338 TRAVELS IN THE EAST INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



been beyond the influence of botli Hindus and Arabs, 

 and even of those natives who have adopted any- 

 foreign religion or custom. Ayar-madidi is a pret- 

 tier village than Kema. Indeed, the more I travelled 

 in the Minahassa, the more I admired the kampongs, 

 they are so incomparably superior to those of every 

 other part of the archipelago in the regularity of 

 their streets and the beautiful hedges with which 

 they are lined, and, above all, in the neatness and 

 evidence of thrift that everywhere appear. 



The chief native of this village is also the chief 

 of the district, which contains several villages. His 

 title in the native language is Hiikom Biza, or " Great 

 Chief," though he prefers to be addressed by the 

 Dutch title of major. The native official next in 

 rank is the chief of one of the smaller villages, as at 

 Kema. His title is Hukom Kadua. At smaller 

 villages than Kema the chief is called Hukom Tua^ 

 or " Old Hukom," and beneath him is the Hukom 

 KacliU, or Little Hukom. These officers are nomi- 

 nally elected by the natives, but the choice is gener- 

 ally confined to the sons of the deceased. 



The Majors and Second Heads receive a per- 

 centage on all the coffee raised and delivered to the 

 'government. This amounts to about twenty thou- 

 sand guilders per year for the seventeen districts in 

 the whole Minahassa. Besides this income, the Ma- 

 jor receives one guilder, and the Second Head half a 

 guilder from each family in their respective districts 

 and sub-districts, and the Hukom Tua five days' 

 labor from each able-bodied man yearly. 



The natives themselves are divided by the Dutch 



