In The
Meantime, I Went To A Kind Of Clubhouse, In Default Of Any Hotel In
The Place.
Macassar was the first Dutch town I had visited, and I found it
prettier and cleaner than any I had yet seen in the East.
The
Dutch have some admirable local regulations. All European houses
must be kept well white-washed, and every person must, at four in
the afternoon, water the road in front of his house. The streets
are kept clear of refuse, and covered drains carry away all
impurities into large open sewers, into which the tide is
admitted at high-water and allowed to flow out when it has ebbed,
carrying all the sewage with it into the sea. The town consists
chiefly of one long narrow street along the seaside, devoted to
business, and principally occupied by the Dutch and Chinese
merchants' offices and warehouses, and the native shops or
bazaars. This extends northwards for more than a mile, gradually
merging into native houses often of a most miserable description,
but made to have a neat appearance by being all built up exactly
to the straight line of the street, and being generally backed by
fruit trees. This street is usually thronged with a native
population of Bugis and Macassar men, who wear cotton trousers
about twelve inches long, covering only from the hip to half-way
down the thigh, and the universal Malay sarong, of gay checked
colours, worn around the waist or across the shoulders in a
variety of ways. Parallel to this street run two short ones
which form the old Dutch town, and are enclosed by gates. These
consist of private houses, and at their southern end is the fort,
the church, and a road at right angles to the beach, containing
the houses of the Governor and of the principal officials. Beyond
the fort, again along the beach, is another long street of native
huts and many country-houses of the tradesmen and merchants. All
around extend the flat rice-fields, now bare and dry and
forbidding, covered with dusty stubble and weeds. A few months
back these were a mass of verdure, and their barren appearance at
this season offered a striking contrast to the perpetual crops on
the same kind of country in Lombock and Bali, where the seasons
are exactly similar, but where an elaborate system of irrigation
produces the effect of a perpetual spring.
The day after my arrival I paid a visit of ceremony to the
Governor, accompanied by my friend the Danish merchant, who spoke
excellent English. His Excellency was very polite, and offered me
every facility for travelling about the country and prosecuting
my researches in natural history. We conversed in French, which
all Dutch officials speak very well.
Finding it very inconvenient and expensive to stay in the town,
I removed at the end of a week to a little bamboo house, kindly
offered me by Mr. Mesman. It was situated about two miles away,
on a small coffee plantation and farm, and about a mile beyond
Mr. M.'s own country-house. It consisted of two rooms raised
about seven feet above the ground, the lower part being partly
open (and serving excellently to skin birds in) and partly used
as a granary for rice. There was a kitchen and other outhouses,
and several cottages nearby, occupied by men in Mr. M.'s employ.
After being settled a few days in my new house, I found that no
collections could be made without going much further into the
country. The rice-fields for some miles around resembled English
stubbles late in autumn, and were almost as unproductive of bird
or insect life. There were several native villages scattered
about, so embosomed in fruit trees that at a distance they looked
like clumps or patches of forest. These were my only collecting
places; but they produced a very limited number of species, and
were soon exhausted. Before I could move to any more promising
district it was necessary to obtain permission from the Rajah of
Goa, whose territories approach to within two miles of the town
of Macassar. I therefore presented myself at the Governor's
office and requested a letter to the Rajah, to claim his
protection, and permission to travel in his territories whenever
I might wish to do so. This was immediately granted, and a
special messenger was sent with me to carry the letter.
My friend Mr. Mesman kindly lent me a horse, and accompanied me
on my visit to the Rajah, with whom he was great friends. We
found his Majesty seated out of doors, watching the erection of a
new house. He was naked from the waist up, wearing only the usual
short trousers and sarong. Two chairs were brought out for us,
but all the chiefs and other natives were seated on the ground.
The messenger, squatting down at the Rajah's feet, produced the
letter, which was sewn up in a covering of yellow silk. It was
handed to one of the chief officers, who ripped it open and
returned it to the Rajah, who read it, and then showed it to Mr.
M., who both speaks and reads the Macassar language fluently, and
who explained fully what I required. Permission was immediately
granted me to go where I liked in the territories of Goa, but the
Rajah desired, that should I wish to stay any time at a place I
would first give him notice, in order that he might send someone
to see that no injury was done me. Some wine was then brought us,
and afterwards some detestable coffee and wretched sweetmeats,
for it is a fact that I have never tasted good coffee where
people grow it themselves.
Although this was the height of the dry season, and there was a
fine wind all day, it was by no means a healthy time of year. My
boy Ali had hardly been a day on shore when he was attacked by
fever, which put me to great inconvenience, as at the house where
I was staying, nothing could be obtained but at mealtime.
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