took place about ten years ago, when a treaty of alliance was signed between the five Radjas and the Dutch Company; in consequence of which the Company is yearly to furnish each of these kings with a certain quantity of fine linen and silk, cutlery ware, etc., in short, of any kind of goods which he wants, all which is delivered in the form of a present accompanied with a certain cask of arrack, which the Radja and his principal people never cease to drink as long as a drop of it remains. In return for this, each Radja agrees that neither he nor his subjects shall trade with any person except the Company, unless they have the permission of their resident, that they shall yearly supply so many sloop-loads of rice, maize, and calevances, the maize and calevances being sent off to Timor in sloops, which are kept on the island for that purpose. Each sloop is navigated by ten Indians. The rice is taken away by a ship, which at the time of the harvest comes to the island annually, bringing the Company’s presents, and anchoring by turns in each of the three bays.
In consequence of this treaty, Mr. Lange, a Portuguese Indian, who seems to be his second, and a Dutch Indian, who serves for schoolmaster, are permitted to live among them.
Mr. Lange himself is attended by fifty slaves on horseback, with whom he every two months makes the tour of the island, visiting all the Radjas, exhorting those to plant who seem idle; and, observing where the crops are got in, he immediately sends sloops for them, navigated by these same slaves, so that the crop proceeds immediately from the ground to the Dutch storehouses at Timor. In these excursions he always carries certain bottles of arrack, which he finds of great use in opening the hearts of the Radjas with whom he has to deal. Notwithstanding the boasted honesty of these people, it requires his utmost diligence to keep the arrack from his slaves, who, in spite of all his care, often ease him of a great part of it. During the ten years that he has resided on this island no European but himself has ever been here, except at the time of the
