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TERNATE 65 TOPOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL DESCRIPTIONS
Talimau, Tameti, and Moari.
Most plantations are on the last three islands because there are no wild pigs there.
On Gurah-Ici there are a few coconut plantations; on Lele quite a lot of gaso trees are
found; and on Gafi there are birds’ nests which are gathered in pear-shaped baskets with
the help of bamboo platforms (one hundred and twenty nests annually). 30
From Waidoba we cross to the shore of Halmahera, traveling in an easterly direction
straight for the cape, called Dehe Podo by the Ternatese and Doe Podo by the Tidorese.
Both these names mean “short cape.” This point marks the line of demarcation between the
two states. 31 Two big stones, separated from each other by a narrow passage and known as
Mare Tuso, indicate the place which the Tidorese [p. 99] claim used to be the boundary line
with Ternatese territory. A little bit to the north the river Dehe Podo empties into the sea.
Here there are a few huts belonging to people from Maidi, who also have a coconut
plantation here and maintain the jere which one can find everywhere in these regions.
There is not much to see in these so-called holy places: a covered grave, recognizable
by a pile of heaped-up earth with wooden pegs placed at the head and foot, a few half-burnt
joss-sticks, and some pieces of cloth fluttering under the shade of the high trees. It does not
make a very attractive sight. The jere are cherished by the population, however, and are
usually shown to a visitor at once as the most important local feature.
The beach is passable everywhere. Nevertheless, even with the protection of the
islands which we just now visited, there can be high waves. The beach soon ascends at a
gentle slope into the hilly terrain of the interior forests. In the dense underwood one finds
in places an abandoned cooking place, where Alfurus from the interior have stayed
temporarily, but for the rest the whole coastal region is uninhabited and there are only
three settlements from here to the Woda Islands. The settlements are called Maidi, Payae,
and Gita; they are considered to be kampongs because they consist of twelve families in a
dozen houses, all under a headman.
30 [p. 98, n. 1] In the contract made with the Sultan of Ternate, only Makian, Siko, Gafi, Laigoma,
Talimau, Tameti, Moari, Tauhi (completely unknown) and ten nameless islands are mentioned (see
Bleeker, 1856, I:83). Since our navy never took the trouble to chart this area properly, I will not
hazard a guess as to where these islands are located.
31 [p. 98, n. 2] In Article 5 of the “Treaty of Peace and Amity” concluded between His Highness
Paduka Siri Maha Tuwan Sulthan [sic] Saidil Biladi Sirajul Culutil [spelled “Coeloetil” in original —
Trans.] Mulkil Amiri Iskandar Bainal Baharain waihuwa Hairus Salihin Sieakh Kacili Mohamad
Ali Sultan of Ternate and His Highness Paduka Siri Maha Tuwan Sultan Moolaphar [sic] Hallal
Mahaladun Mohammed Tahir Muijudin Sultan of Tidore, on October 27, 1814, through the
Representative of the British Government in the Moluccas, W.B. Martin, Dehe Podo under the
Tidorese name of Doe Podo was first mentioned as the boundary between the two states (see Haga,
1884, I:460). In official Dutch documents the names Dehe Poho and Doe Podo have been corrupted
to “Djaipopa.” In fact, the word “djai” does not exist, and “popa” is just a variant on popo, which has
the same meaning as podo in both languages. The Aardrijkskundig Woordenboek (1869, III:936)
even lists the place as “Djojopa.” The careless manner in which information about the Ternatese
archipelago is treated can also be seen in Temminck’s Coup d’oeil (1849, II:138), in which, thirty-five
years after this treaty was concluded, Galela is listed as part of Tidore and Bicoli as part of Ternate!
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