THE NORTHEEN MOLUCCAS. 



237 



The Northern Moluccas, where the political ascendency is centred in the two 

 volcanic islets of Tidorand Ternate, are distinguished, even more than the southern 

 group, by their peculiarly specialised local forms. Thus Morotai possesses charac- 

 teristic birds unknown in Halmahera, from which it is separated only by an island - 

 studded strait twenty-four miles wide. The fauna, both of Morotai in the extreme 

 north and of Damar in the extreme south, is much more allied to that of the remote 

 Papuasia than the Moluccas. Specially remarkable is the fauna of Batjan, in 



Fig. 101.— Empiees of Ternate and Tidoe. 

 Scale 1 : 20,000,000. 





pTa. 



Last; or u r'ée.nwich 



^ 



Eesidence of 

 Ternate. 



Former possessions 

 of Ternate. 



possessions 

 of Tidor. 



Kingdom 

 of Batjan. 



Islands formerly 



divided between 



Ternate and Tidor. 



SOU Miles. 



whose spice forests is found the baboon-like cynopithecus, which here reaches its 

 farthest eastern range. 



The dominant element in the Little Moluccas are the Malays, who, after secur- 

 ing a footing in Ternate and Tidor, overran the whole archipelago. But inter- 

 marrying with the Alfuru women, their type has been variously modified. An- 

 other intruding element are the Orang Serani, that is, the Nazarenes or Christians, 

 who are partl}^ descended from Portuguese ancestors. But they have long forgot- 



