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TERNATE 61 TOPOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL DESCRIPTIONS
of these fish traps lie scattered along the beach and almost every [p. 92] family has one so
that daily fish requirements are easily met.
Here is a population on whose island the extirpation system was applied with
unrelenting strictness in earlier centuries. They have risen to a relative degree of
prosperity, without any inducement, by their own labor. This is definite proof that the
destruction of superfluous species has not had such a discouraging effect as is often
claimed. Generally speaking the Moluccas are backward as far as industry is concerned,
partly because of lack of labor but also because the incentive to work is generally missing.
Laziness is inborn; the natives will sometimes work hard because they fear punishment,
but because of their innate love of ease they relapse again immediately if this inducement is
missing. Certainly the former hongi (17 th -century Dutch expeditions to extirpate spice
trees) with their ruthless extirpation of clove trees have made things worse, as the people
saw the fruits of little effort sacrificed to the foreigners’ pursuit of money. They also came
to disdain working because of the enormous supply of slaves, who with the help of rattan
[whips] were forced to work, and were called upon as indispensable help for their more
privileged fellow beings. 18 The kernel of the whole matter, the zest to improve one’s own
state, was not there, and still is not; nature provides everything that is required, so why not
enjoy it in blissful idleness till the end?
The bright side, presented by Makian’s hard-working population, remains,
nevertheless, a happy phenomenon in the midst of an environment which does not yet
share this attitude (though for understandable reasons). Even if one accepts that on this
island it is more difficult to produce one’s daily food because of the lack of sago trees and
the land’s rocky soil, still the yield of the harvest is relatively less than in other areas.
[p. 93]
Taxes are not imposed on Makian by the Sultan; on the other hand the male
population is liable to statute labor at the capital. That is, they are required to provide
twenty ngosa (those liable to statute labor) every three months, and every one year forty
kabo (police-soldiers) and four juru bataku (kitchen helpers).
These statute laborers are registered with the Captain-Laut, who distributes them
among the princes and nobles. Exemption from the ngosa service costs eight reals and from
the kabo service twenty reals. 19
Moreover, some service has to be carried out in the community under the Utusan,
the Sangajis, and the Kimalahas.
The Makianese also go to Ternatese Halmahera, south of Dehe Podo, to get the more
durable beams and planks of gofasa and iron wood which the Sultan, under Article 25 of the
contract with the Government, is committed to supply. Since in this case the proa, sails,
18 [p. 92, n. 1] So many slaves were available during this period that twenty-five years ago the
exchange value for one was often only two pedah—approximately eighty Dutch cents.
19 [p. 93, n. 1] The real has a figurative value of f 1.60; one real = 4 suku of 40 Dutch cents and
one suku = 6 kupang of 7 cents or 3 kupang = 20 cents. One kupang = 3 stiwer of 3 1/4 cents, though
this does not hold true everywhere.
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