanish authority. 3 Their
great jealousy had been of Spain, once their despotic
master, now their envious rival ; their great desire had
been the conquest of Malacca. When, therefore, the
one had parted from Portugal, and the other been
wrested from her, a cessation of war was agreed to,
and a ten years' truce established in all parts of
Eastern Asia. They next proceeded to occupy the
whole of Formosa, whence they threatened the Philip-
pines, and held Manilla in continual fear.
While these naval and military triumphs extended
their empire in the Archipelago, their governor-general
in Java was employed in consolidating the power thus
established. Van Diemen, at the time of the discovery
of Tasmania, of New Zealand, and the country which
derives its name from him, executed a task of much
labour and great importance. He was among the ablest
1 Crawfnrd, ii. 432.
* SpanisJi Colonial History, Chin. licp. vii. 532.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 329
servants of Holland, in the administration of her Indian
possessions, and projected the compilation of that cele-
brated code known as the Statutes of Batavia. His
predecessors had felt the necessity of some organised
government ; but had never reduced their scheme to a
distinct written formula. They had attempted, indeed,
to frame a plan, to constitute tribunals, and regulate
the mutual relations of the people under their rule. A
vast collection of proclamations, filed in the public ar-
chives, composed their repertory of law ; but Van Die- His code of
men compiled an ample collection of decrees, written in laws-
the native tongue, neatly classified, with short headings,
to which easy reference could be made. 1 On the 5th of statutes of
July, 1642 2 , the Ordinances and Statutes of Batavia Batavhu
were promulgated from the city castle, and by the next
despatch sent home to Holland, where the supreme go-
vernment approved them.
The war with Spain was pursued on a remarkable war with
plan. Before a direct attempt upon the Philippines, Spain j f44
the Dutch sought to establish themselves in the neigh-
bourhood, and attacked the pirate communities of the
Sulu group. The ready valour of the buccaneers re-
pulsed them, and they visited Mindanao with a similar
purpose. There also they met defeat. Eleven ships A. D. 1645.
were then furnished with all the equipage of war, for
the invasion of the Philippines. Powerful as it was, Unsuccess-
the fleet was unable to reduce Manilla. It made a few ^Manilla
ineffectual demonstrations at various points, and re-
treated from the enterprise, leaving the Spaniards loud
in their flourishes of triumph. It was not long before Fugitives
this tone was changed. Salicala, son of the Sulu king, from Sulu<
1 Raffles, History of Java.
2 See Crawfurd, Hist, of Indian Archipelago, where the com-
mencement of this compilation is dated 1643.
330
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Expedition
against
pirates.
Revolt in
the Philip-
pines.
with a horde of Malays from Borneo, suddenly appeart
in the narrow channels of the group, passed along the
shores of various islands, ravaged them, and spread
havoc wherever he landed. 1 He collected much plunder,
with numerous slaves, and bore them away with other
trophies of success, like those which graced the camp
of the French, after their bloody march through the
Kabylie. 2
The Spaniards revenged upon the people of Borneo
all they had suffered from the marauders of Sulu. A
flotilla visited its coast, laid waste the maritime dis-
tricts, destroyed numerous villages, and bore away 200
prisoners as slaves. 3 If the commanders of the expedi-
tion were discriminating, and punished only those com-
munities they knew to be piratical, we can only admit
the propriety of these transactions. There is reason,
however, to fear that little caution was exercised in the
choice of victims, as no inquiries were made into the
actual guilt of those who were punished by the destruc-
tion of their towns and crops.
Misfortunes increased upon the Spaniards. A general
revolt among the Philippines occurred, and was sup-
pressed at a high cost of blood. Such explosions, fre-
quent as they were, broke up the industry of the
people, opened new wounds to afflict them, hardened
their masters in oppression, and when tranquillity was
restored, it was only a truce between enemies. It was
the exhaustion of the rebel forces, and " gave the name
of peace to desolation." 4 A new disaster followed in
the train of this.
It was the evening of Saint Andrew's day. In the
1 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 43.
2 Dawson Borrer, Campaign in the Kabylie, 67.
3 Zuuiga, Historical View of the Philippines, i. 282.
* Algernon Sydney, Discourses on Government.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 331
streets and churches solemn rites had been performed Earthquake
in commemoration of the city's deliverance from the
pirate Limahon. The inhabitants were making ready
for a gay celebration of the event. The squares and
the beach were crowded with revellers gaily dressed,
enjoying the mild air of that happy climate. There
was a blue sky, clear of clouds, and the ocean was
flowing into the immense bay of Manilla, without a wave
upon its surface. Suddenly the waters seemed con-
vulsed by some tremendous movement beneath ; the
river swelled and foamed tumultuously in its bed;
heaven darkened, and the wind rose to a hurricane.
The earth, rending asunder, emitted globular flames of
fire. Land and sea trembled. Shock after shock threw
the city into a mass of ruins. The population, too
terrified to fly, was overwhelmed. Shrieks, half of
fear, half of prayer, rose through the darkness. All
nature seemed in the throes of some strange birth. 1
Superstition, more powerful than ever in times of
danger and distress, added new horrors to the reality
horrible as it was. Great prodigies were declared to
have been witnessed. The statue of Saint Francisco
was seen to weep, to sweat with drops of sorrow, and
for three hours to hold forth its hands in the attitude of
supplication. From that day the saint was entitled
patron of the earthquake, and styled Saint Francis of
Tears. 2
The commotion was violent and prolonged. When its
day broke, Manilla was a wreck. Cathedral, church,
college, convent, and hospital were overthrown ; and
600 victims were dragged from amid the ruins of the
houses. Driven from the city, the people dwelt in the
1 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 44.
- Spanis7i Colonial History, Chin. Hep. vii. 534.
332
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Restoration
of the city.
A. n. 1646.
Fortune of
the Dutch.
Treaty in
Java,
i
til
country, under whatever shelter they could provide,
until time was allowed them to re-erect their dwellings.
Shocks were felt at intervals during sixty days, and all
the islands were shaken more or less.
In raising Manilla from its ruins, numerous precau-
tions were adopted. It was before adorned with lofty
mansions, upon whose terraced roofs and high projecting
galleries the citizens were accustomed to enjoy the air.
These peculiarities disappeared. Terrace and balcony
still were built, but with a more modest elevation, and
no house rose above two stories. Projecting timbers,
ingeniously disposed ; and a solid plan of structure in-
dicated a city in dread of earthquakes. Few of the
disasters which checked their naval or political career
were so portentous as this blow, which fell not only on
the government, but on the merchants, traders of
every class, and, indeed, on the whole population of the
Spanish settlements in Luzon.
Fortune prospered the Dutch, while their rivals were
loaded with disaster. In 1646, Cornelius Vander Lyn,
successor to Van Diemen, acceded to the application of
the Mataram monarch, and sent a mission to his court.
The first written treaty was concluded between the two
powers. Its stipulations were for an armed union for
aggression and defence ; that all prisoners of war
should be liberated ; that the Susunan should be annu-
ally informed of all curiosities arriving from Europe ;
that all priests or other persons he should wish to send
among foreign nations should be conveyed in the com-
pany's ships ; that fraudulent debtors, flying from
justice, should be delivered up ; that the contracting
powers should be brothers in war and peace ; and that
the Susunan's subjects might trade at any place under
the Dutch authority, except Amboyna, Banda, or Tcr-
nate ; while every prahu bound for Malacca, or places
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 333
north of that city, should touch at Batavia, and apply
for passes. 1 These details, if tedious, are necessary to
our purpose, as illustrating the progress of the Dutch
in their commercial relations with the native states of
the Archipelago.
A settlement is said about this period to have been settlement
made by the Dutch in Banjarmassin, on the northern in Borneo -
coast of Borneo ; but it is on doubtful authority, and
Avas certainly neither valuable nor influential. An-
other by the Spaniards, is noticed as being broken up in
this year ; but when it was established is unknown. 2
A reference, from time to time, to the politics of politics of
Europe is necessary, to throw light on the relations Eur P c -
which existed between the rival powers in the Archi-
pelago. The Thirty years' war, now terminated, was
followed by others as fierce and bloody in proportion.
England and Holland, though naturally united by a
common religion and common liberties, were shaking
the world with the mighty battles of Blake and Tromp. 3
Portugal was defending against Spain the House it
had re-erected, though never restored to its ancient
splendour. 4 Spain, the great stronghold of Romish
superstition, was hurrying down the slope of her long
decline ; and England, under the policy of Cromwell,
was rising to a power and reputation unapproached at
any earlier period of her history. 5 The humiliation she Cromwell,
had suffered under the first James and the first Charles,
was atoned by the courage and vigour of the great Pro-
tector, whose councils moved her conduct. The same
hand that had shattered the pretensions of Divine right,
and beheaded one of the worst criminals known to
1 Raffles, History of Java, ii. 172.
' J. R. Logan, European Intercourse with Borneo, J, I. A. ii. 498.
3 See Hepworth Dixon's Life of Blake.
4 Heeren, Historical Researches, i. 184.
5 Macaulay, History of England, i. 138.
334
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Policy of
Holland.
A. i). 1652.
Conflict in
the Spice
group.
Cruelty.
Passion for
monopoly.
history, made its power felt among the farthest islands
of Asia; the merchants and people of England were
promised satisfaction for the loss and insult they had
endured from the Dutch at Amboyna. 1 For the murder
of their countrymen no compensation was required, as
none could be made.
Engaged deeply in the politics of Europe, Holland
nevertheless pursued her fortune among the Indian
islands, though with more vigour than wisdom. The
revolt in the Moluccas was met by rude measures of
coercion. Ternate was occupied, and the king carried
in captivity to Batavia. He still continued to encou-
rage the resistance of his chiefs, and their struggle was
courageous and protracted. One, the patriarch of a
tribe, who had long defended an interior district, saw
his followers relaxing in their resolution, made terms
with the Dutch, engaged to barter his religion for his
life, and surrendered with his family. The treatment
he experienced was more worthy of an Asiatic than an
European conqueror. Considering him unworthy of
the honour they had promised, the Dutch dragged him,
with his mother, sister, and brother, to a prison, and
thence to the scaffold. 2
The king of Ternate, held in durance at Batavia,
was forced to agree, by a written treaty, to destroy all
the cloves in his dominions. This was the original
ground of quarrel, and the means of settling it were
equally characteristic of the spirit which then animated
the merchant-governors of the East. It was the un-
happy passion of monopoly which betrayed them into
their greatest follies and their greatest crimes. The
judgment of their modern writers has induced them to
1 Hume, History of England, viii. 284.
2 Crawfurcl, History of Indian Archipelago, ii. 440.
ITS niSTOHY AND PRESENT STATE. 335
be candid enough to confess it. " It is a truth unfor-
tunately too well known, which it were useless to
deny, that to insure a monopoly of trade in these
articles, the Company rooted up, frequently by force of
arms, all the nutmeg and clove trees in excess of their
own wants."
While they effected their purpose at Batavia, the
governor of Amboyna a wretch named Vlaming was
rioting in the exercise of his little spell of power. By
violence and breach of faith, he secured twenty Mo-
lucca chiefs, and sentenced them to death. Some were Massacre of
drowned in the sea, some killed with clubs, some broken chlefs '
on the wheel, others strangled. One, a Mohammedan
noble, leaped from a fortification and fractured a limb.
He was carried up to the same spot, compelled to re-
peat the leap, and died.
In February the next year, another execution of the A. D. 1053*
captive princes of the Moluccas took place. One was m.i S S ac re>
prince Tertillo, a distinguished warrior, who walked to
the scaffold with a face rendered magnificent by the
undaunted air it wore, and offered his neck to the axe,
heroic in the love of country. Saydy, another great
chief, was secured on the field of battle, where he lay
gashed with numerous wounds. Thus mutilated, he
was carried senseless into the presence of Vlaming,
who thrust the shaft of a spear into his mouth, bade
him wake from that sleep, and insulted him with gross
indignities. The dying wretch turned aside his head,
to avoid looking at the barbarian, who then left him to
the soldiers. These with the fury of wolves rushed Crimes of
on their victim, hewed him to pieces, and while his
limbs yet quivered with the warmth of life, scattered
them among the rocks. 1
1 Crawfurd, ii. 442.
336
THE INDIAN AKCHIPELAGO,
Revolt in
Celebes.
cution.
The
Spaniards.
A.D. 1654.
Their
dangers.
The king of Macassar, allied with the Dutch, was
irritated by their cruelty. He took up arms against
them. A naval fight occurred on the 6th of March, but
neither was victorious, and the revolt still raged
throughout the Moluccas. In May, a third massacre
was enacted. Among the victims, was John Pays, an
Amboynese Christian, who had converted many of the
islanders. He was led to execution with his compa-
nions, in the dead of night ; and in the morning, when
the native troops were on parade, Vlaraing exposed the
bleeding heads to inspire them with terror.
The revolt which was sought in this manner to be
suppressed, spread with undiminished fury, and enemies
rose up on all sides against the Dutch. The Spaniards
in the Philippines experienced similar disasters. Their
colony was now spiritually governed by an archbishop.
The Pope, observing the licentious manners of the
settlers, desired his representative to make them a
grant of indulgence, " absolving every excess or crime
in which the residents of Manilla might be found im-
plicated." The Roman Catholics received joyously
their warrant of licence, and on the second day of
March, 1654, the whole island were blessed, and
40,000 persons confessed their sins in the streets of
Manilla. It is not known as perhaps it was never
calculated what revenues accrued to the priesthood
from this performance ; but doubtless it was productive
of no small profit. Notwithstanding these rites of
peace, the tribes of the interior provinces continued to
shed their blood in rebellion, and the Spaniards to
coerce them by force of arms. In the Philippines, as
in the Moluccas, the whole energies of the Europeans
were required to resist the efforts of the native chiefs.
Spain had her own weakness to oppress her. Holland,
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 337
though in the bloom of her power, was engaged with a
formidable enemy.
The Amboyna tragedy was not yet forgotten in
England, The redress, long promised, was still with-
held, and the arms of Cromwell extorted what was re-
fused to the representations of the merchants. The
English trade in the East had been cut up by the
cruizers of Holland ; and petitions to Parliament and
the king were vainly made. At length, during the
Protectorate, when our naval flag was more respected
than at any period before, or long -after 1 , war broke
out with the Dutch. They were speedily reduced to war with
sue for peace. An agreement was concluded at West- l
minster, in 1654. The contending companies consented
to receive the decision of a council of eight, four ap-
pointed by each nation. Should these fail to achieve a
speedy settlement, the affair was to be arbitrated by the
Protestant Swiss Cantons. The commissioners met on Peace con -
the 30th of August. The English claimed for damages
from 1611 to 1652, 2,695,9997. 55. ; the Dutch,
2,919,8617. 3s. 6d., or a balance of 233,8617. 8s. Qd.
above the demand upon them. Each claim was pro-
bably immensely exaggerated ; the commissioners, at all
events, judged it so, and awarded the English 85,0007.,
of which no more than 3,6157. was laid to the account
of the Amboyna massacre. Polaroon, not worth re-
ceiving, was also ceded, though not given up until it
had been wasted, and then only with reluctance. 2
During several years the tenure of the Dutch on The MO-
their possessions in the Moluccas was rendered pre-
carious by the unmitigated hostility of the natives,
excited to fresh hatred by the enormities practised on
1 Macaulay, History of England, i. 139.
2 Mill, History of British India, i. 82.
VOL. I. Z
338 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
A. D.I 659. their chiefs. Numerous disasters befell them. In 1659
they settled peaceful and more advantageous relations
with Bantam 1 and Achin 2 ; but suffered in another
part of the further East the greatest reverse which had
yet fallen on them, and foreboding great danger to the
Spanish colonists in Luzon. The Portuguese victories
in Celebes were, however, in 1660, revenged, and the
Macassars beaten in several actions. 3
Fugitives The event that led to the elevation of the Mantchti
dynasty in China expatriated numbers of the people,
Coxinga. and Koe-sing-kong a name corrupted into Coxinga
the son of a general, being marked as a victim of the
new power, fled to the sea for safety. 4 Driven from
his country by its Tartar usurpers, he sought refuge
with 20,000 men in the isles of Eye and Guenung,
off the south-eastern coast of the Asiatic continent,
lofty rocky islands, formed by nature to be a retreat
iris achieve- for the refugee. Thence he spread terror through the
neighbouring waters. He audaciously corresponded
with the Dutch, and his defiance alarmed the Council
of Batavia. They resolved to continue on peaceful, if
not friendly, terms with him ; they complained with
gentle tone of the ill-treatment by his followers of
some people in the Pescadore isles, and he courteously
denied it. Amicable relations were preserved for a
short time ; but their boldness, or his insolence, soon
brought on hostilities. An engagement took place by
A. D. 1661. sea; the Dutch were defeated. Coxinga then landed
Attack on on Formosa, and marshalled his fighting men. His
.Formosa. ,..,,. ,. . . ,
forces were divided into three divisions, and an action
by land was precipitated by the extravagant contempt
of the Hollanders for their barbarian foes. The first
1 Temminck, ii. 18. s Raffles, History of Java, ii. 172.
3 Crawfurd, ii. 388 4 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 45.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 339
battalion of the enemy, composed of skilful archers,
let fly their shafts ; the second, or heavy-armed, with
swords and bucklers, then came down to the charge,
and was followed by the third, armed with long and
formidable pikes. The Chinese were victorious, and a
conference took place between the deputies from Batavia
and the pirate chief.
Coxinga sat in his state tent and combed his shining Deputation
black hair, while the deputies humbly attended his to Coxin a -
pleasure. His counsellors, in long robes, stood around,
and the buccaneers were drawn up without, to terrify
the defeated Europeans. The haughty tone and im-
perative demands of the freebooter were too uncom-
promising to be yielded, and the deputies withdrew
with expressions of defiance. They retired to a little fort New con-
and a bloody struggle immediately took place. During
nine months the troops of Coxinga, infinitely superior
in numbers, besieged the stronghold. Several breaches Bravery of
were made, but the garrison filled them with bales of *
Indian stuffs and linen until no hope of success was
left, when they surrendered, and the whole island was
abandoned to the pirates.
Formosa is of picturesque aspect, covered with hills Formosa,
and valleys, gracefully distributed, with fine streams
and a productive soil. Its people were then a humble,
hospitable race, governed by a republican administra-
tion, barbarous in some usages, but civilised in others.
Their ideas were peculiar. They ascribed all storms
and other commotions of the elements to the conjugal
feuds of the gods.
To atone in some degree for the loss of Formosa, Treaty with
the Dutch signed a treaty with the king of Achin, who
placed the people of the south-west coast under their
protection, and granted them a commercial monopoly.
z 2
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
A. P. 1G62,
Career of
Coxinga.
Missions to
the Philip-
pines.
Threaten-
ing letter.
Its impo-
licy.
Prepara-
tions for
defence.
At various places in Java, they established their in-
fluence, securing always, when possible, the exclusive
privilege of trade.
In the next year occurred an event which, more than
any other, was full of peril to the Spanish dominion
among the Philippines.
Coxinga had now fairly embarked his fortunes as a
buccaneer. Large numbers of lawless, but warlike, ad-
venturers followed, and readily obeyed a chief whose
skill and vigour led them victorious into enterprises
overflowing with profit. Elated by the conquest of
Formosa, the princely freebooter was resolved to lay the
foundations of a new empire among the islands of Asia.
The Philippines, as the nearest, were the first objects
of his desire. Assuming the tone of royalty, he de-
spatched a Dominican friar by way of ambassador to the
governor of Manilla, demanding an immediate and un-
o ' c*
qualified recognition as supreme ruler of the group, in-
sisting on the payment of tribute, and threatening dire
vengeance on all who refused to acknowledge him
alone Lord of the further East. An ordinary pirate
would have followed a different, and perhaps a wiser,
course. Coxinga was successful so long as he was a
plain sea-robber ; but when he assumed imperial airs,
sent envoys, and trumpeted his design, before him,
he threw away his chance, and, by forewarning the
Spaniards of his design, forearmed them against it.
Though terrified by his message, they refused, of course,
to obey it, and the little Archipelago rang with pre-
pai'ations for war.
The churches and convents near Manilla were dis-
mantled and destroyed, lest the enemy should secure
them as forts or magazines. The project of slaughter-
ing the Chinese, as a measure of safety, was discussed,
but abandoned. It was determined to embark on board
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 341
the junks in the bay all the unchristianized settlers of
that nation ; while the converts, it was supposed, would
adhere to the patrons and apostles of their new religion.
A peremptory order was proclaimed for all the others
to leave the islands. The Chinese, remembering their
former sufferings, expecting a new massacre, dreading
perhaps an universal noyade in the bay, seized arms
to defend themselves. Some Spanish officers were cut
down. Immediately the batteries of the city were slaughter
opened on the dense masses of their dwellings below. Chinese.
Numbers were slaughtered, some escaped in boats, some
committed suicide. Eight or nine thousand were in-
duced to lay their arms down ; while those who fled
into the jungles were hewn to pieces by the Spaniards
or their Indian allies. To Coxinga this answer was re- Reply to
turned : That Spaniards obeyed only God and their Coxin s a -
king, and would as soon desert one as the other ; that
his demands were insolent, and that the ports of the
Philippines should be closed against his countrymen
until he withdrew them. Intelligence of the slaughter
at Manilla reached the pirate before their embassy, and
he prepared to execute his threat.
Hurried preparations were made in Luzon to resist Danger
the impending attack. The garrisons in the neighbour- Spaniards
ing islands were withdrawn to be concentrated for the
defence of Manilla. Probably, however, all the courage
of the Spaniards, all their varied resources of war, and
the fortifications they had erected during their hundred
years of settlement could have availed little against the
immense horde of buccaneers preparing to invade them ;
but an accident saved them in the Philippines, as another
had saved the Dutch in Java. Coxinga died. His son, Death of
a man of feminine timidity, without ambition, and with-
out ability, was too contemptible to be dreaded, too
342 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
pusillanimous even to attempt the prosecution of his
father's plans. 1
Still they had received a lesson too significant to be
despised. They saw that their establishment in the Phi-
lippines was too narrowly founded to form the base of
A. D. 1663. operations for a wider circle of conquest. In the fol-
abandon the lowing year, therefore, they abandoned altogether their
Moluccas, little tenure in the Molucca islands, where they had
never been, and never could hope to be successful.
Other causes combined to injure their authority. The
flame of intestine discord was never quenched, and only
ceased for an interval to rage during periods of extra-
ordinary danger. 2 The buccaneers of Sulu, also, gave
abundant occupation to their arms ; and, though a treaty
was in this year concluded with them, they probably
cut off the communication of the Spaniards with Bruno. 3
If, in most parts of the New World the native
powers have, by their own folly or want of faith, offered
their territories to conquest, the Europeans, of every
nation, have varied their fortune with disaster by errors
of policy always resulting from divided and vacillating
councils.
1 Spanish Colonial History, Chin. Rep. vii. 538.
2 Crawfurd, ii. 461 3 Logan, Journ. Ind. Arch. ii. 499.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 343
CHAPTER XIII.
THE progress of Holland in the Indian Archipelago, if A. n. ] 664.
it display no parallels to the grand achievements of Dutch con-
Cortez and Pizarro, is nevertheless romantic, from the <i uest -
conduct of her adventurers, as well as from the wonder-
ful interest attaching to the islands which made for her
a theatre of conquest. Merchants and navigators were
the founders of her empire. They entered the ports of
the native kingdoms, made presents to the savage chiefs
who sat, in petty mimicry of the greater potentates of
India, on the thrones of provinces, sent envoys to in-
quire concerning the products of various countries,
bargained for cargoes of spices, pepper, and other rare
commodities, and continually sailed to and fro, from
island to island, building on their remote and barbarous
coasts little factories where the riches of the traders
were stored, and shipped for the market of Amsterdam.
In 1664, they visited Benjarmassin, again renewing visit to
the treaty of commerce, and seeking to bind the faith Borneo,
of its ruler by a new convention. He put his seal to
the bond, but, hating all Europeans except the English,
connived at their illicit trade, as well as that carried on
by the still more enterprising Chinese.
In other parts of the Archipelago the Dutch either
armed voluntarily or were forced to arm in self-defence.
They spread their authority from Java along nearly the
whole western coast of Sumatra. 1 The islanders, it is
1 Crawfiml, ii. 434.
7. 4
344 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
said, solicited their aid in the conquest of Indrapura and
Salida, with other districts, whence they drove the
Attack on Achinese. The chief of Palembang. by the seizure of
T> 1 K
1 two Dutch ships and murder of their crews, opened the
door to invasion, and widened it by the assassination of
an envoy sent to demand redress. A squadron was
fitted out to punish him, and lay siege to his capital.
Encircled by wooden palisades and a deep ditch, the
city held out, until the fire of the men-of-war levelled
all its defences. 1 It was captured and laid in ruins.
From its situation on one of the crowded highways of
trade, and the fertility of the surrounding country,
Treaty with Palembang was an exceedingly desirable station. To
the Sultan, secure himself from further injury, the Sultan was
therefore induced to sign a treaty, granting the Dutch
a monopoly of commerce. The people of Pir, on the
same island, incurred similar danger by cutting off the
Dutch establishment, on the isle of Chingo, near their
coast ; but the accidents of their intercourse with other
states saved the guilty community from the conse-
quences of this outrage,
war with A war with the king of Macassar required all the
Macassar. ,, . _^ . . ,
resources oi the Dutch to support. With an immense
flotilla of armed prahus, and a numerous horde of men,
he appeared in the Molucca sea, meditating a conquest
of the group and the Xulla isles in its neighbourhood.
One Dutch vessel was pillaged, and an attack made on
their fort in Bouton. 2 The triumphs of his savage
legions by land and sea were not so despicable, but
that the Dutch in alarm hastened to the succour of
A. i>. 16G6. their establishments. A large naval force was equip-
ped, put under the command of Admiral Spielman,
1 Crawfurd, ii. 434.
a TeinmiiH-k, Coup (TCEil sitr 1'Inrlc Arcliipclagicjiic, Hi. 9.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 345
and despatched to attack the risirfg enemy. The Ma- Formidable
cassars, in immense numbers, met them at Bouton ; a f r r ^ m<
conflict immediately followed ; the enemy was assaulted, Celebes.
routed and pursued, so that a small remnant only
escaped the battle. Thence the admiral, sending his victory of
5000 prisoners to a desert isle, where they were left the Dutch,
without means of support or escape, sailed back to
Sumatra, where the tribes of the western coast had re-
belled against his authority. Perhaps the settlement
of the English this year at Padang encouraged their
discontent. In the course of a few months the whole
territory from Barus to Salebar was subdued, and the
fleet had been at liberty to pursue the expedition against
Macassar; but the submission enforced was never of
long duration. 1 Under the walls of that city, the Dutch
issued challenges of war to the native powers. The Successes
. ~ ' . . , , . , * in Celebes. '
people of Borneo joined them, with auxiliaries irom
Ternate and Bouton. With this triple alliance at his
command, Spielman dictated terms to the Goan king, who
consented to pay about 560/. sterling, as reparation for
the plunder of two wrecks off' the coast, and payment
of the cost of the expedition. 2 In the following year, A. D . 1668.
however, this peace was broken by the efforts of the
chief Krong-rong, who hated the Dutch and never slept
easily under their influence. But his success was ex-
hausted by the commencement of the new war, the
Macassars were driven from their principal fort, and the A. D. 1669.
king, abdicating in favour of his son, saw the country
placed under the virtual authority of a hostile and a
Christian power. This conquest sealed for the Dutch
their monopoly of the spice trade. 3
f
1 Crawfurd, ii. 435.
2 Temminck, Coup d'CEil sur VInde Archipelagique, iii. 10.
3 Crawfurd, ii. 443.
346
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Treaty with
Sumbawa.
Lamadarama, chief of Boni, had been formerly
taken prisoner by the Dutch. As an example of grati-
tude, pleasant to relate, they restored him to his kingdom,
in reward of the aid his subjects had rendered to them.
A. D. 1672. "Weary, however, of the dangerous elevation, he soon
resigned the crown, and retired to the humbler honours
of a private life.
Spielman now concluded the first treaty between the
Dutch and the independent chiefs of Sumbawa. Four
little states on the coast entered into it, mutual
engagements were pledged, and privileges of trade
acceded to the conquerors at Macassar. 1 The relations
thus confirmed with Celebes, and established with Sum-
bawa, were broken with Benjarmassin. The English
were accused of labouring to destroy the goodwill
existing between the Dutch and the native court ; but
no such feeling had apparently existed from the earliest
time. They prompted the sultan, it is reported, to
consent to their expulsion, that the way might be clear
to them.
Probably a liberal judgment on these transactions will
confess that our countrymen were deeply involved in
intrigues against the Dutch. The ethics of commerce,
however, adopted by Holland justified such proceedings.
Monopoly can claim no generous treatment of itself,
which it denies to all others. The thrifty traders of
Amsterdam would, had the power belonged to them,
have shut every other nation from all the ports of the
world, and intrigue alone could open the way they
sought to close.
At Achin, about this period, while the Dutch were
at war with the queen, and the city was blockaded, our
countrymen ingratiated themselves by an act of friend-
Thc Ne-
mesis of
monopoly.
AVar in
Achin.
Teraminck, Coup d'CEil sur les Possessions Necrlandaiscs, iii. 10.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 347
ship. One of their vessels, laden with rice and cloth,
arrived when the people were in great straits for
hunger. A messenger was landed to bid the Achinese
assemble by night at a certain place, when the ship
would be run on shore with its supply of food. The The
plan succeeded, the city was relieved, and the queen, Enghsh -
calling a council of the chiefs, declared the English
friends, and granted them many privileges. Among
others she decreed that the house of an English mer-
chant should be a temple of sanctuary to poor debtors
flying from pursuit. The judicious narrator of these
transactions ! proceeds to relate that this harmony ex-
isted until the queen's death in 1700, when one of the
sacerdotal order became powerful in the councils of the
state; "but in all my travels," naively he says, "I never
found a civil government, with a priest at the head of it,
prosper long: and so it fell out here." The concord was
broken, and mutual good will at an end. The English,
nevertheless, were at all times more welcome at Achin
than the Dutch.
In the kingdom of Macassar, the people, patient and Revolt in
. . Celebes.
callous, submitted in silence to become vassals of the
strange nation which had extinguished the independ-
ence of their country. A considerable number, how-
ever, of the more independent spirits, chafing under a
tyranny they could not overthrow, resolved to fly and
occupy some territory where they might, after their
own fashion, be free. They embarked in numerous Flight of
prahus, and setting sail by night, escaped the Dutch to Javiu
cruizers, and suddenly appeared on the coast of Madura,
laying the whole island under contribution. Nor were
they long without a leader, Truna Jaya, a prince of
Celebes 2 , or of Madura, according to another autho-
1 Hamilton, Neio Account of the East Indies^ ii. 103.
2 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, ii. 530.
348
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
A. D. 1673.
Their suc-
cess.
Krong-
rong.
A. D. 1674.
Policy of
the Dutch
iu Macas-
sar.
1 * joining the rebels, in defiance of the Dutch, and
bringing with him a considerable body of adherents.
Their united strength was now so great, and their am-
bition, inflated by success, so much greater, that de-
spising the sovereignty of a little out-lying island, they
resolved to cross the gulf-like branch of the sea, dividing
it from Java, of which it originally, perhaps, formed a
peninsula. They collected their forces, embarked, tra-
versed the straits, and, landing on the opposite shore,
spread their ravages through several extensive districts,
subjecting many to their authority. To arrest their
depredations the sultan threw an army, headed by a
chief from the province of Japan, across their path ; but
they swept it before them, and rolled on in their deso-
lating career.
Probably the Dutch laid much of this to the account
of Krong-rong, the wily patriot of Macassar, who never
mitigated his hatred of their nation. To them he ap-
peared a dangerous enemy, to be removed by any means.
A letter, written and sanctioned by the Honourable
Council of the Indies, directed the seizure, if not assassi-
nation, of himself and his family. Whether from fear,
from neglect, or from compunction, the order was dis-
obeyed. Krong-rong continued minister of Gon, which
he governed under the nominal direction of the king ;
but when, on the death of that petty sovereign, another
succeeded him, affairs preserved exactly their old tenor;
for while the wuzeer lived no matter what kings died,
for he was the presiding power in the state, subject to
the Netherlands East India Company. To interpose a
barrier of territory between his old dominions and the
rest of the island, the Dutch assisted the Macassar chief
to conquer the contiguous province of Mandar. His
Teinminck, Coup ffCEil sur VInde Archipelagiqne.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 349
kingdom, lying along the upper shores of the great bay
of Boni, and Mandar connecting the straits to the east
of Borneo, there was thus a broad belt of conquered
land between Goa Macassar, its tributary the state of
Sopeng, and the territories of the independent commu-
nities of Celebes. Their authority was now recognised Their au-
in that interesting island, which here claims a descriptive tabiished!"
sketch.
Among the islands of the Asiatic Archipelago, Ce- Celebes,
lebes, by its astonishing fertility, and the abundance of Riches,
its natural productions, deserves particular distinction.
Its beautiful climate, uncorrupted by the deadly miasma Climate.
which pollutes the air in many tropical countries, restores
to health the constitution impaired by a residence on
the marshy plains of the less elevated regions of India.
There exist, along the coast, no wide deltas, periodically Causes of its
flooded, fertile, but ungenial, such as are met with in
Sumatra and Borneo. The impenetrable masses of
jungle every where abounding in the one and still
remaining in the other of these islands, are unknown in
Celebes. Its surface wears a more European aspect, General
presenting near the coast broad plains covered with aspect>
vegetation, and ascending gradually to the woody hills
of the interior. 1
Celebes occupies the centre of the tropical zone, and Position.
lies in the Molucca sea. Its length and breadth it is
difficult to estimate, being composed of four peninsulas,
with an area of about 3578 miles. 2 Its coast presents a
great number of bays, gulfs, and capes of eccentric out-
line. Three deep arms of the sea penetrate it from Configura-
east to west, and the four gigantic tongues of land,
united at the centre by an inconsiderable mass, give the
island its peculiar shape. The southern peninsula was
1 Temminck, Coup cTCEil sur Vlnde Neerlandaises, iii. 8.
2 Melville tie Carnbee, Moniteur des Indes Orientates.
350
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Surface.
once supposed to be a separate island, abounding in
riches, whose woods at night were illumined by swarms
of the fire-fly, imparting to them a magical beauty. 1
The western and northern coasts are bold, with few
reefs 2 ; but along the other shores shoals and formations
of coral are spread in patches, some hidden, some ap-
pearing above water. 3 The surface is lofty, with con-
siderable hills, and towards the north several volcanoes
remain active to this day. Some of the mountains rise
seven thousand feet above the level of the sea 4 ,
usually with round or flat tops, the perfection of
woodland scenery, no broken rugged peaks appearing
Formation, to harden the outlines of the landscape. 5 The physical
constitution of the island is basalt in decomposition,
covered with a bed of soil, largely formed of volcanic
detritus, from ten to twenty feet in depth. In the
north continual tremblings of the earth have rent it
into many chasms, and large quantities of sulphur have
been thrown up. In each of the peninsulas distinct
features would appear in a minute description ; but
where a sketch only can be afforded, the whole may in
general terms be remarked upon, for the peculiar details
are not visible in a superficial survey.
Though a mountainous island, Celebes presents along
the borders of the sea wide plains covered with verdure
and beautiful valleys, some of which enclose lakes more
or less extensive. Nothing enhances the grace of a
landscape more than a lake, and those of Celebes are
distinguished by their beauty. Magnificent basins of
limpid water, raised on a smooth plateau, encircled by
a rim of low hills, tufted with palm-groves, or overlaid
1 Heylyn, Cosmography, 920. 2 Darwin, Coral Reefs, 173.
3 Astrol. Voyage Hydrog. 453-4.
4 Temminck, Coup (TCEil sur les Possessions Ncerlaiuhiiscs, iii. b 1 .
5 Brooke, Mumly, Borneo and Celebes.
Picturesque
aspect.
Lakes.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 351
with soft sward, glitter under the sun of the East,
and glow like vast sheets of silver. 1 They are often Water
spangled with the pearl-white flowers, and the deep
green leaves of the water-lily, with other aquatic plants
of splendid bloom. "Water fowl of many species, some
with crimson and purple crests, inhabit the lakes, and
birds construct their nests on the floating fields of vege-
tation. 2 The scenery of the island becomes wilder as
you leave the sea. Shallow, but beautiful, streams Streams.
intersect the long sloping plains, springs of sweet
water trickle between the rocks, which are scattered,
confused with green knolls, or thickets of flowering
shrubs.
Thick forests cover the hills and large tracts of the Forests.
level country. Oaks, maples, sycamores, cedars, teak-
trees, the upas, and numerous others inhabit them.
The woods, however, have in many parts of the interior
been cleared away, and the bright tints of the cultivated
ground, the cool, refreshing rice fields, contrast strongly
with the dark old drapery of nature, still thrown over
extensive tracts 3 , unvisited by industry and enlivened
only by rivers, breaking into magnificent cascades. 4
Celebes is less populous, in proportion to its extent, Population,
than many other islands of the Archipelago. It may
indeed be true that, since the accession of the Dutch to
power, it has declined from its original condition. 5 The
population, at all events, does not at present appear to
exceed 1,104,000. 6 It is composed of the aboriginal
Alfoeras, and of nomade or commercial Malays, pro-
1 Temminck, Coup (TCEil sur I'Inde Archipelagique, iii. 82.
2 Brooke, Journal, Borneo and Celebes. Mundy, i. 104.
3 Belcher, Voyage of the Samarang, i. 123.
4 Brooke, Journal, Voyage of the Dido. Keppel, i. 111.
5 Raffles, Life and Journals. By his -widow.
Temminck, Coup (fCEil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, iii. 5.
352 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
bably from their seat of empire in Sumatra, who have
in Celebes, as in other islands, established themselves on
the sea border, and driven the old tenants of the soil
into the central wilderness. 1 The southern peninsula,
or Macassar country, was probably first invaded. Only
a small remnant, indeed, of the aborigines have escaped
the sword of a foreign race, and scarcely any have
preserved their manners untainted or unmodified, in
some degree, by the strange civilisation introduced into
the island. 2
The Bugig. The Bugis 3 , originally from the same stock as the
Malays 4 , are superior to all other natives of the Archi-
pelago, in their spirit of adventure. 5 They are a brave,
active, haughty, fierce, and vigorous race. 6 They love
justice, and are faithful to their bonds, but seldom for-
give injuries. 7 Boastful indeed they are, and bullies 8 ;
but these qualities are far more admirable than the
humility and meekness of slaves. The Macassars form
the flower of the colonial troops in the Dutch service ;
they are bold hunters, and, mounted on their brisk little
horses, drive the deer through the woods, and capture
The it with a lasso. 9 The Alfoeras, described in old accounts
Aifoeras. ag a ^j^ come iy ra ce, of brown colour, much given to
piracy 10 , form perhaps the most amiable, if not the
most civilised, part of the population. They possess all
1 No traces of the Hindu power have been discovered here.
Heeren, Asiatic Nations, ii. 90. Raffles, ii. 281.
2 Temmiuck, CoupcCCEil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises,\n.84.
3 See Pritchard, Phys. Hist. Mankind, i. 452.
4 Brooke, Journals, Borneo and Celebes. Mundy, i. 43.
5 Raffles, Memoirs, i. 67. 264.
6 Temminck, Coup'cTCEil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises,m.85.
v Hogendorp, Coup d"CEil sur Java.
8 Brooke, Journals, Borneo and Celebes. Mundy, i. 82.
9 Temminck, Coup (VCEil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises,ii\. 87.
10 Heylyn, Cosmography, 919.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 353
the courage, and few of the vices prevailing among the
Bugis and Malays. Some of these tribes are among
the most singular communities in the world. 1 The in-
genuity of the savage, and the amenity of the civilised
man, appear united in them. They have received the Religious
Koran, but not abjured the practices of their ancient
faith the dark old idolatry once universal in the Archi-
pelago. Stones and trees, painted red, still share their
devotions with the invisible god of Islam. 2 Women
are treated honourably among them a distinction in
their manners not yet effaced by the Mohammedan
social law. 3 The Arabs, indeed, have visited the island,
and exercised considerable influence upon its people,
leaving us the traces of their former sway, buildings
of elegant architecture, probably the tombs of religious
chiefs. 4 The Chinese also have settled at the various
towns, bringing with them their characteristics as a
race refusing to be obedient to any master, yet in-
capable of living without one.
The natural wealth of Celebes is diversified and Pnxiuc-
abundant. Besides timber and other trees noticed in ceiebe^
its forests, palms of various species, ebony, odoriferous Woods,
sandal, dyewoods, areca, banyan, and bamboos often
forty feet high and three in diameter, are found ; with
sago, which is in many provinces the chief food of the
people. 5 Pepper, the flavour of which was formerly in-
creased by that of ginger, which is a favourite article of
consumption with the natives 6 , wild nutmegs and cloves
1 They have been the greatest colonists as well as the principal
traders of the Archipelago. Raffles, Memoirs, i. 263.
- Brooke, Journals, Borneo and Celebes. Mundy, i. 114.
3 Temminck, Coup cTGEil sur les Possessions Ncerlandaises, iii. 86.
4 Brooke, Journals, Borneo and Celebes. Mundy, i. 61.
5 Temminck, Coup (VCEil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, iii. 107.
6 Valmont de Bomare, Histoire Naturellc, iii. 62.
VOL. I. A A
354 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Commercial O f a peculiar species, the almond whence the true oil of
resources. , r . , ,, . ,. , i
Macassar is extracted, coffee, rice or three species, maize,
indigo, tobacco, sugar-canes, manioc, palm sugar, and
cotton, are among the productions. Junk sails, cables
of braided rattan, wooden anchors *, and other manu-
factures, are offered to the traders from China and the
neighbouring islands. Wild bees' wax, tortoiseshell,
and rattans furnish also materials of commerce.
Fruits. Fruits of the richest kinds, from the guava to the
wild raspberry and the grape 2 , there are in Celebes.
Flowers. Its Flora is magnificent, but imperfectly known. Many
Minerals. provinces are rich in mines of gold, where the metal
exists in flakes or the granular form. Copper, used in
the manufacture of vessels to preserve articles of luxury,
tin inferior to that of Borneo, and iron, are abundant.
From the steel prepared by the natives, mixed with a
metal little known to Europeans, sword-blades beau-
tifully damasceened, with keen edge and brilliant polish,
are manufactured. Crystal is found in large masses
among the hills.
Animals. Few wild beasts exist in Celebes, but several curious
species of the monkey tribe, the hog-deer, a singular
brute, cats, and others of inferior order. Its horses
are much esteemed, and exported to Java, India, and
the Mauritius. In the rivers crocodiles may occasion-
ally be seen, and in the sea near the coast swarms
of fish afford subsistence and employment to the nu-
merous hardy tribes. 3 Birds, with their bright coats
variegated by every colour, congregate in vast numbers
in the woods; but, as in the other divisions of the
animal creation, the history of nature in Celebes is still
1 Woodward, Voyage from Boston to East Indies, M.S.
* Brooke, Journal, Borneo and Celebes. Mundy.
3 See the learned contribution of Dr. Blecker, On the Icthyolo-
gical Fauna. J. I. Arch. iii. 65,
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 355
little more than a collection of fragments. 1 Pasturage
of the finest description abounds, and immense herds of
cattle might be fattened, especially on the hills, slopes,
and plains of Boni. 2 Clearly, such a region was a
magnificent province added to the empire of any nation.
Monopoly, however, is a poor provider. It grasps at
all, acquiring little ; but is content in its selfish isola-
tions to stand alone and reap harvests from a desert.
The war in the Moluccas, long-protracted and de- war in the
structive, was now brought to a close. The brave tribes Spic< : s ro , up
concluded.
of the islands, refusing to submit, had flung their wasted
valour to the air, and vainly spent their blood in an
access of resolution uninspired by hope. It was not
their rancour that was conciliated, nor the harshness of
their enemies that was mollified. The strength of both
was exhausted. In the language of Tacitus, they had
made a solitude, and called it peace.
The most exciting period in the history of Dutch Dutch
progress has now arrived. Chapter after chapter of wars '
the narrative will open upon war, continually renewed.
If the natural train of events led them into these struggles, Their
their ambition induced them to prolong the course, p
which bore them forward in their career of victory.
The politics of Europe, complicated beyond solution, European
involved the United Provinces in a desperate struggle affairs>
for existence. Louis XIV., styled Great in spite of his
crimes and follies, aimed at conquering the old de-
pendencies of Spain, and adding them to the dominions
already suffering under the rule of him and his un-
principled ministers. England and Holland, at war
between themselves, made peace and allied with the
arms of Sweden to repel this invasion, and prevent the
1 Temminck, Coup cTCEil sur les Possessions Neerlandaixcs, iii.106.
Brooke, Journal, Voyage of the Dido. Kcppel, i. 118.
A A 2
356
THE INDIAN AKCHIPELAGO,
Patriotism
of the
Dutch.
Threatened
invasion of
Holland.
Retreat of
the French
king.
future preponderance of France in the political trans-
actions of Christendom. France, however, was power-
ful in spite of her king, and threatened to destroy the
young republic, which the spirit of liberty had created
from a province of Spain. Many of the people were
dismayed ; but vigorous statesmen animated their coun-
cils, and a grand display of patriotic virtue called in
the elements to aid in defending the state. William of
Nassau, inspired by chivalric resolution, collected the
senators of the republic, and told them to lose no heart
or hope. " The Hollanders might survive Holland." '
They might fly to the remotest islands of Asia, They
might launch all their shipping, and embark at once
200,000 emigrants, to lay the foundations of a free
state in the East, where liberty and religion might
together flourish on the soil of Java, or the Nutmeg
Isles. The people rose to their task. The dikes were
opened. They gave back to the waves the crowded
country, the cultivated fields, the gardens, the roads,
the bridges, and the populous tracts, which had been
conquered from the sea by the victorious industry of
Holland. The heart of the nation swelled. They pre-
pared to fly to the furthest parts of the East, rather
than surrender their freedom, or their faith to the
enemy of both, who saw the dawn of political liberty for
Europe in the rising light of the Reformation. 2
The magnificent project was never realised ; for the
French king, conquered as much by his own low passions
as by the courage of his enemies, deserted the campaign,
and retreated to his paradise of luxury and lust in the
heart of France. 3 Nevertheless, Holland learned from
that sudden visitation of danger to pursue more vigo-
1 Macaulay, Hintory of England, \. 218. 2 Ibid.
3 St. Simon, Memoires Secrets du Regne de Louis XIV,
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 35-7
rously her plans of ambition in the East. No one who Character
contemplates the noble picture of her armament against Dutch,
the invasion of the Roman Catholic king, can fail to
admire the spirit which encouraged it ; and no one who
bears in rnind the character of Dutch politics in the
Indian Archipelago, can fail to regret that they were
not equally full of honour. There is much justice in Their coio-
the remark that, with a national character for probity at nial pohc y-
home, they have been a selfish, cold-blooded, phlegmatic
race abroad, changing their nature with the soil they
inhabited. 1 Nor was their policy more wise than prin-
cipled. This commencement of their grand career of
progress is described by a learned writer, as the dawn
of that period which consummated their ruin, brought
humuliation on the natives, and general destruction on
the trade of the islands. 2 It is, indeed, true that they
were at this period led into a labyrinth of contests, from
which they did not escape without irreparable injury to
themselves, and incalculable loss to the native states.
Java, already overrun by one invader, was visited A. D , 1675,
by another from Celebes, who freely pursued the sion ^ va
track of .his predecessor. Truna Jay a meanwhile was Java -
multiplying his successes. The sultan of Mataram
feared his approach. Pie applied for aid to his old
enemies at Batavia. They, seldom unwilling to esta-
blish a claim upon the princes of the island, marched a
force from Japan to his succour, but took no share in
a battle which ensued at Pamruhan. The Javans
consequently were defeated, and scattered in tumultous
retreat, by the ardent courage of the Celebes fugitives
under Truna Jaya. To obliterate this disgrace^ the
heir apparent of Mataram put himself at the head of
1 Walter Scott, preface to Drydens " Amboyna."
" Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, ii. 431.
A A 3
358
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Defeat of
the Dutch.
Success of
the in-
vaders.
Confede-
racy to re-
sist them.
Prepara-
tions for
conquest.
another army, which sailed round the eastern coast in
\var prahus. It landed near Surabaya, and though
slightly assisted by the Dutch, was wholly overthrown.
The defeated troops fled to their vessels, and hastily
took to sea ; but the Macassars, rushing to the beach,
cast loose their war boats, put off, pursued the flying
squadron, sunk or destroyed many of the Javan galleys,
and returned loaded with the trophies of a double
success. Truna Jaya, in the full flush of triumph,
assumed the insignia of sovereignty, and marched a
large force to the provinces on the coast of Mataram.
These he conquered, and thus possessed of the frontier,
poured his Macassar legions over it, and advanced
upon the capital of the most powerful state in the
island. The Sultan fled with his family westward
towards Tugal, but died on the way. He was suc-
ceeded by his eldest son, who styled himself Sultan
Mangkorat, and proclaimed his authority over terri-
tories now held by an invader. Nor were the Madu-
rese or the Macassars his only enemies. His claim to
the throne was disputed by the Pangeran Pugar, a
younger brother, who gave battle to Truna Jaya's
army, defeated it, and declared himself Sultan of
Mataram. Relying little n his own resources the
legitimate Sultan Mangkorat solicited the alliance of
the Dutch, and marching in their company, took up at
Japan a position whence he might issue his forces for
the recovery of his lost inheritance. l
The policy of the Dutch at the commencement of
this war, set them on the road to general conquest in
Java. They had taken part with one faction against
another, and must now throw into the scale all the
weight of their power. 2 Not only was there honour
1 Raffles, History, ii. 177.
Crawfurd, ii. 419.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 359
pledged ; but their existence depended on the issue.
Hence nothing could result but the absorption of the
native authority in their own. It is futile to regret
this. The principles of decay appear to have gene-
rated themselves in all Asiatic states. From one frontier
of Asia to the other, a blight has struck them, and
the idea of their regeneration seems an idle dream. It Ri bt of
. conquest.
may, perhaps, be premature to announce among the
provisions of the future, a universal dissolution of Eastern
monarchies ; but events appear to lead in that direc-
tion. All we have to alloy our satisfaction is the
plan on which the Dutch based their policy.
Their relations with Celebes, rendered peaceful by Affairs in
concessions to the Macassar king and the restoration of
quiet in the Moluccas, allowed Admiral Spielman to
sail with his squadron to Java. His operation was
against the foreign invaders, and before the close of the
year he captured Surabaya, from the hands of its
Macassar conquerors.
As a reward for this service, and an encouragement A - D - 1676.
to continue their aid, the Sultan Mangkorat, in Fe-
bruary 1077, granted the Dutch great commercial pri-
vileges. 1
They sold their friendship at a heavy price. By a A -^- 1677 -
new bond dated October 1677, confirming a previous alliances,
grant of privileges, Sultan Mangkorat also bound
himself to terms of tribute. He owned to a debt of Tribute
30,000 dollars, and 3000 koyans of rice - 6000 tons ^r^*
and mortgaged the liability on all the sea -ports prince,
from the river Krawang to the uttermost East of
Java. The whole revenue, and the rice-tribute of
those places, were to go towards paying off the debt.
The Dutch also stipulated for further concessions and
1 Ruffles, History of Java, ii. 179.
A A 4
.360 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
immunities. 1 At Bantam also, similar conventions
were ratified ; and by each of these the influence of
Holland wound its elastic coil round some native state.
stipulations Their engagements to the king, in return were curious.
with allies. Tliey B h oul( i se ii tn eir assistance to him for its worth
in money; they should not leave their factory at
night ; they should not walk outside the fortifications,
without permission from the prince and his friend the
British Resident ; they should enter the native houses,
or remain in them at night ; they should not plunder
the Javanese ; they should never trespass in temple,
dwelling, or garden ; they should not detain women
in their houses, or way-lay them in the streets ; they
should pay due courtesy to the Court; they should
turn aside their eyes when the Sultana or the Sultan
bathed in the river; and should not interfere in the
domestic disputes of the people. Bound only by these
light ties, exacting only common honesty and respect
to the native customs, they might enjoy their privi-
leges, and receive for a fixed price the whole produce of
black and white pepper in Bantam. ?
Kiocn. Though involved t in the confusion the Javan war,
the Hollanders continued to engage in the politics of
other islands, which perhaps delayed the catastrophe of
A. . 1678. this destructive campaign. In 1678, Ryklof van
Kloen was governor-general of the Netherlands' East
Indies. He pursued vigorously the war which had
already lasted three years. His forces uniting with
those of the sultan, who continued to grant privi-
leges of trade and territorial rights 2 , assaulted Kadiri
where Truna Jaya held his court with great splendour,
captured it, drove the ambitious invader to the woods,
and enriched his army with immense plunder. In the
1 Raffles, History of Java, ii. 198, 199. " Ibid. 199,
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 361
following year Truna Jaya ended his adventurous close of the
career; whether by the Dutch, or whether by a native ^ 1679
chief he was induced to make submission, and enter
the sultan's audience-hall as a suppliant. The room
was crowded with European and Javan chiefs. The Tragedy in
culprit, attired in a criminal's costume, wearing no an Indmn
' palace.
kris, and bending humbly, approached the throne. Im-
ploring forgiveness, he heard the pardon graciously
accorded. " It is well, Truna Jaya. For this time I
forgive you, go forth and clothe yourself with becom-
ing apparel. Then return to me, when I will present
you with a kris, and install you as my minister, in the
presence of all assembled."
The chief obeyed, and returned delighted to receive
honour where had looked for punishment. As he
drew near, the king desired a woman to bring him
a naked kris. With this weapon in his hand, he
addressed his fallen enemy. " Know, Truna Jaya, that Malay
I have given my word that I would never sheathe
this kris, except in your body. Receive now your
death from it, in punishment of your offence." In a
moment he plunged the blade into the rebel's breast.
His followers completed the assassination ; they hewed
into pieces the body of the unfortunate chief, struck off
the head, " rolled it in the mud, and made a mat
of it." 1
The island of Madura, thus wrested from the hands of A - D - 16&0 -
. /-ii Revolt in
its conqueror was bestowed, its western portion on Chakra the MO-
Ningrat, and its eastern on Machan Nulan chiefs in luccas -
the Sultan's favour. In this year also, the Dutch
quenched the struggling spirit of independence in the
Moluccas ; the people rose in an access of generous
passion, struck a last blow for their island homes, and
1 Raffles, History of Java, ii. 1 87.
362 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
then sank under the commercial and military tyranny
which has oppressed them ever since. l
Continued Prince Pugar remained a formidable enemy to the
war in Java. au thority of his elder brother. Other rebels also were
in arms. The united forces of the Dutch and the
sultan, however, routed them all. The peace of
Java was ratified with blood, and the Sultan changing
his seat of government to Kartasura towards the cast,
settled nearer to the city of Batavia. Powerful there
as the revolted pangeran was, the double force of the
allies was greater, and he yeilded himself to the mercy
of his foe. He was thrown at once into captivity.
A. r. 1G81. Subduing one after another the rebels who disturbed
Java, the Dutch further to secure its pacification, in-
duced the Sultan of Cheribon to accept their protec-
tion. With more confidence than wisdom he received
the boon, though an illustration of its value occurred
at the same time. The king of Ternate, an old ally of
Holland, charged with fomenting a new war in the
Moluccas, was brought prisoner to Batavia.
Progress of Cornelius Spielman, admiral of the fleet, promoted to
Dutch k e governor-general of the Netherlands' East Indies,
power. .
hurried his countrymen in the course of policy, which
involved them so deeply in troubles. They had suc-
cessfully terminated the war of succession in Mataram,
and might now have remained independent of native
politics ; but as every intervention spread their power,
each engagement was followed by another, and Java
yielded gradually to the rule of Holland.
Bantam, an extensive territory on the north-east of
the island, possessed at this period a considerable trade.
The English, with several Danish merchants, possessed
factories in the capital. Their establishments flourished,
1 Crawfurd, ii. 443.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 363
and mutual advantages were derived by the natives and
their visitors, from this friendly intercourse.
The reigning sultan of Bantam, when the age of Politics of
sixty-three years rendered him in his own idea unfit for
power, resigned, and placed the crown on the head of
his eldest son, or rather relinquished to him a large
share of the government. When the step had been
taken, he saw with displeasure the policy of his suc-
cessor, and regretted he had not chosen from among his
other children, a more obedient heir. Even now he
imagined it was not too late to recover the right of choice.
He, therefore, set on foot a movement for the replace-
ment of the young king by one of his brothers. The
people and the chiefs of tribes viewed these proceedings
with great favour. They had become somewhat at-
tached to their hoary ruler ; and as they could no longer
be governed by him, at least conceded him the privilege
of selecting his successor. They rose in arms. A
numerous army thronged round his banners, and laid
siege to Bantam. 1 By the English and Danish, mer-
chants his cause was espoused, though only by media-
tion. No men, no money, nor arms, w r ere furnished by
them, which is to be credited, says the historian 2 , not
because they assert it, but because it is probable from
their weakness and poverty at that period.
Fifty thousand men thronged to the old king's com- A - D - 1683.
mand. He called on his son to submit. The young
prince had tasted power, and was unwilling to part
with the dear possession. Dutch arms were called in
to his aid, and his father, defeated, was carried in cap-
tivity to Batavia, where he lingered the remaining eight
years of his life in a prison.
Confirmed in his authority, the young prince expelled
1 Crawfurd, ii. 420. ~ Marsdcn, History of Sumatra, 350.
364
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Conspiracy
in Java.
with insolence from Bantam, those English and Danish
merchants who had favoured his father's cause. The
Dutch force occupied their factories, and our country-
men, forced to embark, were conveyed to Batavia,
whence, in the following year, they departed for Surat. 1
Supremacy From that time the influence of Holland remained with-
out a rival in Java. 2 From the grateful prince her
traders received large privileges of commerce, the ex-
ciusive trade in pepper, and the sale of cotton fabrics
throughout his kingdom. They built a fort, regulated
their affairs, and assumed a considerable part in the
government of Bantam.
In the first year of their installation in this country,
Sheikh Yusuf, a Balinese slave, who could not always
have been a bondsman, raised a rebellion ; but being
captured, was sent an exile to the Cape of Good Hope
then a station for the political convicts of Holland*
His errors, perhaps, served to guide his successor in
revolt.
Untung, a native of Bali, was the slave of a Dutch
citizen at Batavia. He is described as a man of rare
endowments, who had been kidnapped in his own island,
and sold at the capital of the Netherlands' Indies. His
life was one of suffering and hardship, caused by the
inhumanity of his master. The burgher had risen to
wealth and eminence through his assistance, and was
once fond of him ; but discovering an intimacy between
his natural daughter and his slave, beat him severely,
and caused him to be exposed in the public stocks. 3
Untung, who had aided his master so well, was able to
help himself, and conceived the idea of revolt. He
escaped from durance, released his fellow prisoners, and
Story of
Untung.
1 Raffles, History, Int., i. 22. s Bruce, ii. 492.
5 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, ii. 346.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 365
assisted in the massacre of the platoon which came to
mount guard at daylight. He then fled to the moun-
tains, and seeing around him anarchy, misery, and mis-
rule the proper materials for a rebel, prepared a
desperate enterprise. A party of insurgents from Ban- n is rebe i.
tarn soon joined him in his retreat. They had elected llons -
as their leader, and declared as the sovereign of the
country, a son of the late king, and one of two brothers,
Purbaya, joined a rebel named Aladdin, who had col-
lected 2000 men, proceeded towards Mataram, kindling
insurrection as they went, and preparing to seduce the
sultan into a contest with his white allies. Aladdin
fought in battle and escaped. They saw that force
could not soon subdue him. Craft was a more charac-
teristic weapon.
They sent an officer versed in Arabic and Malay, in
an Arabian disguise, to tempt the rebel into surrender.
This man, cunning and skilful, presented himself to
Aladdin as a friendly counsellor, relating what kind-
ness he had experienced when in captivity among the
Hollanders. He would advise his friend, he said, to
capitulate and trust in their mercy. His counsel was
accepted. Aladdin, allured by the delusive hope of
pardon, was taken to Batavia, and thence transported
as a felon, to linger out the long winter of his days at
the Cape of Good Hope.
Untung flourished in his rebellious career. He as- Progress of
sumed the name of Sir Santana, and while Purbaya
was encamped near at hand, his body of fugitive slaves
was surprised by a Dutch force. The capture of Pur-
baya was, however, the first object of the Hollanders.
To lull him into confidence, therefore, they left the
other insurgents unmolested, and behaved with courtesy
to their leader. The pangeran had promised already to Parley with
submit. An officer with several followers approached
366 THE INDIAN AllCHIPELAGO,
him. He had prepared the sign of surrender, according
to the custom of his country, by tying up his spears in
a bundle, and wearing only the kris, which among the
Indian tribes, is frequently allowed to be worn by
chiefs, even at the place of execution. But the phleg-
matic official, ignorant and careless, demanded this
weapon, and the personal ornaments of Purbaya. " Was
it not shame enough " that rebel asked, " that he and
his tribe voluntarily disarmed?" Santana mediated,
advising a compromise ; but the Dutchman standing on
his dignity, claimed the literal performance of his orders.
Promising to comply next morning, the pangeran
escaped in the night. The military diplomatist, in his
irritation, insulted Santana, quarrelled with him, pro-
voked an armed struggle, and barely escaped leaving
many men dead on the ground.
Craft of The rebel slave now went to Cheribon, whose chief,
Javan war- /. , i i
fare> in consequence of some intrigues, was slain by the
sultan of Mataram, and his title of Surapati, or general,
conferred upon Santana. 1 Marching towards Karta-
sura, the able adventurer found means still further to
open for himself new avenues to favour. At a par-
ticular place he left a number of his people under two
chiefs, who were directed to rebel, and throw the
country into confusion. On reaching the capital, he
found it alarmed by this tumult of his own creation.
He offered to suppress the revolt. His aid was ac-
cepted. He proceeded to the scene of his plot, caused
the rebels to disperse, and beheaded the two officers
who had strictly obeyed his commands. Their heads
he brought to Kartasura ; and by this bloody witness
of his faith, attested himself worthy of the monarch's
favour. The achievement at once elevated him to a
high place in the sultan's confidence.
1 Crawfurd, ii. 346.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE.
The Dutch demanded the surrender of Surapati.
The sultan, notwithstanding his alliance, pleaded the
privilege of hospitality, and refused it, bidding them
enter his territory, to arrest the rebel themselves, which
they were at liberty to do. They sent to perform this The crown
task, 400 Europeans, and 600 Javans, headed by Tak, (
an officer strongly suspected to have stolen the great
jewel which formerly glowed in the front of the Mojo-
pahit crown. This, it is said, determined the prince on
his destruction. 1
Surapati at once commenced the organisation of a
force. He was determined to prosecute war to the
knife with his enemies ; and all that part of Java was
disturbed by preparations for the approaching struggle.
The Dutch, however, continued to multiply their trading
privileges at Bantam. 2
Maintaining the plan of narrative pursued up to this * 1684.
date, it is necessary to leave for a moment the politics
of Java, to follow the course of time, and notice other
transactions which here enter the chronology of the
Archipelago. In 1684, the English, though now es-
stablished on the continent of India, renewed their
efforts to trade with the neighbouring islands. They
sent an embassy from Madras to Achin, soliciting leave
to erect a fort. The queen refused, saying, that if they
filled her palace with gold, they should not build a
house of brick within the limits of her dominion. The TheEngiish
chiefs declared it was contrary to law even for the 1]
queen to fortify herself, lest the country should be en-
slaved by some foreign power. The culture of the
land, they said, had been neglected, because the people
were once universally licensed to search for gold, so
that they might trade ; but this edict had been repealed,
1 Baffles, History of Java, ii. 192. 2 Baffles, ii. 200, 201.
3G8
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Public opi-
nion in an
Indian
state.
A.D. 16S5.
Settlement
at Ben-
coolen.
and the soil was again richly cultivated. Permission,
indeed, was given for a timber-built factory ; but even
this was clandestine, since the Dutch jealousy was
feared. 1 Achin had been long in the declension of its
greatness. Its own weakness, acted on by the rising
power of Holland, contributed to shrink its territory ;
and a kingdom which had been a formidable enemy to
the Portuguese, was held in awe by the Council of
Batavia.
The modified severity of female rule had rendered
the people favourable to it. They refused to admit a
king. The chiefs, who flourished better under a master
than a mistress, opposed their desires. Civil war ensued :
two armies met, one the hirelings of the patrician
order ; the other, the people armed to assert their natural
right of choosing their own rulers. The belligerents
encamped on each bank of a river. The termination
of the contest is remarkable in Asiatic, or, indeed, in
any history. The nobles saw the folly of resistance, the
people's wishes were granted, and it was passed into
law, that their governor should be a queen, a maiden,
and beyond a certain age. 2
The English settled also at Bencoolen, in the same
island, and continued their establishment at Indrapura,
which, however, never flourished. Captain Cowley at
this period made his voyage round the globe ; but, in
the Indian Archipelago, assumed the Spanish flag,
especially at Brune*, where that nation had made a
treaty of perpetual peace. 3
1 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 368.
2 Ibid. Mr. Crawfurd speaks of a king at this period.
3 Cowley, Voyage round the Globe, 24.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 369
CHAPTER XIV.
TAK, the Dutch commander, hastened his march on A . n. 1686.
Kartasura. There an intricate combination of craft was ^ ro fT e f f
the Dutch.
prepared to entangle him. The Susunan, by a clever
scheme, assumed the appearance of hatred and dread of
Surapati, who, on his part, pretended to conquer two
chiefs of Mataram, and threaten the capital itself.
His troops, now disciplined, were clothed in white
costumes, and it was agreed they should fall back on
the onslaught of the Dutch. A corps of men, attired in
clothes of the same colour, should sally forth to their
assistance. All was carried out on this plan. Surapati,
repulsed, commenced a retreat, but the white-robed
reinforcement rallied his troops, and the enemy, checked
in their headlong onset, were cut to pieces, or dispersed,
with the loss of several hundred men. Tak was found Success of
dead, pierced in the neck by a celebrated spear, hurled the r<
by the leader of the Javan troops. The few who
survived escaped to Japara, where they had a fort. 1
The friendly host of the rebel, though careful to pre-
serve the secret of his policy, rejoiced in the humiliation
of the Dutch. Not only did Surapati escape this at-
tempt upon his life, but he daily increased in power, A .D. 1687.
until in the next year he retreated to the east end of
Java to establish a kingdom for himself, where he
might throw defiance in the face of all his enemies.
The Susunan sustained the character he had assumed.
He parted, the friend of Surapati ; but the successful
1 Raffles, History of Java, ii. 193.
VOL. I. B B
370
Politics of
Java.
rebel, hastening in a mock flight towards his projected
seat of authority, was followed by the troops of two
chiefs, who laid waste the country in his track, and
acted all the forms of a vigorous pursuit. 1
The Susunan corresponded with the Dutch and with
the Surapati at the same time ; exchanging presents
with them, while he aided him. If they perceived the
hollowness of his faith, they found it convenient to pass
it by, for their arms were fully occupied against other
powers.
The young prince of Bantam, whom they had raised
to the throne, now maintained Succadana, near Sarawak,
in Borneo, to be dependent on his kingdom ; and, as
the people resisted, solicited the aid of his new friends.
The Dutch acted then as they usually acted. They
made the cause of an ally the shield of their own
ambition, and under cover of it attacked Succadana,
conquered the whole district, and made prisoners of
some English settlers. Thenceforward they alone were
influential in the country, while their weaker rivals
were content to receive the insult.
English set- The conduct of the English in Sumatra represents
5 in the general tone of their policy among the Oriental
islands. Some chiefs of Priamam and other provinces
on the Western coast were at Achin, endeavouring to
persuade its sovereign to shelter them against Dutch
encroachments. The visit of the English suggested to
them an alliance with a more formidable power. They
solicited our countrymen to settle among them, pro-
mising to grant a site for the erection of a fort, and free
trade in pepper. So great was their desire not to lose
the opportunity of this alliance, that they sailed with
the envoys to Madras, and signed a convention with its
1 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, ii. 347.
the Islands.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 371
government. A squadron was prepared ; but just before
it sailed, a mission arrived from Bencoolen inviting the
English to establish themselves more firmly in that
district, known to be" the great magazine of pepper,
whence Bantam drew its supplies. The winds, at that
season, early in the year, blew fair for Bencoolen, and
our countrymen were easily induced to make it the first
point of their attention. In June, a settlement was
planted, and the vessels ranged the coast upwards to
Indrapura, where three Englishmen tenanted a factory
formerly erected there by a private adventurer.
While here, news came that the Dutch, who along
the whole coast used their utmost influence to obstruct
our progress, had forestalled us at Priamam. It had
already been reported abroad that this port was the
entrepot of English commerce on the shores of Sumatra,
and the sails of many trading ships were bent to the new
emporium. But the activity of Holland shut them out,
though the English settled at Manduta ; while at Ban-
tung Capas the people were incited to expel them.
At ceaseless war among themselves, the native powers
had no example of harmony in the conduct of Europeans.
The Dutch, settled near the factories of the English,
taught the people to distrust them ! , encouraged them
to refuse provisions, and sought to cut off the supplies
by sea and land. In opposition, however, to their in-
fluence, the English factory at Bencoolen assumed a
respectable stability.
Nor was there a stronger contrast presented in the
history of the Archipelago, than in the treatment by the
English of the Chinese colonists, with that of the
1 The mutual rancour of the two nations was then extravagant.
Lord Shaftesbury, in 1692, during a debate, in which he urged a
war, said, that " the States of Holland were England's eternal
enemy, both by interest and inclination."
B B 2
372
THE INDIAN ABCHIPELAGO,
A.D. 1689. Spaniards and the Dutch. At Bencoolen, the most
public encouragement was given to their settlement,
and from 1689 forward, they multiplied, rapidly in-
creasing in wealth and influence, and contributing to
the prosperity of their protectors as well as to their
own. At Salebar and other places on the southern
coast, where the council of Batavia sought to rule in
the name of the Bantam king, their factors were ex-
pelled, and the pepper harvests were gathered for the
English. In the course of a few years numerous other
settlements were made, and the London Company re-
ceived its reward.
The history of the succeeding ten years presents only
a series of little occurrences, too minute to require
ample detail. An insurrection in Amboyna, another
in the Ladrones, a new mission from Madras to Achin,
a massacre at Balambangan, a petty English war in
Sumatra, produced by an interference in native affairs,
a settlement of them in Banjarmassin *, and a visit to
Kottaring in Borneo 2 , with the perpetual wars of the
island powers, caused then sufficient tumult in the
Archipelago, but deserve not the distinction of extended
notice.
Meanwhile, Surapati continued in his reckless career
of ambition. Successful in most instances, he re-
ceived a check in an attempt to conquer the province
of Proronogo in Java ; but his victories were not yet
ended, and he maintained himself against his European
enemies with astonishing vigour and ability. The
Dutch, indeed, were distracted by the wide extent of
A.D. 1701. their operations. In 1701, a disaster overtook them in
Sumatra. They had elected a prince in Indrapura, but
Ten years
of Indian
history.
A.D. 1691.
A. D. 1694.
A.D. 1696.
A.D. 1697.
A.D. 1699.
Surapati's
career.
1 Not till 1702, according to Logan, Journ. Ind. Arch. ii. 508.
2 Valentyn, iii. 248.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 373
quarrelling with his patrons, he cut off every white man
in his territory.
In 1702, we find the English drawing the sword in A. D. 1702.
defence of their commerce against the aggressions of a
native prince. The queen of Achin had been succeeded
by a king, who this year abdicated, and was succeeded
by Pedkara Alum. He had allowed English vessels Free trade
to trade freely at the port ; but the new sovereign, m Achin -
desirous of filling his private coffers, attempted to levy
universal, though perhaps not extravagant, duties on
them. The settlers forthwith took up arms. Their
ships in port opened the war with a violence not justi-
fiable, battered the villages at the mouth of the river,
and blockaded the harbour, which severely distressed
the people, who usually depended for supplies of pro-
visions by sea. The whole population rose, and cla-
moured for a repeal of the decree. They had enjoyed
the benefits of commerce with the strangers, and were
not now willing to relinquish them. Their attitude
at once awed the king into a recall of his obnoxious
enactment. 1 Thus, at the dawn of the eighteenth Force of
public
century, in the remoteness of insular Asia, there existed opinion.
in a barbarian kingdom a public opinion of force equal
to compel a sovereign to reverse his policy in con-
sideration of the wishes and the welfare of his subjects.
In the year following the Susunan Mangkorat died. AtD - 1703>
He was in no favour with the Dutch. He had sheltered the Susu-
the rebel Surapati, and on that account incurred their " an in
bitter displeasure. Events had induced them, during
his reign, not to seek redress by force of arms. When
he expired, however, and his successor, Pangeran Dipati
Anom, sent envoys to Batavia with the announcement
of his accession, they resolved to call the son to a heavy
1 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 372.
BBS
374 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
A.D. 1704. account for the policy of his father. Jan Von Hoorn
became governor-general. His predecessor had aided
Mangkorat against prince Pugar, and he determined to
aid prince Pugar against Mangkorat's successor. 1 The
prince was driven to this new revolt by the insulting
conduct of his brother's son.
His ambition was eager, and the treatment he re-
ceived inflamed it. The Susunan had seized him, his
wife and children, and exposed them before an assembly
of the people. He had also dishonoured the wife of the
chief of Madura, becoming enamoured of her at a feast
given, in accordance with custom, on the hundredth day
after the death of the old king, to speed his journey to
the happy halls of Paradise. The husband, in revenge
of her shame, allied himself with the pangeran of Sama-
rang, to declare prince Pugar king. 2
Mangkorat Mas, the new Susunan, hearing of the
rebel's flight to Samarang, sent directions to his com-
missioners there to demand that he should be expelled.
The reply was, he had thrown himself on the protec-
tion of the Dutch, and the Susunan might come himself
to fetch him. Enraged, the monarch resolved to exer-
cise his fury on the rebel's son, another aspirant to the
Anecdote of throne. Brought into the royal presence, the young
chief was about to be slain, when the volcanic moun-
tain Merapi broke into tremendous eruption, with a
sound like thunder, and a huge flame that glared over
all Kartasura. It sounded as a warning to the Su-
sunan, who sent his victim to prison, instead of imme-
diately putting him to death. He afterwards once
more ordered the execution, but, by a curious coinci-
dence, the mountain, cleft by the violence of its first
eruption, vomited fire and smoke so furiously that
1 Crawfurd, ii. 354. 2 Raffles, ii. 207.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 375
Mangkorat, not doubting it was a prodigy, received the
youthful captive into favour, assigned him a title and
an estate, and sought also to secure the good will of the
chiefs of Madura, Samarang, and Surabaya by similar
gifts. 1 His embassy to the Dutch in Batavia reached
that city, it is said, at the same time with another from
his enemy, and was admitted to an audience on the
next day. Pugar accused Mangkorat Mas of tyranny
over his own people, of designs against the Europeans,
and of disrespect to them in the constitution of his mis-
sion, and the tone of his letter. They did not, how-
ever, at once refuse his request, requiring a fresh
embassy, and waiting for a fleet to arrive from Holland
with reinforcements. 2
The pretender was then pompously but conditionally The new
proclaimed at Samarang under the title of Susunan Pa-
kubowono. The struggle that followed is known to
history as the first war of Java. It opened a wide way
to conquest, and at length its last fruits were displayed
in the spread of the Netherlands' power over the length
and breadth of the island.
Before opening the campaign, they secured the re- First war
ward of success, striving to elicit from Pakubowono a ava>
promise to cede to them, on his elevation to the throne,
three rich provinces of his kingdom. He refused to
sign a bond for more than the expenses of the war, and
whenever he was inclined to yield before the pressure
of solicitation, his counsellors revived his faint resolu-
tion. Once, however, when alone with the Dutch di-
plomatists, their commander burst into a warm expres-
sion of the pleasure it gave his countrymen to assist
such a prince in such a manner. Then he added, " The Dutch
Dutch are in great want of rice, and request your
1 Raffles, History of Java, ii. 205. 2 Ibid. 206.
B B 4
376 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Highness will have the kindness to grant them a thou-
sand koyans two thousand tons a year without pay-
ment." Pakubawono was silent, meditating on the
demand; but the Hollanders pressed about him with
earnest thanks, and florid compliments for his ready con-
cessions to their petition. Wishing as he did to remind
them that he had made no promise, their panegyrical
speeches shamed him from it, and he bowed his head
without speaking. Quickly seizing the opportunity,
they begged him to confirm his consent in writing. He
drew out the document, sealed and delivered it, when
more flowery expressions of gratitude were lavished to
keep awake his yielding humour, and a salute was fired
to gratify his vanity. This feature of royal preroga-
Nationai tive in the East is remarkable. In anticipation of a
throne, the ambitious prince never thought of the in-
justice which, for the gratification of personal thirst for
glory, consented to load his country with a national
debt, which ultimately destroyed its independence. It
was forestalling the industry of one age to feed the pride
and profligacy of another.
Counsellors The chief of Samarang heard of the incident, and
of an in- hurried to warn prince Pugar against any new conces-
dian prince. . r ...
sions. " Be not offended, my prince," he said, " if I
presume to open your eyes to the proceedings of these
Hollanders, who are rapacious in their demands. They
had already consulted with me on the subject of this
rice, and they knew the opinion of your advisers to be
against it; they therefore watched for their opportunity
to find you alone. I little thought you would act thus
without consulting your chiefs. I imagined the Dutch
were satisfied with the answer I had given them, and
would not have thought of going to you about it." The
Susunan related the details of his adventure, and vowed
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 377
no more to act on his own impulse, without reference
to the counsel of his chiefs. 1
A few months' preparations brought into the field an
army of Europeans 2 , commanded by General de Wilde,
with an auxiliar force of Javans and Madurese, led by
Chakra Nigrat, to whom the father of his present
enemy had presented the western half of the island
whence he now collected his troops.
The Dutch force marched at once upon Kartasura, Battle of
and when near the capital was encountered by an army
of thirty or forty thousand men. 3 A sanguinary battle
ended in victory to the Europeans. Prince Pugar was
again solemnly proclaimed. Many of the nobles thronged
to him, and laid their petitions at his feet. But despots
seldom forgive those who have opposed them. Of the
humbled chiefs some were stabbed, some were strangled,
and the new king dipped his hand deepest in their
blood. 4 Among those whom he consigned to the bow-
string was his own son. 5 At the same time he assumed
the style and title of Susunan Pakubowono, " the Saint
who is the defence of the empire, the chief commander
in war, the slave of God, and the Propagator of the
true Faith."
It was now his duty to reward the allies who had Acquisi-
won for him his crown. On the 5th of October a treaty tiom of the
* Dutch.
was signed, and Cheribon, with numerous districts in
the north of Java, was ceded to the Dutch. Madura
also was added to their possessions. 6
That island is the most important of a line which Madura.
l Raffles, History of Java, ii. 208.
2 " Eight thousand," Crawfurd. " Eight hundred," Temminck !
3 Crawfurd, Hist, of Indian Archipelago. Raffles, History of
Java, ii. 208.
4 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago.
5 Raffles, History of Java, says this was the only victim, ii. 220.
e Ibid. 211.
378
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Situation.
Extent
Formation.
Produc-
tions.
runs along the northern and eastern coasts of Java. It
is the principal of a group composed of more than
seventy-five ', and is separated from the great island by
a strait, not more than a mile or a mile and a half
wide, which serves to form the capacious harbour of
Surabaya. It has the appearance of being a continu-
ation of Java 2 , a point to which Malay manuscripts
refer 3 , and has usually passed into the hands of its most
powerful sovereigns. In length it is about ninety-one
miles, in breadth thirty-one, with a regular outline. 4
Its formation is calcareous, though the lower districts
are marshy, and covered with woods. In great part un-
cultivated, it offers a remarkable contrast with the ex-
tensive agricultural country in its neighbourhood. The
chief products are, salt, which is to be obtained more
abundantly than anywhere else in the Archipelago 5 ;
the edible nests of the sea-swallow, cotton, tobacco,
coffee, pepper, and mace. Scarcely sufficient rice is
grown to support a population of 300,000, which is
somewhat dense in comparison with other parts of in-
sular Asia. 6 Few animals are found, and none pecu-
liar to Madura. The island is famous, however, for its
breed of cattle, and supplies from its rich pastures
provisions to many of the agricultural and seafaring
communities of the neighbouring regions. The meat,
when cured, resembles, but is far superior to, the jerked
beef of South America. 7 The people are similar to
the hill-dwellers of Java, and from them the Dutch
recruit the line of their native army with the best troops
in their service. 8
2 Raffles, History of Java,
4 Raffles, Hist, of Java.
1 Temminck, Coup tfOSil, i. 335.
3 Temminck, Coup cCCEil, i. 337.
5 Earl, Eastern Seas.
6 Temminck, Coup cTCEil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, i. 336.
"' Earl, Eastern Seas. s Temminck, Coup cfCEil, 338.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 379
Driven from his throne and kingdom, the fallen Su- A - D -
sunan fled, carrying with him an immense treasure of
money and jewels. 1 He rapidly made his way to the
east of the island to seek shelter and assistance in the
gratitude of Surapati. That fortunate rebel had not
forgotten the services of the fugitive king, and was
eager also to draw the sword once more upon his ene-
mies the Dutch. He concentrated his forces at Bangil, Continu-
and there awaited the approach of the Europeans and ^. e
their allies, who numbered more than 30,000 men.
This army steadily advanced ; but one detachment of it,
separated from the rest, was led into an ambush and
cut to pieces.
In the middle of October Bangil was assaulted.
Surapati headed the defence. His troops contested the
battle with great gallantry and skill, but ultimately the
Dutch overthrew them and entered the city with shouts
of triumph. Surapati fled. All his fortunes were
struck down by the blow, and he carried from the scene
a wound which proved fatal within three months.
His whole army might probably have been destroyed,
but the Dutch refused to complete their success, fell
back on Surabaya, engaged their arms in quelling a
revolt in Madura, and lay down to rest during the
rainy season. Encouraged by a retreat, which they
attributed to panic, the sons of the fallen rebel regathered
his broken forces, descended towards the coast, insulted
the head-quarters of the enemy, and laid waste all the
neighbouring province. Early in the next year, how- A. n. 1707.
ever, the Dutch renewed the campaign, defeated their
reorganised foes, wrested from them the principality
which they had held for twenty years, and, discovering
the body of Surapati, satisfied their vengeance. No
1 Raffles, History of Java, ii. 204.
380
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Barbarity
of the
Dutch.
A. D, 1708.
Their
treachery.
A Javan
crown.
spirit is more diabolical, and none so worthy of scorn,
as that revenge which visits the grave, and rakes up
the ashes of the dead. Shall we believe the anecdote
of this transaction which is found in the native annals ?
" As soon as the Dutch commandant reached Pasuran,
he assembled the people and offered a reward of 5,000
dollars to any one who should bring him the body of the
deceased chief Surapati. The body was brought, and in
a perfect state of preservation, on which the command-
ant caused it to be placed upright in a chair as if still
living. He then approached it, took it by the hand,
and made his obeisance to it, as to a living man ; all the
officers and men followed his example. After this they
burnt the body, and having mixed the ashes with
gunpowder, fired a salute with it, in honour of the
victory. 1
In Ava it was the custom to dispose of the bodies of
sacerdotal chiefs in this manner, their souls being sup-
posed to fly to heaven on the flash of a great gun. 2
Thus satisfied against the dead, they retaliated on the
living. A prince who had aided in the revolt was
poignarded, and means were taken to capture the fugitive
Susunan. He was too wily for their schemes. In
1708 they made him an offer of grace. He was in-
duced, by one of their commanders, to surrender on a
pledge of pardon, but when he reached Batavia, dis-
covered the value of the bond he had accepted. Trans-
ported to Ceylon, he lingered out his life in exile. His
family accompanied him, and he was allowed to bear
away the ancient regalia of Mataram.
When he disappeared from power, however, the cele-
brated crown of the kingdom, the hereditary pride of
1 Raffles, History of Java, ii. 215.
2 Crawfurd, Embassy to Ava, 393.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 381
Javan royalty, was lost. 1 It is said to have consisted of
two serpents, wrought in fine gold, which intertwined
and met in front, rearing their jewelled crests above a
golden lace work crested with pearls and diamonds,
which emitted a halo of lustre. Its brightest gem, it is
suspected, had been abstracted by the Dutch. They
perhaps took the crown, and converted it into its value
in current pieces. Be this as it may, it was never again
seen, and the king thenceforward wore a cap. He was
now, indeed, diminished in authority and splendour,
little more than a dependant of the Netherlands' em-
pire. The conduct of the new Susunan answered A. D . 1 709.
throughout his reign to the inauguration ceremony,
when he strangled his son ; but the Dutch, weary of
campaigns, admonished him gently to be cautious over
the peace of his dominions. Their career was rapid,
and their influence spread widely over the island. It
was necessary to pause at intervals, and consolidate the
foundations of their power. They were now, indeed,
the paramount authority in insular Asia.
In the Philippines, as in every other province of the The Philip-
Spanish empire, the strange radiance that had flushed
her, from the treasures of Peru, paled, and was dying
altogether. Decay was in the heart of her dominions,
and in her remotest colonies none but a destructive
energy remained. From the first period of their settle-
ment, the Spaniards had seen with envy the enterprise
and skill of the Chinese who flocked thither, as though
by an impulse they could not disobey. A continued
outcry rose against them. They fraudulently pretended
to follow rural industry ; they became traders, with false
weights and measures 2 , adulterating the produce of the
1 Raffles, History of Java, ii. 217.
2 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 47.
382
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
The
Chinese
settlers.
Edict
against
them.
The edict
ineffectual.
soil ; they monopolised the fruits of the earth to create
an artificial scarcity l , and otherwise oppressed the co-
lonists ; these were the accusations levied against the
Chinese in Luconia, which justified, according to one
view, the harshness of the Spaniards against them. 2
Twice, as we have already seen, they were slaughtered
wholesale. Frequently, as we shall show, the Court of
Madrid issued edicts to exclude from the islands emi-
grants from that empire, which is said to have originally
colonised them. In 1649, a royal decree for their ab-
solute expulsion was published ; but an archbishop,
then in a civil office, saved his country this disgrace.
His influence, joined with the interests of some settlers
in the Philippines, consigned the edict to oblivion.
There were always, indeed, a class in Luconia which
profited by the enterprise of the Chinese. Nevertheless,
two years afterwards, another proclamation was issued
and rigidly enforced. 3 The citizens of Manilla severely
felt the loss of the most vigorous among the population.
Provisions became more scanty, industry halted, trade
decayed, the governor was accused of acting falsely to
the people. He was covered with odium ; but refused
to recall the Chinese, though he endeavoured to supply
their place by a company of miserable creatures of
mingled Spanish and Indian blood.
In spite of massacre, expulsion, and tyrannical treat-
ment, the Chinese invariably returned to the Philip-
pines. They rose to their usual numbers, and at this
period were once more a numerous, hardy, thriving
class in the population. New complaints were made,
that, while they promised to cultivate the land, they
competed in the trade of the islands, and drew the
1 Crawfurd, ii. 463.
3 Zuniga, ii. \ ii.
2 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 46.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 383
wealth of the group through illegitimate channels into
China.
Hollow and flimsy as these statements were, the
colonists were not ashamed to circulate them. All the
lands in the Philippines were held by Spaniards. If
the Chinese devoted themselves to agriculture, it must
have been as the servants of masters whom they could
never learn to love, trust, or respect. Their shrewd industry
character, their skill, and their adventurous spirit ren- Chinese
dered them proper merchants. Trade was then as now,
there as every where, the principal avenue to fortune,
and to trade they devoted their energetic minds. The
Europeans, without resolution to lift themselves from
the languishing sloth in which they lay immersed, en-
vied the success of their more spirited rivals. They
accused them of that which only their own indolence
prevented them from practising themselves steadily
watching the markets, continually feeling the pulse of
trade, and regulating their imports by the nature or
extent of the demand. The Chinese rewarded their
own industrious virtue, sold their commodities for gold
or silver, and returned to their own country to repose
on the fortune they had achieved. None was compelled False
to buy, to barter his dollars or doubloons for the ex- C0 mmerce.
ports of China. In this manner the Philippines were
kept in perpetual anarchy. Commerce, when free,
maintains its own equilibrium; but the Spaniards, by
loading Nature with fetters, provoked her frequently to
rebel.
Ranging round the Archipelago, the narrative again
visits Celebes. Massa Dulang, king of Boni, dying,
was succeeded by his daughter's son, Sapuale, nominal states
king of Macassar. The people of that country refusing
to deliver up Arung Palaka, the disinherited son, who
took refuge with them, Sapuale leagued with the
384
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
The Dutch
in Borneo.
A. D. 1712.
A. D. 1714.
A.D. 1718.
League
against
Batavia.
Dutch. They invaded Goa Macassar, and reducing it
to obedience, set still more deeply the stamp of their
power. At the same time, the Spaniards, anticipating in
the Pelew Islands a grand field for ecclesiastical conquest?
sent thither some friars, who never afterwards appeared.
In Java a confederation was forming to overthrow the
rising authority of Holland ; and Mataram, Surabaya,
Balambangan, Madura, and Kedir, sent chiefs to pre-
pare the league. A little potentate in Sumbawa was
probably designing to offer his alliance ; but the Dutch
anticipated his plan, seized him, and sent him an exile to
the Cape of Good Hope.
While the Spaniards were struggling in the Philip-
pines, and the English were timidly watching their
interests in Sumatra, the Dutch carried their influence
wherever a prospect of success was opened before
them. It was an honourable ambition, and their zeal
deserved its reward. In 1712, Sultan Tamil of Ben-
jarmassin felt more warmly disposed to Europeans than
his predecessor of the same name, and sent prahus to
Batavia, with envoys, on a commercial mission. In
1714 the terms of a convention were agreed to, and a
complete monopoly of the spice trade was granted. In
another part of the Archipelago the Spaniards were
vainly endeavouring to seize the Spice Islands, and
made their last attempt in 171 6. J
During the passage of these events, with others in-
significant in a general narrative, the young city of
Batavia was threatened by a formidable enemy. The
great league, having consumed years in preparation,
suddenly displayed itself in arms ; but the Susunan was
wise enough to remain faithful to his old alliance, and
the prince of Madura declared against the confederates.
Crawfurd, ii. 473.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 385
He was defeated, and fled for refuge on board a Nether-
lands frigate. There a curious incident occurred, which
illustrates the manners of both nations. The followers
of the chief, with the flaunting emblems of his royalty,
first ascended the ship's side. He then went up, and
was led by an officer into the state cabin, where he
awaited his queen. She stepped on deck. The captain illustration
met her, took her hand kindly, and kissed her on the ZJ^-J
* Illa.Il Hera*
cheek, according, as the Javan annals say, to the Eu-
ropean mode of salutation. Ignorant of the meaning of
this welcome, she shrieked, and called upon her husband
for protection to her honour against the evil intentions
of the Dutchman. The fiery chief rushed to the spot,
with his naked kriss, and stabbed the captain. His
followers took up the alarm, raised the cry, amok !
and drew out their weapons. They dealt death about
them, until the crew, rallying from their first surprise,
cut the whole party to pieces, the prince and his wife
among them. 1 When a discussion arises upon the
chastity of their women, the Javans quote this story. 2
At this period, Henry Zwardekroon became Governor- introrfuc-
General of the Netherlands' East Indies. His name is ^ffe^nto
celebrated in the annals of commerce. He introduced Java,
the coffee plant into Java and Ceylon 3 , whence that
fragrant berry is now largely exported. The first
measures of his administration, however, were warlike.
In February, 1719, the Susunan Pakubawono died ; but * 1719.
his cause was that of the Dutch, and the struggle still
raged with undiminished violence. The Susunan Prabu
was elected to the nominal throne of Mataram. His
brothers, Blitar and Purboya, immediately rebelled.
Nine of their adherents were captured, and taken before
1 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, i. 80.
2 Raffles, History of Java, ii. 222.
3 Pridham, Ceylon and the Ceylonese.
VOL. 1. C C
386
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
Malayan
loyalty.
A. D. 1720.
Execution
of pri-
soners.
A.O. 1721.
Erberfeklt's
conspiracy.
Oripin of
the plot.
the sovereign. A crowd of courtiers was assembled.
He bade them prove their loyalty by the speedy execution
of these rebels. Ready in obedience to this royal order,
they rushed on the unarmed prisoners and stabbed them
to death on the spot. Other chiefs were taken and
assassinated, while Purboya, the leader of the revolt,
died in the course of nature. Blitar was soon after-
wards defeated; but the Dutch allowing him to re-
gather his army, he appeared again strengthened in the
field. Argo Mataram, the Susunan's uncle, declared
for the rebel's cause ; but, faithless to himself, was
decoyed by promises of peace within the walls of a
fort at Japara. Once in the power of the Dutch, no
hope was left. With eighteen of his family he was, in
cold blood, put to death. Next year, Blitar was cut off
by an epidemic, and the susunan, with his allies, appeared
to triumph over all their enemies. Another conspiracy,
however, was discovered, which, for the while, engaged
all the vigour of the Batavian councils.
Peter Erberfeldt, a native of Batavia, the son of a
Westphalian gentleman by a Javan mother, was pos-
sessed of great wealth, and still greater ambition. At
the age of forty-eight or nine, he conceived a project,
which in the most daring youth would have startled by
its audacity. It was to overthrow the Dutch power by
slaughtering all the Christians in Java, and creating
himself sovereign, at least of their territories.
The account of this conspiracy is derived from the con-
fession of the guilty persons. Cantadia, a native of Kar-
tasura in Mataram, conceived the first design. He saw
that his own influence must be slight, as he could never
hope to assume sovereignty over the hereditary nobles of
the kingdom ; but his ambition was of a lower order. He
hoped to profit by a triumph which he imagined might
be gained by some more powerful minds. Leaving
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 387
the inland city, he journeyed to Batavia. Erberfeldt
attracted his notice. He was wealthy, he was daring,
he was discontented, he was the man for such an
enterprise. Cantadia introduced himself to the rich
aspirant. He laboured for two years to entangle him
in the plot. At length the opulent half-caste consented,
and the plan was organised. Erberfeldt was to be Amnge-
styled, The Lord; Cantadia, The Noble. The con- EJ^J?
spiracy, though laid in the Dutchman's city house, was spirators.
concerted in detail at his country residence, where the
members of it assembled in secret to plot and correspond
with the native princes, not only of Java, but of the
neighbouring islands. The duties of the leading men
were various. Some, as the Javans believed, were
employed in the fabrication and distribution of precious
charms and sacred amulets to repel danger from all who
bore them.
Active operations were to have commenced on the
first day of the new year, at the hour when the citadel
gates were opened. Seven thousand men were to start
up in arms, and cut to pieces the whole Christian
population. A general insurrection in the native states
would follow that signal. Success was anticipated
without a doubt, and the arrangements of the con-
spirators were carried far beyond the actual completion
of their project. Erberfeldt should govern the city and
citadel of Batavia with supreme power. Cantadia should
hold rule over the provinces lying between the sea and
the mountains, while every other leader had a post of
authori ty assigned him. All was prepared. Three days
only remained to elapse before the plot began to move.
There are, however, traitors in every cause, evil or good
as it may be. Who revealed the plans of Erberfeldt is The plot
unknown. The sultan of Bantam, who had joined the-
league, bears the suspicion ; but, be this as it may, the
c c 2
388
THE INDIAN ABCHIPELAGO,
Execution
of the con-
spirators.
Cruelty of
punish-
ments.
conspiracy was betrayed, and the conspirators were
arrested. 1
They were tortured, that their condemnation might
be ratified by the witness of their own lips. Under the
agonies of the rack they confessed, and unfolded the
diabolical scheme they had conceived. 2 Sixteen men
and three women, after submitting to the last excess of
pain, were condemned. Execution followed sentence
within fourteen days. Erberfeldt and Cantadia were
bound, and extended, each of them, on a wooden cross.
Their right hands were cut off; their breasts and limbs
were torn with red-hot pincers ; they were ripped open,
drawn, and beheaded. Their heads, fixed on posts, were
left as monuments of justice ; their limbs, mangled and
cut to pieces, were scattered as food for wild beasts.
Four others suffered similar penalties, and were exposed
after death on a wheel to be eaten by carrion-feeding
birds. Ten were broken alive, and left to linger on the
rack. Three, the women, were bound to stakes, and
mercifully strangled. The expenditure of justice was
defrayed from the property of the criminals, and half
their fortunes were confiscated. 3
Two days after the execution, all the churches in
Batavia were crowded, and public thanks offered to
God, that this horrible conspiracy had been detected
and punished. The house of Erberfeldt was levelled,
and a mimic Death's Head erected on the site, pierced
by a spike, beneath which runs the legend That no
house shall ever be built on the spot where Erberfeldt
concocted his wicked conspiracy. 4
1 Crawfurd, ii. 425.
- For the cruelty of punishments in Batavia, see Stavorinu?,
Voyages, 288291.; also, for native executions, Harris, Col-
let-lion, i. 743.
3 Roggewem, in Harris, i. 285.
* Crawfurd, History J f Indian Archipelago, ii. 427.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 389
Discouraged by this awful event, the malcontent
chiefs of Java surrendered themselves to the number
of forty-four, and were banished to Ceylon or the Cape
of Good Hope. There now remained the Susunan's
brother Purboya, and the son of Surapati, who, in
1725, were seduced, by a promise of pardon, to deliver A.H. 1725.
themselves up. Like all others who put their trust in
a similar hope, they found it a treacherous lure.
The first war of Java was ended. It had ravaged End of the
the finest districts in the island for nearly twenty years, java. Wa
laying waste the cultivated lands, preventing the re-
clamation of the wilderness, and fostering the savage
practices of the people. Meanwhile, one beneficent
act was performed by the governor-general. In 1723,
he introduced the culture of coffee. The valuable berry,
prized among all civilised nations, is now abundantly
produced, and thousands of plantations, each of them a
monument to the memory of Zwardekroon, flourish in
the sunny valleys among the hills of Java.
The Susunan Prabu, whose power had been secured A. D. 1 726.
by a prodigal expenditure of blood and treasure, died in
1726, and was succeeded by his younger son. The new Pacification
prince was opposed by his elder brother, who possessed ^land
his father's sanction to his claim ; but the youthful pre-
tender was preferred by the Dutch, and they aided in
placing his rival beyond a chance of success.
They made also a new treaty with the sultan of A.D.I 730.
Bantam. He had already agreed to articles regulating A<D ' 1731 '
the weight and quality of the pepper deliveries, and
now wished to secure the trade of his country from
entire submission to Dutch control. It was stipulated
that Bugis, Javan, and other native merchants, should
trade freely at Bantam, so long as they respected the
privileges of the Netherlands flag, while the Bantamese,
with a similar reserve, should carry on traffic with all
390
THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
A. D. 1734.
Relations
with Ma-
taram.
Treaty ^of
peace.
parts of the island. Agreements were made for better
encouragement of the pepper culture, and Pulo Pajang
was ceded as a refuge for vessels in distress. 1
Though their relations with Mataram had hitherto
been of an amicable nature, complications frequently
followed a breach of treaty on one side, or an encroach-
ment on the other. The Susunan had failed to pay his
full tribute. He was now bound by new articles to
send annually to Batavia, in his own vessels, two thou-
sand tons of good rice. The payment was to commence
from 1734, and continue during fifty years. He might
offer an equivalent in money, but the council were not
engaged to accept it, unless the rice harvest had proved
too small to supply the whole. To encourage the cul-
ture of pepper, they promised five rix-dollars a picul
to the producers. 2
There was another species of cultivation to which,
within ten years, the Javanese had become addicted
that of coffee. Favourable as it was to the prosperity
of the island, it trespassed on the Dutch monopoly.
They formed a compact with their Mataram ally to
defend their privilege. He engaged to enforce an
order for the annihilation of the coffee culture, except
in a few plantations, kept by nobles, for their amuse-
ment, or personal supply, but not for barter. The
Council of Batavia was authorised to destroy all planta-
tions in his country, and confiscate for their joint profit
any illicit stores of coffee they might discover. The
susunan, still further to acknowledge his obligations,
agreed to supply annually at Japava ten thousand beams
of teak timber, for the repair of forts. The arrears of
his rice tribute, more than thirteen thousand tons, were
forgiven him, on condition of his strict adherence to the
Raffles, History of Java, ii. 224.
5 Ibid. 227.
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 391
terms of this and of the former treaty. Nor was this
all. He engaged to defend their privileges, to increase
the supply of cotton thread, and to send daily 240
Javan labourers, free of all expense, for the service of
the Dutch. The prince soon afterwards died, leaving a
throne dependent on the merchant governors of Batavia.
"While Holland was establishing, at the edge of the Pra g re ss of
, i T i> A i i i other Euro-
SWOrd, an empire in the Indian Archipelago, subju- pc an na-
gating the richest provinces of Java, confirming her ^", s . in the
power in the Moluccas, extending it in Borneo, and peiago.
spreading it everywhere by force of arms or policy, the
English East India Company still preserved its cha-
racter as a trading association. Its efforts were still
feeble, and, though a brisk traffic was carried on in
Sumatra, England saw little of the wealth which the
florid exaggeration of oriental rhetoric promised to all
merchants who freighted their ships in India. In the
Philippines the Spaniards slowly developed their plans
of commerce ; while the name of Portugal, shrunk al-
most to a tradition, deserves no attention in the annals
of the East at this period. The Dutch alone travelled
from stage to stage of victorious enterprise, animated
by an ambition to erect the Exchange of their wealthy
Amsterdam above the commercial temple of every other
capital in Europe. Batavia was already the metropolis
of a considerable dominion. Its governors seldom passed
an opportunity to expand the circle of its authority,
while, it is no less true, the native states continually
invited or compelled intervention in their politics.
Often, indeed, they gave their Christian allies no alter-
native but that of conquest.
In Celebes especially, as in Java, the rage of factions, Celebes,
stirred by the jealousy of petty princes, broke up the
surface of society and opened a way for foreign en-
croachment. In 1734, Kraing Botolanghas, a pre-
392 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
tender, declared himself lawful sovereign of Goa, united
his arms with those of Singkang, an intrepid pirate,
noted for his achievements, and declared his resolution
A. D. 1739. to expel the Dutch from the island. A destructive
war ensued among the native powers. It was carried
on for five years, when the adventurer, flushed with
success, laid siege to Fort Rotterdam. He had routed
large armies under princes of the same race with him-
self; but his European enemies, in constitution, re-
sources, and discipline, were far different from these.
They overthrew him in three battles, recaptured Goa
Macassar, with the crown regalia, reduced the people
to submission, and terminated the struggle. Botolan-
ghas died of his wounds. Thence the Dutch turned to
punish the inhabitants of Wajo for the outrages com-
mitted by the pirate Singkang; but after two actions
drew away their forces, leaving the coast wasted by
their Scythian incursion. If the cause of war was
just, it was wiser to push it to its legitimate termina-
tion than to imitate the predatory irruptions of savages.
The Dutch were moderate enough, however, to relin-
quish many provinces which fell into their hands, and
afterwards cost them much to obtain.
If we reflect on the history of European intercourse
with the East, we find that states once subdued by the
arms of the white races seldom or never recover the
dignity of independence. Sooner or later their inevi-
table fate is to be absorbed by the conquering civi-
lisation which has spared them for the day. With
educated communities a lesson avails to check their
ambition, or deters them from rash aggressions; but
Asiatic governments seem incapable of learning by ex-
perience. Once fallen they can never be erect again.
Resting, indeed, on the alliance of the power which has
prostrated their strength, they wear out the trappings
ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 393
of their former glory ; but it is a false appearance.
Some may pass more fleetly, some more slowly, down
the decline of their existence ; all will in the end yield
even the name of independence, and recognise the au-
thority of the ascendant power. On the continent of
India Great Britain is developing this beneficent pro-
cess ; in the Archipelago Holland is illustrating it. In
both regions exist native states which are not yet ex-
amples of the truth ; but foreign as prophecy may be
from the domain of the historian, it may without fear
be predicted that all will, at no distant time, be counted
among the provinces of European empire.
The Dutch refused in Celebes to claim the titles of
power which actually accrued to them, and their mo-
deration may fairly be acknowledged. Their views,
however, were diverted from this scene by the appa-
rition of an enemy of portentous magnitude, which sud-
denly rose in Java, and engaged all the vigour of their
councils and the valour of their arms to subdue.
END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.
VOL. I. D D
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