844 A NATTJBALI8T IN CELBBES ch. xiv 



The Schuttery or militia of Minahassa is composed of 

 the natives whose ancestors volunteered in bygone days 

 for military service in Java and other regions of the Dutch 

 dominions. Their military service as Schutters frees them 

 from the heerendienst. 



The officers are chosen from the Europeans in resi- 

 dence in Manado. 



I must confess that I was not particularly impressed 

 with their drill or discipline, but nevertheless, armed as 

 most of them are with modern rifles, they form a body of 

 men capable of rendering effective service against poorly 

 armed and half-naked savages. 



The ball was attended by about a hundred of the non- 

 commissioned officers and their wives and daughters, and 

 most of the European residents put in an appearance for a 

 few hours. At one end of the tent was a raised dais with 

 chairs for the principal guests, and against the wall at this 

 end of the ballroom was a full-length representation of the 

 King of Holland. 



The dances were mostly the round and square dances 

 of Holland, the orders for the latter being given in the 

 French language by one of the masters of the ceremonies. 

 I can assure the reader that French is not an easy language 

 to understand when it is spoken by a Malay sergeant of 

 Schuttery in North Celebes. The women were dressed in 

 the native fashion, a simple coloured sarong round the waist 

 and a little spotlessly clean white jacket or kabaia ; their 

 beautiful straight black hair was gracefully done up on their 

 heads, fastened with silver filigree pins, and decorated with 

 white orange and lemon blossoms ; upon their naked feet 

 they wore slippers ornamented with coloured beads and 

 embroidery. It would, I fancy, astonish our English ladies 

 could they pay a visit to one of these Manado parties, 

 and see the graceful way in which Malay girls dance 



