The Malay Archipelago, vol 2 | Page 5

New Guinea and the adjacent
islands, where they grew wild; and the profits on spice cargoes were so
enormous, that the European traders were glad to give gold and jewels,
and the finest manufactures of Europe or of India, in exchange. When
the Dutch established their influence in these seas, and relieved the
native princes from their Portuguese oppressors, they saw that the
easiest way to repay themselves would be to get this spice trade into
their own hands. For this purpose they adopted the wise principle of
concentrating the culture of these valuable products in those spots only
of which they could have complete control. To do this effectually it
was necessary to abolish the culture and trade in all other places, which
they succeeded in doing by treaty with the native rulers. These agreed
to have all the spice trees in their possessions destroyed. They gave up
large though fluctuating revenues, but they gained in return a fixed
subsidy, freedom from the constant attacks and harsh oppressions of

the Portuguese, and a continuance of their regal power and exclusive
authority over their own subjects, which is maintained in all the islands
except Ternate to this day.
It is no doubt supposed by most Englishmen, who have been
accustomed to look upon this act of the Dutch with vague horror, as
something utterly unprincipled and barbarous, that the native
population suffered grievously by this destruction of such valuable
property. But it is certain that this was not the case. The Sultans kept
this lucrative trade entirely in their own hands as a rigid monopoly, and
they would take care not to give, their subjects more than would
amount to their usual wages, while: they would surely exact as large a
quantity of spice as they could possibly obtain. Drake and other early
voyagers always seem to have purchased their spice-cargoes from the
Sultans and Rajahs, and not from the cultivators. Now the absorption of
so much labour in the cultivation of this one product must necessarily
have raised the price of food and other necessaries; and when it was
abolished, more rice would be grown, more sago made, more fish
caught, and more tortoise-shell, rattan, gum-dammer, and other
valuable products of the seas and the forests would be obtained. I
believe, therefore, that this abolition of the spice trade in the Moluccas
was actually beneficial to the inhabitants, and that it was an act both
wise in itself and morally and politically justifiable.
In the selection of the places in which to carry on the cultivation, the
Dutch were not altogether fortunate or wise. Banda was chosen for
nutmegs, and was eminently successful, since ü; continues to this day
to produce a large supply of this spice, and to yield a considerable
revenue. Amboyna was fixed upon for establishing the clove
cultivation; but the soil and climate, although apparently very similar to
that of its native islands, is not favourable, and for some years the
Government have actually been paying to the cultivators a higher rate
than they could purchase cloves elsewhere, owing to a great fall in the
price since the rate of payment was fixed for a term of years by the
Dutch Government, and which rate is still most honourably paid.
In walking about the suburbs of Ternate, we find everywhere the ruins

of massive stone and brick buildings, gateways and arches, showing at
once the superior wealth of the ancient town and the destructive effects
of earthquakes. It was during my second stay in the town, after my
return from New Guinea, that I first felt an earthquake. It was a very
slight one, scarcely more than has been felt in this country, but
occurring in a place that lad been many times destroyed by them it was
rather more exciting. I had just awoke at gun-fire (5 A.M.), when
suddenly the thatch began to rustle and shake as if an army of cats were
galloping over it, and immediately afterwards my bed shook too, so
that for an instant I imagined myself back in New Guinea, in my fragile
house, which shook when an old cock went to roost on the ridge; but
remembering that I was now on a solid earthen floor, I said to myself,
"Why, it's an earthquake," and lay still in the pleasing expectation of
another shock; but none came, and this was the only earthquake I ever
felt in Ternate.
The last great one was in February 1840, when almost every house in
the place was destroyed. It began about midnight on the Chinese New
Year's festival, at which time every one stays up nearly all night
feasting at the Chinamen's houses and seeing the processions. This
prevented any lives being lost, as every one ran out of doors at the