196 TRAVELS IN THE EAST INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



of the city of Amboina nine-tentlis of the so-called 

 Europeans are really mestizoes. The second class is 

 composed of those natives who are not required by 

 the government to work in the clove-gardens. They 

 are named by the Dutch " burgers." The third class 

 includes the negroijvolken or "villagers," and the 

 fourth comprises those who were slaves, and are 

 mostly natives of Papua. The " villagers," or com- 

 mon people, have paid no direct tax, but have been 

 required instead to work a certain number of days in 

 the clove-gardens belonging to the government, and 

 also sell to the government all they raise themselves 

 at a certain price. Now the Dutch are changing 

 this indirect mode of taxation into a direct mode, and 

 requiring the able-bodied men to pay one guilder 

 each this year, but not obliging them to work so 

 many days in the gardens. Next year they are to 

 pay two guilders and work a less number of days, 

 and so on till the fifth year, when they Avill pay five 

 guilders, and be entirely free from any other tax. 



After*the examination of the school has been fin- 

 ished, all the able-bodied men are called together be- 

 fore the rajah's house, and the Resident explains to 

 them this change, and what will be expected of them 

 during the coming year. At present each village is 

 obliged to furnish men at a certain price to carry the 

 chair of every official and of every one who, like my- 

 self, has an order for such a privilege from the head 

 government at Batavia. In four years from this time 

 each official will be obliged to make a separate trade 

 at every village with his chair-bearers, and these peo- 

 ple are so indolent, and so given to demanding the 



