CELEBES 
277 
it is therefore unlikely that the Portuguese established 
themselves on the island at an early period in the history 
of the archipelago. All eyes were then turned to the 
Moluccas and their spices, and Celebes, as we now know, 
yielded few of the products coveted by Europeans except 
gold, and for this reason carried on only a restricted 
trade. Whether Hindu rites ever came into anything 
like general use is unknown, but it is not at all probable, 
although sculptured remains indicative of the worship of 
Siva are said to exist. Mohammedanism was not intro¬ 
duced until about 1600—a fact which, as has been 
remarked by Crawfurd, proves how small until then had 
been the intercourse of the western nations of Asia with 
Celebes, when it is remembered that Sumatra had been 
converted four centuries before. The Dutch commenced 
trading with Makassar in 1607, and definitely established 
a factory there in 1618. In 1660 a fleet under Van 
Dam effected the conquest of the kingdom, sinking six 
ships of the Portuguese, then allies of the king, and 
taking their fort. The Portuguese ejected, the Dutch 
turned their attention to the north of the island, whence 
they also expelled the Portuguese seventeen years later, 
and in 1703 built a fort at Menado. Little, however, 
was attempted in the way of civilisation in this part of 
the island until the beginning of this century. In 1822 
the coffee-plant was introduced, and in 1849 Menado 
and Kema were made free ports. The English occupied 
Makassar for a short time at the beginning of the present 
century previous to the restoration of the Dutch posses¬ 
sions in 1816. 
3. Physical Features. 
So little is really known of the interior of Celebes, 
