168 
WALLACE ON THE ARRU ISLANDS. 
[Feb. 22, 1858. 
guages of this part of the Archipelago are very obscure, owing to 
the difficulty of distinguishing between the words introduced by 
the constant trading intercourse and intermixture, and those resem- 
blances which arise from a community of origin. More materials 
must be collected to come to any definite conclusion on this point. 
The character of the natives of Arru is very different from that of 
the Malay races. They are less reserved and apathetic, thejr speak 
louder, laugh more, and are altogether a much noisier, merrier set 
of people. The difference is, in fact, so very marked and striking, 
that it alone would suffice to separate them completely from the 
Malays. They wear no clothing, but a small waist-cloth for the men, 
and a piece of matting for the women. The bow is their national 
weapon, and they are very skilful in the use of it. They cultivate 
yams, sweet potatoes, and other roots, which with native sago form 
their whole food, the coast tribes adding fish, and those inland the 
flesh of the wild pig, kangaroo, cassowary, and various birds which 
they obtain occasionally with their bows and arrows. A rich layer 
of vegetable mould over the coral rock produces sugar-cane of the 
finest quality, which they chew incessantly and sell during the 
trading season at Dobbo. 
In the villages of Wamma, Wokan, and Maykor, are resident 
schoolmasters, sent by the Dutch Government from Amboyna, and 
the inhabitants are Christians : one or two other villages are Ma- 
hommedan, but all the rest of the population are pagans. As far as 
I could judge, however, there is very little difference in their degree 
of civilisation, that seeming to depend more on their proximity to 
Dobbo, and the amount of communication they have with the 
traders. A Dutch war-schooner brings a commissioner annually to 
Arru, who stays about a month visiting all the principal villages to 
hear and decide disputes among the natives, and with the traders ; 
so that the whole group is actually under the Dutch Government. 
The trade of Arru is very considerable, and is all carried on with 
the port of Macassar and with the islands of Goram and Ceram. 
In the present year (1857) fourteen large prows, of from fifty to 
one hundred tons, and one brig arrived at Dobbo from Macassar. 
The owners are Bugis, Chinese, or Dutch, and the gross value of 
their cargoes about 20,000?. Besides these, not much short of two 
hundred boats and prows of small size arrived from Ke, Goram, and 
Ceram, the whole value of whose cargoes may be 7000?. or 8000?. 
more. The Macassar traders bring rice, tobacco, gambir, muskets, 
brass cannon, gunpowder, gongs, swords, knives, choppers, axes, 
English and Chinese crockery, calicoes and cottons, Bugis cloth and 
arrack. The prows from Goram and Ceram bring principally sago- 
