of a tree resembling the palm, except that its leaves are more tender and their green
of a darker hue. . , . And although the inhabitants have animals which serve for food,
as hogs, sheep (?) and goats, with various wild animals, they prefer fish to flesh. In
these islands there are no metals, although some allege that there is gold, which,
however, we never saw. The people are of a tawny complexion, have lank hair,—
are robust in person,—strong limbed and addicted to war. In everything but war
they are slothful ; and if there be any industry among them in agriculture or trade,
it is confined to the women. They are agile on land and still more so on water, tor
in swimming they are fish, and in fighting, birds. Altogether they are a malicious
people, false and ungrateful, but expert in learning anything. Although poor in
wealth, such is their pride and presumption that they will abate nothing from
sity; nor will they submit, except to the sword that cuts them, and through the
blood of their bodies. Finally, these islands, according to the account given by our
people, are a warren of every evil, and contain nothing good but their clove tree. —•
Decade 3 Book 5, Chapter 5. I t is to be observed, that when this unfavourable
picture of the inhabitants of the Moluccas was written, the Portuguese had been
engaged in hostilities with them, resisting the imposition of the monopoly ol the
intruders. . . . . .
With respect to language, De Barros observes, that the inhabitants spoke many
different ones, so that the language of one place was not understood in another.
These tongues, he adds, differed entirely, even in pronunciation, some ‘ forming the
word in the throat, others at the tip of the tongue, others between the teeth, and
others again in the throat.” “And,” he adds, “ if there be any common tongue
through which they can understand one another, it is the Malaya of Malacca, to
which the nobles have addicted themselves of late, and since the Moors have resorted
to them for the clove.”—Ibid. Sir .'-JlVH
Before the arrival of the Portuguese in India, all that was known of the Moluccas
to the nations of Europe, amounted simply to the fact, that certain remote parts of
India produced cloves; and this became known to the Romans about the end of the
second century, when the clove came to be an article of import into the Roman provinces.
The first true account of them is given by Barbosa, whose manuscript is dated
in 1516. He names the five islands correctly; describes^ the growth and preparation
of the clove, and the manner in which the trade in it was carried on. “ From
the city of Malacca,” says he, “ there go many ships to the islands of Maluco to load
with cloves: and as merchandise they carry thither, cloths of Cambaya, and other
cotton and silk stuffs; with commodities of Pulicaté and Bengal, and quicksilver, tin,
unwrought copper, and copper made into bells, (gongs), with a money of U u n
resembling a denier, (bagatino), but having a hole through the middle, (the pitis or
pichis), and black pepper, porcelane, garlick, onions, with drugs of Cambaya. And
of all these things they take great quantities.”—Bamusio, Vol. if, p. ol7. At tne
time ” says De Barros, “ that we arrived in India, these two nations, the Javanese
and Malays, carried on the whole of the spice trade, bringing ^all the spices to the
famous emporium and fair of Malacca, now in our possession.”
De Barros’ account of the conversion of the inhabitants to the Mahometan religion
is as follows: “ Before the arrival of the Moors, the p e o p l e of Maluca had no
division of the year, and no weights and measures; and lived without knowledge of
one god, or indication of any certain religion. Only some of them worshipped the
sun, the moon and the stars; while others adored the powers of the earth, which
some of them still do, the sea coast only being in the power of the Moors. . . . . .
“And now, in the Maluco islands, many persons have been converted to the sect of
Mahommed. . . . The Javanese and Malays themselves already converted, trading to
the Maluca and Banda islands, converted the inhabitants of their coasts with which they
held commercial intercourse. Of fourteen kings which the Maluca islands have had,
the first who became a Moor was the king of Temate, named Tidoré Vongué, father
of king Boleifo, who entertained Francisco Serrao. According to the account given
bv the inhabitants themselves at the time of our arrival, little more thaneighty years
had elapsed since that pest entered the Malucas ; and when Antonio de Brito arrived
in Temate, there still lived a Cagiz who gave it that hellish doctrine, (infernal doctrina).”—
Decade 3, Book 5, Chapter 5. . . „ ' , . , , , . . .
The account given by De Barros of the time in which the inhabitants of the
Moluccas were converted to Mahometanism, would carry it back to about the year
1440. Pigafetta, however, makes it a good deal la te r; but it must be observed, that
he speaks of the island of Tidore, while De Barros refers to that of Temate.
“ Scarcely fifty years have passed away,” says the former, “ since the Moors con-
S i t d t V t ,U . « . C „ . grows.”—Page 161. T h „ w.uU
bring the c o n v e r s i o n f ^ Mal s and Javanese with the Moluccas is cer-
i Antiquity than is to be inferred from the expressions of De
tarnly of phis is attested by the prevalence of the Malay language as a
en^mon medium of communication,-by the frequency of Malay and Javanese words
^ h e native tongues, intermixed with Sanscrit; such as the current names of the
soices themselves, articles not used by the natives even now, any more than they were
in the time of Pigafetta, as condiments; and which, therefore, could only be raised
to exchange with strangers. . . . ,
The Portuguese, by the conquest of Malacca, were at once in the best position to
obtain full information respecting the spice islands, and quickly a v a i l e d themselves
of it. “ Alfonzo Albuquerque,” says De Barros, “ having, as already stated, taken
the city of Malacca in the year 1511 ; and seeing that it was the mart at which was
assembled all the trade of the east and of the west, as well as of so many neighbouring
provinces and of thousands of islands, and feeling the importance of preserving it, since
it was now in our power, resolved to make known to all the places in question,
that they might resort to it without fear, and be treated with justice and favour. In
order to further this measure, he despatched Antonio de Miranda to Siao, (Siam),
Ruy d’Acunha to Pegu and Jaiia, (Java); and Antonio d’Abreu to Maluca. Before
the last of these set out, he sent on before him one Nakhoda Ismael in a trading ju k
belonging to some Moorish Javanese and Malays of these parts, m order that when
he arrived in the ports of Maluca he should be well received. As our name was
wonderful in these parts, there seemed no risk of his not having a good reception.
Antonio d’Abreu having sailed with three ships, proceeded on his voyage by way ot
Java, taking with him, besides his own Portuguese pilots, some Malays and Javanese
who had before made the voyage. The first port he touched at was Aga5im, in Java,
(Gressik), and from thence he proceeded to the island of Amboino, (Amboyna),
which now belonged to the lordship of Maluco, from which it was distant about
sixty leagues.”—Decade 3, Book 5, Chapter 5. D’Abreu did not quit Malacca
until the end of December, 1511, so that the actual discovery was not made
until 1512, twenty years after Columbus had attempted it.
D’Abreu however, went no further than Amboyna, a recent conquest of the kings
of the Moluccas, and to which they had carried the culture of the clove. I t was not
until the year 1521, the same in which the companions of Magellan visited them,
that the Portuguese presented themselves in the true Moluccas, and commenced their
conquest under Antonio de Brito. They held them in all about eighty years, a
period of anarchy and disorder. In 1602, the Dutch conquered Amboyna and Tidore
under their admiral, Stephen Van der Hagen, and the other islands quickly followed.
The same power has held them ever since with two short and profitless interludes ot
British occupation during the war of the French Revolution, amounting, jointly, to
about twelve years.
MONEY. The current and convenient principal coin of the Malay and Philippine
Arohipelagos is at present, and has long been, the hard Spanish dollar, the peso
duro of the Spaniards; and that with globes and pillars, containing 370'9 grains ot
pure silver, and worth in sterling money 51‘79 pence, has an universal preference.
The English rupee and Dutch guilder are but of local currency, and always, more or
less, at a discount. The dollar, in the native languages, is known by various names.
The Malays usually call it real, which is, no doubt, an abbreviation of the Spanish
real de a ocho, or “ piece-of-eight.” The common name with the Javanese is ringgit,
which literally means “ scenic figure.” Such figures had been represented on tneir
own ancient coins ; and the impressions on the Spanish coin appearing to resemble
them, probably given rise to the name. They .call it often also angres, that is,
“English,” probably from its being the money in use by English traders. Both
Malays, Javanese, and Bugis call it very frequently pasmat, which is a corruption of
the Dutch Spanish-mat. . . . . . .
A great variety of small coins of brass, copper, tin and zinc are ill circulation
throughout all the islands. The most frequent of these is the Dutch doit, of which
about 300 ought to go to a Spanish dollar. The intrinsic value of all such corns,
however, having no relation to their assumed one, and being usually over-issued, they
are generally at a heavy discount. The small coins of Palembang, Achin, Bantam,