Ternate - Smithsonian Institution Libraries

TERNATE 161
THE TERNATESE LANGUAGE
When, on that Tuesday, the committee was allowed to return, it called upon the
Sahbandar-Khatibi-Jurtulis, together with the Imam-Secretary, to draft thirteen letters to
be sent to Dodinga, Kau, Tobelo, Galela, Lolodah, Tolofuo, Tobaru, Gamkonorah, Sawu,
Jailolo, Gaane, Marah, and Kayoa. It was the custom that these letters be written by the
Imam-Secretary in his own house; but since he was extremely busy, he asked other clerks
to help him. The letter read as follows:
“Since the respected and distinguished Mr. Owen Maurits de Munnick, Resident of
Ternate, who on behalf of the Dutch Government holds office in Fort Oranje, has ordered us
four committee members, Captain-Laut Putra Ayanhar, Jogugu Major-Prang Bungah,
Imam-Secretary Abdul Ajij, and Hukum Sangaji Makdum, to write you this letter, we
inform you, Khatibi-Jurtulis Abdul Kadir, Jurtulis Abdul Tahir, Alferes Babah, Sarjeti
Hamiru, Sangaji of Sawu Aksam, Gogugu of Sawu, headmen of the four soahs and headmen
of Talai, Palasoah, Tacim, and Balasuan, and all who live in the district of Sawu, that in
this month of Dulkaidah, the fourth day of the moon, on a Monday, the Government will
install your Ruler; and when you [p. 229] have read this letter, you, Khatibi Jurtulis,
Sarjeti Hamiru, and the Sangaji of Sawu, should come without delay to Ternate by sea, and
the headmen and people of the four soahs and the headmen of Talai, Palasoah, Tacim, and
Balasuan should come with you. The Jurtulis and Alferes and Gogugu of Sawu will remain
there to hold office. Moreover, we notify you that the people of the district of Sawu have to
carry out statute labor for the procession of the Sultan. They will have to provide guards
and people to carry out statute labor, and an additional one hundred people and everything
that is needed for the ceremonies. You should bring all this with you by sea, and you
absolutely may not deviate from these orders.”
The Prince Captain-Laut had these thirteen letters taken to the Resident by the
Imam-Secretary that same day. The Resident put the government seal on them, and the
Imam-Secretary took them up again, and the Resident handed the Imam-Secretary the two
Sultan’s seals and the great seal to hand over to the Prince Captain-Laut. He would receive
instructions regarding the use of the seals on the day of the installation.
The Resident gave him the seals early, however, saying, “When the committee
writes a letter or signs a pass, impress the seal.”
When the Prince Captain-Laut returned, he had the great seal impressed on the
thirteen letters, namely the Company seal on the right and the Sultan’s seal on the left, and
he called the committee to send the letters. The Alferes Siha took the letters to Makian,
Kayoa, and Gaane; the Alferes Mohamad went to Dodinga, Kau, Tobelo, and Galela; and
the Sarjeti Jidun went to Jailolo, Sawu, Gamkonorah, Tobaru, Tolofuo and Lolodah. As for
the remote villages such as Sula and Taliabu, Banggai and Tombuku, they would not be
summoned to pay homage as was customary until after the installation and the granting of
the titles.
When the Imam-Secretary took the letters to the Resident, [p. 230] he also talked
about payment of the recognition money, to the effect that, after the announcement that the
Government had decided to install a Sultan, 36 the money would not be handed over to the
36 [p. 230, n. 1] At that time there had been correspondence about the desirability of bringing the
Ternatese islands under direct rule.
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