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TERNATE 82 TOPOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL DESCRIPTIONS
None of these three islands has much of a beach; close to the shore the terrain
begins to rise and becomes a fairly high chain of mountains in the interior. Because of this
topography there are no rivers of any importance and what rivulets there are often become
dry during the east monsoon.
A lot of rice is grown, mainly in the districts of Fagudu, Face, and Falahu, but only
on the higher areas, since in the lower regions the work is greatly hindered by the
abundant growth of alang-alang grass. The natives do not take any special care with this
work. They cut and burn the underbrush and during the months of December and January
they make holes in the soil with a stick, throwing a few grains of paddy into them. They
plant only small plots on Mangole. The total yield amounts to six to eight thousand piculs
on average and serves mainly as payment for taxes due, as barter for linen, or as a special
food during marriage parties and for other [p. 120] special occasions. Rice is nowhere the
staple food: on Sulabesi maize is preferred; on Mangole and Taliabu, sago.
Tobacco is grown at Falahu and Fagudu. Since it is of fairly good quality it is
generally kept for the use of the natives there, who do not get supplies from outside. Sugar
cane is grown on the plantations or in the compounds; the people press a kind of sugared
water out of it which they use in baking. This sugar-can water costs f 0.50 per bottle.
The largest sago forests are found in the districts of Kabau, Mangole, Alfola, and
Likitobi. As elsewhere, the sago is eaten in the form of a kind of porridge, as cakes, or
prepared with grated coconut.
There are no spice trees; coconut trees, on the other hand, can be found along the
coasts of all the islands in innumerable quantities.
Among the forest products one should mention damar, wax, and rattan. The first
two of these are used for payment of taxes due to the Sultan. The rattan is only used
domestically, since it is not much in demand in the market because of its poor quality.
There is very little industry—it is limited to the weaving of sarongs with European
threads and the manufacture of sleeping mats 18 which cost f 0.25 to f 1.- each.
Approximately two thousand of these are exported annually. Most of them are bartered to
the Mandarese in exchange for pottery, small wares, and other such products. In a shed at
Sanana, set aside for this purpose, the most skilled carpenters make furniture for the
Sultan and the princes; since the payment often leaves much to be desired, their work
usually progresses slowly.
Fishing is the main occupation of the Bajo people (or Bajorese), 19 who live on the
north coast of Sulabesi [p. 121] at Pohea and Kambawa. They do this mainly along the
18 [p. 120, n. 1] In the Catalogus der Amsterdamsche tentoonstelling (Catalogue of the Exhibition
at Amsterdam), 2nd group, p. 29, the native name for these mats is given as jungutu. This is the
Ternatese word—on Sula they are called balayon.
19 [p. 120, n. 2] Many of these Bajo left their own country, Boni on Celebes, and have been settled
here for many years.
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