Page 285 - THE MELANESIA DIASPORA FILE CETAK ISI 10022017

much mace for his country as possible, and thus to lure some merchants to him; is also able
to have great quantities bought up; he also knows to give gift to the Bandanese priests ....
so that it works to great advantage to him there...” (Poelinggomang, 2002: 29, van Leur,
1983: 143).
This led to a trade technique, which enabled them to have the opportunity not only to
buy the products of the local population, but also to get rewards from the local authorities
and clerics. In our culture, the returning gifts for the gifts we have received should have
higher value.
In addition to the technique described by Van der Chijs, there was information stating
that the Papua merchants were happy doing commercial transactions with merchants
from Makasar for several reasons. First, they bought the products of the people at
reasonable prices, when compared to the prices offered by the VOC merchants. Second,
according to them, which was really important, Makasar traders always kept their
promises. Therefore, they preferred to trade products they had collected, such as scales,
sea cucumbers, aloes, and birds of paradise with Makasar traders rather than with traders
from Tidore, and other places.
When the VOC strived to monopolize the spice trade in the Moluccas, the ruler of the
kingdom of Makasar made attempts to protect its people and all the activities of other
traders who wanted to trade in the area. It was described by Cornelis van Leur as follows:
“...all the Malay and other foreign traders, being more than six hundred strong, prepare
themselves to go out again with the beginning of the arrival western mondoon, most
of them with small vessels (usual for the spice trade) to Amboyna and the surrounding
regions, with the great a capital as they can bring together, some of it rice, but most of
it cash, through last year’s profits being made keen and fed with a great hope of making
still more this year; (it is said that) the king for his part will send two chiefs over them, with
the express charge that in case the inhabitants of Amboyna or thereabouts request any
help or assistance they shall perform that same completely, according to their ability ...”
(Poelinggomang, 2002: 34, van Leur, 1983: 143)
This shows that commercial sailing to the Moluccas, when VOC applied trade
monopoly policy, was conducted jointly and under security protection of the authorities in
the Kingdom of Makasar. The inclusion of the two leaders was meant the inclusion of two
warships known as galei (a type of Arabian frigate built under Portuguese instructors) to
protect the merchants from the threat of the VOC and provide assistance to the parties in
the Moluccas when needed.

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