S u l t a n *
M y o a n d
T YFORY.
ropean was the fame, they took to arms, and had a long and
fevere conteft'for independency. At length the invaders effedted
by fraud, what might have coft too dear to obtain by violence. In
1638 they wifely entered into a league with the king of female,
and the lefler princes, as we have before mentioned. This treaty
has been twice renewed; but in order to enforce the obfervance,
three ftrong forts, with fuitable garrifons, are eftablifhed in
Ternate, and others in the neighboring ifles.
T h e fultan refides at Ternate in great ftate, but neither he
nor the prince of Tidor are better than fettered monarchs. The
Dutch pay to him all external refpect, but at the fame time curb
him in every commercial attempt. I f he fits out a proa o f any
fize, the Dutch muft know the place of its deftination ; i f bound
to any diftant parts, for cloth or other fpecies o f merchandize,
they immediately fay they are happy that they can fupply him
with better from their own magazines, and all is at his fervice;
i f his Majefty continues obftinate, they fend him a prefent o f
the fineft callicoes, fuch as they know will be acceptable to his
ladies, and add bribes to his favorite females, who generally divert
him from his defign; i f that fails, they always obtain leave
to fend a trufty officer with the veflel, for the Dutch are ftudious
to avoid an open rupture.
Myo and Tyfory are two fmall ifles to the north-eaft o f Ternate,
and fubjedt to its fultan; the firft is in Lat. T 33'. Myo was
once inhabited when the Spaniards were poflefled of the Moluccas
; but the Dutch, to prevent the fmuggling of fpices, removed
the inhabitants. It has on it many goats, is productive of
cloVes, and poflefles a good harbor. In old times thefe ifles furnifhed
nifhed their quota o f four hundred militia men to the fultan o f
Ternate.
T h e fhipping o f the Molucca ifles confifls of a fort o f veflels
called Corocoro, with a high arched item and ftern like the point
of a half moon ; the largeft are of about ten tons burden. On
each fide of the veflel are out-riggers or frames made o f timber,
interfedting each other, and extending like wings far over the
water, o f different dimenfions, according to the fize of the corocoro.
The rowers, or rather paddlers, fit in a moft lingular
manner on the interfedtions o f the fufpended frames over the
water. In a frnooth fea they move with vaft fwiftnefs. Mr.
Forrejl- gives figures o f feveral o f thefe fingular veflels*; but
the moft magnificent is a corocoro o f Banda, reprefented at p. 13
o f the old Dutch voyages. Some have banks o f rowers, like
the Roman triremes. • M. de Pages t gives a curious defcription
and figure o f one he law in the Manilla ifles.
No Chinefe veflel is allowed to come farther than MacaJJar.
The Sooloos veflels trade to Ternate, but nobody dare fend one to
Sooloo ; in a word, the moft jealous attention is paid to the prevention
o f fmuggling any o f the pretious produdts of the ifles.
The Sooloos may poflibly be the carriers for the Chinefe; their
lading confifts chiefly of articles from China, and they bring
back rice, fuallo, fhark fins, tortoife fhells, fome fmall pearls,
and abundance o f Loeri parrots.
T h e religion of the ifland is that of Mahomet: here are fome
mofques, one Dutch church, and the ruins o f feveral once belonging
to the Portuguefe \ but none are permitted to be ufed ;
* Plates 3, 4. 3. 10. t V yy . vol. i. p. 169.
V o l . IV. B b and
S h i p p i n g .