Once Every Year The Dutch Have To Send A Large Force From Amboina On The
Following Business, About The 20th Of October.
On this occasion the
governor is attended by about seventy-five orambies, or boats of the
country, some rowed by 100 paddles, some eighty, fifty, or forty paddles
each, and in each of which there are two Dutch soldiers.
I reckon
therefore in this fleet 150 to 160 Dutch soldiers, and about 5250
Malays, allowing seventy to each oramby on the average. These
seventy-five orambies are divided into three squadrons. The
van-division of twenty orambies, is always commanded by a member of
the council, who carries a yellow flag. The rear-squadron consists also
of twenty orambies, and is commanded by the fiscal, having a red flag.
The rest form the centre-squadron, and attend the governor, who has a
serjeant and corporal, with twelve Dutch soldiers, for his body guard,
and carries a blue flag. The governor is also attended by the Malay king
and all their princes or chiefs, lest they should rebel in his absence.
In this order the fleet proceeds to visit and victual the eastern, or
Banda islands, especially those that produce cloves or nutmegs; and at
every island it goes to, it is joined by additional boats. This cruize
generally lasts for six weeks, during which they cut down and destroy
all the clove and nutmeg-trees they can find, except those which are
reserved for the use of the company.
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