It Is Singular That On This Occasion There Was No
Rushing Up Of The Tide, Or Other Commotion Of The Sea, As Is
Usually The Case During Great Earthquakes.
The people of Ternate are of three well-marked races the Ternate
Malays, the Orang Sirani, and the Dutch.
The first are an
intrusive Malay race somewhat allied to the Macassar people, who
settled in the country at a very early epoch, drove out the
indigenes, who were no doubt the same as those of the adjacent
mainland of Gilolo, and established a monarchy. They perhaps
obtained many of their wives from the natives, which will account
for the extraordinary language they speak - in some respects
closely allied to that of the natives of Gilolo, while it
contains much that points to a Malayan origin. To most of these
people the Malay language is quite unintelligible, although such
as are engaged in trade are obliged to acquire it. "Orang
Sirani," or Nazarenes, is the name given by the Malays to the
Christian descendants of the Portuguese, who resemble those of
Amboyna, and, like them, speak only Malay. There are also a
number of Chinese merchants, many of them natives of the place, a
few Arabs, and a number of half-breeds between all these races
and native women. Besides these there are some Papuan slaves, and
a few natives of other islands settled here, making up a motley
and very puzzling population, till inquiry and observation have
shown the distinct origin of its component parts.
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