those of the Moors of the Mediterranean. The only excuse for all this was the
treachery of the king of Malacca towards a Portuguese squadron that had visited
Malacca two years before his own attack.
The result of the policy thus pursued was, that the Portuguese came quickly to be
considered, as they well deserved to be, as mere corsairs, and the common enemy
of all the trading nations of Asia. Malacca was blockaded, even during the stay of
Alboquerque himself, and being a sterile territory, which was supplied with corn
from Java, a frightful famine ensued, which carried off many of the garrison and
thousands of the inhabitants. The conqueror, in short, seems to have laid the
foundation of that policy which brought on the Portuguese the hostility of all the
surrounding nations,—which led to many invasions during the 130 years of their
rule, and finally contributed to its overthrow. It must, however, be admitted, that
the state of society and manners in Europe in the 16th century was not such as to
have admitted of any of its nations governing an Asiatic people with justice and
moderation, which may be pleaded in extenuation of the conduct of Alboquerque
and his countrymen.
ALFORAS. This word, which has been variously corrupted, Alforias, Alfores,
Alfours, Alforen, Arafuras, and Harafuras, and supposed to be the native name of a
people inhabiting the interiors of the larger islands in the Molucca Sea, is not a
native word at all, nor is it the generic name of any people whatsoever. I t is a word
of the Portuguese language, apparently derived from tbe Arabic article al, and the
preposition fora, “ without.” The Indian Portuguese applied it to all people beyond
their own authority, or who were not subdued by them, and consequently to the wild
races of the interior. It would seem to be equivalent to the “ IncQos bravos” of the
Spaniards, as applied to the wild and unconquered tribes of America and the Philippines.
ALLIGATOR, or CROCODILE ; in Malay buwaya, and in Javanese baya. This
reptile is found in all the rivers of the Malay and Philippine Archipelagos, but the
most ordinary species of it being equally of fresh and salt water, generally at
the mouths of rivers, or in the sea in their neighbourhood. The Malays of the
peninsula reckon three species of alligator, which they distinguish as the labu or
“ gourd,” the katak or “ frog,” and the tambaga or “ copper ” alligator. The species
found in Sumatra and Java is the same,—the Crocodilus biporcatus of naturalists.
In the rivers of Borneo the same species exists, but in these there is also another,
partaking of the character of the Biporcatus and the Gavial of the Ganges, formidable
by its size and rapacity. The Crocodilus biporcatus is also found in the rivers of
Celebes, and extends even to the Moluccas. No alligator, however, has been found
in New Guinea, and it is certain this reptile does not exist in Australia.
ALMAHERA, or GILOLO. The word Almahera is said to mean, in one of the
local languages, “ mainland,” referring to the great extent of the island of which it is
the name, in comparison with the islets on its coast, constituting the true Moluccas.
Gilolo, or, in the Dutch orthography, Djilolo, and correctly Jilolo, is the name of a
bay, and, according to the early Portuguese writers, of a kingdom on the western
side of the northern limb of the island. Almahdra has, on a small scale, the same
whimsical configuration as Celebes, consisting of four long peninsulas proceeding
from a nucleus. The two largest of these run, one to the north, and one to the
south; and the two smaller, one to the north-east, and the other to the south-east.
The equator passes through the island, and over its south peninsula. Its extreme
northern point is in north latitude 2° 12', and its extreme southern is 50 miles
across the equator. The area of Almahdra has been computed at 5018 geographical
square miles, so that it is less than one-tenth the size of Celebes, about half the size
of Timur, and about equal in size to Ceram. Its surface is broken and mountainous,
and several of its mountains and volcanoes often in a state of activity. The most
remarkable of them is Kanord, which rises to the height of 6500 English feet. The
mountains are as usual covered with a tall forest, in which it is singular that the
clove is not found, although a native of the small islands on its western coast, the
true Moluccas. De Barros, who published his second decade, which contains his
account of the Moluccas, 42 years after their discovery, expressly states this fact.
The ascertained wild animals are hogs and deer; the latter so numerous that the
natives kill them for jerked beef, which is their chief article of export. The native
inhabitants are of the brown-complexioned race, speaking peculiar languages; but
the coast is occupied by Malays, the original settlers having, most probably, been
the Orang-lant, or Sea-Gipsies, whose wanderings extend, even at the present day,
over the whole Archipelago. The aborigines seem to be a rude but inoffensive people.
PorfcugueEe hl8tjona“. 8 ^ 8 of them, that they were savages, without laws,
T f ’ dwell‘nguin tte forests. The low state of civilisation of
the inhabitants of Almahdra is probably to be attributed to the want of a sufficiencv
ot water for perennial irrigation, and to the absence of the clove which brought
commerce and civilisation to the Molucca Islands on its coast. Through this civili
sation the princes of these mere islets have always been masters of Almahera and"
at present the prince of Tidor is sovereign of the south-eastern limb, and the prince
of Ternate of the rest of the island, both subject to the Dutch. Almahdra has three
Sne-at i.aya’ formed ,lts peninsulas, all lying to the east, but no good harbours
which, however, are the less necessary in seas never troubled with storms.
ALUM (in Malay and Javanese, tawas). This substance, the principal mordant
employed by the dyers of the Archipelago, is not a product of the E xtern islands
^ unknown ’ ° rlgil1 ° f the nativ6 “ ame’ for Buch i4 to be^
AMBERGRIS. This substance, supposed to be a product of the sperm whale, was
probably not known to the inhabitants of the Archipelago as a perfume before Z
were made acquainted with it by the Arabs. This is inferred from its having no
It is sta^d%ont only ^ Rs Arabic ones of Sahabiri and Ambar.
It is stated to be cast up by the sea on the shores of some of the more easterlv
islands of the Archipelago, the only part frequented by the sperm whale
AMBLAU. Name of a small island in the Molucca Sea, lying between Boeroe
and Amboyna, towards the southern ooast of the former. I t has an area of about 70
square geographical miles, and a population of 689; but its geological constitution
d productions are not stated. South latitude 3 ° 15', east longitude 125° 15.
A“ ‘s ■ S W M ® i v % h i S o Pi degrees^further Zlth ^ I t
from that of its chief town, the island itself being called by its inhabitants ffitoTor
Bitu. Amboyna may be described as consisting of a main bodv and a
peninsula running parallel with it, the isthmus which ioins them not e ^ J ^
mile and a half in breadth. This peninsula is nallod T ™ f them not exceeding a
from the Malay lai-timur, meaning “ eastern sheefor leaf - b T ’ 1 “ probably
of the island and peninsula there fu n fa bay 14 miles ¿ depth S e d int“ " 11
and inner portion, both affording good shelte“ for shirking w l i T °Utei
harbour, which cannot be used *«? a c c o s t of th[e t E p S X f f
marshes which surround it. The outer portion of t u Pr°ceeamg irom the
afford no anchoring ground, except on a narrow bank wMch froMs t lw Water
is situated on the shore of the peninsula. ' wblch
Moat'of the
race, short in stature but active. T h e y appeai*when f i m t M I T T ® * ™ 4
have possessed a peculiar language, now superseded by Malav T h /p la ^ 63?-8’« 0
cuUivated are th e clove,maiz, the 2 ^ S ^ o - S m t h t h r f e l d ^
the island is unsuited to its production. The total population o fA m b water,
m the Dutch returns, is 29,660. Of these « B t f i S S J S S l t o glVeU
ArchipeTagc/ 0 ^
d iv iK is ^ S S S S P Z S S i of Lr boc’ and 011 the strait «*** Pacific oceans. A village of the same nnmn ?ro u s a f C3 between the Indian and
a - j g a g s . - « s a & r s & z £ * * & £ ,■»£