Project Gutenberg's The Malay Archipelago, by Alfred Russell Wallace

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Title: The Malay Archipelago
Volume II. (of II.)

Author: Alfred Russell Wallace

Posting Date: December 1, 2008 [EBook #2539]
Release Date: February, 2001

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO ***

Produced by Martin Adamson

THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO

VOLUME II. (of II.)

by Alfred R. Wallace

CHAPTER XXI. THE MOLUCCAS--TERNATE.

ON the morning of the 8th of January, 1858, I arrived at Ternate, the
fourth of a row of fine conical volcanic islands which shirt the west
coast of the large and almost unknown island of Gilolo. The largest
and most perfectly conical mountain is Tidore, which is over four
thousand Feet high--Ternate being very nearly the same height, but with
a more rounded and irregular summit. The town of Ternate is concealed
from view till we enter between the two islands, when it is discovered
stretching along the shore at the very base of the mountain. Its
situation is fine, and there are grand views on every side. Close
opposite is the rugged promontory and beautiful volcanic cone of Tidore;
to the east is the long mountainous coast of Gilolo, terminated towards
the north by a group of three lofty volcanic peaks, while immediately
behind the town rises the huge mountain, sloping easily at first and
covered with thick groves of fruit trees, but soon becoming steeper,
and furrowed with deep gullies. Almost to the summit, whence issue
perpetually faint wreaths of smoke, it is clothed with vegetation,
and looks calm and beautiful, although beneath are hidden fires which
occasionally burst forth in lava-streams, but more frequently make their
existence known by the earthquakes which have many times devastated the
town.

I brought letters of introduction to Mr. Duivenboden, a native of
Ternate, of an ancient Dutch family, but who was educated in England,
and speaks our language perfectly. He was a very rich man, owned half
the town, possessed many ships, and above a hundred slaves. He
was moreover, well educated, and fond of literature and science--a
phenomenon in these regi