None Of The Houses
Exceed One Storey, As The Place Is Subject To Earthquakes, Which Would
Endanger The Houses If
Higher, and even low as they are they often fall.
While we were there we had a great earthquake for
Two days, which did
much mischief as the ground opened in several places, and swallowed up
several houses with their inhabitants. Several of their people were dug
out of the ruins, but most of them dead, and many others had their legs
and arms broken by the fall of the houses. Where we were, the ground
swelled up like a wave of the sea, but no damage was done.
This island is governed by a council of five, consisting of the
governor, the senior merchant, or ober koop-man, the Malay king, the
captain of the fort, and the fiscal, which last is the judge. There are
said to be on the island 350 Dutch soldiers, with 120 or 130 Dutch
freemen and petty officers, and about as many Chinese, who reside here
for the benefit of trade, though not allowed to participate in the spice
trade, which the Dutch reserve entirely to themselves. I thus estimate
that the Dutch are able to muster in this island about 550 fighting men,
including themselves and the Chinese; for they can count very little on
the Malays, who would gladly join any other nation against them. The
Malay women are said to be very loose, and not ashamed of having
intercourse with men. They are soon ripe, being often married at nine
years of age, and are said to have children by ten or eleven. All who
reside near the coast must live under the Dutch government, which is
very dissolute and tyrannical, and they are severely punished for even
small faults, being often reduced to slavery, and condemned to wear an
iron on their legs for life. Those dwelling near the coast under the
controul of the Dutch are a kind of Christians; but those in the
interior, among the hills, are Mahometans, and are always at war with
the Dutch. When these hill Malays take any prisoners, they never give
quarter; but, after detaining their prisoners a few days, without meat
or drink, they are produced in public, and have their breasts ripped
open, and their hearts taken out, all the Malays present making great
rejoicings. The heads of these slaughtered prisoners are then embalmed
with spice, and those who can shew the greatest number of Dutch heads
are held in highest honour. In retaliation, when the Dutch take any of
these hill Malays, they load them with irons, and after keeping them
some days in prison, they cut off their ears and noses, and after being
kept some time longer in prison, they are publicly racked to death.
When any of the Malays, living under the Dutch government, are found
guilty of thieving, their ears and noses are cut off, and a great iron
chain is fastened to their legs, in which condition they are made slaves
for life.
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