248 ACCOUNT OF CELEBES, AMBOYNA , &C.
This ifland is of an oval fhape, the Iongeft diameter of which extends eaft and weft.Part of its northern coaft is inhabited by a people who are fubjefts of the Company,and arc governed by their Oran Cayos, who have each a dap, or deputy, underthem. The interior parts, which confift of very high mountains, are the haunts ofthe Alforefe, or wild mountaineers. The fouth coaft is now deferted, on account ofthe continual invafions of the Papuas.
The Company have a fmall fortrefs in the bay of Cagely, at the north-eaft end ofthe ifland. A book-keeper, who belongs to the eftabliftunent at Atnboyna, is thechief there.
On the 4th of the fame month we faw the ifland Amblauw, which lies about twoleagues fouth from the eaft point of Bouro. It is but thinly inhabited. A corporaland four men were formerly ftationed here to defend the inhabitants from the incurfionsof the Papuas*; but at prefent there are no Europeans upon the ifland. It now be-longs to the fettlement of Larike upon the ifland of Atnboyna, whereas it formerly wasreckoned an appurtenance, of Bouro.
On the 6th of March we weathered this ifland, and faw Amboyna at a diftance,bearing eaft-north-eaft.
The next day, at funrife, we were in fight of fix iflands belonging to the govern-ment of Amboyna, namely, Amboyna , Ceram, Kelang, Manipa, Bouro, and Am-blauw ; and an hour afterwards we likewife faw the ifland Bonoa; we fleered for thepoint of Alang, which is the weftern extremity of Amboyna .
About three o’clock in the afternoon we got fight of the enfign at the faCtory ofLarike, fituated on the weft coaft of Hitoe, which is the northern peninfula of Am-boyna , and on approaching Larike to within half a league, we were faluted by the fortwith thirteen guns, which we anfwered with five.
Hence we failed, at the diftance of a cable’s length from the fliore, to the point ofAlang, where we faw the fignal flag of recognizance for my fhip flying, about fiveo’clock; this was red above, and white below; and on the other hand the fignal flagwhich we fhould have hoifted in return, was to have been, agreeably to the fealedinftruftions given me at Batavia, one with three horizontal ftripes, red, white andred ; but fuch a flag had been totally negleCted to be put on board at Batavia : thelike occurrence happened to me before, when I failed to Bengal, in the year 1769.Of what ufe are fignal flags of recognizance, if one is unprepared to hoift the an-fwering fignal ? A fhip’s captain can never himfelf take the neceflary care to be pre-pared for them ; for the letter of inftruCtions, containing thefe fecret-fignals is putinto his hands fealed, with directions not to open it till in a certain latitude; as in thisinftance I was not to open mine till I had made the ifland Bouro.
Having got to about an eighth of a league from the point of Alang, the pilot ofAmboyna came on board of us, with a written order from the governor of the provinceto pilot the fliip into the bay.
This bay, which is formed by two large peninfulas, Hitoe and Leytimor, connectedtogether, to the eaftward, by a very narrow ifthmus, called the Pafs of Baguewala,and which conftitute the ifland of Amboyna , is, at the entrance, between the points of
* In March and April the Papuas of New Guinea and the iflands Salwatty, Aroo, and Myfol, are apt toaffemble in great numbers, and make war on Gilolo, Ceram, Amboyna , Bouro, Amblauw, and as far asXulla-beffy. About the year 1765 the Papuas plundered the ifland of Amblauw, and carried off manyof the inhabitants. In 1 770, upon an incurfion of a number of the Papua boats, who failed up the ftraitof Patientia, which divides Bachian from Gilolo , the Dutch took the Rajah of Salwatty prifoner, and hewas Tent into banifhment to the Cape of Good Hope . Tr.
8 Alang