154 CELEBES. [chap. 



But putting Java aside, it is the most important town in the whole 

 of the Dutch East Indies, and the centre of trade of a vast extent 

 of country. Ternate, Amboina, and Banda are the only other 

 places worthy of the name of town ia Netherlands India, but 

 though the former of these was settled earlier by the Portuguese,^ 

 and the spice trade of the others has been renowned for centuries, 

 they will always remain of inferior importance as compared with 

 the more western town. Bata\da is the Singapore of the Dutch ; 

 Macassar their Hongkong. 



It is seldom that an Englisliman is found in these regions, and, 

 indeed, the traveller, if he be of that nationality, may safely 

 calcidate on seeing the last of his countrymen for some time to 

 come on leaving Bata^da for a voyage to Celebes and the Moluccas. 

 Our sliips rarely cruise in these waters, but, just pre\dous to our 

 arrival, H.]\I.S. Cliampion had ^dsited ]\Iacassar,^the first English 

 man-of-war, it was said, that had entered the port for tliii'ty 

 years. AVliether this is accurate I do not know, but the sliip was 

 received with such kindness that the interval might w^ell have 

 been a century, and the letters of introduction we carried from 

 her officers ensured us a warmth of hospitality that was as pleasant 

 as it was unexpected. Oui- first call after presenting these was 

 upon the Governor, and though we were more or less acquainted 

 with the etiquette to be observed on these occasions, it is probable 

 that my reader is not, and I may as well describe it once for all. 



A ceremonial call is generally paid at 7 p.m., dinner being 

 at a quarter or half-past eight, and a black coat with tails is a sine 

 qud non. A dress-coat and waistcoat are considered dc rigueur, but 

 a frock-coat or even a " cutaway " may be worn without a breach of 

 decorum. Tads, howcA'^er, are absolutely essential, and a coat 



^ A few Portuguese apparently settled near Slacassar in 1512, tlie year following 

 Albuquerque's conquest of Malacca, but it does not appear tbat tbey fairly established 

 themselves until many years later, whereas Ternate had been garrisoned by De Brito 

 in 1521, and was held continuously for sixty years. The Dutch occupation of 

 Celebes dates from 1660, in which year they destroyed six Portuguese ships off 

 Macassar, captured their fort, and concluded an alliance with the King of Goa. 



