The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-04-18
A Visit TO Mimic.

A Visit TO Mimic
During the second and third day after
the arrival Of the Flint in Mimic Roads,
there was a steady fall of rain, with gusty
weather, which deferred communication
between the vessel and shore. On the
afternoon of the third day, naval officer
came on board the schooner, to pay, as he
said, friendly visit to the American cap
tain; but, as was afterwards shown, no
came as spy, by order of the Resident
at Ninto.
After dinner, the doctor accompanied
me to the hospital, where he had about
forty patients, one half Chinese, one third
Malays, and other people of the Archi.
pelago; and the remaining portion were
soldiers, all in comfortable and cleanly
state was very much struck with the
quiet and patience of the native invalids
as contrasted with the groaning and rest
lessncss of the sick Dutchmen; and this
greater passivity under suffering, of all
colored races more than white, seems to
prevail throughout the world; but this is
most strikingly seen among the islanders
Of the Eastern seas; and they possess an
other physical property, the ready healing
of their bodies from wounds or disease,
which appears in strong contrast with the
fevers, testers, and gangrencs, which at
tend any severe feshly hurt received by
their European masters. The doctor
pointed out the case of Malay woman,
who had been learfully mutillated with
hatchet; she had received a furious
blow in the face, striking the cheek bone,
glancing down the jaw and slicng off the
face large fake of flesh which hung
down upon her shoulder and whilst at
tempting to ward off other blows, was
struck between the fingers of the right
hand, which was split in two down to the
wrist and yet, about a weeks care, with
simple bandages of linen and applications
of pure water alone, had restored the
wounded flesh to healthy state, with
every promise Of recovery and the doc.
tor spoke Of other native cases, who had
been readily cured of wounds, which
would have been inevitably fatal to Eu.
ropean. He ascribed this ready curabil.
ity Of the Malay and Javanese to the sim
pie diet of rice, birds and fish upon which
they feed.
The doctor pointed out what was curl.
GUS to observe in the fort, barracks, and
native town, and surrounding country
and this was the substance of his discourse
about the island of Banca. This island
is one hundred and twenty miles in length
and will average forty in width, and
there are between fifty and sixty thous
and people upon it; one half of these are
the aborigines, living in the forest an(
hilly Businesses of the interor-the rud
est Of savages.
One third of the population are the all
f conquering Malays, living upon tn
coasts, who have invaded this, as the,
have every other island in the East Indi
an Archipelago, with their language
customs, and trade. The remaining per
tion are Chinese, the workers of the til
, mines. who vary in number betwee
eight and ten thousand Junks full O
these people arrive from China with eve
Z, ry change Of the monsoon-and the sam
junks return well filled with thrift
Cinnamon, carrying home the savings Q
their labor i'll the mines; and thus ther
is continual ebb and flow of the Chin
! ese population, but the Government vii
not allow their number to exceed te
E thousand, on account of the turbulenc
3 of their character; for they are engage
in constant feuds and are riotous. lik
the various factions of foreign laborer
upon our railroads and canals in Amer
lea.
Tin, for which the island is famous,
found in pellets and nuggets, of nativ
ore, in surface deposits of alluvial soil
and is extracted by a rude process @
washing The yearly quantity obtaine
is about 10000 piculs, or $500 tons G
our weight. Double or triple the quan
tity might be obtained but the Govern
. ment does not wish to glut the tin marek
: with the bounty Of metal which Banca
capable of yielding. This policy is
remnant of that old unwise spirit of mon
, opoly, which destroyed great quantitie
Of spice and groves, to enoance the valu
. of what remained.
The government owns all the land G
the island; ; and no person, Dutchman O
. stranger, can work The mines without il
permission, and must deliver all tin ali
. tanned to the Government, at the fxe
!, price of thirteen and half forms pc
! picul, or five dollars and fifty cents Q
our money for l25 pounds; and as tina
: weight of tin in our markets would b
worth about twenty-three dollars, yo
I, will perceive that the Government O
Holland must derive royal revenue fror
the tin mines Of Banca.
This Government, by its eonciliator
management Of the native princes an