Ternate - Smithsonian Institution Libraries

TERNATE 10 TOPOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL DESCRIPTIONS
Frans Wittert, and the name of Malayu remains only in the title of Hukum Sangaji Malayu,
one of the chiefs of the Sultan’s nine kampongs. The dependents of this chief have no
separate settlement of their own; instead, their dwellings are scattered throughout the
other eight kampongs. 20
The fort is a quadrangle bastion with thick stone walls surrounded by a dry moat. It
was originally built to protect the harbor, which, however, has since been moved. At
present the fort is only used for housing a garrison of one hundred and fifty men and five
officers. 21 These days no ship will cast anchor in this area since the beach runs dry for a
long distance when the tide is out and even at high tide it is difficult to come close to shore.
In addition to the officers’ residences and the sick ward, the fort contains several
storehouses and a single civilian building, a warehouse in which local materials are stored.
The entrance faces the sea, and were the humid climate not [p. 16] constantly at war with
the blue stone wall, the location of the fort in the middle of this large square would
certainly contribute greatly to the city’s aesthetic value. 22
Behind these walls the governors-general used to live with their subordinates;
within these walls the Colonial Council, whose decisions contributed so much to the
prosperity of the East Indies Company, used to hold their meetings. Here too, in the old
fort’s council chamber, Rodijk and van Dockum committed their treasonous act—fearing
that their possessions might be destroyed by the enemy’s fire, they delivered Governor
20 [p. 15, n. 1] A few writers, such as Bleeker (1856), Veth (in Wallace, 1870-1871), de Hollander
[1877], and others, say that the area around the capital designated as government territory is called
Malayu. This is a mistake, however, probably deriving from the information given in my description
here. This view may have originated with Valentijn (1724), who speaks of a small city called
Maleiyo, a statement that may have been copied by others without verification. Robidé van der Aa
(IG, p. 508) goes even further and reports the founding of Malayu.
21 [p. 15, n. 2] Of these one hundred and fifty men, seven are stationed on Tidore and fifteen on
Bacan. In earlier days the garrison was much stronger; on January 1, 1819, it consisted of twelve
officers and two hundred and ninety-four men, as follows:
Staff: 1 major, 1 surgeon-major, 1 captain functioning as quartermaster, and 1 surgeon 3rd class.
Infantry (24th battalion):
Europeans: 2 captains, 4 lieutenants, 4 second lieutenants, 2 sergeant-majors, 5 sergeants, 2
quartermaster-sergeants, 10 corporals, 1 drummer-piper, 1 bugler, and 35 flankers.
Ambonese: 5 sergeants, 7 corporals, and 29 soldiers.
Javanese: 3 sergeants, 5 corporals, 4 drummer-pipers, and 105 soldiers.
Artillery:
Europeans: 1 captain, 1 lieutenant, 2 sergeants, 1 quartermaster-sergeant, 3 corporals, and
18 flankers.
Javanese: 4 corporals, 1 drummer-piper, and 37 soldiers.
22 [p. 16, n. 1] According to van der Crab (1862, p. 262), the fort was rebuilt in 1757.
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