Ternate - Smithsonian Institution Libraries

TERNATE 111
SHORT CHRONICLE
1606. The Spanish at Ternate, under Don Pedro da Cunha, capture the fortress
Gamlamo and take Sultan Saidudin as prisoner. The Sultan is taken to Manila, 30 where
apparently he dies, though when is not known. [p. 156] Daya or Hidayat, the Viceroy, 31
sends Kaicil Ali to Bantam to notify the Dutch of the Spanish conquest and to ask them for
help.
1607. Kornelis Matelief de Jonge arrives at Ternate and builds a fortress called
Malayu. He concludes a treaty with Modafar on June 26, with the main provision that they
will help each other against the Spanish and have the monopoly in cloves. 32 Gerard
Gerardszoon van der Buis is appointed headman, with a Council of Eight to assist him. 33
1608. Paulus van Caerden at Ternate. He brings Makian once again under the
domination of Ternate, after first annexing Tafasoho. Eruption of the mountain at Ternate
in July.
1609. François Wittert builds a fortress on Moti, named Nassau, and changes the
name of Fort Malayu to Oranje. 34 [p. 157] He concludes a new treaty in July. 35 After the
conquest of Bacan the Kayoa Islands are returned to Ternate.
30 [p. 155, n. 6] De Jonge (1872-1875, III:53) speaks of the combined powers of the Spaniards and
the Portuguese, but nothing indicates that the latter participated in this action. [note continues, p.
156 bottom] In fact, there is evidence to the contrary (see de Jonge 1872-1875, III:37 and 235). The
“Rapport over ‘s Compagnies Recht op de Groote Oost” (“Report on the Rights of the Company in the
Great East”) [in de Klerk et al. 1868], page 5, incorrectly states that the Spanish came to Ternate in
1607. Keijzer dates that conquest a year earlier (see chronological list at the end of his Vol. I [in
Valentijn 1862]).
Robidé van der Aa says the name of the commander was Don Pedro Bravo de Acuna, which is
probably more accurate since he consulted Spanish writers.
31 [p. 156, n. 1] According to Valentijn (1724, Ib:215), Modafar was six years old in 1606, and (p.
239) fifteen years old in 1610!
32 [p. 156, n. 2] This treaty is mentioned in Valentijn (1724, Ib:224). From what he writes on p.
239, however, it appears that Modafar did not come to the throne until 1610, so that in fact it was
Matelief who came to this agreement with the Viceroy.
33 [p. 156, n. 3] In de Jonge (1872-1875, III:57) that commander is called Gerrit Gerritszoon van
der Buijs.
34 [p. 156, n. 4] At that time there were four forts on the island of Ternate: Malayu or Oranje,
Toloko or Hollandia, Takome or Willemstad, and Kalamata. On Makian there were three: at
Tafasoho, Tabalolo, and Ngofakiaha or Mauritius. In addition there were: on Moti, Fort Nassau; at
Bacan, Fort Barneveld; on Halmahera, a fort at Jailolo; and on Tidore, one at Mariku (cf. Valentijn
1724, Ib:248 and Gerlach 1859, p. 20, note).
35 [p. 157, n. 1] This treaty is mentioned in Valentijn 1724, Ib:231. As with the previous one, it
does not completely correspond with the contracts in de Jonge (1872-1875, III:226 and 334). In de
Jonge, Modafar is not mentioned by name.
It is remarkable that at present only a few clove trees grow in one or two places in the whole
residency of Ternate.
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