The Malay archipelago : the land of the orang-utan ... - Wallace Online
The Malay archipelago : the land of the orang-utan ... - Wallace Online The Malay archipelago : the land of the orang-utan ... - Wallace Online
240 THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO. [chap.we saw plenty, but could not get one ; and oui' crew went outfishing with a net, so we did not want for provisions. Whenthe time came for us to continue our joui'ney, a fresh difficultypresented itself, for our gentlemen slaves refused in a body togo with us, saying very determinedly that they would return toTernate. So their masters were obliged to submit, and I wasleft behind to get to Dodinga as I could. Luckily I succeededin hiring a small boat, which took me there the same night, withmy two men and my baggage.Two or three years after this, and about the same length oftime befoi'e I left the East, the Dutch emancipated all theirslaves, paying their owners a small compensation. No ill resultsfollowed. Owing to the amicable relations which had alwaysexisted between them and their masters, due no doubt m partto the Government having long accorded them legal rights andprotection against cruelty and ill-usage, many continued in thesame service, and after a little temporary difficulty m somecases, almost all returned to work either for their old ot for newmasters. The Government took the very proper step of placingevery emancipated slave under the surveillance of the policemagistrate.They were obliged to show that they were workingfor a living, and had some honestly-acquired means of existence.All who could not do so were placed upon public works at lowwages, and thus were kept from the temptation to peculation orother crimes, which the excitement of newly-acquired freedom,and disinclination to labour, might have led them into.CHAPTER XXII.GILOLO.(march and SEPTEMBER 1858.)I MADE but few and comparatively short visits to this largeand little known island, but obtained a considerable knowledgeof its natural history by sending first my boy Ali, and tlien myassistant, Charles Allen, who stayed two or three months eachin the northern peninsula, and brought me back lai-ge collectionsof birds and insects. In this chapter I propose to give a sketchof the parts winch I myself visited. My first stay was atDodinga, situated at the head of a deep bay exactly oppositeTernate, and a short distance up a little stream which penetratesa few miles inland. The village is a small one, and is completelyshut in by low hills.As soon as I arrived, I applied to the head man of the villagefor a house to live in, but all were occupied, and there wasmuch difficulty in finding one. In the meantime I unloadedmy baggage on the beach and made some tea, and afterwards
XXII.] GILOLO. 241discovered a small hut which the owner was willing to vacate ifI would pay him five guilders for a month's rent. As this wassomething less than the fee-simple value of the dwelling, Iagreed to give it him for the privilege of immediate occupation,only stipulating that he was to make the roof water-tight.This he agreed to do, and came every day to talk and look atme ; and when I each time insisted upon his immediatelymending the roof according to contract, all the answer I couldget was, "Ea nanti" (Yes, wait a little). However, when Ithreatened to deduct a quarter guilder from the rent for everyday it -svas not done, and a guilder extra if any of my thingswere wetted, he condescended to work for half an hour, whichdid all that was absolutely necessary.On the top of a bank, of about a hundred feet ascent fromthe water, stands the very small but substantial fort erected bythe Portuguese. Its battlements and turrets have long sincebeen overthrown by earthquakes, by whicli its massive structurehas also been rent ; but it cannot well be thrown down, being asolid mass of stonework, forming a platform about ten feet high,and perhaps forty feet square. It is approached by narrowsteps under an archway, and is now surmounted by a row oftliatched hovels, in which live the small garrison, consisting ofa Dutch corporal and four Javanese soldiers, the sole representativesof the Netherlands Government in the island. Thevillage is occupied entirely by Ternate men. The true indigenesof Gilolo, Alluros " as they are here called, live on the eastern'.'coast, or in the interior of the northern peninsula. The distanceacross the isthmus at this place is only two miles, and there isa good path, along which rice and sago are brought from theeastern villages. The whole isthmus is very rugged, thoughnot high, being a succession of little abrupt hills and valleys,with angular masses of limestone rock everywhere projecting,and often almost blocking up the pathway.Most of it is vii'ginforest, very luxuriant and picturesque, and at this time havingabundance of large scarlet Ixoras in flower, which made itexceptionally gay. I got some very nice insects here, though,owing to illness most of the time, my collection was a small one ;and my boy Ali shot me a pair of one of the most beautifulbirds of the East, Pitta gigas, a large ground-tlirush, whoseplumage of velvety black above is relieved by a breast of purewhite, shoulders of azure blue, and belly of xivid crimson. Ithas very long and strong legs, and hops about with suchactivity in the dense tangled forest, bristling with rocks, as tomake it very diflicult to shoot.In September 1858, after my return from New Guinea, Iwent to stay some time at the village of Djilolo, situated in abay on the northern peninsula. Here I obtained a housethrough the kindness of the Resident of Ternate, who sentorders to prepare one for me. The first walk into the unexploredforests of a new locality is a moment of intense interest to theR
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240 THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO. [chap.we saw plenty, but could not get one ; and oui' crew went outfishing with a net, so we did not want for provisions. When<strong>the</strong> time came for us to continue our joui'ney, a fresh difficultypresented itself, for our gentlemen slaves refused in a body togo with us, saying very determinedly that <strong>the</strong>y would return toTernate. So <strong>the</strong>ir masters were obliged to submit, and I wasleft behind to get to Dodinga as I could. Luckily I succeededin hiring a small boat, which took me <strong>the</strong>re <strong>the</strong> same night, withmy two men and my baggage.Two or three years after this, and about <strong>the</strong> same length <strong>of</strong>time befoi'e I left <strong>the</strong> East, <strong>the</strong> Dutch emancipated all <strong>the</strong>irslaves, paying <strong>the</strong>ir owners a small compensation. No ill resultsfollowed. Owing to <strong>the</strong> amicable relations which had alwaysexisted between <strong>the</strong>m and <strong>the</strong>ir masters, due no doubt m partto <strong>the</strong> Government having long accorded <strong>the</strong>m legal rights andprotection against cruelty and ill-usage, many continued in <strong>the</strong>same service, and after a little temporary difficulty m somecases, almost all returned to work ei<strong>the</strong>r for <strong>the</strong>ir old ot for newmasters. <strong>The</strong> Government took <strong>the</strong> very proper step <strong>of</strong> placingevery emancipated slave under <strong>the</strong> surveillance <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> policemagistrate.<strong>The</strong>y were obliged to show that <strong>the</strong>y were workingfor a living, and had some honestly-acquired means <strong>of</strong> existence.All who could not do so were placed upon public works at lowwages, and thus were kept from <strong>the</strong> temptation to peculation oro<strong>the</strong>r crimes, which <strong>the</strong> excitement <strong>of</strong> newly-acquired freedom,and disinclination to labour, might have led <strong>the</strong>m into.CHAPTER XXII.GILOLO.(march and SEPTEMBER 1858.)I MADE but few and comparatively short visits to this largeand little known is<strong>land</strong>, but obtained a considerable knowledge<strong>of</strong> its natural history by sending first my boy Ali, and tlien myassistant, Charles Allen, who stayed two or three months eachin <strong>the</strong> nor<strong>the</strong>rn peninsula, and brought me back lai-ge collections<strong>of</strong> birds and insects. In this chapter I propose to give a sketch<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> parts winch I myself visited. My first stay was atDodinga, situated at <strong>the</strong> head <strong>of</strong> a deep bay exactly oppositeTernate, and a short distance up a little stream which penetratesa few miles in<strong>land</strong>. <strong>The</strong> village is a small one, and is completelyshut in by low hills.As soon as I arrived, I applied to <strong>the</strong> head man <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> villagefor a house to live in, but all were occupied, and <strong>the</strong>re wasmuch difficulty in finding one. In <strong>the</strong> meantime I unloadedmy baggage on <strong>the</strong> beach and made some tea, and afterwards