﻿ai* 



MOLUCCAa 



MOKAOHAN. 



S4» 



Mined and many othen are oegleoted. When the Eoglieh were in 

 ptMMeaion of the Motuoeaa, they obtained from them cordage, cables, 

 and Umber. 



InkabUtmtt. — These island* are inhabited l>y two rao7«, tbo Malay* 

 and the Papua*. The Malay* are in poesenion of the ooaits, where 

 they eultirata the ground or gain their lubsititeoce by flahiog. They 

 are Mohammedana. Their langnage contains a great number of 

 foreign won)*, and Dr. Leyden u of opinion that the Temato or 

 Molucca language ha* bean an original tongue. The Papua* hare b?en 

 extirpated on the smaller islands, but they still maintain their ground 

 in the mountainous district* of the larger islauds. They *e«m to 

 belong to the same race which inhabits the continent of Austmlia. 

 They are described as an inoffensire race who cultivate the ground. 



Dirmcm. — The number of islands probably amounts to some hun- 

 dred*, of which however many are small and uninhabited. They may 

 be divided into three groups : the Oilolo Group, or Moluccas proper ; 

 the Cenun Group ; and the Timor Laut Group. The Oilolo Group is 

 the mont northern, and extends from 2° S. lat., to 3° X. lat., and 

 contains the islands of Uilulo, Morty, Hnndioly, Baiohian, Ooby, and 

 Mysole, with numerous smaller islands lying between and about them, 

 among which the islands of Temate and Tidor are the most important 

 In figure Gilolo bears a remarkable resemblance to Celebes, being 

 eompoaed of four long peninsulas, which radiate from a common 

 eentra near 1° X. lat Its greatest length from south to north may 

 be 220 or 230 miles, and its surface, on a rough estimate, about 8000 

 mile*. The northern and north-eastern peninsulas rise into high 

 mountains, and are densely wooded ; the southern attain only a moder- 

 ate elevation. The chief products aro sago, cocoa-nuts, spices, fruits, 

 edible birds'-nests, pearls, gold-dust Horses, horned cattle, and 

 sheep are reared. Uiuiufactured goods, opium, cliina, and iron are 

 imported by the Dutch. The island is divided iuto several petty 

 state* ; the chief town is Gilolo, or Jilolo, at the head of a bay on 

 the we*t side of the island to the north-east of Temate. The sea 

 between Gilolo and Celebes is called the Molucca Paaage. Morly 

 rice* with a gentle a<cent to n considerable height, and is said to have 

 good linrbourj. ifandioly, Batehian, and TaiBuhj arc separated from 

 one another by narrow s'.raita which affjrd gooti anchorage. They 

 are of moderate elevation, and are governed by their own sovereign, 

 to whom also the island of Ooby, or Paulo Oby, belongs. The last- 

 mentioned island is very little kuuwn. The islands of Temate and 

 Tidor are small, being only from 20 to 80 miles in circuit, but the 

 Suit is fertile, and they are very populous. Their sultans possess the 

 greater part of Gilolo, and also several districts on the eastern coast 

 of Celebes. The island of Waygiou, off the north-west coast of 

 Papiin, or New Guinea, is eometimes reckoned among the Moluccas. 

 It lies a little south of the equator, and is crossed by the meridian of 

 131° E. long. The island is stated to be fertile and populous aud to 

 have good harbours. It extends east and west with two ditep inden- 

 tations on its northern and southern shores near the centre of the 

 island ; the northern inlet forms the bay of OSak (0° 1' 8' S. lat, 

 180° ii' E. long). Farther east, but on the north shore also, is 

 another harbour, Port lioni, sheltered by an island. Waygiou is moun- 

 tainous in the centre, the shores and some other parts are marshy. 



To the Gilolo group belong two smaller groups lying farther north- 

 west The eastern group, called the Salibabo Jtlandt, consists of 

 three islands of some extent, Tulour, Salibabo, and Kabruang, and 

 several amaller ones. The islaud of Salibabo lias a good harbour at 

 Leron, in the narrow strait which divides that island from Kabruang. 

 The we«terii group, called the Sangir Iilandt, consists of a larger 

 island and numerous smaller islands. Sangir Island is about 70 mile* 

 lonj; : through its central |;art runs a ridge of bi^h mountains, which 

 terminates on the north in an active volcano. 



The Ccrum group occupies the middle, between 3° and 5° S. lat, 

 and comprehends the two large islands of Cer4M and BoORO, and 

 among the smaller ones, which lie to the south of them are AxBOTNi. 

 and Basda islands. 



The Timor Laut group is the most southern and least known. It 

 ooDsists of the Urge isUnd of Timor Laut aud the Ket, or Ki, IsLAin>s, 

 noticed in a separate article. Timor Laut is about 70 miles long and 

 25 miles wide, mountaiaous and wooded. The centre of the island 

 is nearly in 7" 60' S. lat, 131° 20' E. long. Timor Laut must not 

 be oonfounded with the largo island of Timor, which lies considerably 

 to the wast and is uno of the leaser Ho.nda Islands. The iaiand of 

 Anw) [Asaoo], lying farther east, is also sometimes considered as 

 fcelongiiig to the Moluccas. 



JEToroiy.— The Portuguese arrived at the Molnccas in ISIO, and had 

 Iiardly begun to form settlements when the vessels of Mogalhacns 

 arrived from the cast, and a dispute arose between the Portuguese 

 and Spaniards reii)iectiog the possession of the islands, which lasted 

 for iSTrral year*. The Dutch took the Moluccas from the Poiiugueee 

 about 100 year* afterward*, and, in order to secture to themselves the 

 pxclosivu trade in nutmegs, maoes, and cloves, they formed numerous 

 small *<ttlrm<-nt* on nearly all of them, by which they kept tbo 

 pitty sovereigns in subjection, and, with their assistance, were enabled 

 to extirpate all the rpicetrees in the islands, except Amboyna and 

 Danda, which they subjected entirely to their away. In 1796 the 

 British took poaaeasion of the Moluccas, and kept them to the peace of 

 A mien*, when tiley wer* rectored to the Dutch. The British again 



took poaaession of them in 1810, and again gave them up to Holland 

 at the treaty of Paris in 1814. Sinoa that lime the Dutch have 

 abandoned a few of the smaller establishments, but they still maiutain 

 their hold more or less upon all these islands. In June ISSSa bill 

 was brought into the Dutch chambers by the (;overament for opening 

 the trade in spices ; and making four free ports — Temate, Amboyna, 

 Bands, and Kj^elie. At the last-named place British vessels trading 

 to China call for water and provisions, and it lies on the track to 

 Australia. That the bill was made law we are unable to say. 



(Forest Voyage to ft'ew Oainea ; Stavorinns VoyagtM ; Delano, 

 Voyaget and Travdt ; Crawfurd, Hittory of tht Indian A rchipdago i 

 Uogendorp, Coup i(Eil lur Java, &o.) 



MOMBAS is a sea-port town situated on that part of the eastern 

 coast of Africa which is called the coast of Zonguebar, in 4* 4' S. Ut, 

 39° 88' E. long. It is built on the eastern side of Momb.is Island, 

 which occupies the greater portion of a bay, about fi miles long and 

 3 miles wide. The island is 3 miles long by 2 miles broad ; the two 

 straits which divide it from the continent are hardly half a mile across. 

 The eastern strait constitutes the harbour of the town, which is one 

 of the most perfect in the world. The castle, built by the Portuguese 

 in 1635 on a rock of moderate elevation, lies to the south of the town. 

 The town is not large ; it consists of the cUy and the Black Town, 

 wiiich occupies the most northern portion of it The former, which 

 was once inhabited by the Portuguese, is now inhabited by the Arabs. 

 Some free coloured people and slaves constitute the population of the 

 Black Town. The popuUtion prolably does not exceed 3000 or 4000, 

 and the town, it is said, has fallen into decay. 



Vasco de Gama visited this port in 1498, and was well received, 

 but nearly fell a sacrifice to the treachery of the inhabitants. It was 

 afterwards taken and burnt by Francisco de Almeida in 1503. Twenty- 

 three yeai-s later it was takeu by Nunbo da Cunha after a stout resist- 

 ance from the inhabitants, and was again reduced to ashes. The 

 Portuguese remained in possession of it till 1631, when the king 

 of the country retook it, and put nil the Christians to death. 

 Since then European vessels seldom visit this part of the coast, tlie 

 government of Mombas having more than onoe seised such vessel* 

 when tUey put into the harboiu- for provisions. In 1720 Mombiis waa 

 in possession of the Imam of Muskat who lost it afterwards by a 

 rebellion of its inhabitants. In 1824 the Imam sent a force against the 

 town, which then placed itself under British protectiou, in order to 

 preserve its independence. It is governed by on Arab sheikh. 

 MOMPOX. [New Granada.] 

 MONA. [Anoleset ; M.vn, Isle of.] 



MO'NACO, the Principality of, n small state in the Western Riviera 

 of Genoa. It consists of the small towns of Monaco and Meutone, and 

 the village of Koccabruoa, with a small territory about five mile* in 

 length along the cuast, between Nizza and Ventimiglia, and extends 

 inlaud about three miles. The country is rocky, but produces 

 oranges, citrons, lemons, and other fruits, and oil. The town of 

 Monaco is built on a steep naked rook rising above the sea-coast, is 

 fortified, and has about 2000 inhabitants, and a harbour for small 

 Vessels, ifentone. farther to the east, lies on the sea-shore in a narrow 

 strip of fertile laud sheltered by mountains from the north winds, 

 and planted with olive- and lemon-trees : it has a warm southern 

 climate, and carries on some trade by sea. Mentone has about 4000 

 inhabitants, and a handsome church. 



Since the 14th century the principality of Monaco has been in pos- 

 session of the Genoese family of GrimiUdi, under the protection of 

 France and of the Genoese republic. It is now under the protection 

 of the king of Sardinia. The prince resides half the year in Paris aud 

 the other half iu Monaco. He h-ui a palace a*. Monaco and a handsome 

 villa near Mentone. The Sardinian troops took military possession of 

 Monaco and Mentone during the revolutionary trouliles of 1848-9, 

 and we believe that the principality has been since purchased by the 

 government of Sardiuia. The name of Monaco is derived from a temple 

 dedicated to Hercules Monoecus (' solitary '), which stood on the rock 

 where the town now stand*. . 



MONAGHAN, an inUnd county in the province of Ulster, Ireland, 

 is bounded N. by county Tyrone, E. by Armagh aud Louth, S. by 

 Meath and Cavou. and W. by Fermanagh. It lies between 63° 64' and 

 64° 25' N. lat, 6° 33' and 7° 20' W. long. Its greatest length from 

 north to south is 37 miles ; from east to west it is 23 miles. The urea 

 is 600 squire miles, or 819,767 acre*, of which 285,885 acres are 

 arable, 21,585 acres uncultivated, 6816 acres in plautatioos, 304 acres 

 in towns, and 6167 acres under water. The population in 1841 was 

 200,412; in 1851 it was 141,813. 



Surface, Hydro jrapliy, and Communieationt. — The northern part of 

 the county belongs to the basin of the Blockwater, the southeni part 

 to the basias of the Fone and the Clyde, and the western part to the 

 basin of the Eme. The general surface is hilly, the hills being for 

 the moat part detached and scattered in an irregular manner. The 

 Slieve Beagh range, of which the chief summit is 1254 feet high, 

 extends along the north-west boundary into the county of Fermanagh. 

 The portion of the county lying south-east of that range is a ooin- 

 paratively level tract, and forms th" northern limit of the great plain 

 of Ireland. This district is bounded on the south by a series of 

 heights lying east and west, and connected with the Fews MouuUiin* 

 of Armagh. MuUyosh, on the border, is 1034 fcot high. 'Iho division 



