THE SPICE ISLANDS.--WONDERFUL BIRDS.--CLOVES, CINNAMON, NUTMEGS,
GINGER.--THE SHIPS OVERLOADED.
The massacre at Matan caused the Spaniards to lose credit in the eyes of
the natives. The King of Seba turned against them, thus throwing a
shadow on the glory of Magellan's missionary work. The Spaniards were,
however, much to blame for the change that took place in the King's
heart.
Their ships were becoming unseaworthy.
They were reduced to two ships, the Victoria and the Trinidad, and these
shaped their course for the Moluccas, or Spice Islands, by the way of
Borneo. Del Cano began to represent the spirit of Magellan among the
crews.
They came to the Bornean city, Brunei, "a collection of houses built on
piles over the water, where were twenty-five thousand fires or
families." On the shore was the palace of a voluptuous Sultan, its walls
hung with brocades of silk. Here was also one of the most curious
markets in all the world, carried on at high tide, when there gathered
a great army of canoes.
On November 8, 1521, the two ships anchored off Tidor on the Spice
Islands, saluting the King of the place with a broadside.
They concluded a treaty of peace with the King, and began to load the
two ships with spice, and especially with cloves, a kind of spice at
that time regarded as a great luxury in Spain.
If Pigafetta had desired above all things to see the wonders of the
ocean world, he must again have been gratified here at some of the
presents sent to the ships by the natives. Columbus had brought to Spain
gorgeous parrots or macaws. But the King of Batchian sent to him a bird
whose plumage surpassed anything that he had ever seen.
"It is the bird of Paradise," said the agent of the royal almoner.
The Italian did not doubt it. He wished to learn the history of this
superb inhabitant of the air.
He did in a way that excited his wonder beyond measure.
The bird, after the Mohammedan account, was born in Paradise. It came
down from Heaven where dwelt departed souls, who had died true to the
Moslem faith.
These birds were found dead, and they had no feet. If Pigafetta inquired
the cause of this, he doubtless was answered:
"They do not need feet; they never alight on the ground."
But as greatly as the Chevalier must have wondered, he was not induced
to accept the Moslem faith.
They overcrowded the ships while receiving the favors of the Sultan of
Tidor.
An account of their voyage about the Spice Islands, "most delightful to
read," as we are told in the title, was written by one Maximilianus
Transylvanus, from which we gather the following incidents (Hakluyt
Society) of great pearls and strange men:
"They came to the shores of the Island of Solo, where they heard that
there were pearls as big as dove's eggs, and sometimes as hen's eggs,
but which can only be fished up from the very deepest sea. Our men
brought no large pearl, because the season of the year did not allow of
the fishery. But they testify that they had taken an oyster in that
region, the flesh of which weighed forty-seven pounds. For which reason
I could easily believe that pearls of that great size are found there;
for it is clearly proved that pearls are the product of shellfish. And
to omit nothing, our men constantly affirm that the islanders of Porne
told him that the King wore in his crown two pearls of the size of a
goose's egg.
"Hence they went to the Island of Gilo, where they saw men with ears so
long and pendulous that they reached to their shoulders. When our men
were mightily astonished at this, they learnt from the natives that
there was another island not far off where the men had ears not only
pendulous, but so long and broad that one of them would cover the whole
head if they wanted it (_cum exusu esset_). But our men, who sought not
monsters but spices, neglecting this nonsense, went straight to the
Moluccas, and they discovered them eight months after their Admiral,
Magellan, had fallen in Matan. The islands are five in number, and are
called Tarante, Muthil, Thidore, Mare, and Matthien; some on this side
some on the other, and some upon the equinoctial line.
"One produces cloves, another nutmegs, and another cinnamon. All are
near to each other, but small and rather narrow."
The world to-day thinks little of spices, for commerce has made common
the luxuries of the Indian Ocean. Cloves, nutmegs, allspice, cinnamon,
ginger are found in every home in all civilized lands, and even children
make few inquiries about them.
This was not so in the early days of the Viceroys of India. Spices which
were gathered and sold by Arabian merchants, were held in Europe as a
gift of Arabia, and esteemed to be the greatest, or among the greatest
of luxuries. A ship laden with spices was hailed in the ports of the
Iberian peninsula as next to a ship freighted with gold, as the Golden
Hynde was welcomed in the days of Sir Francis Drake. It used to be said
that the odors of the spice ships from the East Indies could be breathed
through the breezes that wafted them toward the land.
The principal Spice Islands were the Moluccas, or the islands of the
East India Archipelago between Celebes on the west and New Guinea on the
east, Timor on the south and the open Pacific Sea on the north. They are
distributed over a wide ocean area. Of these the Moluccas form the
principal group. Here are the paradises of the seas.
It was to these islands where could be procured the products of "Araby
the Blessed" that Magellan had hoped to find a new way. There were
brighter shores than Spain, and to these he sought the shortest routes
over which ships could travel.
The Peruvian adventurers wished to find gold; the voyagers to the
Antilles, magical waters and new productions of the earth; but
Magellan's dream was of the spiceries of the Indian seas. They all found
what they sought, except Ponce de Leon, who hoped to find the Fountain
of Eternal Youth.
Transylvanus speaks of another wonderful bird that only alighted at
death, and whose feathers were believed to possess magic powers.
"The kings of Marmin began to believe that souls were immortal a few
years ago, induced by no other argument than that they saw that a
certain most beautiful small bird never rested upon the ground nor upon
anything that grew upon it; but they sometimes saw it fall dead upon the
ground from the sky. And as the Mohammedans, who traveled to those parts
for commercial purposes, told them that this bird was born in Paradise,
and that Paradise was the abode of the souls of those who had died,
these kings (reguli) embraced the sect of Mohammed, because it promised
wonderful things concerning this abode of souls. But they call the bird
Mamuco Diata, and they hold it in such reverence and religious esteem
that they believe that by it their kings are safe in war, even though
they, according to custom, are placed in the forefront of battle."
He continues his narrative:
"But, our men having carefully inspected the position of the Moluccas
and of each separate island, and also having inquired about the habits
of the kings, went to Thedori, because they learnt, that in that island
the supply of cloves was far above that of the others, and that its King
also surpassed the other kings in wisdom and humanity. So, having
prepared their gifts they land, and salute the King, and they offer the
presents as if they had been sent by Caesar. He, having received the
presents kindly, looks up to Heaven, and says:
"'I have known now for two years from the course of the stars, that you
were coming to seek these lands, sent by the most mighty King of Kings.
Wherefore your coming is the more pleasant and grateful to me, as I had
been forewarned of it by the signification of the stars.
"'And, as I know that nothing ever happens to any man which has not been
fixed long before by the decree of fate and the stars, I will not be the
one to attempt to withstand either the fates or the signification of the
stars, but willingly and of good cheer, will henceforth lay aside the
royal pomp and will consider myself as managing the administration of
this island only in the name of your King. Wherefore draw your ships
into port, and order the rest of your comrades to land; so that now at
last, after such a long tossing upon the seas, and so many dangers, you
may enjoy the pleasures of the land and refresh your bodies. And think
not but that you have arrived at your King's kingdom.'
"Having said this, the King, laying aside his crown, embraced them one
by one, and ordered whatever food that land afforded to be brought. Our
men being overjoyed at this, returned to their comrades, and told them
what had happened. They, pleased above measure with the friendly
behavior and kindness of the King, take possession of the island. And
when their health was completely restored, in a few days, by the King's
munificence, they sent envoys to the other kings, to examine the wealth
of the islands, and to conciliate the other kings."
His description of the clove trees is very pleasing:
"Tirante was the nearest, and also the smallest, of the islands; for it
has a circumference of a little more than six Italian miles. Matthien is
next to it, and it, too, is small. These three produce a great quantity
of cloves, but more every fourth year than the other three. These trees
only grow on steep rocks, and that so thickly as frequently to form a
grove. This tree is very like a laurel (or bay tree) in leaf, closeness
of growth, and height; and the gariophile, which they call clove from
its likeness to a nail (clavus), grows on the tip of each separate twig.
First a bud, and then a flower, just like the orange flower is produced.
"The pointed part of the clove is fixed at the extreme end of the
branch, and then growing slightly longer, it forms a spike. It is at
first red, but soon gets black by the heat of the sun. The natives keep
the plantations of these trees separate, as we do our vines. They bury
the cloves in pits till they are taken away by the traders."
He also describes the cinnamon tree:
"Muthil, the fourth island, is not larger than the rest, and it produces
cinnamon. The tree is full of shoots, and in other respects barren; it
delights in dryness, and is very like the tree which bears pomegranates.
The bark of this splits under the influence of the sun's heat, and is
stripped off the wood; and, after drying a little in the sun, it is
cinnamon."
Also the nutmeg tree:
"Near to this is another island, called Bada, larger and more ample than
the Moluccas. In this grows the nutmeg, the tree of which is tall and
spreading, and is rather like the walnut tree, and its nut, too, grows
like the walnut; for it is protected by a double husk, at first like a
furry calix, and under this a thin membrane, which embraces the nutlike
network. This is called the Muscat flower with us, but by the Spaniards
mace, and is a noble and wholesome spice. The other covering is a woody
shell, like that of a hazelnut, and in that, as we have already said, is
the nutmeg."
And ginger:
"Ginger grows here and there in each of the islands of the archipelago.
It sometimes grows by sowing, and sometimes spontaneously; but that
which is sown is the more valuable. Its grass is like that of the
saffron, and its root is almost the same too, and that is ginger."
While sailing among these bowery ocean gardens, and gathering their
odorous products, the poetic Maximilianus was presented with one of the
immortal birds that protected a hero in battle, "the bird of God."
He thus speaks of the rare present:
"Our men were kindly treated by the chiefs in turn, and they, too,
submitted freely to the rule of Caesar, like the King of Thidori. But the
Spaniards, who had but two ships, resolved to bring some of each
(spice) home, but to load the ships with cloves, because the crop of
that was the most abundant that year, and our ships could contain a
greater quantity of this kind of spice. Having, therefore, loaded the
ships with cloves, and having received letters and presents for Caesar
from the Kings, they make ready for their departure. The letters were
full of submission and respect. The gifts were Indian swords, and things
of that sort. But, best of all, the Mamuco Diata; that is, the bird of
God, by which they believe themselves to be safe and invincible in
battle. Of which five were sent, and one I obtained from the Captain
(_congran prieghi_), which I send to your reverence, not that your
reverence may think yourself safe from treachery and the sword by means
of it, as they profess to do, but that you may be pleased with its
rareness and beauty. I send also some cinnamon and nutmeg and cloves, to
show that our spices are not only not worse, but more valuable than
those which the Venetians and Portuguese bring, because they are
fresher."
He also relates the disasters which fell to one of the overloaded ships:
"When our men had set sail from Thedori, one of the ships, and that the
larger one, having sprung a leak, began to make water, so that it became
necessary to put back to Thedori. When the Spaniards saw that this
mischief could not be remedied without great labor and much time, they
agreed that the other ship should sail to the Cape of Cattigara, and
afterward through the deep as far as possible from the coast of India,
lest it should be seen by the Portuguese, and until they saw the
promontory of Africa which projects beyond the tropic of Capricorn, and
to which the Portuguese have given the name of Good Hope; and from that
point the passage to Spain would be easy.
"But as soon as the other ship was refitted it should direct its course
through the archipelago, and that vast ocean toward the shores of the
continent which we mentioned before, till it found that coast which was
in the neighborhood of Darien, and where the southern sea was separated
from the western, in which are the Spanish Islands, by a very narrow
piece of land. So the ship sailed again from Thedori, and, having gone
twelve degrees on the other side of the equinoctial line, they did not
find the Cape of Cattigara, which Ptolemy supposed to extend even beyond
the equinoctial line; and when they had traversed an immense space of
sea, they came to the Cape of Good Hope and afterward to the Islands of
the Hesperides.
"And, as this ship let in water, being much knocked about by this long
voyage, the sailors, many of whom had died by hardships by land and by
sea, could not clear the ship of water. Wherefore they landed upon one
of the islands, which is named after Saint James, to buy slaves.
"But as our men had no money, they offered, sailor fashion, cloves for
the slaves. This matter having come to the ears of the Portuguese who
were in command of the island, thirteen of our men were thrown into
prison. The rest were eighteen in number.
"Frightened by the strangeness of this behavior, they started straight
for Spain, leaving their shipmates behind them. And so, in the sixteenth
month after leaving Thedori, they arrived safe and sound on the 6th of
September, at the port near Hispalis (Seville). Worthier, indeed, are
our sailors of eternal fame than the Argonauts who sailed with Jason to
Colchis. And much more worthy was their ship of being placed among the
stars than that old Argo; for that only sailed from Greece through
Pontus, but ours from Hispalis to the South; and after that, through the
whole West and the Southern hemisphere, penetrating into the East, and
again returned to the West."
His subscription is interesting:
"I commend myself most humbly to your reverence. Given at Vallisoleti,
on the 23d of October, 1522.
"Your most reverend and illustrious lordship's
"Most humble and constant servant,
"MAXIMILIANUS TRANSYLVANUS."
When the spice ship began to fill with water, the officers sent for
native divers. But these, although very skillful, could not find the
place or the cause of the leak.
Let us change our view to a different scene, across the wide tropical
world.