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Updated: May 29, 2025
Most of these rivers have been taken possession of and colonised by the various tribes indigenous to the neighbouring isles and continent, to wit, Arabs, Malays, Illanoans, Bughis, the natives of Celebes, Chinese, &c.
As only the underwood had been cleared away, the crop must have been produced beneath the shade of the large trees, through which the rays of the sun could scarcely penetrate. At Ki Doulan we saw nothing new. The inhabitants had sold nearly all their canoes to the Bughis, who had touched here on their return from Arrou to their own country. June 29.
Each Bughis proa imports to the amount of from 10,000 to 30,000 dollars, and at least one half of her cargo consists of British goods. Taking the yearly average of thirty proas, and the amount of her import cargo at the lowest above stated, this will give 150,000 dollars, or 32,500 pounds sterling, as the amount of British goods imported annually into Dobbo.
The Bughis proas import large quantities of British calico, iron, hardware, muskets, gunpowder, etc. from Singapore, to obtain which Dobbo is visited by the natives of Ceram, Buru, New Guinea, and of all the adjacent islands, it being the only spot in this part of the world where British manufactures can at present be procured.
The value of a return cargo of a Bughis proa at Singapore is about 200 per cent on the outlay. Although of immense size, the trees are almost invariably sound; and as they can be felled within a few yards of the beach, it is not impossible that at some future period timber may form a valuable article of export. The western islands of this group are very thinly inhabited.
The commerce of these islands appears to have increased considerably of late years, four or five ships and brigs, with a number of Macassar and Bughis proas, whose united crews were said to have amounted to 5,000 persons, having sailed with cargoes about two months previous to our visit.
We found it very little changed since our last visit. The trading vessels had all sailed, but the village was occupied by a few Dutch traders from Macassar, some dozen Chinese, and about 300 Bughis and Macassars; the greater portion of whom were preparing to visit the eastern side of the group to collect the produce for the vessels expected to arrive at the setting-in of the westerly monsoon.
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