Ternate - Smithsonian Institution Libraries

TERNATE 165
THE TERNATESE LANGUAGE
the stairs, greeted him, lifted his foot, took his hand, and arm-in-arm they went inside. The
Captain-Laut was greeted by the Resident in the inner gallery; he sat down in a chair and
had a few minutes’ rest facing the sea. The Resident sat in the middle with the Captain-
Laut and the Fiskaal on the left [the Resident’s right] at the upper end; the Captain-
Commander of the militia and the Jogugu Major-Prang Bungah, the Kali, the Major, the
Kapita-Ngofa and the delegates from Tidore and Bacan sat facing south; on the right sat
the Captain-Commander of the garrison and the officers and citizens, facing north; the
notables, the bobatos, and nobles stood in the gallery with their faces towards the land⎯a
few of them were sitting. A few minutes after being seated, the Resident stood up and the
Prince Captain-Laut and all the gentlemen followed his example. The Resident began to
speak:
“I notify all of you at this moment that the Government will appoint a Ruler over
Ternate today and that the crown reverts to the Prince Captain−Laut, [p. 236] designated
for that station by the late Sultan, his father. The Government has not appointed a ruler
for more than three years, owing to the fact that on Halmahera a revolt had taken place,
led by Hasan. This revolt is now finished and the distinguished Governor-General and
Indies Councils at Batavia have informed me that they have approved and announced the
appointment of none other than the Prince Captain-Laut as the Ruler. He will assume his
high position because he is the legitimate eldest son of the late Sultan. The titles and
names given to him are as follows: Sultan tajulmahsul banayatullalalihanan sirajulmulka
amirudin iskandar manurusadik wahuwa mina aladalin sah. A new contract with the
Government will be concluded at a later date.”
After the Resident had said this, the Sultan placed his signature and impressed the
seal on the statement, and the Jogugu, the Hukum, the Kali, the Imam, the Major, the
Kapita-Ngofa, and the Lieutenant-Ngofa all signed it. The Resident told the Imam-
Secretary to place the crown on the head of the Sultan. The Prince Captain-Laut took off
his head shawl and the Sosowohi Nasarudin took it, placed it on a silver tray covered with a
napkin, and took it back to the palace. After the Prince had taken off his head shawl, the
Kali and the Imam-Secretary took the crown and placed it on the head of the Ruler with
deep respect and homage, while thirteen shots were fired from Fort Oranje. After this they
put the gold chain on the Ruler. Then the Resident congratulated the Sultan, who thanked
the Resident in the name of the Government. Then all the officers and civilians
congratulated the Sultan. The secular and religious leaders, the three Ngofangares, the
princes and nobility all paid homage, followed by the delegates from Tidore and Bacan, and
then everyone sat down again. The Imam-Secretary gave a [p. 237] sign to the Resident
and the Lebe Ahgrah and the Kali Mohamadum read the prayer, and after they had gone
out with their hands over their faces the guards brought in a small table with a silver
pinang box on it and placed it before the chair of the Sultan. Then they brought a silver
bowl with water to the Sultan and also tea and all kinds of cakes and the Resident and the
Sultan and all the gentlemen took tea. After tea, the Resident accompanied the Sultan
outside, the two walking arm-in-arm, and they remained standing in the gallery with their
faces turned toward the sea. The Fiskaal read the decree of appointment while the garrison
and the civil militia and the upas salakah and ahi were lined up, according to custom, as a
mark of honor. They went inside again and sat down and talked for some time. The
Resident told the Sultan that the ceremony was completed, so they both stood up again and,
arm-in-arm, went outside. The civil militia, the garrison, and the guards presented arms.
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