د دو یا .م. ئاوابوو تنا د ه , بامتين د و ي ة : د ة مي ا د ه . F " ه ه م م م م . م ج . ع او م . د متهم به، دوم . . : د مخمره ع ة ** ** ** اصل = . . *** ه یه که له * * ي مان وع و وهي ل * م , و ه ههههه : حم : ا و معه :: و هند بنت ويومه ه ه ه ه ه و بچه خر خود يا به حداقت ديگه يه م سه ؛ ش هر دم سے توده ، و بی مامها بسه ر مه لا اذ " و و دزد دي. دا هم 1 .: دو د برابط معه : د اطاعت ب ع " . ج : ده ره وه د م، : : له. له ط : : ر ا م الله - بیمه های بیمه سعد ه م ه ا ا ل ا ا ا نما - . مو ی ند :به 1 به معر : از ه ه هر فردا هم ا - مه تره ، ی ه عده ه ر ود ه ه ه ه ای هم به همه ه ه ه ه به ، ه نه دف : : * او را به ما می * * غ... عدد لاء ه ههه .. * * * مشاهد ه هتل ** * میر عده ور ا ا ہے ت ا م. ياره " - لی " " الل م ه ه . . ه ه ع ه ه ه م ردم و سعید نفع ه هه و به هم می داد که سرمای شه هر جه هه دوم - کا ایواری با صدای و او را به هد همه ی " .. و ان به قيا اه ااا * ، * " . ة : . به همه , , لي , ا م م تعدد خط به مو و همه جا " . - را بربري . کرد. هدف ه ه ه م من مهد ه . , اب تم " م و بند ت . . ه ه , من ه ه ه ه ، می اما بی . . . تي ثم امر طه هميم ؟ ه و ، د ۲۰ و ای با هم همه و همه مه وظه و : دام ه سته - ا اتقان د امه دهد د = = = = = ا ، ا ورم " دوو لاء ایر شده و ادامه و ماهی ها و دارد در دره , ه ا ه د هغه ده، د م سه ها ر ه " = = : سعيد ي ت م و د ا ح داده شده و . میبینی . م * ه و. م 4 في = د و ما د م ، ه * ا ني م . ما هراس - تو را دن ؟ .. مع بارها و - جوهر و . . هه نده های داده ها و یا م . م ه ا ه ا " ا د ا . و هي و همه با هم "د" اهد با خه م ک ام ره وه ها - ه م .فما نه و ا و به دل هو * * ا فراهم کرده و مهمه و داده بود، به ده ا بها په تي جي : . \:** ها له فلا ** ی منی و محمد اعلام في اه من . د ا برای به عهده م . د این پیام به : دید : جمعه و جج نهم ، مر - یې د تمدید ,ه و . م م ه و هست - ی - * ! 4: ے - د . خ ه م د بیمه * * * * * 1 . ۔ حبط. . و هم با ه م * . مره - م ه ه ه ه - , فیلم ت - 441 بر .. ده هم می زنی , " و نه . . . .. یه ماه د ه م م . . = " . . . ، . اه * نا نه * - ع ستاد - ظ ا 1 = - " ه مه می . .. میز و ط" - : " . ما در برف ته هي نت ا همه و " م . ا - . ع " .م کے - م * * می د ی ادته ه ها ؛ همه ما را داریم ، م ه ا ب . . و ار د ست و په * دی او که .و" . ا == == = ا ه ا ، . ه ا ا، در ا +++ ج . ردد ره م ید | - 4 ": 1 من : . . | ا : - - = ا ة" ا * * تا ته ا " ا ا | ۴ | " " ۔ از " وأ ا | | . . و | 1 . 4. { 843,142 . * * * او ود دلالة * : : :::::: د وه * : : = ع = اجرح .. = د ا دامه دهد، موجودراوه تنظم ::: : . - ، د د ه * سه اتمام دولت باید ابت دا د اته وه. په امر ب ه د امر د 2 ما * و وه ا ، : اواخر 4 * به م -1 ا ا و . با . ما = ه ا ه ة گروه وه م . .اوووه * مانده بود اما : 4 وره ماده 4. = . د :: به او داد " ا ا ا د یه * روودا ه ا و ند ها : . : ده - داده ب ود نجا او نه ؛ مدد اما و اور اداکار : .•* ا :: ه ه ه = = = دفع = = مة و ۲۰ 1 - ته ا ه ا ردو ها ر ادیان ه : ه نامه - ه ه و ه خد ا م ا و ر - . ه وا بدهید هم انیم که : : " بی و ::::: : وا1 : : بدمياة ء 27 CHIGAN CHIGAAN LA UNIVIDEO ZSUTUS 1 .. ilis OSITY OR / UVEX at Munir y kan REQINI WYDIH QUHL Saya I 22 RE * .. , UNIT QCHIGAN INIVA THE UN IMA NIA 1:50 ** HOT 24 I! 23 KS Vi . ERS 1.WRI RITA faces CAS IGAN. ROIW no UITIVERSE MICHIG AN TMICA . V 11 BRARIES . SC ERSITY D SIIN TA CRSITY AINO PO CHL CHIGAN. ICHIGA CAIGAN : MIN. Di. RSITY O RARI S.NY OCTEN NTTAVY w MICHIGA ERII ON HIGAN CHIGA ER GANS ICHION VI OF MICK CROIX VERS IBRARIES ALISH TA Ort OF MICH IES - BA RIVERST CANIVERSA TIGAN. IN RUTENTE THLY DIT LIBRARI 0 OF MI TRIES CITY OF S VIN IVERSI . C CHIGA . . IR . * INIVEA . S.NO THLY CENTL LIBRARY VERSITI malT. ARIES GIGAN. WATNE THE UN KPOIN D THOIWE UNIVERS IL LI THLU RSITY O ANSAT CHIGAN THE U . 3 . . . CIENTI MICHIGA UNIVER Q17 IBRARIE TES.N RSITY On .. OF MICE FRSITY SETT NIVERSE AIVERSIT RytTAHYPOT. Upr amonavoskovassa Mla, N YA ** NOTE TO THE READER YUCT*T *** WOR S VARDAS EX AH-261 ELWA The paper in this volume is brittle or the inner margins are extremely narrow. We have bound or rebound the volume utilizing the best means possible, LEASE d . H ALAYAW So GENERAL BOOKBINDING CO, CHESTERLAND. OXIC WS THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO; ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. BY I HORACE ST. JOHN, AUTHOR OF “ History OF THE BRITISH CONQUESTS IN INDIA," " LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS," ETC. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. I. LONDON: LONGMAN, BROWN, GREEN, AND LONGMANS. 1853. Q DS Sit vil حل ,5141 -Wujrater tu... 5660 LONDON: SPOTTISWOODes and Shaw, New-street-Square. ( 1455co7 734 TO THOMAS ROSCOE, ESQ. MY DEAR MR. Roscoe, T . 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 DEDICATION. Tiny 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 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. vii 1 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 NY A 4 viii PREFACE. 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 U PREFACE. 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 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. 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 PREFACE, V O 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 å 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. 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. T · CONTENTS OF OF THE FIRST VOLUME. CHAPTER I. A. D. · Page Situation of the Archipelago Its riches - Early rumours of it in Europe Fame of the East - Voyages in search of India The earliest travellers Marco Polo - - Tales of the travellers - Real riches and aspect of the Archipelago - Extent of the Archipelago - Its central situation Classification of the islands Distribution of them Characteristics of navigation Seas of the Archipelago - Boundaries - - Approaches to the Archipelago Its tropical position Uniformity of its characteristics Geographical divisions The first group - The second group - The third group - The fourth group - The fifth group General aspect of the Archipelago - Relations with Continental Asià - Depth of the sea - .. Volcanic action in the Archipelago Volcanoes now active Traces of volcanic eruptions XIV CONTENTS. AD. Page Whether the Archipelago is a new continent rising, or the débris of an old one? - Formation of the islands Activity of vegetation Beauty of vegetation Aspect of the islands Variety of extent and form Narrowness of the seas - Brilliance of the verdure - Forests of the Indian Islands Landscape in Java Woods of Borneo and Sumatra Parasitical vegetation Flowers Birds Plumage of the birds Snakes Insects Animals - Birds of Paradise Other birds Flowers - Living creatures - Shells - Rocks and seaweed - - Fish Malayan mermaid - - Beauty of the whole region Testimony of writers : - Commercial and agricultural resources Productions - Neglect of the Archipelago Climate - - Diseases - - Child-bearing: - Effect of climate on Europeans Climate of Java - Population Diversity of population Original inhabitants History of the population - First immigration - Second immigration Tartar origin of the Malays Origin of languages Ancient commerce of the Archipelago Trading nations - Agricultural nations - - Visits of the Klings Rise of the Hindu empire - Rise of the Malays Immigration of the Arabs - European influence Character of European influence . CONTENTS. XV Page - 18 A.D.' Variety of races and institutions . Stages of civilisation The dominant races The dwellers in woods The savage tribes - The Moluccan race Dwellers in woods - Cannibal tribes - Proofs of their existence Dwellers in creeks Boat life - . . The agricultural population ; their industry Cultivation and use of flowers Elegant taste of sayage tribes Indian agriculture - Collection of articles of traffic Fishing - Cultivators Miners - Traders - Industry of the islands Enterprise of the Bugis Cities of the Archipelago - The piratical system Vessels and boats - Navigation - - - Prospects of the Archipelago Decline of the native powers The ancient kingdom - Capabilities of the native races The native character Vices Weaknesses Virtues Dispositions Manners - Aptitudes - Commercial and agricultural tribes General capacity of the islanders Parallel with Europeans - Savage life in the woods - Civilisation of the islanders Design of this work CHAPTER II. Origin of the Malays mapan Malayan colony in Sumatra Date of their origin - Sumatra - - Situation of Sumatra xvi CONTENTS. Pago A. D. Extent - Surface a Mountains - Swampy plains Woods - Piratical haunts Lakes - Rivers Waterfalls - Plains General aspect Harbours - Climate - : Climate .. Thunder-storms - Resources - Connection with antiquity - Mines - Produce of gold - Mineral productions Soil - : - Vegetable productions Animal kingdom Beasts: - Reptiles Fish Birds Fruit Flowers Plants and herbs Population Malays - Other tribes --Account of the province Its Malayan population Tradition of their origin Founding of Menangcabao Question of the Malay origin Antiquity of the Malays- Languages of Asia Rise of the Malays in Menangcabao Their industry - Their trade Their prosperity - Growth of a Malay empire Emigration to the peninsula 1160. Founding of Singhapura - Name of the Malayan race The Hindus in Java - - Traditions Invasions of the peninsula - Flight of the Malays CONTENTS. xvii: Page A. D. Founding of Malacca - Traditions of the islands - Uncertainty of the question Value of ethnographical researches Tradition of the Ark - Growth of the Malayan race Dispersion of the Malays - Their settlements - - Religion of the Malays— Mohammedanism 1276. The heathen tribes - Pagan beliefs . . Power of the Malays The savage tribes - Subjugation of the black race Native annals of the Archipelago Teachings of this history - Early social aspect of the islands Trade in remote times Immigration - Navigation. The native navigators The compass - Intercourse with China Settlers from China . Earliest voyage from China Chinese colonisation and travel Marco Polo's arrival in the Archipelago His fanciful pictures Native kingdoms - The Moluccas :- Native states; distribution of power Decline of the Hindu creed Rise of Mohammedanism - Its introduction. - Strange tradition - The heathen nations *Their beliefs and rites Shattering of the continent into islands Arrival of a nation from India - Probable explanation of these tales Origin of the Malays - Affinity with the Tartar race Relics of the Hindu empire Ruins in Java - Monuments Merchants of Islam Their influence Fall of the Hindu empire - 1470. Remnant of the Hindus Progress of the Arabs Their moderation - Their policy - Result of the Mohammedan conversion Difficulty of a second proselytism - . VOL. I. xviii CONTENTS, CHAPTER III. Page A. D. 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 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 . no . 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 Preparations for defence - . 1511. Albuquerque's plans Design of conquering Malacca Albuquerque's voyage - Preparations for defending Malacca Marriage festival in the city Negotiations with the king The city assaulted CONTENTS. xix Page 67 . ib. A. D. . Stipulations of the Portuguese | They are rejected - Strength of Malacca Defences - - Treachery of a native chief Second assault of Malacca - Battle with the king's army Pause in the conflict - Third attack Fierce battle The Malays routed Massacre of the inhabitants The city pillaged - Booty - Native warfare - Value of firearms - Expulsion of the king from Malacca First European flag hoisted in the Archipelago The Malay peninsula Position and extent Mountains - Plains - Abundant moisture Lakes, rivers, and streams Vegetation Palms Savage tribes Condition of the heathens of the Peninsula Wild religious beliefs Various tribes - The sea people - Barter with the Malays Resources of the Peninsula Minerals Tin Gold Iron Silver Vegetable productions Soil Climate Beautiful verdure Winds Beasts The Mermaid Birds Reptiles - Fish Forest sounds Timber Cabinet woods Native states of the Peninsula Neck of the Peninsula Power of Malacca - iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii : a 2 XX : CONTENTS. Page 80 A. D. Early policy of the Portuguese Character of Albuquerque - First acts of the conquerors Enslavement of the people Cruelty to the chiefs 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 Siam - - - - 1512. Progress of the Portuguese - Wreck of the admiraľs 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 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii 2 CONTENTS. xxi Page 9.6 d. D. Accusation against the king Indian mythology - Adventure in scarch of the temple treasury Slaughter of the Portuguese Voyage to the Moluccas - Policy of the conquerors - Politics of Sumatra Politics of an Indian palace Attack on the Portuguese fort Night battle - Repulse of the Indians New assault by night Use of elephants as a battery Conflagration in the port - Desertion of their stronghold by the Portuguese Manoeuvre of the besiegers - . Conduct of the garrison - Arrival of Spaniards in the Archipelago Magellan - - - - Proposal rejected by Portugal Goes to Charles of Spain - Engaged by Spain An expedition dispatched 1519. Brazil - Patagonians Straits of Magellan Passage into the Pacific - Entrance into the Archipelago The Isles of Thieves Description of the Ladrones Discovery of the Philippines Their general aspect Volcanoes - Vegetable wealth - Ornamental woods - Mineral treasures - Miscellaneous productions Seasons - Magellan enters the group The natives First transaction - Reception by an island king Wonder of the people - Baptism of the islanders - Rapid conversions - - Punishment of a heathen village False proselytism - - Conduct of Magellan - Barter for gold - . Challenged by a native prince Battle with the barbarians - a 3 xxi CONTENTS. Page 107 . ib. J08 ib. ib. ib. A. D. Death of Magellan Disasters of the Spaniards - Fall in with Borneo Presents from a. Borneon king The Moluccas - Visit to Tidor. . Homeward voyage Disputes in Europe . . Remnant of the expedition - Spanish settlement at Tidor Jealousy of the Portuguese -Armed traders . - . Portuguese policy in the Spice group Treaty with Ternate -Conflict. in Tidor - Massacre of the islanders - Sack of the native capital - CHAPTER V. . 111 i6. 112 ib. 113 ib. 114 115 - 117 1522. Misfortunes in Sumatra And on the Peninsula Siege of Malacca - Reprisals - - .1526. Action at sea Conflicts with the Malays - . Rumours of the Islands in Europe - New adventures in the Moluccas . The Portuguese at the Spice Isles Rival expedition - Success of the Portuguese - Fatal beauty of the Moluccas -Their still more fatal wealth Ancient intercourse with the Spice group ... Consumption of spices in antiquity -Ancient commercial routes Growing taste for spices - Indian traders - . Fondness for spices in Europe Venetian travels , Chinese merchants - Their settlement - Desire of the Portuguese to trade in spices kage for that commodity - Artificial value - Ancient accounts of the Moluccas - Geography of the group General-view Their surface Their nutmeg-tree - Situation and extent 118 - 16. - - ib. 26. 119 11 xxiii 'A. D. Page Volcanic origin - Traces of eruptions Amboyna - Its political importance Harbour - Area Form Fragrant atmosphere Picturesque prospect Dutch description of the island Scenery - Flowers Trees Perfumes - Truth of the picture Exaggeration of travellers - Capacities for productions Nutmeg - - Its influence on the group Culture of the nutmeg Old tales - - Other productions - Cinnamon - Its native country - Ancient uses of this spice - Poverty of Amboyna in the necessaries of life Policy of the Dutch Neglect of industry encouraged ib. 126 ib. 127 ib. 26. - 128 Reasons assigned - Supplies of food - Rice - The yam - Bounty of Providence to these islands Grasses of Australia Sago Various qualities - Its consumption - Geographical distribution Process of preparation - Abundance of this farina - Other resources for food Mushrooms Worms Articles of native manufacture and commerce Animals - - Birds Birds of Paradise - their various names Indian fables concerning them Poetical fancy Their flight - Method of catching them - Trade in the feathers 说说 ​a 4 xxiv CONTENTS. A. D. Page - : - The Amboynese - . Character. Progress in the useful arts Primal habits of man: Banda . - -- Beautiful scenery Roadstead - : Fiery mountains Eruptions - Soil - - - Growth of spices - The clove - - - Clove oil - - Use of cloves Annual produce - 137 ib. ib. - 138 - ib. ib. 139 ib. Verification of travellers' tales · Aborigines of the Spice groups Dutch account - - - . Ternate - Its ancient power - Dutch policy . - Health of the island - Origin of the name -- Mohammedan legend Form of the island Aspect . - - . Cultivation . . Tidor : Industry of the people Christian converts - Animals - Smaller groups Whalers' resorts The whale fishery Bird Island Inhabitants of the isles : Piracy. - - Industrious tribes - Characteristics of the sea - Reefs and shoals - - - Voyage to New Guinea Crime of a Portuguese governor Piratical adventure : ·Massacre of fugitives in the water Proceedings in Tidor Native insurrection Rivalry with the Spanish crown Ferocity of Menezes 动功的论证办出动动办证认证必说 ​ib. 144 ib. 145 ib. 146 ib. ib. 147 148 1528. European policy - Retaliation of the Achinese CONTENTS. XXY CHAPTER VI. Page - ib. ib. - 152 153 154 155 ib. ib. 156 ib. 158 26. - A, D. Farther enterprise in the Archipelago 1529. Disaster at Achin - Composition between Portugal and Spain 1530. Progress of the Portuguese at Malacca And in the Moluccas: - 1531. Hated by the islanders 1536. Virtuous administration of Galvan His chivalrous conduct - - - Political transaction . . - Character of Galvan : - Spanish adventures renewed Universal spirit. of monopoly Theory of trade - . Rebellion in the Moluccas - Galvan's vigorous policy - His excellent endeavours - Preaching of Christianity- True method of conversion Religious schools established Love of the people for Galvan Jealousy of his success in Portugal - Renewed sieges of Malacca Wars of the Achinese 1540. Relapse of the Moluccas into anarchy 1544. Brigandage of the Portuguese 1546.. Protection of monopoly - Sea fight - - 1547. Continual conflicts St. Francis Xavier Vast armament against Malacca 1549. Apostleship of Xavier - 1550. Triumph of the Portuguese 1556. Transactions in the Spice Islands 1559. General succession of events 1565. Revival of the Spanish power . The Philippines - · Spanish policy Dutch policy Expedition to conquer the Philippines The voyage : - Arrival in the group Treaties with the chiefs Declaration of conquest State of the population Primitive institutions .Wild races - Their religion - Success of the Spaniards - First settlement in the Philippines - Submission of the people - 159 160 161 ib. 162 - - 163 ib. 164 165 166 ib. - 167 1 1 ib. 1 1 168 ib. ib. 1 1 169 1 ib. 1 170 171 1 xxvi CONTENTS. Page 171 A. D. Progress of the conquest - Characteristics of sea warfare Collection of gold - Massacre of a crew General good fortune of the Spaniards Jealousy of Portugal Rivalry - Hostile princes of the East - Stratagems of the Malays Attack on Malacca Slaughter of his army Prodigal waste of blood 1568. Exasperation of the enemy - 1569. Another fleet destroyed 1571. And another Policy of the Portuguese in the Spice Islands 1570. An act of assassination Revolt to avenge it CHAPTER VII. Feeble policy of the Portuguese Prerogatives usurped by Rome 1567. European rivalry - Negotiations Spanish plans of conquest Mission to Panay - Expedition to found a settlement Baptism of the natives 1569. New places of colonisation - Luzon, or Luconia Sketch - Its advantages Expedition to it Pirates of the Philippines Spaniards attack them Expedition to Manilla The town - Present aspect - Native use of artillery Storming of the defences Caution of the Spaniards New expedition to Luzon - First intercourse with China Pleasant incident - Capture of Manilla Submission of the inhabitants Character of this policy Right of conquest - Introduction of priests 1571. Foundation of Manilla CONTENTS, xxvii Page 185 1 ! ib. ib. 1 о A. D. Fluctuations of the Spanish power - Prolonged resistance of the islanders Action at sea Method of conquest Result of an adventure with Chinese traders at sea - 1572. Opening of a new trade - Expedition round Luzon - Little settlements - 1573. Enterprise in Borneo Precarious situation of the Portuguese Slaughter before Malacca - 1575. Immense Indian armament Panic in the native army - Power of the kingdom of Achin Feudal institutions 1574. Curious politics - Alarm of the Chinese emperor Chinese enterprises Adventurous character of that people Their trade with Bruné Visits to the Philippines Rise of a Chinese colony. - . Hostility of the islanders to Spain Success of Spanish policy - 1574. The pirate Limahon His career - His achievements - Resolves to attack Manilla His fleet - - - Arrives by night - Attack of the city - The Spaniards alarmed Limahon retires Renewed assault - Conflict in the city - Flight of the pirates They rally - They retreat to their junks - Flight from Manilla Cruelty of the buccaneers Their place of refuge 1575. They are followed by the Spaniards They are surrounded Ingenious device to escape - Progress of Christianity Emigrants from China - Jealousy and fear of them - Their industry ib. 191 ib. 192 3b. 193 ib. 194 ib. 195 xxviii ONTENTS. · CHAPTER VIII. Page 196 200 ib. Or A ib. ib. 202 ib. A. D. - Borneo - - - Early visit . - - - 1576. Transactions of the Spaniards with Borneo Borneo Proper - History of Malayan colonies Malay kingdom of Bruné - Wealth of the island - - Its political state - · Native tradition - . Several states. Aspect of the island - Immigration of the Chinese Their energy - Anarchy at Bruné - Piracy on the coast 1580. Civil commotions in Bruné - Spanish policy - A third European flag in the further East First English adventure - Sir Francis Drake's voyage Passage to the Pacific - Visit to Ternate - - - His success - Homeward voyage - Triumphal return to England - - New era in the Archipelago - Rumours of its wealth Jealousy of the English - 1581. Decline of Portuguese power in the Moluccas Union of Spain and Portugal. - 1582. Vicissitudes of Malacca - Progress of the Spaniards - 1583. Conflagration in Manilla - Spanish commercial policy - . 1584. Misgovernment in the Philppines Second visit of the English -. 1586. Voyage of Cavendish Reception in the Philippines Caution of the mariners 1588. Cavendish's report - English enterprises - - Wars of Europe - 1589. Spanish attacks on pirate haunts 1590. Defences of Manilla Native embassies - New plan of conquest Chinese settlers at Manilla Their conduct - Hated by the Spaniards 26 203 - - 16. 26 204 1 207 II 1 1 208 209 210 CONTENTS. xxix Page - 211 ib. ib. 212 ib. 215 ib ib. 216 Å. D. Massacre of a Spanish crew - New influx of Chinese - Surprising the Spaniards. - Great event in the history - Rise of Holland - Importance of commerce - Valour of the Dutch The revolt of the Netherlands Early Dutch voyages - Their gallant conduct at home Their behaviour abroad. - Impulse to colonisation - Miserable policy of the Spanish crown Causes of Dutch prosperity English commercial adventures - - - - The route to India - Cornelius Houtman imprisoned - Negotiations with the Amsterdam merchants Equipment of a squadron - Its object - It sails - Voyage - 1596. Sight of land The Indians seen - The Archipelago in view - Aspect of the isles - First meeting with the natives Exploring the Archipelago - Native barques - - The savage and the civilised man Reception of the Dutch - Market at the gates of the Archipelago Traffic Friendly islanders - First see pepper Women seen Indian pilot See a junk Java Its fertility - Portuguese galley Native politics Message sent to Malacca Politics of Java - Portuguese influence Trade with the people Progress of intercourse Dutch libels on the English Their avarice - Hostilities resulting Slaughter at Bantam The voyage renewed Description of Bantam Markets of the city 217 -. ib. - ib. - 218 Media I II III i i 21 I ib. 222 ib. ib. 223 ib. XXX CONTENTS. Page - 224 ib. ib. 225 A. D. Dutch policy Visit Madura News of their arrival Princes of Java - Pirates - Preparations for receiving the Dutch Tragedy at Madura Animating scene - Massacre of the islanders Ferocity of the Dutch Prisoners captured - The voyage continued Murder in the ships Voyage to Holland Other expeditions - 1598. Neck's voyage - Rise of Holland - 226 227 2b. - ib. - 229 CHAPTER IX. 231 ib. 232 233 ib. 234 235 236 1600. Voyage of Oliver Van Noort Arrival in the Archipelago Fight with Spaniards Massacre of the Spaniards - Reach Borneo Traffic - 1601. Visit Jaya - New enterprises - English Company formed Lancaster's voyage - War beyond the line The Devil's isle - Spanish policy in the Philippines 1602. Embassy from Japan 1603. Embassy from China Rumour of its design The Chinese in Manilla Their suburb - Design imputed to them Plan to massacre them Apology for the outrage The slaughter - Number of victims - Conduct of the Chinese emperor The Philippine buccaneers - Their ravages - Characteristics of piracy Freebooting princes 1604. 237 26. 238 ib. 239 240 The Bible and the Koran - Conversion of Celebes by the Mohammedans 26. 241 CONTENTS. xxxi Page - 241 242 - 244 - 16. 245 ib. 247 ib. 248 249 A. D. The Indian creeds - Religious sentiments 1605. Dutch cruizers Attack on Amboyna Capitulates Capture of Tidor - Aided by the natives Europeans in Sumatra Expedition to the Spice group 1606. Decline of Spanish influence Japanese colony - Letter from the emperor of Japan Reply - - Friendly treaty - 1608. Dutch progress in the Moluccas In Borneo - - 1609. Contest with Spain Treaties of peace - Monopoly of cloves Perpetuation of the war Losses of the Spaniards Riches acquired by Holland A company chartered Its organisation - Its progress - Plan of conquest- Memoir on the Indies Enemies of the Dutch Their advantageous situation Necessity of territorial acquisition Views of the natives Portuguese intrigues Commerce of the Indies Spices Pepper - English in India - Treaties proposed Plans of conquest - In Celebes - In the Spice Isles - Clove trade Conquest of Malacca Of Manilla - Chinese trade Scheme of exensive trade Trade with Java With Bengal With Arracan With Malabar Dutch policy of conquest 250 ************************************** ib. 252 ib. 26. - 253 ib. 254 ib. ib. 255 ib. 256 ib. 257 258 xxxii CONTENTS. CHAPTER X. Page 260 ib. - - 261 ib. 262 it. 263 ib. il. 264 ib. 265 ib. 266 - A. D. 1609. Governor-general of the Dutch East Indies - Right of nomination First governor-general Peter Both 1610. Dutch historians .. Law of nations - - Character of Dutch policy - Other European enterprises 1611. Arrival of Peter Both Foundation of Dutch influence in Java Politics of that island Native states - - - 1612. Rivalry of Europeans - English East India Company Early voyages - Ideas of commerce - 1613. Mission to Achin - Dutch progress - - Their conquests - Rapid growth of power - Devastation of the Archipelago Temptations to trade Letter from Achin to England 1615. Career of the first governor-general Second governor-general - His voyage - Siege of Malacca - Great engagement at sea - Variations of success Third governor-general Dutch eulogies - 1617. Naval architecture Rise of the Company Wars in Java In Sumatra Policy of the island princes League of the Indian kings English transactions 1618. Attacked by the Dutch 1619. Conflict - : - Progress of the native conspiracy It is exploded - Triumph of the Dutch. - Exaggeration of Dutch writers Capture of Jakatra Batavia founded - Close of the king's career - Choice of a capital Various suggestions - - - ib. ib. 267 ib. ib. 268 ib. ib. 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 N 278 ib. 279 280 ib. ib 282 CONTENTS. xxxiii A.D. Page Extension of Dutch influence Batavia fixed upon Situation of Batavia - 283 - ib. CHAPTER XI. 284 . ib. ib. 36. 285 ib. 286 287 2 . 288 289 Dutch established in Java - Geographical rank of Java Its position Historical notes The name - Ancient account Extent - Neighbouring isles Pirate haunt Shape of Java Its aspect - Surface Tints of the landscape Succession of crops Hills - Formation of Java - Smoke of the volcanoes Volcanic mountains Their vegetation - Beautiful scenes - Singular spectacle on the summit Streams - Boats Climate Verdure Soil Wells Crystal rocks .. Geology - Geological history Absence of minerals Stones - - Depth of soil Fertility Qualities of the soil Seasons - Monsoons- Harbours and bays - Atmosphere - Salubrity of Java . Vegetable wealth - Varieties in natural history - Rice Other grains Other productions - VOL. I. 290 ib. ib. 291 ib. ib. 292 ib. ib. ib. ib. 293 ib. ib. - 294 ib. ib. - - 295 ib. . xxxiv CONTENTS. Fruits Flowers • Teak timber - . Page 296 ib. ib. 297 Character of the country Absence of pasture - Animals - Wild beasts Birds Reptiles - Edible birds' nests Bird caverns The people Their origin Husbandmen Character of the Javanese Their industry. - Trade of Java - Situation of Batavia Influence of Europe Monopoly - Importance of Java Manufactures Population - Ruins Physical character of the people Women - 302 ib. 303 304 305 ib. - . ib. - 306 . ib. 308 Immorality Polygamy - Virtues - Canine loyalty Language of Java - Religion - Mohammedan apostles Retirement of Hindus Ancient temples - Architecture of Hindus and Muslims Value of ruins Political divisions of Java - Empire of Mataram Muslim missionaries Parallel with Europeans - Javanese pilgrimages to Mecca . ib. - 309 ib. - 310 ib. . . ib. 311 CHAPTER XII. - 313 ib. Treaty between the Dutch and English Negotiations . 1621. Conquest of Banda French arrive in the Archipelago Failure of the mission - ib. 314 315 CONTENTS. XXXV Page - 315 ib. - 316 ib. 317 318 ib. 319 ib. 320 ib. il 321 ib. 322 323 ib. 324 ib, 325 ib. 326 ib. ib. 327 A.D. Revolt in the Philippines - Anecdote of Spanish manners Enterprise in Borneo Pirate voyages - 1623. Massacre of Amboyna Apology for it .. - Rage of the English Demand for revenge Apathy of King James - 1625. War between the Spaniards and Dutch 1626. Colony in Formosa - 1627. Second administration of Koen 1628. Designs of the Mataram emperor First siege of Batavia Fury of the sultan - Military execution - Preparations for a second siege 1629. New defeat of the Javanese Native warfare - 1635. Misfortune of the Portuguese 1637. Ravages of piracy - Their atrocious character - 1638. The Moluccas - 1639. New massacre in the Philippines Immigration of the Chinese Their oppression - Revolt - Slaughter - 1640. Designs of the Dutch on Malacca - 1641. The city acquired - Their jealousy of Spain 1642. Occupation of Formosa 1643. Van Diernen - His code of laws - Statutes of Batavia 1644. War with Spain - 1645. Unsuccessful attack on Manilla Fugitives from Sulu Expedition against pirates - Revolt in the Philippines Earthquake iu Manilla Its disastrous effects Restoration of the city 1646. Fortune of the Dutch Treaty in Java - Settlement in Borneo Politics of Europe - Cromwell - - Policy of Holland - 1652. Conflict in the Spice group Cruelty- Passion for monopoly Massacre of chicfs - 1653. Second massacre - ib. 328 i. 329 - 330 ib. 331 332 333 ib. 334 ib. • ib. - ib. 335 Xxxvi. CONTENTS. A.D. Crimes of the Dutch Revolt in Celebes - Page 335 336 ib. 338 ib. ib. ib. 339 1654. The Spaniards Their dangers War with Holland - Peace concluded - 1659. The Moluccas - Fugitives from China Coxinga - - His achievements - 1661. Attack on Formosa Deputation to Coxinga New conflict :- Bravery of the Dutch Formosa - Treaty with Achin - 1662. Career of Coxinga - Missions to the Philippines - Threatening letter - Its impolicy Preparations for defence Slaughter of the Chinese Reply to Coxinga - Danger of the Spaniards Death of Coxinga - 1663. Spaniards abandon the Moluccas ib. 340 ib. ib. ib. ib. 341 ib. ib. 342 CHAPTER XIII. O 343 ib. 344 ib. 345 ib. ib. 346 1664. Course of Dutch conquest - Visit to Borneo - Attack on Palembang Treaty with the Sultan War with Macassar . 1666. Formidable armament from Celebes Victory of the Dutch - 1667. Successes in Celebes 1672. Treaty with Sumbawa The Nemesis of monopoly - War in Achin - The English Revolt in Celebes - Flight of the rebels to Jaya 1673. Their success 1674. Krongrong Policy of the Dutch in Macassar Their authority established Celebes - Riches Climate - ib. 347 ib. CONTENTS. Xxxvii A.. - - Page 349 ib. - ib. - - ib. 350 ib. Causes of its salubrity General aspect Position - Configuration - Surface - Formation - Picturesque aspect Lakes - Water lilies Streams - Forests - Population - The Bugis - The Alfoeras Religious beliefs Productions of Celebes ib. 351 ib. ib. 352 ib. 353 ib. ib. 354 26 - ib. 355 ib. ib. 356 357 27 358 ib. Commercial resources Fruits . Flowers - Minerals - Animals - War in the Spice group concluded Dutch wars Their policy European affairs - Patriotism of the Dutch - Threatened invasion of Holland Retreat of the French king - Character of the Dutch - Their colonial policy 1675. New invasion of Jaya Defcat of the Dutch Success of the invaders Confederacy to resist them - Preparations for conquest - Right of conquest - Affairs in Celebes - 1677. Policy of alliances - Tribute from the native prince Stipulations with allies - 1678. Ryklof van Kloen - 1679. Close of the war - 359 ib. 360 Tragedy in an Indian palace Malay treachery - 1680. Revolt in the Moluccas Continued war in Java Progress of Dutch power - Politics of Bantam - Supremacy of Holland Conspiracy in Java Story of Untung - His rebellions Progress of his arms ib, 361 ib. ib. ib. 362 ib. 363 364 ib. ib. 365 xxxviii CONTENTS. A. D. Parley with the rebels Craft of Javan warfare The crown jewels of Java - 1684. The English in Sumatra - Public opinion in an Indian state 1685. Settlement at Bencoolen - Page - 365 366 - 367 - ib. 368 ib. CHAPTER XIV. 1686. Progress of the Dutch Success of the rebels Politics of Java - English settlements in the Islands 1691. Ten years of Indian history 1699. Surapati's career - 1702. Free trade in Achin Force of public opinion - . 1703. Death of the Susunan in Java Anecdote of Malay superstition 369 ib. 370 ib. 372 ib. 373 26. 374 375 ib. b First war of Java - Dutch methods of negotiation National debts - Counsellors of an Indian prince Battle of Kartasura 376 ib. 377 ib 378 379 380 ib. ib. 381 382 ib. Madura - Situation - Extent Formation - Productions 1706. Continuance of the war 1707. Barbarity of the Dutch 1708. Their treachery - A Javan crown The Philippine settlements The Chinese settlers Edict against them The edict ineffectual Industry of the Chinese False theories of commerce 1710. Progress of native states - 1712. The Dutch in Borneo 1718. League against Batavia Ilustration of native manners 1719. Introduction of coffee into Java 1720. Malayan loyalty - 1721. Execution of prisoners Erberfeldt's conspiracy Origin of the plot - 383 384 ib. 385 ib. 386 ib. CONTENTS. xxxix Page 388 ib. 389 A. D. The plot discovered Execution of the conspirators Cruelty of punishments - End of the first war in Java 1726. Pacification of the island - 1734. Relations with Mataram - Treaty of peace - - Progress of other European nations in the Archipelago Celebes - 16. 390 26. 391 ib. THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAG 0, ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE: CHAPTER 1. BETWEEN New Holland and the south-eastern shores Situation of of the Asiatic continent, the Indian Ocean rolls, through the Archi- pelago. 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, Illusory fancies of trade and empire dazzled the mind Early ru- of Europe, — vast heathen countries, and regions tran- in Europe. scending in their beauty the legendary isles. It was mours of it 1 Temminck, Coup d'Eil sur l'Inde Archipélagique, ii. 128. VOL. I. THE INDIAN ARCHIPEL. search of India. S Fame of the the merchant's ambition to freight his ship in the Indies East.' 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 as the Pharos of commercial adven- ture. 1 Voyages in The discoverers of America and South Africa fell in with 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 12504, 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; traveller's. of cars laden with stuff's 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; of (D AT CU 1 Trade of the Indian Islands. Edin. Rev. xxix. 36. 2 Hazlitt, Plain Speaker, i. 116. 3 So called by “Gratius the Faliscian,” Cynegeticon, 46. 4 Ramusio, ii. 17. 5 Prevost, Hist. des Voyages, 27., iv. 3. 6 Anth. Jenkinson, Hakluyt's Collection, i. 387. 7 Lamps perfumed with camphor. Valmont de Bomare, i. 548. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. ni 1 - he silver, silks, and spices, of the myriad of bridges, and other architectural marvels of Quinsai !, 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?, 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 and aspect of the wealth, and pictures of real beauty, were found to re- Archipe. lago. 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 5; a magnificence, liowever, bar- barous and wild, and riches neglected by the posses- sors of them. 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 pelago... cluding forty degrees of longitude ? close to the line, from the western point of Sumatra to the parallel of the Archi- 1 Marsden's Marco Polo, Travels. 2 As Humphrey Fitzherbert, Purchas, i. 698. 3 Addison, Vision of Mirza. 4 Berncastle, Voyage, i. 273. 15 J. R. Logan, Journ. Ind. Arch. i. 9. 6 Anderson, Mission to Sumatra, 39, 40. ? Longitude from 95° to 135° East; latitude, from 11° South to 19° North. B 2 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, the Arru 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 tion of the islands, Its central a centre, the most famous and civilised nations of Asia, situation. 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. Steam has contracted these distances, and brought the races of the Archi- pelago within easier reach of the Old and the New World. Classifica- 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 Distribu- tion of them navigation, Innumerable channels and passages, therefore, open Charac- teristics of in every direction to the mariner, — tortuous, intri- cate, full of rocks, reefs, and shoals, which render them in some parts difficult of navigation. They are 1 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, i. 3. 2 Groot, Moniteur, i. 53. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. Archipe- lago. S 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 : ja the wide expanse between Borneo and the Malay Peninsula ; another between Borneo and Jaya, 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 Archi Sumatra and Jaya, only two approaches—the Straits of pelago. 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. 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 ARCHIPELAGO, position. racteristics. (D cal divi. sions, navigation, and generally separated from the larger islands by straits of insignificant depth. Its tropical 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 Uniformity or close to it. A general uniformity, therefore, in of its cha- alimoto in modo climate, in productions, and races of people, prevails; yet there are characteristic differences which authorised Geographi- an able geographer 3 to distribute the whole into five divisions. Excluding the savage tribes, the remnant of another race, the general resernblance 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 The first 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. The second In the second division, Celebes occupies the centre of a group including Bouton and Saleger, the whole chain from 116° east longitude, to 124°, 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- S group. group. IL 1 Temminck, Coup d'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. o 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 4º to 10° N., and group.. 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 sro are the only islands in those waters which are habitually i 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. B4 8 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, . visited by hurricanes. Their soil is fertile ; producing General the Archi- pelago. fine spices, and none of those exquisite fruits which in Sumatra load the groves, in a perfection of beauty and flavour, 3 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 Relations with Con- tinental Asia. Depth of the sea. O 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, whose ranges lie parallel with it. Borneo and Celebes may represent the eastern and broader arm and one from the action in are separated by the area of the China Sea, supposed to be subsiding; and the whole Archipelago is in- Volcanic cluded within a great volcanic curve, sprung from the the Archi. heart of Asia itself.? Plutonic forces have influenced pelago. 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. The great convulsions probably took place at a period anterior to all the records of human history; but now active. through the craters of the numerous volcanic hills ex- isting in the Archipelago. A range of this formation intersects the whole length of Java“, spreading out streams of laya, 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?; 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. Traces of volcanic i 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, Batavian Transactions, ix. 73. 6 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 22. 7 Temminck, Coup d'Eil, ii. 77. 8 Phil. Trans. Abridg. ii. 393. 10 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Whether the Archi. pelago is a nent rising, or the de- ( old one? been swept awayl; others, where salt, mineral, and ex- ploding wells sprinkle all the country?; 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- lago ever lay above the 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 bris of an 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. 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, or whether the submarine architects carry up a series 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 R 07 + 1 Raffles, History of Java, i. 33. 2 Ref. to Ordinaria, by Dallas, Hist. of Volcanoes, 249. 3 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 67. 4 See Deluc, Traité de Géologie, 136. 5 J. R. Logan, Journ. Ind. Arch. i. 3. 6 Anderson, Mission to Sumatra, 197. ? Brooke, Journal, “ Keppel,” i. 19. 8 Temminck, Coup d'Eil, i. 332. T. K. · Hervey, in bis bril- iant and sublime poem on 6 Australia," has versified this theory, which he appears to adopt. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. vegetation. the peaks of the Himalaya, spread out the fat and Formation fertile levels of Bengal, and scattered over the Oriental of the islands, 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 vege 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 wrapped 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. 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 swould 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 th of equinoctial warmth, yet continually charged with moisture ?, 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. extent and form. the verdure. 12 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, 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 smokel, 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 ?, 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 of the Indian Islands. Landscape in Java. Woods of Borneo and Sumatra, Flowers. Parasitical stature, of abundant foliage, and hung with a thousand vegetation. creeping plants, entangled, fantastic, brilliant with flowers, and equal in their gaudy splendour to the Birds. 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, but few with sweet notes, or very melodious tones; their Plumage of 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 the birds. 1 1 Zollinger, Journ. Ind. Arch. iv. 204. 2 J. R. Logan, Journ. Ind. Arch. i. 6. 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. the eye. 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 inenarrabiles 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 pheasants, 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", strew Paradise. creatures. 1 Latham, iii. 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, Fish : the whole region. Rocks and the sand of the beach, which is in many parts fringed with sea-iveed 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 Malayan mermaid, food of kings, which suggested mermaid. .. that romance so pleasing to the Oriental imagination. 2 Beauty of 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 Testimony their brilliance and variety the crown of Asia. “Nature,” of writers. 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 Commercial The commercial and agricultural wealth of the islands and agri- will be described in detail, as each of the more import- sources. ; 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 voods, their singular riches in commo- dities found in no other parts of the earth, render them Neglect of conspicuous in a view of Asia; though they have never the Archi- 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- cultural re- . Produc- tions. pelago. 1 Edinburgh Cabinet Library, viii. 76. 2 Newbold, Settlements in Malacca, i. 437. 3 J. R. 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 coursiderable ravages among them, especially in Jaya, and on some of the rivers in Celebes 1 and Eastern Borneo.2 Gout is unknown, scrofula rare, while dropsy, T 11 than in Europe. Cutaneous affections 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 Child- of children is easy 5, as indeed it is among all unciyi- bearing. lised people, the savage Dyak woman suffering less than the more cultivated Malay, introduced to the first 1 7 1 Europeans. To Europeans the climate of the Archipelago, if Effect of i climate on not congenial, is by no means destructive. Along residence may indeed give an unhealthy tinge to the 1 Brooke, Journal, “Mundy," i. 154. 2 Moor's Notices, 37. 3 Dampier, Voyages, i. 334. 4 Pigaffetta, Voyage, 215, 216. 5 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, i. 36. 6 Hugh Low, Sarawak, 307. 16 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, 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', and many parts of the Archipelago are so salubrious that they serve as places of refuge to the in- Climate of valid. Java, with some of the most baneful spots in the world?, is on the whole most congenial to the human frame 3; in Celebes a fresh in vigorating 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. Population. 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 on. mingled 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 population. habitants. nts. the 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 1 Private Diary of a Resident, unpublished. 2 Raynal, Etablissement, i. 293. 4 See Asiatic Researches, x, 202, 203. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. .17 lation. gration. Malays. how mingled and divided, it is impossible now to tell.1 Two eras have been distinguished in their history — Ilistory of on the popu- that when some wanderers from the birthplace of our species, on the table lands of Asia, slowly traversing First immi- the south-eastern valleys and ranges 2, became nomades of the jungle instead of the plains, and then nomades of the sea ; the second, when these pelasgic hordes, Second im- spread in numerous petty communities over the Archi-" pelago, were discovered by civilised navigators from the continent. There is, undeniably, a Mongol caste Tartar ori- od gin of the 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. 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, langi to the more scantily inhabited continents. Two thousand years are calculated to have elapsed Ancient since the period when the Indian islanders were dis- covered in their scattered retreats by voyagers and Archipe- traders from continental Asia. 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- ture. The Klings of Southern India - probably a tions. TS 1 . commerce of the lago. Agricul- tural na- 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 l'Inégalité, Euvres, i. 94. 7 Edin. Rev. xxix. 45. 8 Kinneir, Memoir on Persia, 35. VOL. I. 18 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, 2 pirc. Visits of civilised maritime people ten centuries before – began the Klings. 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, Rise of the but remaining distinct from them. The Hindu Em- Hindu em- pire rose and flourished in Jaya, divided, it seems, be- tween the Buddhist and the Brahminical creeds; the Rise of the Malays sprang up and colonised the different shores; Malays. the wild aborigines gave way before this imperial na- Immigra tion; the Arabs brought their faith, and gradually tion of the Arabs. supplanted the systems of India. Hinduism disappeared almost entirely, and now lingers only in one little island), and among a few wild tribes in another 2, though its traces are said to remain far scattered over the Archipelago.3 European European progress, also, has powerfully influenced influence. the character and fortunes of the native races in the Archipelago, but, like that of the Arabs, has too often Character corrupted and degraded them. This was long and influentean 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 Variety of 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 Du races and institutions. -1 Temminck, Coup d'Eil, 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 nant races. lers in Woods. tribes. isolated by foreign rule and colonisation. The superior Stages of races have frequently turned their natural eminence civilisation. 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. There The dwel- they have vegetated, most savage where the soil be- 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 luccan race. 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 woods we discover man, scantily clothed with a Dwellers in raiment of woven bark, feeding on wild fruits and the flesh of wild animals), which he seeks and devours like a monkey or a carnivorous beast, slaying his prey with a poisoned arrow projected from liis mouth through a hollow bamboo. In other islands, he lives, feeding on the “ trees that beren meele, whereof men make woods. 1 J. R. Logan, Journ. Ind. Arch. i. 12. 2 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, i. 15 3 Leyden, Asiatic Researches, x. 218 4 See Brooke, Narrative; " Mundy," i. 260. C 2 20 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, tribes. Proofs of creeks. goode bread and white; ”1 and in Sumatra, as a vile Cannibal cannibal, devouring human flesh. The existence of these Anthropophagi is no longer to be doubted. Their prototypes, the Issedones of Serica or the Altai), and the Indian Padei, did not excel them in barbarity. 4 The old reports of them have been collected by the their ex- istence. 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 Dwellers in earlier voyagers. In the solitude of a creek or unfre- quented strait, then, we find a third islander, living in . Boat life. 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, whether he be a fisher, a pirate, or a The agri gipsy. On plains and on the banks of rivers he tills population; the soil, builds a neat cottage, plants orchards, and even their in- cultivates shrubs and flowers for their beauty and the dustry, fragrance of their bloom, — the white nyctanthes, the jessamine, and the deep crimson rose as decorations of Cultivation women, with the yellow tulip to adorn their hair?; garlands to hang on the bier, and sweet-scented chap- lets to strew over the grave. Nearly all the inhabit- ants of the Archipelago — the Malays in Borneo, the. cultural fiind and use of flowers. i 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.; Beaulieu, 1622 ; De Barros, 1558; Hamilton and Varto- manus. See Marsden, History, 301. See also Phil. Trans. lxviii.; Raffles, Memoirs, i. 81.; Temminck, Coup d'Eil, 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 aste of sa- t Dyaks, the Philippine Indians, use these simple orna- ments, the young girls wreathing with their tresses the Elegant golden blossoms of the champakaļ, with a taste and taste vage tribes. elegance frequently shown by uncultivated races a mas 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 culture. the soil to a long fallow, and searches the woods for rattans, timber, odoriferous woods, gums, oils, Collection of articles 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, 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. By means of these, with the Bugis Enterprise and the Malays, who are not included among the abo- oft rigines, cities and towns have sprung up on different Cities of the coasts, from the prim and opulent Batavia, with its Archipe- lago. deadly swamps, its canals and avenues of trees, and Singapore with its crowded port and mingled popula- the islands, 0 Afth 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. i. 14. 5 Earl, Eastern Seas, 16. 03 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, bien. TC tion!, to the gay and brilliant city of Manilla ?, or the sequestered and picturesque Ambong, surrounded by its amphitheatre of hills.3 The pirati While, however, industrial and trading communities cal system. have in some parts of the Archipelago sprung up, others have grown upon the profits of a buccaneering system, which from an early age4 has been the scourge of the island races, and was not only known to the most ancient writers on that part of the world', but is re- cognised and described by the latest and most important authorities. Further on in this work is a detailed description of the piratical system. Vessels and Whether for war, piracy, or trade, the seas of the boats. 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 Lanun 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 Ltd i Berncastle, Voynge, ii. 11.. 2 Cungnghame, Recollections, ii. 150. 3 Belcher, Voyage of the Sumarang, i. 190. 4 Raffles, Memoirs, i. 91. 5 Groot, Moniteur, i. 160. 6 Heylyn, Cosmog. 919. ; Candidius, Church, i. 406. 7 Temminck, Coup d'Eil, ii. 240. ; Logan, Journ. Ind. Arch. i. 15.; Belcher, i. 265.; Spenser St. John, Journ. Ind. Arch. iii. 253 8 Roberts, Embassy to the Eastern Courts, 272. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 23 lago, create far greater industry and prosperity than not exist, if the merchants of Great Britain directed their Prospects of the Archi- attention to that part of the world, and piracy were effectually and finally suppressed. For the materials of a splendid civilisation are contained in the Oriental islands --- natural riches, fertile soils, facilities for navi- © the native of the na- the most graceful amenities of life. They have indeed Decline of declined under European domination, from their ori- 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 ; Brunë alone, with its imbecile The ancient 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 Ara Capabilities 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 character: 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 with 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 S C4 S T Manners. 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 we do not discover ferocity or Disposic want of feeling among their vices. Pleasant and cheer- tions. ful in their dispositions, they are hospitable to the last degree, and decorous in their modes of address. Ab- stemious in their habits, they are not laborious in their Aptitudes. industry; though where secure and tranquil under a beneficent government, their enterprise and application Commer- invariably increase. The Malays and the Bugis are cial and agricultural cultural 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. General Even among them, however, the traces of an affinity capacity of the island 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. The difference is not so broad5 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 ropeans. romance, and open to all influences which affect the ers. ( Parallel with Eu- 1 Earl, Eastern Seas, 186. 2 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, i. 38. 84. . 3 Raffles, History, i. 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? ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 25 PE XT 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 woods. 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 ? 1 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 ? ; but enlightened men must rejoice when the barbarian races of mankind Civilisation are cultivated into industrious, peaceful, and Christian islande 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. i Logan, Journ. Ind. Arch, i. 17. 2 Is. Vossius, De Poemat. Cant. et Viribus Rhythmi, 66. this work. 26 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, CHAPTER II. Origin of the Malays. WANDERING from island to island in the Eastern seas, we have vainly sought for the original seat of the Ma- lays. 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.? At a period fixed by concurrent traditions we find a colony of this widely-spread race inhabiting a province of Malayan colony in Dateor origin. Malay their 1 Sumatra. as the commencement even of the quasi-historical era. Even in this selection we are 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- Date of 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 suvarms cast off from a province of Sumatra, that island is the fountain-head of the narrative. It is interesting for many other reasons, and occupies from its extent, its natural resources, and its situation, an important rank among the insular countries of the East. Situation of 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 S Sumatra. i 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. 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. 1 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 svamps stretch between, Swampy surrounding elevated points of land, and fed by a copious plains. flow of water from the hills. On their borders grow Woods. woods where the rank verdure of the tropics hangs from 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, which dis- Rivers. TO 1 Temminck, Coup d'Eil, ii. 2. 2 J. R. Logan, who makes the length 925 miles, Journ. Ind. Arch. iii. 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. G a 28 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Plains. 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 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 General mountain peaks are reared high, but not into the region aspect. 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 woody5; the northern provinces thence to Achin, rise gradually from the sea to the interior ranges, and present å varied prospect of forest and cultivated tracts, enlivened at in- 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- Harbours. 11 C . 1 Temminck, Coup d'Eil, ii. 25.77. 2 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 10. 3 J. R. Logan, Sketch of Sumatra, Journ. Ind. Arch. iii. 346. 4 Temminck, Coup d'Eil, ii. 79. 5 Horsburgh, Directory, ii. 154. 6 Lind, Essay on Diseases, 79. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. terior, the people are compelled to light fires in the morning and continue them until the sun has ap- proached his meridian. 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?, 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 vould 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*, and all claim denied to the º tiquity. Malta of the Indian ocean.5 Mount Ophir in Sumatra, Y storms. with all i Marsden, History of Sumatra, 12. 2 Temminck, Coup d'Eil, 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. THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, gold. Mineral however, is supposed by an acute traveller' 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, we are informed by an old writer, was called by the an- cients, Sophora, or the Land of Gold. 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 Produce of 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- produc- cabao, and the steel wrought in that province excels the tions. 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), 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. Though the soil is not so generally rich in Sumatra as in many other islands of the Archipelago, it is pro- Soil. 1 Le Poivre, Voyages d'un Philosophe. 2 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 d'Eil, ii. 83, 84. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 31 tions. ductive and continually fertilised by the decay of forests, a process ? observed in many of the islands, and similar to that which enriches the banks of the Niger.3 Rice, Vegetable the chief sustenance of so many millions among the in- produc- habitants of Asia, is grown in every province. 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- pere, 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 kingdom were used for conveyance by the people', 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. i Buffon, qu. Rousseau, Euvres, i. 135. 2 Brooke, Journal, “Keppel," i. 19. 3 Thompson and Allen, Niger Expedition, i. 179. + Marsden, History of Sumatra, 59. 5 Linschotten, 81.; Dryander, Phil. Trans. lxxviii. 307.. : 6 Temminck, Coup d'Eil, ii. 65. 7 Flor. Coroman. xlvi. 8 Catesby, i. 95. 9 Forrest, Voyage, 58. . 10 Latham, iii. 10. 72. 32 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Fruit. Many are peculiar to Sumatra, others common to that island and to Jaya; 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. 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 nectar'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 yellow 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, Plants and besides many medicinal herbs and shrubs, some of recog- nised virtue, others solely selected by the empiricism of the East, as ingredients in the devices of its prophy- lactic fraud. Population. Sumatra has an extraordinary and diversified popu- Wild tribes. 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’; dwelling as fishers in the muddy 1 Temminck, Coup d'Eil, ii. 93. 2 Anon., qu, Marsden, History, 86. 3 Anderson, Mission to Sumatra, 349. Flowers. herbs. 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. The present Malays Malays., of Sumatra form, for their numbers, their wealth, their influence and civilisation, the most important division tribes. 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 vince. ' Of the five divisions into which Sumatra has been Mcnang- divided by its judicious and learned historian, Menang- cabao. cabao is the principal. It is situated near the centre of the island, and under the equinoctial line. From Account of. ito any the pro- the remotest period it has been famous for its soil - 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.5 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 population. beautiful province was peopled by an industrious tribe 1 J. R. Logan, Journ. Ind. Arch. ii. 332. 511. ? Ibid. iii. 345.365., a full and admirable account. 3 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 35. 4 Raffles, Memoirs, i. 432. 5 Rousseau, De l'Inégalité, Euvres, i. 29.--corn was the other. YOL. I. 34 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Tot 21 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. grated from 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 infiuence 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 a y o 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 Menang- cabao 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 founded the prosperous state which afterwards became, in its era, one of the greatest in the Archipelago. From their original occupation, it is believed by soine, 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. 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, “fugi- Question of tive;" implying that they were outcasts from Java 2 : 2. the Malay, 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 rigin, 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 comparison with these aboriginal inhabitants, Antiquity : the Malays are described as a new people 5 ; but though t of the Ma. days. 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 THE INDIAN ARCHIPEL NM of Asia. Y 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. 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 Languages 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 Their in- · of them yet existing:3 With the energy of an indus- dustry. 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 refine- Rise of the Malays in Menang- cabao. 1 Raffles, Memoirs, i. 40. 421. 3 Raffles, Memoirs, i. 424, 2 Temminck, Coup d'Eil, ii. 6. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 37 ment, became famous in arms, and opened a flourish- ing trade with the dwellers on the cost. Over the Their trade. waters of the finest rivers in the Archipelagol 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 Malay 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 Their pro- elapsed, we find the Malays the paramount power in sperity. Sumatra, though only in Menangcabao are they found as an inland people, 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 a empire. 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, no 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 CU ? Raffles, Memoirs, i. 29. J. R. Logan contradicts this; Journ. Ind. Arch. ii. 517. 3 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, ii. 372. D 3 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Emigration insula, A. D. 1160. 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. When this was discovered (I still follow the problem- atic account), a tribe of men, yielding to what seems 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 Menang cabao would have done. 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 Founding of ing in resources. The new capital of Singhapura, ura. 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- race. straits from Menangcabao; and, although the appel- Name of the 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. The energy which had 1 1 J. R. Logan, Journ. Ind. Arch. ii. 518. 2 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, ii. 377. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 39 in Java. fostered the prosperity of Menangcabao was displayed in the young colony, and rewarded in its rising fortune. During the passage of these events, the Hindu em- The Hindus pire . established at an unknown date in Java — pro- bably flourished in the energy of youth. Some native annals ascribe its foundation to a later period 2; büt 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 the penin- princes of Christendom", 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 the Malays. retreated westward along the coast, and reached a spot where a river and a convenient shore invited Y sula. 19 S 19 1 De Barros, Decada, 11. ii. 4. 2 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, ii. 301. 3 Marsden, History of Sumatra. 4 Rafles, History of Java, ii. 78. 5 J.R. Logan, Journ. Ind. Arch. i. 17. 6 Raffles, Memoirs, i. 79. D4 40 - THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, them to settle. Growing in abundance on the hill which forms the chief natural strength of the situation, Founding of was 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 ? 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 - From this point of time the history of the Malayan 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- claim to be considered the original seat of the actual Malays, on many circumstances. For ages the Malays are said to have borne the name of Monacaboa; probably Traditions of the islands. tion. . 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 Nieuhoff, 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. Blundell, Journ. Ind. Arch. ii. 731. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 41 a derivation of Menang cabao; and at a later period assumed that of the Orang Malayan, or Wandering People. 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.? 0 ethnogra- hical re- 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 on 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 t 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 Brunè appears to have been settled as a Malay state before the foundation of the second Malay city on the peninsula.3 From these the Ark, the Malayan тасе, D 1 i Muller, Bijdragen, 77., qu. Temminck, ii. 9. 2 Temminck, Coup d'Eil, ii. 51. Marsden, 36. 3 Chin. Rep. vii. 186. Valentyn, i. 352. Moniteur, i. 164. Temminck, ii. 176. Logan, Journ. Ind. Arch. ii. 515. 42 1 ments, 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.? Dispersion Thus issuing from their populous abodes in Sumatra, of the Ma- lays. 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 Their settle- 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 Religion of them to settle. Originally Pagans, they generally em- the Malays Mohan- 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 then tribes. 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 Pagan be. 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. medanism. dh. D. 1276. The hea- liefs. 1 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, ii. 376. 2 Raffles, History of Java, i. 82. 3 Crawfurd, Indian Archipelago, ii. 375. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 43 0 the M: 1 ) 13 C SYT tribes. • nals of the 1 They occupied themselves, meanwhile, with the nobler Power of branches of commerce, filling all posts of honour, and 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 to civilisation', and where to this hour they cherish the dim and shapeless superstitions of their ancestors.” The Subjugation of the black 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 Archive these waters, would lead through an intricate labyrinth lago. 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 histo 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. of this YTY 44 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, the islands. Tiade in remote tinies. tion. S Early social decline. It might be lost labour to shape and colour aspect of 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. Immigra 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. Navigation. 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 the position of headlands and rocks. The native Their prahus, too slender to encounter a storm, could be navigators. 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 with China. 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. The 1 Hore Sinice, 3. The com- pass. Intercourse ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 45 from China. e from overflow of that enormous empire - pretending, through Settlers some of its writers, to an antiquity of 3000 years I — F1 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?, that in the year 399 he visited India, Junk voyage Ceylon, and the Archipelago, making a sojourn of five months in Jaya, 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 >, and the trade between them al- luded to in the histories of their remotest eras. The extent of Chinese colonisation and travel, indeed, was Chinese co- extraordinary when European adventure began to push lonisation into the new world. They voyaged in ships called "s junks” long before the time of Cosmas. When Marco Polo visited the Archipelago at the end Marco of the thirteenth century, his mind, susceptible of ex- rival in the and travel.: IL Polo's ar- 1 pelago. beauty and apparent wealth. Its kings appeared to him monarchs of unequalled splendour; its cities the centres of luxury, peopled by myriads of men, and His fanciful pictures. 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. 143. Eight Lundred years is the utmost claimed by Tse Ma Tsiene, Acad. des Inscriptions, x, 381–388. xv. 506. D. 2 Shi Fa, quot. by Temminck, Coup d'Eil. 3 Vincent, Periplus, ii. 574, 575. 4 See the Ramayana, i.. 627. 5. Morrison, Miscellany, 1. 57. 7 Marsden's Marco Polo. Bergeron, 130. 46 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, The MO uccas. surrounded by all that splendour which dreams of old Native romance attributed to the potentates of the East. At kingdoms. that period, however, Java and Ternate were disputing the supremacy of the Archipelago. The former, in size 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 tribution of power. two religious creeds, enjoyed a prosperity surpassed by Decline of that of no other state in the Archipelago. Meanwhile, the Hindu the faiths of Buddha and Brahma contended victoriously creed. 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. Rise of Mo. The followers of Mohammed multiplied with astonishing 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 ?, yet twenty chiefs or more contend for preeminence in point of antiquity. Whatever region duction. they first visited they prospered in the Archipelago, and gradually erected in Jaya à 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- hammedan- ism, Its intro. I 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 tra tradition. heathen na. tions. G S 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 hi 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, liefs 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 : of the con- continent into scattered groups of islands, and volcanic 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 nation from India. 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 rites. tinent into princes reigned in Java. The whole tradition, however, is curious, and seems to throw at least a few sparkles TU i Raffles, History of Java, ii. 70. 48 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, the with the Tartar race 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 explanation took place direct from Arabia', with that more remote of these tales. event, which peopled the Archipelago from the heart of Asia. 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 Archipelago ? I do not wish to value the idea for Origin of more than it is worth; but the superstitions and the So manners of the people described resemble strictly those Affinity of the Black Tartars.3 The opinions connected with e journeys, 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. 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 the memento of their splendour and power. These 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 stay. The evidence of their greatness is engraved on the pire. i 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 1 11 WA 19 ments. wrecks of many magnificent structures 1, 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 Jaya, 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 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 Bruné?, 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 as early as 1391, an attempt was made by two enthu- siasts to propagate their creed in the more civilised and populous provinces. Little success was then obtained : of Islam. TI 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. fiuence. D Hindu em- 11 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 Fall of the Indian islands, and capital of Java, and the sacred city of the Hindu religion, fell before their armies in the pire. A. D. 1478. 1400th year of Salivana. 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 Remnant of 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. Progress of The Arabs, vigorous everywhere, were more than usually energetic in the fertile Indian islands, and oc- cupying themselves at once with trade and proselyte- making, 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 Their mo- tenets? were only enforced in a modified form, 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. O the Hindoos. the Arabs. deration, CHI ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 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. The same devices were adopted by Xavier when propagating the gospel in the various countries of Asia--from Persia to Japan. By this politic con- Their po- cession to inveterate prejudice, the early Mohammedans licy. 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 the Mo- hammedan 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 proselytism. belief, and cannot easily be persuaded to acknowledge X of a second 1 Memoirs of Jehanghire, 15. 2 Fraser, Hist. Nadir Shah, 12, 13. 3 See on this point Cunningham, Hist. of Sikhs, 14. E 2 52 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 He is satisfied with his faith, as the Brahmin in India is. See Moorcroft, Travels, i. 118. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. CHAPTER. III. the com- teenth cen did com- merce. LU urope. THE dawn of the sixteenth century found Venice hold- Venice at ing the first rank among commercial powers. The mencement wealth of India -- the gold, the gems, the precious of the six- 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. Iler splen- 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 pris 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 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, rises. 11 Europe. E 3 54 THE INDIAN ARCHIPEL. 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 Revival of was, by comparison, called the civilised world. Enter- maritime prising men occasionally escaped from the ignorance enterprise. which bound down the masses, and undertook voyages through unexplored wastes of sea in search of the riches A. D. 1492. of India. In 1492 the great Genoese navigator dis- Progress of covered the Western world, and acquired for Spain the discovery. A. D. 1498. 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 Discovery among the Indian islands. Alonzo Talesso, a Portu- of Sumatra. A. n. 1506. guese navigator, discovered Sumatra in 1506. Ideas circu- These adventures were regarded in Europe as the lated in achievements of wonderful energy, aided by the especial Europe, 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- the world." 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- geograpby. covery; for the mind refuses to acknowledge a vacancy, Ancient divisions of Fanciful The ancients knew much, but were ignorant of more. Seas, deserts, and mountains shut them out from large portions of the earth's surface. No astrolabe or com- ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE, 55 on. 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. 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 dis year 1508, the king Emmanuel dispatched a squadron A. D. 1508. of four ships, under the command of Diego Lopez di Voyage of Sequeira, to prosecute the discoveries opened by the se earliest navigators round the Cape. Portugal had long been foremost in the career of discovery ; but pro- tracted wars had exhausted her resources, when 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 th discoveries, leira. the king. 1 See Mariana, Hist. Esp. ï. 22. E 4 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Inquiries concerning the East, 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. 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 Sequeira's voyage. Discovers the Archi- pelago. 1 Bedford, Tin Countries, MS. unpublished. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. merce. visitors. Some wore clothes of woven bark; others the Aspect of the islands. 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 th Sumatra. matra, and survey the varying prospects of this the golden Chersonese of his national historian. He landed Native com- first at Pedir?, a port on the north-western coast, where he found trading vessels from Pegu, Bengal, and other countries. Opening friendly relations with the sove- reign of the state, he proceeded to Achin, a kingdom at the western 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 º of Malacca. 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. Accounts of the conduct of the Portuguese, in dif- Reports of Portuguese ferent parts of the world, had been received at Malacca 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 the visit of an European. The colony of Malay emi- atrocities. reaches Malacca. 1 Maffei, Istorie dell'Inde Orientali, i. 1. 2 Osorio, i. 368. 3 Marsden, 325. 4 Marsden, Sumatra, 326. 5 Sir Edward Belcher. 6 Mundy, i. 13. 58 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Ma em- pire. grants,—if such was the true history of its foundation - had risen to distinction among the states of the State 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. I Audience 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 with the king. pleasant in- tercourse, presented his master's letter, with the rich presents which accompanied it. Emmanuel claimed friendship Prospect of 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 jealousy of the Arabian traders, 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 the Arabs. Libels on the Portu- guese, 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 i Newbold, British Settlements in the Straits of Malacca, i. 122. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT 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 ravish the independence of the people, as they had done at Cochin, at Cananor, at Ormuz, and Sofala. 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 of the king, f the Portu- 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 hele fails. of the meditated treachery -- the slaughter of his whole 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 spiracy. 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 i Maffei, Istorie dell'Inde, i. 266. 60 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, massacre of the Portu- guese. 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. Plau for the Mohammed prepared a multitude of soldiers and pra- hus to lie in wait and attack the Portuguese when the 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. 1 51 TY IN ITS HISTORY 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. 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 Jayan 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 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 ture dis- 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 Por- The news was brought to him that his followers had tuguese 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. covery, escape. 62 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELA 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 Return to 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." Alarm of The Mohammedan ruler of Malacca, by a faithless the Malays 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 Europe. in Malacca. 1 Maffei, Istoria dell' Inde Orientali, i. 272. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 63 counts of our own historians. The Portuguese, they say, came Native ac- from the Philippines,—which were not discovered till a the tran 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.! 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 Prepara- Malacca foresaw that their return to Lisbon would be tion defence. 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. P. 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 Albuquer. 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 tions for e's plans. i Raffles, Memoirs, i. 35. ? Marsden, Crawfurd, Raffles. 64 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Malacca. age, Second of its envoy, and a fleet was equipped in 1510, under Portuguese expedition, 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 Design of insular Asia. He sailed to the coast of Malabar, and conquering 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. Albuquer.. On the way he touched at Pedir, where he found que's yoy- 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 ratified 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. .Prepara The report of the viceroy's arrival had already reached Malacca. Mohammed industriously made preparations defending for the defence of his city. From an old and implac- able enemy of the Portuguese he received a present of tions for Malacca, ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 1 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 S ULT thirty wheels, had been constructed, and adorned with the city. 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 king. 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. tions with 66 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, S U S 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? 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. 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 (D The city assaulted. 13 ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE, V of the Por- 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 the 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 tuguese. 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 rejected. 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- Malacca. nected by a strong bridge. Neither walls nor ditches 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 Defences. F 2 68 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, chief. clamorous for war, were placed in command of an ele- phant troop to harass the besiegers, and relieve the Treachery more distressed points. The Rajah Utimutis, a Java- of a native 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 Second as- sault of Ma- lacca, 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 the king's army. 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 dovyn the masses still pressing from the rear to sustain th 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. The struggle had been bloody and protracted. The Pause in Portuguese had gained considerable advantage; but the the cont 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, (V 1 See Pennant, India extra Gangern, iii. 26. 40 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, . tack. 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- The scanty force of Europeans and Malabars was dis- 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 supply the places of the fallen. Nevertheless, the valour 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 battle. routed. Massacre of the in- habitants. 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. The battle was changed into a massacre. A great 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 accounts deserye belief, two hundred thousand crusa- The city pillaged. . Maffei, Inde Orientale, i. 355. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT 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. The Malaccans indeed possessed Native war- ordnance, but these engines, in the hands of unskilful fare. races, are less effective than their primitive instruments of war. The sound and flash of artillery inspire them 2 ULAI poach € firearms. . VT 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 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 ited to the honla of the of the king Muara, a few miles from the town. There he com- lacca. 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 First Euro. pean ilag the Portuguese flag was for the first time hoisted in the Indian Archipelago.2 the Archi- 1 Crawfurd, ii. 397. tec tо bе сць от со from Ma- hoisted in pelago. F 4 72 , THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGOTY The Malay Peninsula. Position and extent. YYT The Malayan Peninsula entered early within the circle of 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. Thence to the head, the breadth of the region varies from fifty to a hundred and 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. 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. 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. Mountains. S . YY Plains. I Forrest. ? Dr. Horsfield. 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 0 C C rivers, and streams. drainage of the more elevated region passes them and Abundant moisture. 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. Many capacious lakes have been formed by the accu- Lakes, mulation of water in hollows, on the course of rivers. 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. In the depths of the woody Savage region wander tribes of men, in different stages of tribe the savage life, whose traditions trace them to various origins.3 In the forests of the north dwell the Semang and the 1 2 U2 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. THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Wild re. liefs. Udai; in the south five tribes of aborigines, and on the shores and islets, the Rayet Laut, or “subjects of the sea.”l These are Ichthyophagi, holding themselves apart from the Malays, and clinging with the obstinacy of ignorance Condition to their traditional customs. The wild inhabitants of of the hea. the interior subsist chiefly on the the interior subsist chiefly on the flesh of wild beasts, or thens of the Peninsula. 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 his works, the sun. The presence of spirits, controlling with bane- ligious be- 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. 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 Various tribes. i Raffles divides them into the Orang Semang, or people of the hills, and Orang Binua, of the plains, deriving Binua from the Arabic Beni.—Memoirs, 33. 2 The credulous traveller who described them as 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 PRESENT STATE. 75 UU eople. 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, De 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 Malays. changed their ancient ideas of religion for the faith of the Prophet. 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 abundance4, 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. 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. of the Pe. ninsula. 1 See a most valuable account of the Binua of Johore, Journ. Ind. Arch. i. 242. 2 Coal has been discovered, and Captain Congalton has admirably described his search for it. Congalton, Journ. Ind. Arch. i. 253. The finest account of the geology is in vol. ii. p. 83. 3 Crawfurd, iii. 450. 5 Dr. Lardner, Cabinet Cyclopædia, No. 54. 6 M‘Culloch, Dictionary of Commerce. 76 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Gold. O 1 Iron. 7 The gold mines which, in the idea of some writers', 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, translated from the Malayan original, is Silver; and an historian4 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. 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. 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- Silver, 0 Vegetable produc- tions, I Newbold, i. 430. Gold of Malacca. See Westerhout, Journ. Ind. Arch. ii. 171. 2 It is mentioned as the Sophora, 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.) has been fancifully supposed the country round Ophir in the Peninsula.-- Pennant, iii. 20. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 777 c dustry applied to their culture and collection. The cocoa and the betel nut; the plantain, the teak 1, 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. 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 verdure. . pass over wide tracts of forest country, and are cooled by the moisture of the air. 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- i 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. maid. ence. 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 Mer- . 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. The birds of the Peninsula are in endless variety, from the splendid crimson-feathered pergam”, to the crow and the sparrow, common to all quarters of the Reptiles. globe. The principal reptiles are turtles, croco- diles, alligators, the flying dragon of Linnæus, 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. The Chætodon rostratum is an extraordinary creature which kills its prey by the projection of a drop of water from its tu- bular mouth. The blow is accurately aimed, and so Birds. Fish. i Edinburgh Cabinet Library, viii. 76. 2 See Latham, ii. 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 AND PRESENT STATE. 7.9 and morasses, the drone of innumerable insects, accom- Forest panied by the howl of wandering beasts, fills the air sounds. 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 are 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 woods. 02 divided into many states; some independent, some Peninsula. states of the united by a kind of federal alliance, and some depen- dent on the neighbouring power of Siam. 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, Rumbowe, Johole, Jehlye, and Seganet, which is contiguous to Johore, at the head of the peninsula. Above Quedah and Patani, Lower Siam extends as far Johore 18 Zinganui, north, foi 1 Humboldt, Aspects of Nature.. ? See Le Poivre, Voyage d'un Philosophe, 67.78. 80 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, as the Isthmus of Kraw. Across this neck of land, ac- . be established an easy intercommunication between the Neck of the Indian and Chinese oceans. On the west, a navi- Peninsula, 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”, connecting the Indian Ocean with the China Sea, on the east, as that of Nicaragua will join it to the Pacific on the west. Power of. 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 Early policy from the ravages of an invasion. The conquerors ap- plied themselves at first to the foundation of their do- tuguese. minion, as though their purpose was to profit by their acquisition to the extent of its value. Their triumph - celebrated in the spirit of the time by a jubilee of hayoc and plunder-- was secured by acts of unprin- cipled power. Albuquerque has been described as the greatest and wisest conqueror of his age. 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- of the Porn - Character of Albu- querque. 11 1 Forrest. 2 Newbold, i. 400. 3 Bedford, Description of the Tin Countries, unpublished MS. 2. 4 De Barros, Decada III. vi. 3. 5 Maffei, Inde Orientale, i. 145. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 81 played themselves as the true inventions of a barbarous genius. the con- querors. i severe, were not impolitic. A castle of great strength to 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 Jaya, 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, Enslave- and the elevation of two unpopular chiefs--one the treacherous rajah Ninachetuan; the other, Utimutis, 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.? When 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 rajah Utimutis and his son-in-law, whether through a dangerous growth in opulence, or a sudden rise to ment of the people. TI the chiefs. 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. VOL. I. Fate of Ni- nachetuan, 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 Sacrifices rary governor he had been. Erecting a lofty funeral himself. 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 The rajah for their little faith. The rajah Kampar -- of a state Kampar. 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; Elevated to 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 himn in mis- power. In ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 83 the con fortune. A naked suspicion was enough to identify His fall... 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. Nevertheless the conquerors, while in peculiar in- Policy of stances they inflamed the hearts of the people, made querors. 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 nativ of the new power which had sprung up among the kings. 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 from the CD Albuquer- que. 1 Maffei, Inde Orientale, i. 359. 2 Barros, Decada III. vi. 3. G 2 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 Crawfurd, ii. 340. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. CHAPTER IV. luccas. search of at Am- 1 The Moluccas, though their prominence in the affairs The Mor of the further East commences at a later date, were luce among the first islands explored by the Portuguese. Antonio de Abreu was dispatched before the close of Abreu's voyage in the year to examine their situation, and procure speci- 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. yo boyna. 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 fishers. the beach, and making for it discovered the desolate mariners. They took them on board their prahuş, and carried them to Amboyna. They were received by the friendly natives with a hospitality characteristic of the Moluccan race. 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 11. book v. 6. 2 Drake in Purchas, 1. ii. 54, 55. 3 Crawfurd, ii. 406. G 3 86 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, of the Mo- luccas. LY LUI meg. 1 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 First view 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 nut 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 Banda. into crimson. Of Banda, an island to the south ward of Amboyna, very fertile and abundant in its produce of spice ?, accounts were circulated in language of eloquent exaggeration. It was described as the crown in wealth Its beauty, 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. Quarrels in While Francis Seiran, the shipwrecked captain, was. luccas. at Amboyna, he excited his company to numerous quarrels with the natives. The Moluccans quickly dis- ) TA Y the Mo- 1 Maffei. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 87 Ternate. S i 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 S Progress of the Portu- O CULO G4 88 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, 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, Wreck of the admi- ral's ships. X Attempt of to recover the I 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- Dangers of the city. 2 Y O ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 89 T4 solved to attempt without ceasing 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, vas preparing an armament for the invasion of Malacca. In recollecting the dangers which threatened this city, Advantages we must remember that a place of 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. 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 ?; 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 Attack upon 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 Java. A, D. 1513. 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 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 of the total desertion of the city. They thronged to the people. 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 Remandot, 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. 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 hammed of Johore, and the adjacent isle of Bintan, a fleet of again assails considerable strength, and blockaded Malacca by sea, nya A.D. 1515. of Malacca 1 Wilford, Newbold, ii. 45. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 91 guese. A, D. 1516, but without success. He returned to the attempt next the Portu- year, was again defeated, and resumed it in 1518. Seventy Portuguese only remained in the town. Mo- A. D. 1518. 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 + to Borneo. river on the north-east coast, and finding there a city named it Brauni. 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 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- Power east, but its conquests spread further on either shore, and at one time reached Indrapura. The province is Achin in Sumatra. . 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, comparatively healthy, the soil light and fertile, the productions varied and rich, the people superior in in- dustry and intelligence to their neighbours. Numerous 1- mart. 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 Ancient : 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. Civilisation 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.? Rising in When the Portuguese arrived in the Straits of Ma- fluence of 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 Treachery an opportunity, the Sumatran prince broke faith, and killed or captured all of their race in his dominions. Honour between nations appears seldom to have formed of Achin. the Achi- nese. of their king. the Achinese sovereign, slaughtering the Portuguese who had confided in his protection, or the terror of 1 Marsden, 315. 2 Ibid. 321. 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. Accounts of its wealth in precious metals had been rumoured through India and the Isles of coast, certain islands abounding in mines of gold and other riches. A Portuguese adventurer, named Diego Search for Pacheco, was entrusted with the conduct of an expedi- 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 Barus, on the same island, famous for its trade in gold and gum ben- jamin of rare fragrance.3 Prahus from the west of Market at India and the neighbouring ports resorted here for car- goes, bringing the cotton fabrics of India to exchange for the less bulky, but more precious, merchandise of Barus. 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 Barus. I Smith, Wealth of Nations, 354. 2 Marsden, 327. Heylyn, Cosmography, 923. 3 Marsden, 328. 94 , THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGOYTY 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 Rumours of they gave any account, it was of a group lying a the golden Archipe- hundred leagues off, and separated from Sumatra by a lago. 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?, 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. Next year he once more explored the seas in plorations. search of the Ilhas d'Oro, but quarrelled with the natives of Barus, and was cut off with the whole of his company. Hostilities 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 New ex- with the islanders. i Marsden, 328. 2 Ibid. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. established in Sumatra, 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." To ground their influence deeply in Sumatra, the Influence conquerors of Malacca employed the obvious policy of es 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 overthrowyn.2 The influence of Portugal, thus planted in Sumatra, Anong the was in the same year further extended among the Spice Spice 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- (D 1 Marsden, 329. 2 Ibid. 330. 96 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, when his countrymen were attacked there, had pro- of the Por- tuguese in Achin. TY D 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. Accusation against the possessed the stores and artillery of a stranded vessel, king. 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 Indian my- 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. Adventure Nevertheless De Britto resolved to attack the temple. ch of He was as confident of success as he was greedy of the the temple treasury. 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. thology. 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 of the Por- through the cheek, and another through the thighs, tuguese. while almost the whole of his companions were cut to pieces, and the rest driven to the boats. Fifty men 66 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 luco the Mo- : Antonio de Britto, sailed thither, to explore their riches, 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 Pousing ho querors. 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, 98 THE INDIAN ARCHIPEL, S Sumatra, 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 Politics of 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- the Indian ference, imprisoned his father for life in an iron cage. palace. 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 Civil war. “ 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 Politics of ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 99 the Portu. guese fort. ih tle. 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 Achinese army had made a desperate assault, carried Night bat- some of the outworks, and driven the besieged to the 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 the among the garrison, and encouraged them to a fierce and effectual saily 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 n three hundred and 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 the Indians. ght. I 2 100 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, phants as a Toiles near the entrances, but these apertures were vigorously defended, and the whole country rang with repeated yolleys, shouts, and other sounds of conflict. The bar- barians, with frantic valour, sought to scale the walls, but were hen down as they mounted, or swept off by the guns as they approached. Driven back they in- Use of ele- vented a new device. A body of seven elephants was urged headlong against the wooden stockades, which battery. 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 Achinesę pushed on to the assault, and closed in increasing multitudes around the walls. Their own Conflagra fierceness prevented their success. They set fire to tion in the 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 Desertion of his authority. His timid counsel prevailed. The Por- their strong- tuguese resolved to desert the place. The small guns hold by the Portuguese. 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 Manæuvre of embarkation, and took to their boats. Immediately the Achinese crowded the fort, quenched the matches, siegers, broke the trains of powder, and turned the overcharged artillery upon their flying and defeated enemies. port, of the be ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 101 rison. 119 of the Mo. The defence of Passe had been gallant, its evacuation Conduct of the gar- was disgraceful. Had the garrison held out a few 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. Antonio de Britto, who had sailed for the Moluccas, Return now arrived at Banda. One of his countrymen, dis- lucca 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 Spaniards in luccan group through an eastern passage. Another the Archi- European flag had displayed itself in the Indian Seas. pelago. 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- jected by he applied to king Emmanuel for an addition to his Portus salary of half a ducat a month, the gratitude of his royal master displayed itself in a rejection of his suit. 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 Goes to Charles of 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. II 3 102 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, expedition. Spain. patched. Brazil. Patago. Offer of an 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. Engaged by Charles the Fifth heard with delight the account of his territorial privileges over the famous Spice region of An expe- the Oriental ocean. Five vessels were equipped for dition dis- 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 1 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- Straits of ders, are delineated in the account. They reached the Magellan. straits, passed them, and Magellan's eye was gladdened Passage into by the sight of the great ocean spreading before him, and the Pacific. 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- Archipe pelago, Magellan discovered the Ladrones, or Isles of lago. Thieves. They have since been named the Marianas, The Isles of 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. The Entrance into the Thieves, TITY i Pigafetta, in Harris, i. 13. 2 Valter's Preliminary Discourse, 12. S 3 Sir E. Belcher, i, 84. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 103 drones. of the Phi- 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 a of the La- 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 that group of more than forty islands", the most north- lippines. ern 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, without fragrant spices, or fruits of very delicate flavour. Their appearance is singular. In Their gene- many parts covered with basalt, laya-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. Their agricultural produce is abundant and Vegetable varied. Cotton4 of admirable quality, hemp, indigo, coffee, cocoa, sugar, black pepper, nutmegs, cinnamon, Tala spect. wealth, 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. 4 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, woods, treasures. Ornamental veined ebony, much used in ship-building, fir trees, woods for cabinet work l; and timber for the house- architect and for masts?, 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. Mineral 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, ro- tortoiseshells, amber, isinglass, beeswax, trepang, edible birds' nests, and other articles, constitute materials of a trade now very extensive. 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 Miscella- neous pro- ductions. Seasons. Indian artificers of Luzon. 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 Magellan enters the group. 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 Macknicking, Philippines, 308. 2 See De Comyn, 9. 30. 3 MS. account of the Philippines. 4 Valmont de Bomare, iv. 603. - 5 Torubiat, Apparat pour l'Hist. Nat. d'Espagne, i. 6 MS. Account. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 105 I action, 12 king. he people. the Papuan? 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 First trans- of his national religion. A hospitable reception wel- comed him at both places. The King of Batuan invited Reception na by an island the strangers to his palace --- a wooden structure raised 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 versio the is- landers. i 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, 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 Punishment under the hand of Magellan. One village of heathens, of a heathen. village. it is related, refused to deny their ancient gods. Their houses were levelled to the earth, and a cross erected the appearance of their visitors, whom they believed to False prose- be endowed with celestial virtue. The pagans of the lytism, Philippines, like the Brahmins of Ceylon”, 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 lege to worship the same God with the “ Sons of Heaven.” . Conduct of. Magellan however - great man though he was — Magellan. 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. Barter for 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 gold. 1 Pigafetta, in Harris, i. 16. 2 Sir Emerson Tennent, Christianity in Ceylon, 64. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 107 the barba- 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 Challengea by a native worshippers of the sun', 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 panions in armour, he attacked a vast multitude of 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 Magellan. perished like Decius in the marsh, and the rest dissi- pated the belief in their heavenly birth by a precipi- tate and broken flight. 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, 's Spaniards. 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. 2 Crawfurd, ii. 450. - . . . 108 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Bornec, from a Bor- much reduced, that it became necessary to burn one of the ships. The others proceeded in quest of the Mo- luccas. Fall in with : Wandering in search of this celebrated group, they fell in with the unknown land of Borneo, and visited Brunè 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. Presents body-guard." He sent, it is said, two elephants trapped - with rich silks, to bring the Spanish emissaries to his neon king. 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 5 Indian junks.” ? 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 narrative of the voyager, he claimed the Spaniards as brethren, and proclaimed that the name of his country was thence- Homeward forward not Tidor, but Castille. The ships then en- voyage. tered on their homeward voyage; confirming, by their The Mon luccas. Visit to Tidor. 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 Europe. of the ex- pedition. 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- E 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, HIC PRIMUS GEOMETROS. Twelve of Magellan's companions were left at Tidor. Spanish De Britto soon after arriving, discovered and seized - 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- 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 settlement at Tidor. Y guese. 71 traders. trading vessel became a ship of war. 1 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 13. 110 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, THE INDIAN ARCHIPELA Ternate. of the is landers. ; Portuguese The subsequent proceedings of De Britto were con- policy in the Spice sistent with his early acts. He sought for a convenient group. 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 Treaty with 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 Conflict in throne. At the same time he artfully excited a com- Tidor. motion in Tidor. Then, to subdue the spirit of his own raising, he proclaimed the reward of a piece of cloth for Massacre 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 Šack of the 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 European port that should receive a fleet laden with the riches of the further East. lative capital. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 111 CHAPTER V. in Sumatra, THE successes of the Portuguese in the Spice Islands A. D. 1522. Misfortunes were balanced by their reverses in Sumatra, and their in defeat at Bantam in Java.) 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 peninsula. victory of Ibrahim, the Malays of the peninsula, led by 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 i Osorio, 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 Jaya. 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, tvas 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 hands. The situation of the town was critical. An allied 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, vith a squadron, anchored in the roads. Malacca was relieved. The barbarians, driven into the river Muara, were there 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 Siege of Malacca. Reprisals. LA ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT 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. sea. with the Malays. I 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 V 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', and her wealth is celebrated by the prophetic poets of Scripture?, 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. 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, the Islands 3 Strabo, 216–219. 2 Ezekiel, xxyii. 12. 3 Heeren'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. An expedi- tion was launched to settle a commercial state in the tures in the Moluccas. Father Loyosa, who died and was succeeded by Del ture 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 guese at the cu 0 Spice Isles. The Portu- 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 Rival expe. 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 the Portu- guese. I Travels of Marco Polo. Notes by Marsden. ? Walton, Preliminary Discourse 15. I 2 116 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, luccas. 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. Fatal beauty They have been celebrated as the possessors of a fatal of the Mo: gift. In 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 :- 66 The unfortunate proprietors of aromaticks and per- fumes," I 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, so the adventurers of Christendom vere attracted to those remote islands by the nutmegs and cloves so more fatal 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. Ancient The ancients probably possessed no actual knowledge of these islands, since little can be inferred from the Spice group. story repeated by the Bishop of Avranches of spices Their still wealth. intercourse with the 1 Volney, Ruins of Empires, 23. 2 Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, i. 358. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 117 tion of 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. 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. 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 Com- modus, towards the close of the second century, cloves Consump- and nutmegs appear in the list of commodities im- spices in 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. 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 taste for lated dangers which then attended all maritime adven- Spices. tures. 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 was opened by the Malays, the Javanese, and the Bugis, commercial routes. traders. 1 Huet's History of Commerce, 57. 2 Crawfurd, History of the Indian Archipelago, iii. 187. 3 Vincent, Periplus of the Erythrean Sea. A Crawfurd, History of the Indian Archipelago, iii. 188. 5 Vincent's Periplus, i. 1. 6 Crawfurd, iii. 140. CT I 3 118 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELA Venetian travels. Chinese 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, Fondness until, at length, they perfumed the tables of the Italian r spices in epicure, who knew not whence the richly flavoured Europe. commodity was procured. 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. The earliest mention of a commerce with the merchants. 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 Their set- 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. This, however, was not so much through indifference as through the dangers and perplexities which then beset Desire of their position in the East. The valuable productions the Portu- of that celebrated group formed, as it were, the polar guese to star of enterprise. A rage for spices sprung up in :spices. Europe, and continued, through the century, to furnish tlement. A trade in UIII V 1 Crawfurd, History of the Indian Archipelago, iii. 212. 2 Marco Polo, De Reb. Orient., iii. 199. 3 Huet's History of Commerce, 173. 4 Crawfurd, History of the Indian Archipelago, iii. 155. 5 Ibid. ii. 488. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 119 modity. value. an object for the satirical effusions of the day. The natural flavour of all that is esteemed as delicate or Rage for rich was drowned in powerful and pungent spicery, that com- and the tables of the opulent, like the funeral pyres of antiquity, smoked with clouds of fragrance, from hot and perfumed dishes.? 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- tures; an artificial value was conferred on these articles Artificial of luxury, and the commodities which the companions 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 Celebes on the west, the Arru 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. 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 counts of the Moluccas. hy م 1 Dryden. 2 See Homes's Sketches of Man, ii. 141. 3 Dubois de Jancigny.-- Xavier Raymond, L'Inde Pittoresque. 4 Adam Smith, Wealth of Nations. 5 Crawfurd, History of the Indian Archipelago, iii. 384. 6 Sonnerat, Voyages aux Indes, ii. 104. ا ن I 4 120 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, of the group General view. the smaller neighbouring islands,” indicated by the Geography Dutch writer. Otherwise the plan of this history would be 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. Their sur- 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. The rarest productions of the Their nut- earth are natives of the Moluccas. The nutmeg, that meg-tree. 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 face. D 1 Hogendorp, Coup d'Eil sur l'Isle de Java. 2 Temminck, Possessions Neerlandaises dans l'Inde Archipe- lagique, iii. 300. 3 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. and extent. composed of numerous islands assigned by geography to 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 origin. 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. The numerous craters in action Traces of form probably, as a traveller long ago suggested ?, the issues of one mighty volcano lying below the whole of the Molucca sea. eruptions. the Spice Group, 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. It belongs in size to the fifth rank, although it has been assigned to the fourth>; 1 Temminck, Coup d'Eil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, iii. 290. 2 Sonnerat, Voyages aux Indes, ii. 122. 3 Argensilas, History of the Moluccas. 4 Temminck, Possessions Neerlandaises dans l'Inde Archipela- gique, iii. 219. 5 Temminck, Coup d'Eil, iii. 219. 122 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Tn importance. Area. CU for if we accord to Timor, Floris, and Ceram, that de- gree!, Amboyna, which is not a tenth of their size, takes Its political a place below them. It is better peopled than any other in the group, and takes its name from that of the 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 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 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. cording to the grave advocate of Netherland's policy 4, is literally loaded with the soft odour of aromatic plants Form. 1 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, i. 3. 2 Hogendorp, Coup d'Eil sur Java. 3 Temminck, Possessions Neerlandaises dans l'Inde Archipela- gique, iii, 220. 4 Ibid. iii. 233. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 123 on of 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 prospect. 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 justifieds the island. the florid colours of his description. 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 blos- 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 River 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, > i Ver Huell, Travels in the East Indies, Dutch, qu. Temminck, iii. 234. 124 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELA Perfumes. Truth of the picture. Exaggera- tion of tra- vellers, —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. 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”, 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. 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 Capacities for pro- ductions. Nutmeg. 1 Ver Huell, Reisen in der Oost Indien, qu. Temminck, iii. 234. 2 Temminck, Coup d'Eil, iii. 235. 3 Hogendorp, Coup d'Eil sur Java. 4 Ver Huell. 5 Temminck, Coup d'Eil, iii. 235. 6 Temminck, Hogendorp, iii. 235. 7 Crawfurd, History of the Indian Archipelago, i. 3. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 125 on the group. the nutmeg. 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 Its influence brought upon the people cruel and selfish masters, who gro 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. About three hundred thousand pounds are annually produced. The culture and collection of Culture of the spice employs almost all the population, and exhi- t 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. There Other pro- are, in addition to this natural treasure, numerous costly 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?, whence the tree was transplanted to Java, while the Cassia lignea, its rival for the epicure's favour, is distributed throughout ductions. 1 Fr. Pirard, Voyages aux Indes. * Hogendorp, Coup d'Eil sur Java. 3 Heylyn, Cosmography, 918. 4 Hogendorp, Coup d'Eil 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, Ancient TS Y the Archipelago, Southern India, and Southern China.? Its native It is perhaps impossible to discover the original and country. 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 uses of this spice. 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. 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. 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. Poverty of Yet these islands, so rich in the luxuries, yield few Amboyna in among the ordinary necessaries of life, a fact observed saries of life. by the earliest writers. The surface of Amboyna pre- the neces- i 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. Hist. 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 1- sents few extensive fields for agriculture, and the policy Policy of of the Dutch, influencing the spirit of the people as the Dutch. well as reducing their numbers, diverted their industry from the legitimate cultivation of the soil to exhaust it in the clove plantations. 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. It has also, however, been shrewdly suggested Neglect of that the Dutch in their diplomatic craft encouraged the encouraged. industry 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 as Amboyna. little island as a waste tract in all the wide extent of Java. 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", 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, with Spa- nish aspect of 1 1 1 Adam Smith, Wealth of Nations. 2 See Earl, Trading Ports, Journ. Ind. Arch. iv. 987. 3 Hogendorp, Coup d'Eil 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 Heylyn, Cosmography, 918. 128 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Rice. Reasons by the old geographer, among the fruits of the earth, assigned. 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 Supplies of nerveless policy of the Spaniards. Certain it is, at all food. events, that the rice grown in Amboyna falls short of its necessities, leaving large quantities to be exported from the Southern provinces of Celebes?, with an annual supply from Java 3, as well as from Bengal.4 The yam. The yam cultivated in the Indian Islands 5 is probably indigenous there, and forms an article of food among the Amboynese6; but the sweet potato was probably introduced by Europeans, and is known to them as the Castilian yam. The arrow-root is produced, and used as food, with other materials of which the people them- Bounty of selves alone make any account. But nature never leaves Providence men without the means of life; and they are equally to these islands. 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- Grasses of ing grasses 8 and nutritious roots; and in the Moluccas, the great staff of life, spontaneously abundant, which Australia. 1 Sonnerat, Voyages aux Indes, ü. 104. 2 Temminck, Possessions Neerlandaises, iii. 227. 3 Hogendorp, Coup d'Eil 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. ? Crawfurd, i. 372. 8 Sturt, Expedition into Central Australia, i. 135., ii. 140. op ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 129 makes up for the deficiency of rice or corn is the sago, Sago. or Papua bread, as it is sometimes called by the Ja- vans. 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 qualities. plentiful but least esteemed; that of Siak on the north coast of Sumatra being the best, and that of Borneo second in estimation. It furnishes the principal food Its con- sumption. of the people 3, its delicate flour being baked into cakes. Here is its native country, between Borneo, on the one Geographi cal distri- 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. The process of extraction is Process of simple but curious, and differs among many of the pre islands, as that of Mindoro from that of the Moluc- cas. 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, 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. The mass of medulla extracted is immense; Abundance 600 pounds is not unusually afforded by a single tree, rina. preparation. of this fa- 1 Forrest's Voyage to New Guinea, 42. 2 Crawfurd, Hist. Indian Archipelago, i. 386. 3 Hogendorp, Coup d'Eil sur Java. 4 Crawfurd, Hist. Indian Archipelago, i. 386. 5 Dampier, Voyages, i. 310, 311. 6 Rumphius, Nat. Hist. Amboinensis, i. 80. 7 Forrest, Voyage to New Guinea, 42. VOL. I. 130 THE INDIAN ARCHIPEL O TT n 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. 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", 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, 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", from Ma- deira, while, native to the soil, grows the enormous 1 See the best account of sago in Journ. Ind. Arch. ii. 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. 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.? 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 Ternate4; by the Ternatians, birds of God); by the Dutch, king's ous names.!! birdso; and by the Spaniards, birds of the sun. These Paradise - their vari- 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. 9 Aldrovandus, Valmont de Bomare, iv. 297. The name Ma- nucodiata, or Bird of God, has been adopted in modifications by сп K 2 132 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Indian fables con- cerning them. Poetical fancy. Their flight. 1 Method of catching them. the great Promeropes! -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. 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 Trade in the feathers. several naturalists. Margrav. Brasil. 207.; Rai, Syn. Av. 21.-27.; Briss. 2. 130. See Buffon, Hist. Nat. des Ois. iii. 207. 1 Pritchard, Researches, i. 83. 2 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 se. 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 1 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 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'Eil sur Java. ? Adams, Travels in the East. 3 Home's Sketches of Man, i. 365. 4 Heylyn, Cosmography, 920. 5 Temminck, Possessions Neerlandaises, iii. 229. < 3 134 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Progress in the useful arts. Primal habits of man, 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, as the Siamese use cocoa-nut shells”, and the Ostyaks vessels of bark', 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", 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 nuts, 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, Banda. Beautiful scenery. Roadstead. 1 Constantine, Voyage de la Conipagnie des Indes, iii. 322. 2 Histoire Générale des Voyages, ix. 248. 3 Voyages au Nord, viii. 43. 4 Goguet, Origine des Loix, i. 171. 5 Oxley, Expedition to survey. Port Cavis, Moreton Bay, and Port Cowen. 6 Forrest, Voyage to New Guinea. 7 Maffei. Istoria dell' Inde Orientali, i. 327. 8 Valmont de Bomare, Histoire Naturelle, iv. 177. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 135 mountains. and exposed to constant danger from the volcano of Gu- nong Apil, 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. The three islands, Banda Neira, 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. 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. 1 Hogendorp, Coup d' il sur Java. . 2 See the Verhandelingen part. his. 115. 3 Temminck, Possessions Neerlandaises dans l'Inde, iii. 289. 4 Valmont de Bomare, Histoire Naturelle, iv. 181. 5 Temminck, Possessions Neerlandaises, iii. 290. 6 Raffles, Memoirs, by Lady Raflles, i. 367. 7 Temminck, Possessions Neerlandaises, iii. 290. K 4 136 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Soil. Growth of spices. The clove. In Banda 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, 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 Frances, while its congener, the clove, has spread not only thither, but over Cayenne 4 — over Asia, Africa, and the West Indies. 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.. 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." 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 Clove oil. Use of cloves. 1 Oxley, The Nutmeg and its Cultivation, Journal of the Ind. Arch. ii. 643. ? 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. ï. 642. 6 See Thevenot, Voyages, üü. 324. ? Valmont de Bomare, Histoire Naturelle, iv. 180. 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. 1 The annual produce of nutmegs is Annual about 650,000 pounds.2 The other productions of of produce. 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- burners. Ti 11 of travel- from the coral abounding on the beach -- a profitable occupation. The custom appears to be of old date, as Verification among the reported marvels which the readers of tra- lers' tales 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. With similar incredulity, ill- founded, he mentions that oyster-shells are there found so large that children might be christened in them, which is an obvious allusion to the Kima cockle, the fish of which 11 7 1 Valmont de Bomare, Histoire Naturelle, iv. 179. 2 Hamilton, East India Gazetteer. 3 Hogendorp, Coup d'Eil 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, i. 133. 7 The shells of the Taclabo, or gigantic Philippine oyster, are Preliminary Discourse, 70. . 138 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Aborigines of the Spice groups. frequently weighs thirty or forty pounds. 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. 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 swords, though others still point to the existence in the wild interior of a remnant of Alfoeras, Pagan savages, repre- sented as hateful and brutal, 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.? 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-sixo, or, according to an Dutch aca count. Ternate, Its ancient power. . 1 Forrest, Voyage to New Guinea, 43. The curious may consult Rumph. tab. 47. E. Born. 80.; Da Costa, Conchyll, vü, 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 d'Eil 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'Eil, ii. 142. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 139 the island. 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', and rivalled the influence of Java long before the Portuguese flag was spread in the Archipelago. Little more than a 100 years ago, it was reported to produce more spices than any of the other Moluccas ?; 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 Health of 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 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 dan legend. 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 " island. ? D'Avitay, Histoire Générale de l'Asie, 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 truel; continually emitting huge flames of fire, dark smoke, and dreadful Aspect. thunder. 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. 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, 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 watered by streams from the peaks. 7 The people ap- of the people, 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 Industry population universally indolent. 8 The soil is volcanic, and below the active crater springs of sulphureous 1 Forrest, Voyage to New Guinea, 39. ? Heylyn, Cosmography, 919. 3 Belcher, Voyage of the Samarang, i. 133. 4 Temminck, Possessions Neerlandaises, üi. 150. 5 Forrest, Voyage to New Guinea, 37. 6 Temminck, Possessions Neerlandaises, iii. 151. 7 Forrest, Voyage to New Guinea, 39. 8 Temminck, Possessions Neerlandaises, iii. 154. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. converts. 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. 1 Christian The situation and aspect of the island are beautiful, 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. 02 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 fishery, tortoise, and trepang. The isles are low, but remarkably picturesque, being shaded by groves of the 1 Hogendorp, Coup d'Eil sur Java. 2 Kolff, Voyage of the Dourga. 3 Forrest, Voyage, 545. 142 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Whalers resorts. The whale fishery. cocoa-nut palm. Little productive themselves, they serve as depôts for provisions, supplying the whalers who occasionally visit these seas ?, bartering arms, am- munition, and calico, for fruit and live stock, which are cheaply provided--according to the Dutch an unlawful trade. The little group is encircled by very extensive reefs projecting into deep waters, rendering it difficult The whale 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. 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. in many instances surround their villages with rough walls of coral, occasionally carrying a similar fortifica- Piracy. tion all along the shore. 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. 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. 6 Ibid. 289. 7 Temminck, iii. 307. I ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 143 ray17 tribes. traders, are secretly addicted to piracy, though some bear a character for inuocence and love of industry altogether inconsistent with this pursuit. ? 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. 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. On the north Morty is lined with them for two or three miles from the shore. The multitude of these obstructions ---some Charac- of them lying under water and discerned only by their team teristics of 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.? Large ships especially dread the reefs, Reefs and though these---sources of danger as they are-contribute the sea. shoals. Y 1 See for Papuan trade, Asiatic Journal, n. s., vi. 336. 2 Hogendorp, Coup d'Eil sur Java. 3 Kolff, Voyage of the Dourga, 345. 4 Dalrymple, Darwin, Forrest. 5 Horsburgh, Sailing Directions. 6 Forrest, Voyage to New Guinea. 7 De la Flotte, Essai Historique sur l'Inde, iii. 144 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Voyage to New Guinea. 1 also to the welfare of the islanders, who look to the abundance of shell-fish they supply among the chief means of support. 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. 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 sayage, and the path of conquest was Crime of a Portuguese governor Forrest, Voyage to New Guinea. 2 Robert Little, Esq., Journ. Ind. Arch. ii. 413. 3 "Dr. Little's Coral Theory," Journ. Ind. Arch. iii. 690. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 145 T 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. 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, 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. It is the Massacre of fugitives in boast of their national historian that none survived. All the water. 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. 146 THE INDIAN ARCHIPEL 16 Proceedings Consequently the murder of the Tidor king need not in Tidor. 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 Native in and left their chief towns in ashes. Still there was a surrection. 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, Rivalry kindled a civil war among the Spice Islands. Mean- with the Spanish while the Spaniards, reinforced from Europe, took ad- crown. vantage of the division among their enemies, attacked and defeated them. They also, however, received aid ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 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 Menezes. bidden arts of sorcery, was in danger of a miserable fate from the anger of his people. Imagining, in his credu- Ferocity of 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 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 off 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. 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. 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, Retaliation of the Achinese. 1 See Belcher, Voyage, ii. 3. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 149 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. L 3 150 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, CHAPTER VI. terprise in the Archi- Disaster at Achin, Farther en- At Malacca the Portuguese continued to flourish on the increase of their Indian trade. A spirit of enter- pelago. 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 A.D. 1529. on this basis to ground their power in Jaya. 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!, 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. Composi They had learned, however, that in arms at least they tion be- were not invincible; and to narrow the avenues of danger 1 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 344. 2 Ibid: 345, ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 151 tugal and Q proceeded to bribe the Emperor Charles the Fifth of tween Por- Spain into a renunciation of his claims upon the Spice 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. In a similar spirit of peace a mission was dispatched A.D. 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 Portuguese at Malacca was prosperous and generally gu 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 Bruné 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 there 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 Moluccas. - the Ternate people, who once more returned to their the Portu- guese at 2 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 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 A. D. 1531. Hated by the is- landers. This act was one of the principal among many of a kindred character, which rendered the Portuguese name a by-word for all that was hateful to the native races. They say 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 Guined, and the ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 153 Virtuous administra- 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, 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 discontent, and exciting a new revolt. In this scheme A 154 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, i 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, rous con- duct. 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, was no lover 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 transaction, 1111 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 of Galvan. 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 renewed. genius had extended the circle of discovery, dispatched two well-armed ships to the Moluccas, probably to adventures 156 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, spirit of 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. Universal Yet Galvan's character was not untinged by that monopoly. spirit of monopoly, which was the great commercial sin of his sordid and bigoted age, and formed the sourcė 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 Theory of 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 trade, T ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 157 orous eavours, barbarian champions of free trade assembled at Am- Rebellion boyna, organised an army, and prepared for a campaign. luccas. Their purpose was soon defeated. Galvan, at Ternate, Galvan's received intelligence of their movements, collected a policy. 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 excel- lent en- version and education of the people were the great 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 tianit 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- thod of 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- schools 158 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Galyan. 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- Love of the tary arts of civilisation; he insinuated himself into their people for 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 Jealousy of home. Every friend made in the Indian Islands, cre- his success ated an enemy in Portugal. Probably the prudence in Portugal. and the faith of Galyan 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 Renewed the European flag had been first raised. The new king sieges of 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 S Renewed Malacca. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 159 S hunted thence to the sea-shore, where the invaders embarked and fled with the loss of 500 men. 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, and the king led his fleet back to Achin. The wars of this prince in Sumatra were numerous. Wars of the Achinese. 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. 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.? Relapse of These scenes were enacting while Galvan's reign in the Spice Islands was drairing to a close ; and while luccas into anarchy. 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, the Mo- CUL 1 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 346. 2 Mendez Pinto. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 161 was the result. 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.D. 1544. Brigandage Moluccas, and he renewed all the iniquities, the cruelties, of the Por- the oppressions, and the system of brigandage which tuguese. 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, im- A. d. 1546 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 to 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 of mono- boly. i Crawfurd, ii. 452. 2 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 17. . VOL. I. M 162 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Continual conflicts. Sea fight 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. A. D. 1547. 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 St. Francis Francis Xavier, the apostle of India, who was now on Xavier, his pilgrimage through the East, and had recently made 600 or 700 converts among the pearl fishers of Manaar. 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 Vast arma- to embark a large army, in seventy vessels, to lay against siege to the Portuguese metropolis. A body of Janis- Malacca. CI ment i Hough, Christianity in India, II. iii. 188.; Abbé du Bois, 3. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 163 of Xavier. 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. D. 1549. the Peninsula had opened the way into the region of Apostleship 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 of tuguese. of Achin died, and a new prince and a new enemy A. D. 1556. ascended the throne of that country. He had, hop- of the Por M 2 164 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, . tions in the Spice ever, witnessed the defeat of his predecessors, and hesitated to renew an endeavour fraught with danger and little encouraged by hope. Transac- - In the Molucca group the changing tide of affairs was ebbing and flowing under the influence of an in- Islands. 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 A. D. 1559. 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 which every year made new enemies to be encountered, and A. D. 1559, ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 165 succession of events. S ILU با Revival of the Spanish 2 more subjects to be coerced. Among the native states General at the same time, the fortune of princes and people re- 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. D. 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- lippin 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 policy. 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 TTY DI 3 166 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Dutch policy. Expedition 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 com- 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 to conquer the Phi- lippines. 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- age. 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 Ladrones, 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 suc- Arrival in the group. 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 comed 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. with the of conguest. M 4 168 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, D population, 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, bowever, 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. OS ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT 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, Their re- ligion. 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 DI 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 Indians had sounded the depths of European faith, and con- tinued to harass their invaders. Legaspi had a tent LUV 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. To emulate the achievements of 2 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 flagship, 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 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 ment in the Phi- I Crawfurd, ii. 453. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 171 people. Philippines.' 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 1 of the were principally rural; but the famine which followed 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 the quest. 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- teristics of of subsistence from the plains into their places of ambush sen warfare. 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 the con- AS 11 1 Charlevoix, Histoire du Japon. 172 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Collection Massacre 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 nutiny 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 of gold. 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- of a crew. aster of Legaspi's expedition occurred. The islanders attacked the party, and massacred every man. In a good for- tune of the general sense, nevertheless, the Spaniards were singu- Spaniards. larly fortunate, and their settlements were established in the Philippines with unusual facility, and encouraging prospects of success. Jealousy of 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, novy by force, now by intrigue, to repel the intruding influence, and secure a monopoly of intercourse with the rich Rivalry. 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 General Portugal. . Hostile princes of the East. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 173 of the lalav S 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 i 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- rison. Defeated at length, after a long series of con- flicts, he retreated and left the sea beneath the walls floating with the dead. An immense waste of human Slaughter life accompanied these unavailing efforts of barbarian of his army. valour; but the Achinese monarch would have spent Prodigal all the blood in his kingdom to enjoy the pride of a waste of triumph over the Portuguese. In the following year a. D. 1568. 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- ation ing from Japara, with an envoy to Achin, was captured by the Portuguese, who massacred the whole of her Malacca, blood. enemy. 1 Marsden, Hist. of Sumatra, qu. Diego do Conto; Faria y Sarsa, 350. 174 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, S fleet de- And an. other. Spice Is- lands. ation. OTS A. D. 1569. crew. Hostilities followed, thick and fast. Another Another twelve months had not revolved before an Achinese fleet was again equipped to attack Malacca, but was stroyed. scattered with disgrace by a single man of war. Nor A. D. 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. Policy of While enjoying this success on the western borders guese in the of the Archipelago, the Portuguese pursued in the Moluccas that policy of coercion which had excited so An act of many insurrections. The governor, under pretence of a assassina friendly conference with the restored king of Ternate, (a. D. assassinated him, and refused his friends the consolation 1570.] 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. Revolt to To revenge his father's murder as well as the indignity ayenge it. 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 his 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. 1 Marsden, Hist. of Sumatra, 350. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE, 175 CHAPTER. VII. icy of the Portu- usurped PORTUGAL, jealous to excess when the rivalry of any Feeble po. European state appeared to threaten her monopoly of 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 tives med 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- rivalry 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 tions. 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, 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 Spanish plans of conquest. Mission to Panay. 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 11 Expedition communities. A hardy band of settlers was sent to Masbate, a small island, undistinguished by any pecu- settlement. 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 Baptism of them an unconditional allegiance. Observing how the natives. 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. S ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 177 Two years later the Spaniards felt their ambition A. D. 1569. New places again expand, and looked from Panayl to another seat of coloni 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 Luconia. 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 Pirates o Jolo and Borneo, who had acquired an infamous re- the Philip- 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, to it. pines. 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. N 178 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, attack them. Expedition to Manilla. The town. Spaniards 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 hustilities, 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 Present: great lake Baye into the sea. In front swept the splendid aspect. 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 Native use the mouth of the river. They now turned against the of artillery. 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. . Storming 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 C of the de fences. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 179 of the 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 swarns of enemies who might be expected to descend upon them from the hills. Delaying, therefore, only so long as Caution was neccssary to careen their ships, they sailed back to Spaniards. Panay. 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. Thence returning to Panay, he prepared the ex- New expe- dition to 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. N2 180 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, C course with China. which have carried the enterprise of that curious empire through all the channels of the Twelve Thousand Islands. First inter- 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- Pleasant incident. s 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 settiug 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 Capture of 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 Submission site was already marked out. They listened to the of the in- promises of peace, yielded to the cajolements of their Manilla. habitants. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 181 (0 of this policy. TA e 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 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 soill, but since that period opinions have passed through Right of a filtering process, and we apply the rules of justice to 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 ?, 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- tion of 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 nquest. priests. 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. 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 feet, 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. Action at sea. Method of conquest. 1 Crawfurd, ii. 454. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 183 73 traders at S a new trade. 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 fortunate influence of the conciliatory policy pursued ture with a an advena 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. D. 1572. cargo of merchandise from their own country. Thus Opening of an act of kindness was the germ of 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- five men, and erected a little fort. Thence 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 round tlements. N 4 184 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, 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. A. D. 1573. To extend the trading relations of their colony they Enterprise in Borneo. sent an expedition to Bruné, 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. 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 Precarious in the west of the Archipelago. The conquerors of situation 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 A. D. 1573. following year, in alliance with the Queen of Japara. Slaughter The air round the city was corrupted by the past Man heaps of dead which he left to fester beneath its battle- lacca. A. D. 1574. ments. In the course of another twelve months the the Portu- guese. i Zuniga, Historical View of the Philippines, i. 160. 2 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 351. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 185 Indian armament. t 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- lated, were destroyed by the simultaneous assault of this immense armada. The city was defended by no more than 150 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', 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 the 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 the native army. le the king- ? Marsden, History of Sumatra, 351. 186 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, 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 Feudal in- 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 Curious politics. A.D. 1574. politi 1574. against 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. Alarm of The planting of the Spanish settlements within three emperor. 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. Chinese en- Native records alone point to the commencement of a series of enterprises continued to this day by the the Chinese terprises. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 187 11 2 S 1 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 ?, that their voyages extended to Borneo at a far remoter date, even before the foundation of the Malay kingdom at Bruné. 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. We there find accounts of the Chinese racter of adventurers among the Indian islands, which suggest that peo- no idea of an infant intercourse; following him, was 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, 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 ous cha- ple. with Brune. 1 J. R. Logan, Journal of Indian Archipelago, ii. 611. 2 Marsden, edition of Marco Polo. 3 Ibn Batuta, De l'Archipel d'Asie, trans. Du Laurier. 4 J. R. Logan, Antiquity of the Chinese Trade with India and the Indian Archipelago, J. Ind. Arch. ii. 663. Indian Logan, An Archipel Polo. Archipelago, 188 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Visits to the Phi- lippines. Rise of a Chinese colony. 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 Hostility of their native soil. The Spaniards settled in peace on the the is- landers to rich coast-provinces, although they never succeeded in Spain. 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 Success of spite of their hostility the Spaniards consolidated their Spanish plans of colonisation, and were only alarmed by the policy. turbulent population of Chinese, which soon grew up under their flag. In 1574 an enemy appeared on their coasts, of a The pirate novel and formidable character. This was the great rebel pirate Limahon, the terror in those days of all A. D. 1574. Limahon. 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- His career. nown was so great, and his depredations had been so daring, that the Emperor of China, who indeed was comparatively a feeble potentatet, equipped three squad- rons to scour the neighbouring seas in search of him. Averse to an encounter with the imperial arnis, he re- His achieve- 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. U LU ments. (D attack Ma- night. Manilla, though defended by the arts of European for- nilla." 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- nig 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 Atta the dwelling put to death. Continuing to advance, the city. UL i Dubalde, China, i. 2 Crawfurd, ii. 458. 190 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, (D The Spa- niards alarmed. Limahon retires. Renewed assault. 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. 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 Conflict in the city. 121TIA 1 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 28. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 191 kindled the light bamboo edifices which then, as now, 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, M 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 the Chinoon the pirates. 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- treat to 1 Alvarez y Tejero, De Las Islas Filipinas, qu. Revue des Deux their junks. Mondes. 192 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, neers. the conflict, and numbers of the Chinese had shared Flight from his fate. Limahon, dispirited by the loss and disgrace Manilla. 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. Cruelty of On his way to Pangarinan, Limahon landed at the the bucca- mouth of a river and massacred a number of Indians Their place who were hostile to his expedition. He then conversed of refuge. with the chief of the province, and encamped on the banks of the Lingayen river. A. D. 1575. 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, They are moored in the river, were easily captured. The troops followed by the Spa- 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 They are 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. Liinahon 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. niards. surrounded. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 193 device to escape. 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. He is supposed, by some, to 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 of Chris- tianity. YTT Spanish Colonial History, Chin. Rep. vii. 291. VOL. I. 194 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, 1 of affairs. On the following year, when Salcedo 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.) Emigrants Following this enemy, an outcast from China, came from China. a. streams 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 and fear of them, he 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.” The Chinese, from every account of them, TY 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. ? Spanish Col. Hist., C'hin. Rep. vii. 296. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 195 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- 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. 0 % 196 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, CHAPTER VIII. Borneo. 2 MORE than half a century had passed since an European voyager discovered the immense island of Borneo. The Early visit. 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. A. D. 1576. In 1576, Sirela, king of Borneo, was deposed by an Transac- usurper, and fled to Manilla, where he promised to lay tions of the the whole island under tribute to the sovereignty of Spain, if the colonists would espouse his cause. The region, indeed, which he engaged to render subject to the imperial crown, was not his own?; 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. Borneo Pro- 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 Spaniards with Bor- neo. per, i Zuniga, Historical Vieu, i. 160. ? J. R. Logan, Notices of European Intercourse with Borneo, Journ. Ind. Arch. ii. 499. 3 Ibid. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 197 colopies om of L important kingdom through the usual stages of progress. A few families settling at the mouth of a river - larger History of in Malayan immigrations from regions distracted by civil war, the 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 Bruné Malay river by the Spaniards, and described in exaggerated Brunć. terms by the narrator of their voyage. 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 stonesa, 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 limits and power of which have been constantly chang- ing, their extent and influence habitually depending on the island state. I Pigafetta, Harris's Collection. 2 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 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, 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 Bruné 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 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- Native tra- dition. . Several states. 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. Bruné 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 T 121Y Aspect of the island. 1 Forrest, Voyage to New Guinea. U2 ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 1 1 0 Turs 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 Bruné” 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- tion of the 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 Bruné, 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 energy. 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 04 200 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Piracy on the coast. returning in inferior vessels, collected new heaps of merchandise, constructed new junks to convey it, and accumulated immense fortunes in the process. Anarchy at For a considerable period this continued, and Bruné 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 Bruné or Borneo Proper, when the Spaniards opened their intercourse with it after the mission of Sirela to the Philippines. An ex- pedition was dispatched to restore him, which suc- ceeded, though the pacification of the kingdom was not A. D. 1580. effected. In 1580 the prince was again dethroned by his brother, and again his crown was recovered by the aid of the Spanish arms. The sovereignty of the im- perial power was acknowledged by the unfortunate Spanish king; but history has omitted to state whether the policy. 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. Civil com- motions in Bruné. 1 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 32. ? Zuniga, Hist. View of the Philippines, i. 164. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 201 ropean flag ther East. lish adven- A third European power now appeared among the A third Eu- waters of the Indian Ocean --- a power which the his- in the fur- torian, without being influenced by national partiality, t may describe as the only one which has not signalised its progress by acts of oppression and cruelty. This First Eng- 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 mariner's adventure, to traverse the immense space of 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 Ter over seventy islands ?, was engaged in a struggle with Drake's voyage. the Pacific. Ternate, Barchou de Penhoen, Hist. de l'Empire Anglais dans l'Inde, i. 22. Harris, Drake's Voyage. 202 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Odlo 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 Flis 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. Without once touching land, Drake steered through this vide 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 Triumphal made the circuit of the world. The news of Drake's achievement spread through the country; the shores were covered with multitudes incessantly reneved; 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. The example of Drake immediately 1 Drake's Voyage. Harris's Collection. Barchou de Penhoen, L'Empire Anglais dans l'Inde, i. 22. 2 Barchou de Penhoen, L'Empire Anglais dans l'Inde, i. 24. return to England. S TY 0 ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 203 come moration and in the Ar- its wealth. 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. The arrival of Drake opened a new era in the history New era of the Archipelago, for though he came as a meteor and chipelago. 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 sčenes, an indistinct comprehension of native reports, 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, jealous beyond Jealousy of the English. expression of 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 Portuguese their dominion among the Moluccas was drawing to a por close. A king of Ternate having long maintained a the Mo- 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, power in luccas. 8 i Barchou de Penboen, L'Empire Anglais dans l'Inde, i. 24. 204 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELA Union of Spain and Portugal. 10 A. D. 1582. Vicissitudes of Malacca. 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. 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 Progress of the Spaniards. ? Spanish Colonial History, Chin. Rep. vii. 294. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. tion in Ma- 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. 1583. 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 hilla. 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. 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 Acapulco and the Philippines, their possession policy. 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. D. 1584. Misgovern- Vera, who came with the members of a high court mang 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 2 commercial 1 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 34. 2 Heeren, Historical Researches, i. 133. 206 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELA of the the people of their sway. 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. Second visit While the Archipelago was distracted by these and English. similar events, the English paid their second visit, though again they disappeared without establishing A. d. 1586. their influence on any of the islands. Thomas Caven- Voyage of 1 Cavendish. 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. 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 Reception expressions. Their arms were laid at the feet of the Philippines. 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 in the 0 | Barchou de Penhoen, L'Empire Anglais dans l'Inde, i. 25. 2 Ibid. i. 25. 3 Mill, History of British Indian Empire. 4 Barchou de Penhoen, L'Empire Anglais dans l'Inde, i. 25. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 207 (0 the mari. Archipelago easier to the future explorer. The aspect Caution of of the heavens, the position of the stars, the course of ners 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 report. 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.” I The English nation had already indeed opened an in- English en- direct intercourse with the East. The Levant Company, terprises. privileged in the undertaking, dispatched ships to the eastern coasts of the Mediterranean, where depôts 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 l'Inde, i. 26. 208 ... THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, 1 T Europe. Independence and New Mexico, now carried on by the Santa Fé 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. Still, though the thirst of commercial enterprise had been excited, the apathy of the ruling 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 individual 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 Barchou de Penboen, i. 27. 2 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 34. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 209 tacks on Manilla. The weakness of this colony belonging to a nation Spanish at- which claimed the sole dominion of the sea', was illus- private trated by the failure of an expedition against Magin- haunts. danao and Sulu. 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, de A. D. 1590. and another fort constructed at Santiago. Hospitals, magazines, and asylums were built, and the garrisons increased by reinforcements from Mexico. A letter Native eni- and a mission from the Emperor of Japan now ar- rived, 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. 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- bassies. 1 Heeren, Historical Researches, i. 134. ? Crawfurd, ii. 469. 3 Crawfurd, ii. 466. 4 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 35. VOL. I. 210 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, tlers at Ma- nilla, duct. clusion of the contest then begun would open the seas of the East to the rivalry of Europe, and endeavoured New plan to forestall the ambition of her neighbours. A new of conquest. 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. Chinese set- 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 con- 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'; but its subse- quent policy renders such an idea scarcely credible. Hated by 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 Massacre of blood. The galley was by stratagem separated from the Spa- niards. 1 Heeres, European States and Colonies. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 211 the rest of the fleet; and before she had emerged upon a Spanish crew. 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. 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 of Chinese. niards, 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 Spa- in every settler a competitor, and in every competitor an enemy. Their progress in the Philippines vas 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 i Spanish Colonial History, Chin. Rep. vü. 298. 2 212 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, in the history. land. of com. merce. 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- Rise of Hol- 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 Importance had been known before.! 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 Valour of defended it with works of splendid magnitude. A race the Dutch. 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 rerolt 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. 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 Their gal. Spain. To be free from the odious burden of imperial lantconduct tyranny, she had loaded herself with a burden ten times more heavy, and to retrieve these sacrifices no means of the Ne- therlands. Early Dutch voyages. at home. 1 Heeren, Historical Researches. 2 Grotius, Mare Liberum. 3 Montesquieu, Esprit des Loix, xx. 5. 4 Schiller, Hist. of Defection of the United Netherlands. 5 Burke, Speech on the American War. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 213 haviour abroad. 1 colonisa. tion. 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 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 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. 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 the Spanish 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. Thus the wars which desolated the United Nether- Causes of Dutch pro- lands at the close of the sixteenth century, were the sources of their greatest prosperity. When Spain was y of sperity. 1 De Constantine, Recueil, i. 199. ? Barchou de Penhoen, Empire Anglais dans l'Inde. P 3 214 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, adventures. to India. imperial among the powers of Christendom, spreading her arnis 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 Gerinan 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. English The English Company of the Levant had already commercial : 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- The route lacca. 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.? Cornelius Houtman, a Dutch merchant, being at Lis- IIoutman: imprisoned. 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, Cornelius 1 Anderson, History of Commerce. ? Macpherson, Annals. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 215 tions with the Amster- YYY chants. ntmia 99 and Jonotohto of a squa- 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. He wrote to the Negotia- merchants of Amsterdam, begging them to ransom him th 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 dro 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. 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 A, D. 1596. 1 De Constantine, Recueil, i. 4. P4 216 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, land. dians seen. view. the isles. TY 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. The In- 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 Archi- The great islands of Sumatra and Java vere now in pelago 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. Aspect of 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 First meet- met three barges with sails and oars. On board were ing with the natives. 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. Exploring The pinnace was consequently sent to examine its the Archi- coast, and returned with an account of seven villages pelago. that had been seen near the sea; but no further in- formation was collected. Other native vessels were en- barques. countered, which were thought to be the corsair boats proceeding to Menancabao. Whole flotillas of prahus, Native See Nicollas, Collection, 18. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 217 and the civilised 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 a 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”, 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 Jaya 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 bottorn of the boat, with other implements of war, indicating a variety of occupations on the part of these shrewd traders. At the mouth of Market at the Straits of Sunda, distinguished as the gate of the ih further East, a singular fair is held under the shade of pelago. 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 of the Dutch. A X le gates of the Archi- i 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. Friendly islanders. First see pepper, Women seen. 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 in exchange for red and blue glass beads. Accompany- 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, built of palm wood. There, for the first time, they saw pepper growing, like the hop, over tall poles. They bought as much as was offered, with some nutmegs and cloves. Here a few women were seen. They wore 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 island for trinkets and other trifles from Europe. At 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 yoyage 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 Indian pilot. I ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT 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 galley. 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 litics. 1 Temminck, Coup d'Eil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises. 220 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, sent to Ma- lacca. NYTT Y Jaya. influence. Message 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. Politics of 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 Portuguese 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, the people. 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 Trade with ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 221 aspersions of the Portuguese, who were described as double-hearted hypocrites. At length a deputation Progress of 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 av the Arab and Chinese merchants ; but refused, since Houtman imagined they could be extorted from the Jayans at an inferior price. Cupidity usually suc- ceeds in overreaching itself, and ultimately the Dutch embroiled themselves with the people of Bantam. A on the glish, avarice, 222 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Hostilities resulting. Q ( 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 Slaughter at Bantam. The voyage The voyage renewed. 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 wayes to pick up the bodies of their friends, the Dutch continued ruthlessly to fire upon them. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 223 of Bantam, The nature of the forces against which the Dutch Description 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 interýals 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 city. ~from Turkey, from China, and from Pegu, from Bengal, Guzerat and Malabar, thronged to traffic for the produce of the Indian islands", 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 ARCHIPELAGO, . Dutch po- licy. 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 Visit Ma- dura. News of their ar- rival. 110 Princes of Java. 1 Crawfurd, Hist. Indian Archipelago, ii. 340. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. ... 225 ations for S 02 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 receiving 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 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- 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. Madura. 1 scene. 226 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, hrerion. ; : Massacre of the islanders. 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 Ferocity of of the Dutch ships. Nevertheless they continued to the Dutch. 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.? Several prisoners were taken and interrogated. From some, fear wrung the ayowal of an intended attack. Others steadily denied it, pointing to the bodies of their vives 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 - Ferocije dite pourt, killin Prisoners captured. 1 Rafiles, Hist. of Java, ii. 105. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 227 1 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 continued. 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 Q2 228 .. THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Holland. 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. 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 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. 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 ditions. Neck's voyage. 1 Barchou de Penhoen, L'Empire Anglais dans l'Inde, i. 43. 2 Voyage de Van Neck. Voyages qui ont servaient à l'Etablisse- 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', 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. 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. 1600. 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 Hol- 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. 509–688.. R3 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 AND PRESENT STATE. 231 CHAPTER IX. Oliver Van IN 1598, Oliver Van Noort, of Utrecht, began his cele- a. D. 1598. brated voyage round the world!, and in June 1600 A. D. 1600. Voyage of reached the little grove-covered group of the Ladrones, Oli 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 the Archi- tober they reached the noble bay of Manilla, and 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 saiv 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 pelago. 1 De Constantine, Recueil, ii. 1. 130. Q 4 232 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Fight with Spaniards. of that age and the humanity of the Dutch 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, and were drifting over the sea. On the 14th of De- cember 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 N ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 233 of the paniards. 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- . 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. They were the first voyagers of the nation who visited that island. Arriving off the mouth of the Bruné river, they saw Reach Bor- many armed prahus, kept by the Sultan for the protec- moten neo. 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 sovea reign of Bruné, 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. He visited Java“, Visit Java. into which the use of tobacco was about this time T 02 i 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. 234 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Company formed. introduced by his countrymen, and, after collecting much valuable information connected with the geography and the resources of the Archipelago, returned to Rot- terdam. New enter-· In December, 1599, four vessels of the New Company prises. 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. English 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; 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 , took a cargo of pepper, and steered for the Moluccas. During the passage of the straits he made prize of a large Portuguese inerchantman, richly laden with cottons and spices, and, after other adventures, returned to England, satisfied with the suc- cess of his voyage. 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 voyage. 1 Purchas, Pilgrimage, i. 139.; see also 160. 2 Raffles, History, Introd. i. 22. 3 Barchou de Penhoen, L'Empire Anglais dans l'Inde, i. 33. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 235 the line. OY S isle. highly prized among the populations of Java, Sumatra, and the Spice group, recommended the settlement of a factory at Surat and Cambaye." Intelligence of every movement in the Archipelago War beyond was transmitted to Holland, and the active ambition of her merchants urged them to seize forthwith 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.? 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, 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 the 1 Barchou de Penhoen, Empire Anglais dans l'Inde, i. 34. ? Voyages de la Compagnie des Indes. Constantine. 3 First Relations between the Dutch and Achinese, 1602. Tem- . minck, ii. 18. 236 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, 1 012 Embassy A. D. 1602. vigour. In 1602, the emperor of Japan sent an em- Embassy from Japan. bassy to the governor soliciting the privilege of trade with Manilla, as well as the aid of some skilful ship- wrights. The Spaniards were gratified by the request, and determined to miss no opportunity of strengthening their commercial position, especially with an empire so A. D. 1603. opulent and powerful as that of Japan was reported to be. In the next year they received an ambassador from the from China. 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 Rumour of islands. Rumour magnified the schemes of the emperor, its design. 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 Chi- The Chinese in Manilla formed two classes, - the nese in Ma- 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 nilla. 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 urb. puted to 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 Design 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. 1 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 to for the outrage, 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. ? The massacre commenced. The victims fell by The slaugh- thousands. Some filed into the interior, like the Sing- halese of Ceylon, “ to seek the company of beasts on massacre S ter. 1 Crawfurd, ii. 459. 2 Walton, Preliminary Discourse. 238 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, the Chinese emperor. mountains, rather than be subject to the more beastly villanies of men.”1 Some killed themselves to avoid the siyord 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- e peror's ear, and 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, D 1 Faria y Sousa, History of Portuguese Asia. 2 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 38. Spanish Colonial History, Chin. Rep. vii. 472. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE, 239 pine buca vages. visited the Isle of Ran, near Zebu, and carried off 1000 people to their slave-marts in Sulu. The strongholds The Philip- of these buccaneers had been attacked by the Spaniards, caneers. 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 Their 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- 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 var upon the freebooters, now istics of 240 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, 2 princes, 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 Bruné 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 Bruné. 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. Many attempts were at this time made to extend the Dutch commerce along the shores of Borneo. Celebes. 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. The Bible 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, The Bible and the Koran. 1 Valentyn, quoted by Logan, Notices of Intercourse with Borneo. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 241. dans. 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 hamme- 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 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 sentiments. 1 Tennent, Christianity in Ceylon, 93. VOL. I. 242 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, 0 on 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. A. D. 1605. 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 Attack on 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. 1 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 Amboyna. i Constantine, Voyages d'E. I. 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. "I Thence the squadron made sail to Tidor, where much Capture of Tidor. 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. In these enter- Aided by the natives, in Sumatra. 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 in 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 Dutch4, 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 i 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. R 2 244 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, group, S city walls, composed of turf and stones, resisted the assaults of the enemy. Expedition This defeat in the Straits was balanced by a success to the Spice - the last they enjoyed — among the Spice Islands. Tidor was captured, then Ternate?, and the king of this — once the capital of a great dominion – was driven to a refuge on the slopes of a high jungly hill. 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 offers 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 Spanish in- returned to Japan, and exaggerated them both to his 1 Marsden, History of Sumatra. 2 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago. 3 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. However, their frequent turmoils caused Japanese an edict for their expulsion, which was imperfectly C 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 w the emperor 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- Reply. 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, cupad. ? Crawfurd, ii. 467. 1 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 39. 3 Spanish Col. Hist., Chin. Rep. vii. 299. R 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 treaty. 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 in the Dutch in the Moluccas; but recovering from their de- 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 Van 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. A director was named, with power to conclude agreements with the princes Moluccas. Radamacher, 44-50.; Valentyn, iii. 245. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. ? of Sambas, Santah, Pontianah, Banjar-massin, and Bruné. 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... The active contest between the ambitious traders of Contest Holland with the less vigorous adventurers of Spain with S was carried on with untiring animosity. One victory won by the first conquerors of the Philippines was coun- 1 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- pead 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 cloves return for which the monopoly of cloves was secured with other commercial advantages. At Bantam the | Logan, Notices of Intercourse, Journ, Ind. Arch. iii. 506. 2 Spanish Colonial History, Chin. Rep. vii. 473. R 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. Another of these documents Perpetua- war. protection of Holland, and pledging the people to sell at a fixed rate the whole spice produce of their soil. Thus the Spaniards had abundant cause of hostility 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 Y . 1 Raffles, History of Java, ii. 166. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 249 Holland. chartered. 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- quired by few naval losses were forgotten, while the warehouses 11 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. 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?, 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 d'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- Plan of con- 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 tvars 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 Dutch. situation, 3 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 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 territorial to establish ourselves in the Indies, it is necessary to e 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 the 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- risition. the natives, 252 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, . Portu Ա 03 ՆԱՄese intrigues. QYS 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- Commerce of the Indies.. Spices. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 253 D proposed. modities 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 India. 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 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 conquest. 10 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, and abounds with rice and other productions, which it sends to Malacca and Panda, 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. In the Spice “ 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 Isles. S 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 trade. 11 Malacca 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. 66 Thence I would proceed immediately to Manilla, Of Manilla. 256 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, 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, Chinese trade, Scheme of extensive trade. 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. 66 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 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. gal. 258 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, 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. With Mala. 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.” U Dutch po- licy of con- quest. The bold, yet subtle, eloquence of Matalief represents 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 CHAPTER X. R Governor- ģeneral of A. D. 1609. On the 27th of December, 1609, the States-General : declared it urgent to establish a governor-general for the Dutch the administration of the Dutch East Indian posses- East Indies. sions, and the 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 proclaimed 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 mination, 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 CD Peter Both. e Their choice first fell upon Peter Both, infinitely First gover- nor-general. lauded by the historians, who extol, in unmeasured 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. 1610. 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 bod torians. 2 1 Temminck, Coup d'Eil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, i. 15. 6 3 262 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, 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 an empire in the East. It has been a dream with every nation, and an honourable ambition has urged them to 2 Law of nations. V Character of Dutch policy. 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 !; and Grotius? 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- Other Eu- ropean en- terprises, 1 Mackintosh, Retrospect of Scholastic Ethics, 108. 2 Heeren, Historical Researches. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 263 of Dutch 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. 1611. Arrival of soldiers at Bantam with thirty-six women, brought out Petera 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 in influence foundation of Portuguese authority at Malacca, the in Java. Dutch planted theirs in Java. Peter Both proceeded forth with 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, ist 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 of that T17 C Y states, A.D. 1612. i Crawfurd, ii. 342—414. S 4 264 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAG 2 Panambahan, or “ object of obeisance." 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 Rivalry of The rancour that sprang up between the Imperial Europeans. nation and its revolted dependency was aggravated to the last excess of bitterness by mutual injuries, vin- A. D. 1612. 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 were 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 yoid. 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- English dostan. The first enterprises of the East India Com- East India pany were, as already shown, directed to the fur- Company. ther East, to the raw silk, fine calicoes, indigo, cloves, Early 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 voyages. 1 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago. 2 Raffles, History of Java, ii. 166. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 265 2 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 commerce. 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. 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, though they trenched on her privileges in Java. Unable to maintain a firm position in that island, A. D. 1613: their countrymen resorted to Sumatra, where Captain Achin. Best presented to the king of Achin a letter and some Mission to (D i Bruce's Annals, i. 188. 2 Mill, British Empire in India. Wilson, i. 29. 3 Ibid, i. 4. 266 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, gress. 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. The princes of Achin were never uncourteous to the English. Dutch pro 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 Their con- 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- Rapid chipelago. They possessed three forts in Ternate, one growth of in Morty, three in Machian, and one 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 quests. power, 1 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 359. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE, 267 2 under false pretences', 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. 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 of the Ar- path was literally lit up with the flames of the native chipe 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 ations trade. their treaty, furnished them with cloves. The king of 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. 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, Letter from noland. 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. A. D. 1614. Career of the first governor- general. A. D. 1615. Second go- 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 vernor-ge- neral. His voyage. 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. 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 of against the arrogant masters of the peninsula. Arma- inent 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, which is, however, doubted by an able and judicious writers, 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 Malacca, 1 Crawfurd, ii. 437. 2 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 360. 3 Hon. E. Blundell, Journal of Indian Archipelago. 270 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, sea. 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 gagement at Achinese fleet was discovered, drawn up in the form of 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. 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. 2 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 271 of success. 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 governor.general, appointed in the name Third go- of the United Provinces, was Laurent Real. He is neral. 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- vernor-ge- statesmen, -- the illustrious pleiads that rose over the horizon of Dutch East Indian affairs, for an English writer has denied their existence.1 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- logies. 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. 1617. the fourteenth of April, 1617, a drawn battle took place between the hostile fleets. Nearly equal in actual force, 1 Crawfurd. 272 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, neither as yet, by their system of naval architecture, Naval archi- possessed a superiority over the other. The Dutch at tecture. 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. Rise of the Though without an absolute triumph, the Dutch con- Company. 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 Jaya. 1 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", 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. 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 the island 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 princes. 1 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 361. Beaulieu. 2 Faria y Sousa, Portuguese Asia, trans. Capt. John Stevens. VOL. I. 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 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. The audacious daring which conceived this league 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 2 League of the Indian kings. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 275 CU transac- tions. ( 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 Portuguesc, and guaranteed protection to the natives. C T2 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. They were charged, in reply, with the plunder and destruction of a Dutch ship bound from Patani to Bantam. 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. A, D. 1618. Attacked by All the English buildings near the Dutch fort at the Dutch Bantam were destroyed. In revenge for this, the coast was blockaded, and an armament sent to threaten the defences of the Dutch factory. These were by no 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. On the 1st of January, 16194, 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. 2 Temminck, Coup d'Eil 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 glish 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 the native 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 ploded. which would fall into the hands of his allies, resolved to adopt a course which ultimately defeated the whole It is ex- T 3 278 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, TV1 D object of the expedition. 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. armies 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. 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, 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 writers. i Crawfurd, ii. 416. ? Raffles, History of Java, ii. 166. - ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 279 I 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. 1619. Capture of in view at Jakatra, and, after a rapid voyage from 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. 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 S ) 1 i Crawfurd, ii. 417. T 4 280 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Batavia founded. career. levelled with the ground, fled, and Jakatra was de- stroyed by flames, or the engines of war. Its name only remained, and even that the Dutch afterwards obliterated. Still the site of the town was thought too 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 mer- 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 king's on the 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 Jaya. Choice of a Laurent Real had neglected, in his zeal for the pro- capital. 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 d'Eil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, i.19. 2 Raffles, History, ii. 167. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 281 1 10 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 10 282 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Various suggestions. Batavia, on the river Tanjerong. 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, — 6 that one day a white nation, with cat eyes and fair hair, should invade and subdue the Indies.”. The proposition of Koen to choose Ontong Java was not favoured by the directors, who recommended Banar; but he disregarded their advice. Amboyna disputed his choice with Java. This, the key of the Spice group, appeared a favourable point d'appui 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 the Dutch possessions in the East Indies. Already masters of the Cape, of Ceylon, of some extensive pro- 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. Already the enterprise of the young republic had spread the seeds of a rich commerce Extension of Dutch influence. 1 Temminck, Coup d'Eil sur les Possessions. Neerlandaises, i. 16. -2 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- fixed upon. 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 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. 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. | Roberts, Embassy to the Eastern Courts. 284 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELA CHAPTER XI. blished in Jaya, cal rank of Dutch esta- 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. Geographi- Java ranks in size next to Sumatra, and is far su- of perior to it in fertility. Its coasts are washed on the Java, 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 Its position. 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. 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. Some fantastically trace a connection between it and the Jayan of the Scriptures. The Arabs, as Historical notes. A i 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 Iones, as it is used in Genesis, chap. X., and in the Arabic, Persian, Coptic, and Ar- menian languages, to signify Greeks, Iones being once the ap- pellation of all the Greeks. — Plato de Leg. iii. 684. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 285 (D well as the people of Celebes know, as “the dwellers in Java,” the inhabitants of this and all the neighbouring islands 1; while others believe the country was so named The name. in the Sanskrit literature as Yava, or the Land of Bar- ley. It produces, however, little of that grain, 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. 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 Jayas, the one 2000, the other 3000, miles in circumference, in the neigh- bourhood of Sumatra. 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. count. e 1 Raffles, History of Javu, 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 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Extent. Pirate haunt. The extreme length of Java, described by De Conto as resembling in shape a hog crouched on its forelegs, is 666 statute miles. Its breadth varies from 135 to 45, and its area may be computed at 50,000 square miles Neighbour- Numerous islands are scattered along the coast, espe- ing isles. 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. 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 Shape of Java is remarkable for the rectangularity of its outline. Java. It might be divided into five or six parts, each a rec- tangular parallelogram drawn by an unsteady hand.5 Its aspect. 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 Surface. svells, 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 TY 1 ? De Conto, Decada, iv. 1. 2 Raffles, History of Java, i. 8. 3 Earl, Eastern Seas, 67. 4 Darwin, On Coral Reefs, 183. Horsburgh, ii. 436. 5 Raffles, History of Java, i. 8. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 287 the sea to the central chain. The landscape is en- Tints of the y 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 Hills. 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, to summit; others are covered with woods, or scorched black by fire. Many of the peaks are lightened in the evening by that rosy blush which 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 1 Temminck, Coup d'Eil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, i. 305. 2 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, i. 363. · 3 Temminck, Coup d'Eil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, i. 317, 4 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 6 Isis: an Egyptian Pilgrimage," J. A. St. John, ii. 89. 288 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Formation of Jaya, sea. All are apparently of late formation. Indeed, the whole island is apparently of recent growth. Some of the craters are extinct, though the traces of their action are unequivocal : others continually discharge, through small apertures, volumes of sulphury smoke or Smoke of the volca. noes. 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 mountains, features to 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 tation. 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 scenes, 1 Raffles, History of Java, i. 13. 2 Darwin, Coral Reefs, 134. 3 Logan, Present Condition of the Indian Archipelago, J. I. A., i. 6. 4 Dr. Bleeker, Tidschrift Voor Neerlands Indie. Journal of the Indian Archipelago. Trans. in ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 289 spectacle on the summit. 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. The crater is nearly a mile and a half round ?, 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. Horsfield, Batavian Transactions. 3 Bleeker, Tidschrift von Neerlands Indie. J.I.A. 4 Raffles, History of Inva, i. 21. VOL. I. U 290 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, • jurious to the European constitution. As you journcy 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. 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 the fields and plantations. 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 Verdure. 10 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 the mouths of the rivers alluvial plains are formed by deposits from the hills, excessively rich in soil, but unhealthy. 3 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. They are distributed all over the island. In Cheribon they especially abound. A Soil. Wells, t 1 Raffles, History of Java, i. 23. 2 Temminck, Coup d'Eil, i. 306.315. 3 Raffles, History of Java, i. 25. 4 Ibid. 24. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 291 rocks, 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. 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. 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- histo 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 fiat countries -- for the minerals. 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, 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 2 orsfielda. One Mine Javce Natuere, I. i Raffles, History of Java, i. 25. 2 Horsfield, Mincralogy of Java. Batavian Transactions. 3 Horsfield, On Mineralogical Constitution of Banca. 4 Rames, History of Java. 5 Ibid. 1. 32. St. Pierre, Etudes sur la Nature, i. 117 Į 2 292 ... THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, soil. miner. A little iron has been discovered, but so Stones. 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. Its soil is excessively rich, perhaps the richest in the world, and remarkably deep, in many Depth of 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. Fertility. 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. 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 the soil. Season. Monsoons. | Transactions of the Batavian Society. 2 Raffles, History of Java, i. 34. , . 3 Earl, Eastern Seas. 4 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, i. 315. 5 Raffles, History of Java, i. 34. Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 293 1 Days. 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. At all other times vessels Harbours may ride safely in the bays on the northern coast. and 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. Ice, as thick as two Spanish dollars, has been found, 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 among the islands of the further East. With the ex- sphere. Java. i Vossius, Motion of the Seas and Winds. 2 Raffles, History of Java, i. 35. 3 Raffles, Address to Batavian Society, 4 Raffless, Balavian Transactions. U 3 294 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Cou 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 — 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 The vegetable wealth of Java is immense. Its variety is equal to its abundance. One naturalists, 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 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. 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 Vegetable wealth. Vegetable natural Rice. Raynal, Etablissemen, i. 293. 2 Raffles, History of Java, i. 38. 3 Prichard, Researches into the Physical History of Mankind. 4 See Lind, Essay on Diseases, 144. 5 Dr. Horsfield. 6 Raffles, History of Java; Address to Batavian Society. 7 Temminck, Coup d'Eil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, i. 244. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 295 1 grains. ductions. lands, particularly suited to its cultivation. 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. 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- 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 1 The rich districts still waste are noticed by J. Rigg, Esq., Journ. Ind. Arch. ii. 85. ? Hogendorp, Coup d'Eil sur Java. 3 Temminck, Coup d'eil sur les Possessions Neeriandaises, i. 249. 4 Rames, Ilistory of Java, i. 40. 5 Temminck, Coup d' il sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, i. 254. U4 296 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Fruits. Flowers, that all humbler species of food are disdained. Wheat and potatoes, with almost every European vegetable, thrive well. Jaya 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, vild 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 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. 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 Jaya is the only island in the Archipelago where the teak timber is very easily available, growing near the sea, or on the borders of navigable rivers. In Sumbawa and Celebes it grows far inland, and has hitherto been of 110 KO Teak timber. i Valmont de Bomare, iv. 201. ? Raffles, History of Java, i. 41. 3 Jonathan Rigg, Tour in Java. Journal of Indian Archipelago, ji. To pa files. Fles, Memo 4 Raffles, History of Java, i. 44. 5 See Raffles, Memoirs, i. 107, ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 297 woods. e little service to the people. 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 another producing a fine silky wool, add to the list of vegetable products. 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. 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 Cows, which supply the European and native shipping to a great extent. They have been improved by the introduction of another species from Sumbawa.? Horses, Animals. strong, fleet, and well made, though small, are reared in t the country. S S pasture, 1 Earl, Eastern Seas, 45. 2 Raffles, History of Java, i. 43. 3 Mackenzie, quoted by Raffles, i. 49. . * Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago. 5 Home, Sketches of Man. o Earl, Eastern Seas, ? Raffles, History of Java, i. 51. 298 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, H 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. Wild beasts. Tigers, leopards, jackals, wild dogs, wild oxen, wild hogs, wild deer of various species, with the rhinoceros, a few monkeys?, 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. 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. 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- birds' nests. sources of Java is peculiar to the Archipelago, — the Bird ca 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 CD 02 verns. 1 Raffles, History of Java, i. 56. 2 Temminck, Coup d'Eil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, i.322. 3 See Lesson, Hist. Nat. des C'élacés, ii. 45. 4 Raffles, History of Java, i. 58. 5 Vossius, Motion of the Seas anil Winds. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 299 2 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. 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. The accidents of climate, position, soil, Their manners, and habits, induced by these, and intercourse origi 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. No negroes, and no traces or re- cord of them, exist in the island. That the Malays are the plains of Scythia, is an opinion which embraces and reconciles these ideas. · Being a people especially addicted to husbandry, Husband- which is an occupation esteemed honourable among men, them, 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'Eil sur les Possessions Neerlandaiscs, i. 292. 300 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Character of the Ja- vanese. Their in- dustry. that respect. They seldom embark in mercantile specu- lations, yet four-fifths of the sailors in the seas have been said to be Jayans. They form, indeed, the crews of the Chinese, Arab, and European vessels. Restrictions op- press their industry, and confine their trade?, 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 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. 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 markets of the Archipelago. 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 Java. state in Asia, from the Red 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 Carletti, Viaggi dell' Indie Orientali, fc. 119. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 301 Batavia. Europe. · Had the province of Jakatra possessed a more salu- Situation of 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.) It is humiliating to the civilisation of Europe to Influence of confess that the establishment of its influence in Jaya 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 Monopoly. the native trade. On the south coast, the most minute writer on the subject ? 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, 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 and in the decorative arts, as in agriculture, it ranks before all the other islands of the Archipelago. In a of Java. | Adam Smith, Wealth of Nations. 2 Milburn, Oriental Commerce. 3 Marsden, History of Sumatru, 11. 4 Walter Hamilton, Description of Hindoslan, ii. 407. 302 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Manufac- tures. 1 0 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”, 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. Recently an extraordinary increase has occurred. Thirty years ago it was under five millions 5, but had Population. been stated in England as one. It is now, according to one authority, above 10,000,000?, standing in 1845 C 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. ? Bleeker, Tidschrift von Neerlands Indie, trans. in Journal of the Indian Archipelago. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 303 CD and 1846, 9,442,045; or, by another account, 9,560,380.1 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 uunatural 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. 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. The con- haracter of un Cita Citroe at det no the people. TY 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, Considérations sur les Diversités de Différentes Races Humaines. Prichard, i. 328. 6 Raffles, History of Java, i. 67. 304 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELA Moral cha. racter. S 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. 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 clegant arts, addicted to gay pleasures, yet soberl, credulous, vain, and reverential to authority. They are bound to their traditions, but easily led where these are not concerned. 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, and treachery, were noticed by early writers e, and to lie was reported honourable among them”, though these arts were usually employed against strangers. But this is denied. The character of the humbler is superior to that of the higher orders, corrupted by congregation in cities, the influence of native courts', 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", and, on the other, that i Stavorinus, Voyages, 743. 2 Raffles, History of Java, i. 272. 3 Temminck, Coup d'Eil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, i. 290. 4 Home, Sketches of Man. 5 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, i. 65. 6 Barros, Decades of Asia. 7 Heylyn, Cosmography, 920. 8 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, i. 72. 9 Raffles, History of Java, i. 282. 10 Tavernier, iji. 358. 11 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, i. 42. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 305 they are fiercely jealous and inflammable, it is cer- moral. Their code of ethics is indeed good, but their practice is the reverse. 2 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 , or, among the Javans, the royal distemper, possibly from being common in palaces.4 Polygamy can be indulged Polygamy. 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. Their virtuous qualities, however, are not to be for- Virtues. gotten in our reprobation of their vices. It is well for the Dutch 8 to describe them as an idle race', 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 6 2 1 Raffles, History of Java, i. 278. ? For the notices of the old travellers sce Niculoff, 315. 319. ; Linschotten, 20. ; Le Brun, ii. 197. 3 Pigafetta, Voyage, 215, 216. 4 Crawfurd, i. 33. 5 Earl, Eastern Scas. 6 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, i. 78, 79. ? They are not ill-described by Barros, iv. i. 76, 77. 8 Domick, Report, 1812. 9 Temminck, Coup d'Ęil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, i. 290. 10 Raffles, History of Java, i. 284. VOL. I. 306 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, I distribute with a generous hand to those who need and claim their aid. 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. In Java an old English voyager remarked, that the natives supplied them far more generously and courteously than the Dutch. 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, they have dis- tinguished themselves by the basest worship of princes. Rebellions, indeed, are sufficiently numerous in their 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, and en- ( Canine loyally. i Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, i. 53. 2 Montesquieu, Esprit des Loix, xx. 2. 3 Beeckman, Voyage to Borneo. 4 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, i. 52. 5 Temminck, Coup d'Eil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, i. 290. 6 There are many facts which, at least, give a colour to this theory. ? Sce IIamilton, New Account, ii. 72. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 307 min joined in their moral law a canine servility perfectly revolting to human nature. 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. 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. It has been enriched and and of Java. modified by numerous infusions from other countries. 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 Jaya, 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- S 1 . 1 Raffles, History of Java, i. 273. 2 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, i. 99. 3 See Tyndalle, 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. 5 Crawfuri, History of the Indian Archipelago, ii. 1. 6 Temminck, Coup d'Eil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, i. 298. According to Raffles, the higher language of Java is entirely Sanscrit. Memoirs, i. 265. X 2 308 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, dan apostles. 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- of their piety and skill. Before the arrival of Euro- 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), 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, divelling after a singular fashion, represented alone the ancient idolatry of Java.? 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. Ancient To the aspect of Java, the traces and relics of the temples. Hindu faith, which abound in all its provinces, lend singular touches of beauty. 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 the country. They are indeed ruined, vrapped in i 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. ? Raffles, Address to Batavian Society, Life, ii. 443. 3 Rigg, Tour of Java. Journal of Indiun Archipelago, iji. 80. 4 Temminck, Coup dł@ü sur l'Inde Archipelagique i. 5. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 309 ture of Hindus and 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 their votaries will remain ; for one thing is due to the Moslims. Hindu 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 ruins. 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, tbe 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 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, visions of Java, Mataram. 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 ? Political di- When the Dutch arrived, Jaya was divided into numerous petty sovereignties, acknowledging the su- premacy of two superior states !, -Pajang on the south, Empire of and Demah on the north. 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 lays 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. 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 S Muslim mission- aries. N11 Parallel with Euro- peans. 1 One, according to Raffles, Hist. i. 8.; but if supremacy was claimed by one, it was disputed by another. 2 Temminck, Coup d'il sur l'Inde Archipelagique, i. 16. 3 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, ii. 340. 4 Ibid. 417. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 311 LICU TY CUY 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 Javanese Javans made the pilgrimage to Mecca, and even great to Mecca. 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 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 own 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. 1 | Thomas Carlyle. Xof · 312 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, 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. Dutch and D tions. In the year following the reduction of Jakatra and the Treaty be- founding of Batavia, the Dutch sealed a convention ntien tween the 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 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 eaptured. 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 Banda. 314 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, IT 19 rive in the Archipe- lago. 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. 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 ar- eminent powers of the Archipalego. In 1621 they made their appearance under General Beaulieu, who 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 stated i Crawfurd, ii. 438. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 315 they had no desire to trade with Europeans, lest Achin should be ruined by the same fate that fell on Bantam and Jakatra. The confession made to the French relative to 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 the mission, 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. 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 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, pines. C Spanish manners. I 1 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 36. THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Enterprise in Borneo. 7 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. 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. 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 fa- Pirate voyages. 1 Spanish Colonial History, Chin. Rep. vii. 477. 2 Leyden, Skelch of Borneo, 25. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. S 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. 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 ?; 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 A.D. 1623. Englishmen, nine Japanese, and one Portuguese sailor“, Ambarna. 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- S | 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, for it. pented, and recanted the excusable lie.' 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. 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. 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. It may, indeed, be possible that our countrymen had con- cocted some wild scheme with the Javanese troops6; 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.? Rage of the In England, intelligence of the catastrophe awakened English. the spirit of 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 Hollondais. Hist. Gén. des Voyages, xvii. 33. 5 Thornton, State and Prospects of India, 12. 6 Wilson, Notes to Mill, i. 55. ? Mill, History of British India, i. 56. 0 IT C . en 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. Memorials and petitions thick- ened upon the government. The horrid scene was long afterwards mimicked on the stage', 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. It was too universal for them to apprehend anything from the acknowledgment. Petitions, with thousands of signatures, poured in on Demand for 4 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 iniles 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. The Company king James. 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, 12mo. 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 Penhoen, Empire Anglais dans l'Inde. 6 Bruce, Annals of East India Company, i. 258. 320 TT THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Spaniards to the Commons', 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. 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. War be- Spared the effects of the fiery rage which their con- tween the duct had excited in England, the Dutch continued to and Dutch. pursue their career in the Archipelago, carrying on war A. D. 1625. against the Spaniards, and attacking them in their own Colony in settlements among the Philippines. 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 A. D. 1627. Spain. In 1627, Koen was again created governor- general, and his vigour at once gave an impulse to the Second ad- Company's policy. His arrival in Batavia spread great alarm among the native princes, whọ still held to the tion of hope of driving away for ever the strangers in their country. The lustre of the infant power in Java was, Formosa. A. D. 1626, ministra- Koen. 1 Purliamentary 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. 4 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 41. 5 Ibid. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 321 0 S Designs of peror, 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. involved in transactions with the other native powers, the Mata- the Sultan of Mataram --- fourth of the dynasty--con- ram em- ceived the project of ridding Jaya 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 of Batavia, 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, and 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. They sallied upon the besiegers. A desperate conflict took place, and the Javanese army was at length driven I Crawfurd, ii. 419. VOL. I. 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 that 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 fed 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. The broken host took the road to Mataram, and the Dutch were delivered from their first great peril. The sultan was furious at the ill-success of his ex- CV . Fury of the sultan. 1 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, i. 239. 418. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 323 ecution, pedition. 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- € camped by the way, public executioners arrived from the sultan, and put to death the chief commanders, of whom one bore a severe wound 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. 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 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. tions for a second Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, i. 236. T2 324 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, nese, 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 of the Java- 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. 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 One aid to the Dutch in their defence of Batavia vas 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. To be grateful, how- Native pyar- fare, 1 Raffles, Hist. Java, ii. 170. 2 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, i. 236. 3 Ibid. ITS 1 325 HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. i 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.' Able to defend their city, the Dutch were unequal A. d. 1633. 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. 1635. tune at Achin, where their minister was imprisoned of the Por- with all the factors; an injury which the governor of tuguese. 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 ºf Misfortune 1 Macartney, Embassy to China. Y 3 326 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, O i bodies, however, was all that could be effected, and the predatory islanders were left to their independence. 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- Their atro- ment. Ships were plundered, coasts laid waste, villages cious cha- racter, 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 A.D. 1638. 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 A.D. 1639. concluded in 1639.2 New mas- Another horrid scene in the history of Spanish pro- sacre in the gress in the Philippines now opens to view. The Philippines, & 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, YO T The Mo- luccas. S i Crawfurd, ii. 471. 2 Crawfurd, Hist. Indian Archipelago, ii. 439. (M. Temminck dates it at 1637.) ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 327 327 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 whir + tion of the clrons 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- pression. this, they found 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. 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”, when they capitu- lated, having killed only three hundred and fifty of their executioners. This dark and bloody drama provoked 1 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 41. Crawſurd, ii. 460. 3 Spanish Colonial History, Chin. Rep. vii. 529. L Y 4 328 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, the Dutch acquired. no retaliation from China, where domestic troubles con- sumed all the energies of the imperial government. A. D. 1640. The Dutch had long meditated the conquest of Ma- Designs of lacca from the combined powers of Spain and Portugal, on Malacca. 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 his death, the queen who succeeded refused to lend her aid; but the Dutch were resolved to take Malacca, cost A. D. 1641. what it might. They established a blockade, and in The city five months the city surrendered to their arms.? 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- Their guese colonies from the Spanish authority. Their jealousy of great jealousy had been of Spain, once their despotic master, now their envious rival; their great desire lad 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 A. 1. 1642. Eastern Asia. They next proceeded to occupy the whole of Formosa, vvhence they threatened the Philip- pines, and held Manilla in continual fear. A, D. 1643. 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 Spain. Occupation of Formosa, Van Dienien. 1 Crawfurd, ii. 432. 2 Spanish Colonial History, Chin. Rep. vii. 532. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 329 Batavia. 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. On the 5th of Statutes of July, 1642?, the Ordinances and Statutes of Batavia Ba 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 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 flect was unable to reduce Manilla. It made a few 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, A, D, 1644. ful attack on Manilla. from Sulu. i Raffles, History of Java. ? See Crawfurd, Hist. of Indian Archipelago, where the com- mencement of this compilation is dated 1643. 330 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, S 9 pirates, with a horde of Malays from Borneo, suddenly appeared in the narrow channels of the group, passed along the shores of various islands, ravaged them, and spread havoc wherever he landed. 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 Expedition - prisoners as slaves. If the commanders of the expedi- against 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. Revolt in 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 ( the Philip pines. a 1 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 43. 2 Dawson Borrer, Campaign in the Kabylie, 67. 3 Zuniga, Historical View of the Philippines, i. 282. 4 Algernon Sydney, Discourses on Government. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 331 in Manilla. 1 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." 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 dis- day broke, Manilla was a wreck. Cathedral, church, effects. 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 11 1 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 44. .2 Spanish Colonial History, Chin. Rep. vii. 534. 332 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, 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. Restoration In raising Manilla from its ruins, numerous precau- of the city. -. 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. A. D. 1646. 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. Treaty in 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 Ter- nate; while every prahu bound for Malacca, or places Fortune of the Dutch. Jaya, ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 333 north of that city, should touch at Batavia, and apply for passes. 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 was 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 Europe. 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. 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. ï. 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, Ilolland. UL group. S 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." For the murder of their countrymen no compensation was required, as none could be made. Policy of Engaged deeply in the politics of Europe, Holland 4. D. 1652. nevertheless pursued her fortune among the Indian Conflict in islands, though with more vigour than visdom. The the Spice 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 Cruelty. 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 Passion for the merchant-governors of the East. It was the un- monopoly. 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 LCUL 1 Hume, History of England, viii. 284. 2 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, ii. 440. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 335 be candid enough to confess it. - It is a truth unfor- tunately, too well known, -- which it were useless to 12 ULL Second massacre, 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 chiefs. 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. 1653. captive princes of the Moluccas took place. One was 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 : the Dutch, on their victim, hewed him to pieces, and while his limbs yet quivered with the warmth of life, scattered them among the rocks.? 1 Crawfurd, ii. 442. 336 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, IT Celebes. The Spaniards. . Revolt in 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 Night exe- islanders. He was led to execution with his compa- cution. nions, in the dead of night; and in the morning, when the native troops were on parade, Vlaming 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 A.D. 1654. 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 dangers. 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, Their ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 337 Holland. 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- 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, 2,695,9991. 58.; the Dutch, 2,919,8611. 3s. 6d., or a balance of 233,8611. 8s. 6d. above the demand upon them. Each claim was pro- bably immensely exaggerated; the commissioners, åt all events, judged it so, and awarded the English 85,0001., of which no more than 3,6151, 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- luccas. their possessions in the Moluccas was rendered pre- carious by the unmitigated liostility of the natives, excited to fresh hatred by the enormities practised on cluded. A Macaulay, History of England, i. 139. 2 Mill, History of British India, i. 82., VOL. I. 338 THE INDIAN ARCHIPEL A. D. 1659. their chiefs. Numerous disasters befell them. In 1659 they settled peaceful and more advantageous relations with Bantami and Achin?; 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.. Fugitives The event that led to the elevation of the Mantchu from China. 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. 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 His 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. 1). 1661. sea; the Dutch were defeated. Coxinga then landed on Formosa, and marshalled his fighting men. His 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 S ments, Attack on Formosil 1 Temminck, ïi. 18. 3 Crawfurd, ii, 388 ? Raffles, History of Java, ii. 172. 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 ad his to Coxinga." black hair, while the deputies humbly attended his to Coxi pleasure. His counsellors, in long robes, stood around, the Dutch 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 fict. nine months the troops of Coxinga, infinitely superior in numbers, besieged the stronghold. Several breaches Bratery of were made, but the garrison filled them with bales of the 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. i Achin. Z 2 340 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, A. D1662, Missions to pines. 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. Career of Coxinga had now fairly embarked his fortunes as a Coxinga. 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 the Philip- 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- 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 ing letter. would have followed a different, and perhaps a wiser, Its impo 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- parations for war. Prepara The churches and convents near Manilla were dis- tions for mantled and destroyed, lest the enemy should secure defence, 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 Threaten- licy. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STÅTE. co D 11 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 hevyn 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 Coxinga. 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- 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- Coxinga. out ability, was too contemptible to be dreaded, too of the Spaniards, TY z 3 342 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, pusillanimous even to attempt the prosecution of his father's plans. Still they had received a lesson too significant to be despised. They saw that their establishment in the Phi- Spaniards A. D. 1663. operations for a wider circle of conquest. In the fol- on 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. 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 Brune.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. 343 343 - CHAPTER XIII. Course of The progress of Holland in the Indian Archipelago, if A. D. 1664. it display no parallels to the grand achievements of D Dutch con- Cortez and Pizarro, is nevertheless romantic, from the quest. 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. whole western coast of Sumatra. The islanders, it is Crawſurd, ii. 434. % 4 344 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Palembang, 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 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. 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. A war with the king of Macassar required all the Macassar. resources of 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. 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. D. 1666. their establishments. A large naval force was equip- ped, put under the command of Admiral Spielman, War with CD D i Crawfurd, ii. 434. 2 Temminck, Coup d'ail sur l'Inde Archipélagique, iii. 9. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 345 armament from 11 and despatched to attack the rising enemy. The Ma- Formidable cassars, in immense numbers, met them at Bouton; a 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 tlie 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 A. D. 1667. long duration. 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 from command, Spielman dictated terms to the Goan king, who consented to pay about 5601. sterling, as reparation for the plunder of two wrecks off the coast, and payment of the cost of the expedition. 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 1 Crawfurd, ii. 435. 2 Temminck, Coup d'Eil sur l'Inde Archipélagique, iii. 10. 3 Crawfurd, ii. 443. 346. YM "THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Sumbawa, 1 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. Treaty with · 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 mesis of 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. War in 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- The Ne- monopol . · Achin. 1 Temminck, Coup d'Eil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, iii. 10. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 347 English, 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, 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 1 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," naïvely 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 callous, submitted in silence to become yassals of these 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 the rebels prabus, and setting sail by night, escaped the Dutch to Java. 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?, or of Madura, according to another autho- 1 Hamilton, New Account of the East Indies, ii. 103. 2 Crawſurd, History of Indian Archipelago, ii. 530. Celebes. 348 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, CESS. Krong- Tong. rityl, 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 A. p. 1673. peninsula. They collected their forces, embarked, tra- versed the straits, and, landing on the opposite shore, spread their ravages through several extensive districts, Their suc 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 A. D. 1674. 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 Goa, 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 Policy of 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 the Dutch in Macas- sar. 1 Temminck, Coup d'Eil sur l'Inde Archipélagique. 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.. thority esa in that interesting island, which here claims a descriptive tablished. 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 asp vegetation, and ascending gradually to the woody hills of the interior. 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. 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- salubrity. pect. tion, united at the centre by an inconsiderable mass, give the island its peculiar shape. The southern peninsula was 1 Temminck, Coup d'Eil sur l'Inde Neerlandaises, iï. 8, 2 Melville de Carnbee, Moniteur des Indes Orientales. 350 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Surface. Formation, 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, The western and northern coasts are bold, with few reefsa; but along the other shores shoals and formations of coral are spread in patches, some hidden, some ap- pearing above water. 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 to harden the outlines of the landscape. 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 Picturesque aspect. Lakes. 1 Heylyn, Cosmography, 920. 2 Darwin, Coral Reefs, 173. 3 Astrol. Voyage Hydrog. 453-4. 4 Temminck, Coup d'Eil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, iii. 81, 5 Brooke, Mundy, Borneo and Celebes. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 351 lilies. U with soft sward, glitter under the sun of the East, and glow like vast sheets of silver. 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. 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 , 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. 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- 10 w 1 Temminck, Coup d'Eil sur l'Inde Archipélagique, 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. 6 Temminck, Coup d'Eil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, iii. 5. 352 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, S VU 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. 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 Bugis.' 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. They are a brave, active, haughty, fierce, and vigorous race. They love justice, and are faithful to their. bonds, but seldom for- 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 it with a lasso.9 The Alfoeras, described in old accounts as a tall, comely race, of brown colour, much given to piracy 10, form perhaps the most amiable, if not the The Alfoeras. . i No traces of the Hindu power have been discovered here. Heeren, Asiatic Nations, ii. 90. Raffles, ii. 281. 2 Temminck, Coup d'Eil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, iii. 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 d'Eil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, iii. 85. 7 Hogendorp, Coup d'Eil sur Java. 8 Brooke, Journals, Borneo and Celebes. Mundy, i. 82. 9 Temminck, Coup d'Eil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, iii. 87. 10 Heylyn, Cosmography, 919, ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 353 beliefs. . 1 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. 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. Women are treated honourably among them — a distinction in their manners not yet effaced by the Mohammedan social law. 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 Produc- abundant. Besides timber and other trees' noticed in u Celebes. 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. 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 tions of co | They have been the greatest colonists as well as the principal traders of the Archipelago. — Raffles, Memoirs, i. 263. 2 Brooke, Journals, Borneo and Celebes. Mundy, i. 114. 3 Temminck, Coup d'Eil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, iii. 86. A Brooke, Journals, Borneo and Celebes. Mundy, i. 61. 5 Temminck, Coup d'Eil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, iii.107. 6 Valmont de Bomare, Histoire Naturelle, iï. 62. VOL. I. A A or 354 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, resources, Fruits. Minerals. Commercial of a peculiar species, the almond whence the true oil of Macassar is extracted, coffee, rice of 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 of the richest kinds, from the guava to the wild raspberry and the grape, there are in Celebes. Flowers, Its Flora is magnificent, but imperfectly known. Many 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. 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 Airimals. 1 Woodward, Voyage from Boston to East Indies, M.S. ? Brooke, Journal, Borneo and Celebes. Mundy, :3 See the learned contribution of Dr. Bleeker, On the Icthyolo- gical Fauna. J. I. Arch. iii. 65. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 355 little more than a collection of fragments. Pasturage of the finest description abounds, and immense herds of cattle might be fattened, especially on the hills, slopes, and plains of Boni. 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 Spice group 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, 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 policy. 1 Temminck, Coup d'Eil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, iii.106. 2 Brooke, Journal, Voyage of the Dido. Keppel, i. 118. A A 2 356 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Patriotism of the Dutch. 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 liad 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 Threatened Isles. The people rose to their task. The dikes were invasion of opened. They gave back to the waves the crowded Holland. 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 Retreat of The magnificent project was never realised; for the French king, conquered as much by his own low passions king. as by the courage of his enemies, deserted the campaign, and retreated to his paradise of luxury and lust in the heart of France. Nevertheless, Holland learned from that sudden visitation of danger to pursue more vigo- the French 1 Macaulay, History of England, i. 218. 2 Ibid. 3 St. Simon, Mémoires Secrets du Règne de Louis XIV. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 35.7 of the ial policy. 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 mind the character of Dutch polities in the Indian Archipelago, can fail to regret that they were not equally full of honour. There is much justice in their colo- the remark that, with a national character for probity at nia home, they have been a selfish, cold-blooded, phlegmatic race abroad, changing their nature with the soil they inhabited. 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. 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. New inva- by another from Celebes, who freely pursued the sion of track of his predecessor. Truna Jaya meanwhile was Java. multiplying his successes. The sultan of Mataram feared his approach. He 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 Dryden's “ Amboyna." 2 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, ii. 431, A A 3 358 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Defeat of the Dutch. Success of the in- vaders. another army, which sailed round the eastern coast in war 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 on 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. I 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. Not only was there honour Confede racy to re- sist them. Prepara- tions for conquest. S 1 Raſies, History, ii. 177. 2 Crawfurd, ii. 419. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 359 Celebes. 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 hås struck them, and the idea of their regeneration seems an idle dream. It Right 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 ce 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 contiuue their aid, the Sultan Mangkorat, in Fe- bruary 1677, granted the Dutch great commercial pri- vileges." They sold their friendship at a heavy price. By a A. D. 1677. Policy of 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 n — 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 from the native . 1 Raffles, History of Java, ii. 179. A A 4 360 with allies. immunities.! 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. They should sell their 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. Ryklof van 1. Though involved in the confusion the Javan war, the Hollanders continued to engage in the politics of other islands, which perhaps delayed the catastrophe of A. p. 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?, 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 Kloen, - i Raffles, History of Java, ii. 198, 199. Ibid. 199. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 361 semblertall you ne, the following year Truna Jaya ended his adventurous Close of the career; whether by the Dutch, or whether by a native war A.D. 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 Indian 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 treachery. 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, 5 rolled it in the mud, and made a mat of it."1 The island of Madura, thus wrested from the hands of A. D. 1680. 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 S Revolt in 1 Raſfiles, History of Java; ii. 187. 362 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, then sank under the commercial and military tyranny which has oppressed them ever since.? Continued Prince Pugar remained a formidable enemy to the ava. authority of his elder brother. Other rebels also were war in Java, A. P. 1681, 6 8 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 east, 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. 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. Cornelius Spielman, admiral of the fleet, promoted to be governor-general of the Netherlands' East Indies, 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, Progress of Dutch pover, 07 S ! Crawfurd, ii. 443. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 363 Bantanı. 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. By the English and Danish mer- chants his cause was espoused, though only by media- tion. No men, no money, nor arms, were furnished by them, which is to be credited, says the historian ?, 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. ? Marsden, History of Sumatra, 350. 364 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, 11 LU 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.? Supremacy From that time the influence of Holland remained with- of Holland. out a rival in Jaya.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. Conspiracy 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. Story of . 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 Untung. CY 1 Raffles, History, Int., i. 22. 2 Bruce, ii. 492. 3 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, ii. 346. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 365 GV 32 nu 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- Ilis rebel- tam soon joined him in his retreat. They had elected lions. 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 the rebels, submit. An officer with several followers approached his arms. 366 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, 0 . Craft of Javan war- fare. 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. The rebel slave now went to Cheribon, whose chief, in consequence of some intrigues, was slain by the sultan of Mataram, and his title of Surapati, or general, conferred upon Santana.' 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. i Crawfurd, ii. 346. TYY 177 LLLL ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 367 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 jewels of task, 400 Europeans, and 600 Javans, headed by Tak, java. 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.' 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 A. D. 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 The Englishı chiefs declared it was contrary to law even for the in 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, in Sumatra. Raffles, History of Java, ii. 192. ? Raffles, ii. 200, 201. 368 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, 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. 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 Public opi- any history. The nobles say 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 A. D. 1685. The English settled also at Bencoolen, in the same island, and continued their establishment at Indrapura, coolen. 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 Brunè, where that nation had made a treaty of perpetual peace.3 nion in an Indian state. Settlement at Bena S 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. ess of 0 Tak, the Dutch commander, hastened his march on A. D. 1686. Kartasura. There an intricate combination of craft was Progr 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 th by the leader of the Javan troops. The few who survived escaped to Japara, where they had a fort. 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 Raffles, History of Java, ii. 193. VOL. I. be rebels. B B 370 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, 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 Politics of 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 n 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 tlements in the Islands. U i Crawfürd; Indian Archipelago, ii. 347. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 371 TAT 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 entrepôt 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.” BB 2 372 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,.. Ten years 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 of Indian a series of little occurrences, too minute to require history. A. D. 1691. ample detail. An insurrection in Amboyna, another A. D. 1694. in the Ladrones, a new mission from Madras to Achin, A.D. 1697. 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 Duteh, 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 A, D. 1696. A.D. 1699, Surapati's career. 1 Not till 1702, according to Logan, Journ. Ind. Arch. ii. 508. ? Valentyn, iii. 248. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 373 nan in Achin. 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, 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. 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. A.D. 1703. He was in no favour with the Dutch. He had sheltered the Susu- the rebel Surapati, and on that account incurred their 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 Death of nan in Java. 1 Marsden, History of Sumatra, 372. BB 3 374 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. 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 IT 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 Malay su- perstition, 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, ü. 354, ? Rafles, ii. 207. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 375 Susunan. 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. 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.? 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 of J 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 methods of Dutch are in great want of rice, and request your negotiation. i Raffles, History of Java, ii. 205. 2 Ibid. 206. в в 4 376 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, National debts. 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- 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. . The chief of Samarang heard of the incident, and hurried to warn prince Pugar against any new conces- 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 Counsellors of an In- dian prince. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 377 no more to act on his own impulse, without reference to the counsel of his chiefs. A few months' preparations brought into the field an army of Europeans?, commanded by General de Wilde, with an auxiliar force of Javans and Madurese, led by Kartasura. 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. 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. At the same time he assumed T tions of the Dutch. 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 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. 1 Raffles, History of Java, ii. 208. 2 " Eight thousand,” Crawfurd.“ Eight hundred,” Temminck! . 3 Crawfurd, Hist. of Indiun Archipelago. Raffles, History of Java, ii. 208. 4 Crawfurd, History of Indiun Archipelago. 5 Raffles, History of Java, says this was the only victim, ii. 220. 6 Ibid. 211. 3.78 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, Situation. Extent. 1. LU 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”, 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.? 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 1 Temminck, Coup d'Eil, i. 335. 2 Raffles, History of Java. 3 Temminck, Coup d'Eil, i. 337. 4 Raffles, Hist. of Java. 5 Earl, Eastern Seas. 6 Temminck, Coup d'eil sur les Possessions Neerlandaises, i. 336. 7 Earl, Eastern Seas. 8 Temminck, Coup d'CEil, 338. 8 m ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 379 ance of the war. t Driven from his throne and kingdom, the fallen Su- A. D. 1706. sunan fled, carrying with him an immense treasure of money and jewels. 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 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. D. 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, of the Dutch. t 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? Barbarity “ 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, 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 A. D, 1708. 1708 they made him an offer of grace. He was in- duced, by one of their commanders, to surrender on a treachery. 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 Tlieir A Javan crown. 1 1 Raffles, History of Java, ii. 215. 2 Crawfurd, Embassy to Ava, 393. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 381 Javan royalty, was lost. 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 lacework 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. 1709. 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 ?, adulterating the produce of the pine settle- ments, 1 Raffles, History of Java, ii. 217. 2 Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 47. 382 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, The Chinese settlers. O Edict against them, soil; they monopolised the fruits of the earth to create an artificial scarcity, 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.? 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. 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 The edict ineffectual. 1 Crawfurd, ii. 463. 3 Zuniga, ii, xii. ? Walton, Preliminary Discourse, 46. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 383 LV of the Chinese. 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- 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- 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 A. v. 1710. Progress of visits Celebes. Massa Dulang, king of Boni; dying, na 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 Il ? theories of commerce. 384 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELA 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, in Borneo. S 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. The Dutch 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 A. D. 1712. 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 A, d. 1714. 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 1716. A. D. 1718. During the passage of these events, with others in- League 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. against Batavia. i Crawfurd, ii. 473. ITS HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE. 385 of native manners. 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 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. When a discussion arises upon the chastity of their women, the Javans quote this story.2 At this period, Henry Zwardekroon became Governor- Introquc- General of the Netherlands' East Indies. His name is ti celebrated in the annals of commerce. He introduced Java. the coffee plant into Java and Ceylon), 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 A. D. 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 tion of coffee into CO ny 1 Crawfurd, History of Indian Archipelago, i. 80.. 2 Raffles, History of Java, ii. 222. 3 Pridham, Ceylon and the Ceylonese. VOL, 1. CC 386 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, soners. 277 the sovereign. A crowd of courtiers was assembled. He bade them prove their loyalty by the speedy execution Malayan of these rebels. Ready in obedience to this royal order, loyalty. 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, A. D. 1720. 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 Execution hope was left. With eighteen of his family he was, in of pri- cold blood, put to death. Next year, Blitar was cut off A. D. 1721. 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. Erberfeldt's Peter Erberfeldt, a native of Batavia, the son of a conspiracy. 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- the plot. 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 ments of the con- 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 Arrange- styled, The Lord; Cantadia, The Noble. The con- 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 authority 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 discovered. C C 2 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, conspiracy was betrayed, and the conspirators were arrested. 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. Sixteen men and three women, after submitting to the last excess of Execution pain, were condemned. Execution followed sentence of the con- within fourteen days. Erberfeldt and Cantadia were spirators. 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, Cruelty of drawn, and beheaded. Their heads, fixed on posts, were punish- 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 ments. house shall ever be built on the spot where Erberfeldt concocted his wicked conspiracy.4 1 Crawfurd, ii. 425. 2 For the cruelty of punishments in Batavia, see Stavorinus, Voyages, 288–291.; also, for native executions, Harris, Col- leclion, i. 74.3. 3 Roggewein, in Harris, i. 285. 4 Crawfurd, History of 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. n. 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 first war in the finest districts in the island for nearly twenty years, Jaya.***, laying waste the cultivated lands, preventing the re- clamation of the wilderness, and fostering the savage practices of the peopłe. 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. v. 1726. 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 island. 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. 1730. Bantam. He had already agreed to articles regulating the weight and quality of the pepper deliveries, and now wished to secure the trade of his country from entire subinission 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 A, D. 1731, 390 THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, LU A. D. 1734. Relations with Ma. taram, 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.! 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 Japaya 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 Treaty of peace. i Rames, History of Java, ii. 224. 2 Ibid. 227. . ITS HISTORY AND FRESENT STATE. 391 other Euro- tions in the Archi- - 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 Progress of sword, an empire in the Indian Archipelago, subju- pean na- gating the richest provinces of Java, confirming her tio confirming her home in the power in the Moluccas, extending it in Borneo, and pelago. 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 suocess, 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 their former glory; but it is a false appearance. ne may pass more fleetly, some more slowly, down decline of their existence; all will in the end yield n the name of independence, and recognise the au- rity of the ascendant power. On the continent of lia Great Britain is developing this beneficent pro- 5; in the Archipelago Holland is illustrating it. In h regions exist native states which are not yet ex- ples of the truth; but foreign as prophecy may be n the domain of the historian, it may without fear predicted that all will, at no distant time, be counted ong the provinces of European empire. Che Dutch refused in Celebes to claim the titles of ver which actually accrued to them, and their mo- ation may fairly be acknowledged. Their views, vever, were diverted from this scene by the appa- on of an enemy of portentous magnitude, which sud- ly rose in Java, and engaged all the vigour of their ncils and the valour of their arms to subdue. (1 END OF THE FIRST VOLUME. 'OL. 1. D D LONDON : SPOTTISWOODES and SHAW,. New-street-Square. RE-ISSUE of THE CABINET CYCLOPÆDIA, at THREE SHILLINGS and SIXPENCE per VOLUME. Complete in 132 Vols. fcp. 8vo. price reduced to NINETEEN GUINEAS, Bound in cloth and lettered: or the Works separately, in Sets or Series, Price THREE SHILLINGS AND SIXPENCE each VOLUME, THE CABINET CYCLOPÆDIA OF HISTORY, BIOGRAPHY, LITERATURE, THE ARTS AND SCIENCES, AND MANUFACTURES: A Series of Original Works by SIR JOHN HERSCHEL, SIR JAMES MACKINTO ROBERT SOUTHEY, SIR WALTER SCOTT. THOMAS MOORE, BISHOP THIRLWALL, THE REV. G. R. GLEIG, J. C. L. De SISMONDI, JOHN PHILLIPS, F.R.S. G.S. THOMAS KEIGHTLEY, JOHN FORSTER, AND OTHER EMINENT WRITERS. THE VOLUMES OF THIS SERIES, ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED AT SIX SHILLINGS, contain, on the average, between three and four hundred pages, with an engraved frontispiece; and the volumes on Natural History are copiously il- lustrated with engravings on wood. The Series comprises Histories of nearly all the Ancient and Modern Nations of Europe, Biographies, Treatises on Science suited to the general reader, Natural History, and Arts and Manufactures. The separate works, each of which forms an independent treatise complete in itself, may be re- commended as well adapted for REWARD Books in all SCHOOLS and FAMILIES; and, from the convenient size of the volumes, for the use of TRAVELLERS by RAILWAY and STEAM-BOAT. The complete Series comprises the following Works : --- BELL'S Lives Treatise Maritim BELL'S History of Russia ..... ...........................3 vols. ... 10/6 Bell's Lives of the most eminent English Poets .... 2 vols.... 7/0 BREWSTER's Treatise on Optics I vol. ... 3/6 COOLEY's History of Maritime and Inland Discovery .... ..... 3 vols, ... 10/6 CROwe's History of France ........ ....... 3 vols, ... 106 DE MORGAN On Probabilities and their application to Life Con- tingencies and Assurance Offices .......................ogoro.................. 1 vol. ... 5/6 Contents of the CABINET CYCLOPÆDIA — continued. 3/6 710 Coordon 5 vols, ... OULUTUOLIU It 3/6 DUO dooooo vol. ଦି ଦି 1 vol. DE SISMONDI'S History of the Italian Republics ........ ......... I vol, ... DE SISMONDI's Fall of the Roman Empire ................... ...... 2 vols. 770 DONOVAN's Treatise on Chemistry ..................... ........, 1 vol, ... DONOVAN'S Treatise on Domestic Economy ......................... ...... 2 vols, DUNHAM's History of Spain and Portugal 1776 .......................... 5 vols. DUNHAM's History of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway vols. ... 10/6 DUNHAM's History of Poland........... ... I vol, ... 3/6 DUNHAM's History of the Germanic Empire ... ... 3 vols. ... 10/6 DUNHAM'S History of Europe during the Middle Ages .. 4 vols. ... 14/0 DUNHAM's Lives of British Dramatists................. .. 2 vols. ... 710 DUNHAM's Lives of Early Writers of Great Britain.. 1 vol. ... Fergus's History of the United States of America ......................... % vols. ... ....... 2 vols. ... 7/0 FOSBROKE On the Greek and Roman Arts, Manufactures, and Institutions......... 2 vols. ... 7/0 FORSTER'S Lives of the Statesmen of the English Commonwealth... 5 vols. ... 17/6 GLEIG's Lives of eminent British Military Commanders 3 vols. ... 10/6 GRATTAN's History of the Netherlands....... 1 vol HENSLOW's Principles of Descriptive and Physiological Botany. 1 vol. HERSCHEL's Treatise on Astronomy ..... 1 vol. ... HERSCHEL's Preliminary Discourse on Natural Philosophy. I vol. HISTORY of Rome to the Founding of Constantinople... 2 vols. ... HISTORY Of Switzerland to the year 1830.............. 1 vol. ... HOLLAND'S Treatise on the Manufactures in Metal ............. 3 vols.... JAMES'S Lives of the most eminent Foreign Statesmen. 5 vols, ... KATER & LARDNER's Treatise on Mechanics ................. I vol. ... KEIGHTLEY'S Outlines of History, corrected and improved ..... LARDNER's Treatise on Arithmetic . LARDNER's Treatise on Geometry ............ .......... 1 vol. LARDNER's Treatise on Heat ........ ........, 1 vol. LARDNER'S Treatise on Hydrostatics and Pneumatics ................. 1 vol. LARDNER & WALKER's Manual of Electricity and Magnetism ......... 2 vols, MACKINTOSH, FORSTER, & COURTENAY'S Lives of British Statesmen 7 vols. MACKINTOSH, WALLACE, & BELL's History of England..................10 vols. MONTGOMERY & SHELLEY's eminent Italian, Spanish, & Portuguese Authors .............................................................................. 3 VOIS, Moore's History of Ireland ................. ................. 4 vols. ... 14/0 NICOLAS's Chronology of History, corrected throughout .... 1 vol. ... PHILLIPS'S Treatise on Geology, corrected to 1852 .. 2 vols. ... POWELL'S History of Natural Philosophy .............. Porter's Treatise on the Manufacture of Silk .... ...... 1 vol. Porter's Manufactures of Porcelain and Glass........ 1 vol. Roscoe's Lives of eminent British Lawyers ........................ Sir Walter Scott's History of Scotland ........ 2 vols. ... SHELLEY's Lives of the most eminent French Authors 2 vols. ... SHUCKARD & SWAINSON'S Insects ................ 1 vol. ... SOUTHEY's Lives of the British Admirals..... 5 vols. ... STEBBING'S History of the Christian Church , 2 vols. STEBBING's History of the Reformation. 2 vols. ... 710 SWAINSON'S Discourse on the Study of Natural History 1 vol. SWAINSON's Natural History and Classification of Animals 1 vol. ... SWAINSON'S Habits and Instincts of Animals ...... I vol. ... SWAINSON'S Natural History and Classification of Birds 2 vols. SWAINSON'S History and Classification of Fishes, Reptiles, &c. ...... 2 vols. ... SWAINSON's History and Classification of Quadrupeds .... 1 vol. ... SWAINSON's Treatise on Shells and Shell-fish ........... 1 vol. ... SWAINSON'S Animals in Menageries, or Domesticated Animals ...... 1 vol. ... SWAINSON'S Taxidermy, and Bibliography of Natural History ...... 1 vol. ... BISHOP THIRLWALL'S History of Greece ...... ........... 8 vols. ... 28/0 24/0 10 NOVO ., 1 vol. 1 vol. 3/6 ös LONDON: LONGMAN, BROWN, GREEN, & LONGMANS. . 1 RICAN VIV ID- OFA MICHY UAVL PALIS IBRAL RARIES IENIA ARSITY ONS Sue Sea TIGAN .. AN <