The Malay archipelago : the land of the orang-utan ... - Wallace Online

236 THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO. [chap.absence in some uncivilized region, I enjoyed the unwontedluxuries of milk and fresh bread, and regular supplies of fish andeggs, meat and vegetables, which were often sorely needed torestore my health and energy. I had ample space and conveniencefor unpacking, sorting, and arranging my treasures,and I had delightful walks in the suburbs of the town, or up thelower slopes, of the mountain, when I desired a little exercise,or had time for collecting.The lower part of tlie mountain, behind the town of Ternate,is almost entirely covered with a forest of fruit trees, andduring the season hundreds of men and women, boys and girls,go up every day to bring down the rijoe fruit. Durians andMangoes, two of the very finest tropical fruits, are in greaterabundance at Ternate than I have ever seen them, and some ofthe latter are of a quality not inferior to any in the world.Lansats and Mangustans are also abundant, but these do notripen till a little later. Above the fruit trees there is a belt ofclearings and cultivated grounds, which creep up the mountainto a height of between two and three thousand feet, abovewhich is virgin forest, reaching nearly to the summit, which onthe side next the town is covered with a higli reedy grass. Onthe further side it is more elevated, of a bare and desolateaspect, with a slight depression marking the position of thecrater. From this part descends a black scoriaceous tract, veryrugged, and covered with a scanty vegetation of scattered bushesas far down as the sea. This is the lava of the great eruption,near a century ago, and is called by the natives " batu-angas "(burnt rock).Just below my house is the fort, built by the Portuguese,below which is an open space to the beach, and beyond this thenative town extends for about a mile to the north-east. Aboutthe centre of it is the palace of the Sultan, now a large, untidy,half-ruinous building of stone. This chief is pensioned by theDutch Government, but retains the sovereignty over the nativepopulation of the island, and of the northern part of Gilolo.Tlie sultans of Ternate and Tidore were once celebrated throughthe East for their power and regal magnificence. When Drakevisited Ternate in 1579, the Portuguese had been driven out ofthe island, although tliey still had a settlement at Tidore. Hegives a glowing account of the Sultan ": The King had a veryrich canopy with embossings of gold borne over him, and wasguarded with twelve lances. From the waist to the ground wasall cloth of gold, and that very rich ; in tlie attire of his headwere finely wreathed in diverse rings of plaited gold, of an inchor more ii^ breadth, which made a fair and princely show, somewhatresembling a crown in form ; about his neck he had achain of jierfect gold, the links very great and one fold double ;on his left hand was a diamond, an eraei'ald, a ruby and aturky ; on liis right liand in one ring a big and i^erfect turky,and in aiiother ring many diamonds of a smaller size."