The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-03-22
Our First Visitor

wait the famine out-we were
not to blame. Over and over this
thing happened in these islands. If
Clyde could succeed, the day
would come when it would not
happen again in Balingong. We
could only wait now, harass the
Malay river traders, and think
about the new crop. when the rice
crop comes in" That single re-
frain haunted every moment Of
our lives.
We had a slight diversion a: last,
when the Avon returned, sick old
Captain Stocker doggedly retain
ing his post. And a little after that
we had another diversion which
interested US a great deal more.
A square-bowed, tubby little
brig, heavily and practically
armed, came stealing its way eau
tiously through the pass into
Siderong bay. It brought US Myn-
heer van der Donggen, the first
white visitor tia. the new rajah Of
Balingong had had. We had
known, of course, that great COM
ment would be caused, and per-
haps even unfavorable official no
tice, by Robert Forresters reap
pearance in Singapore: it might be
that British and Dutch inquiries
would be set up as to what we
were doing in Balingong. This
possibility was one we had TO ig-
nore.-After all, we could not keep
our operations here concealed for
ever. We saw in van der Donggen
the first of many who would wish
to know what we were about.
Mynheer van der Donggen was
a short, globular man, whom his
Chinese tailOrS must long ago have
given up trying TO fit. In crumpled
whites of European cut, he some
how managed to resemble those
fat Asiatic gods of good fortune
who sit mound-like and bare
stomached, with money bags on
their knees. He was as genial and
beaming as they, but there was
this difference: Mynheer van der
Donggen's stomach was covered
with pongee shirting, and his
stomach was on his knees.
He had a voice that was rich
and soothing. and his accentless
English had none of that bristling
thick-tongued quality which the
continentals of northern Europe
mostly give IL He made the Ian
guage sound as liquid as Spanish
or Italian
Man OF Affairs
WE ALREADY slightly knew
w this man; and il is a good in
dication of both his ability and his
essential character when / say that
he was one Of the few men con-
nected with the archipelago trade
whom my uncle respected. He was
one of the many Dutchmen IN
these seas who were factors in the
Netherlands Trading Society: so
had his father been before him.
His father had, in fact, been mixed
up with the old Dutch East India
Company, before il was reorgan-
lied by the Crown.
In addition to his efforts in be-
half Of the Netherlands Trading,
van der Donggen was concerned
with various related projects
Javanese coffee, Sanomba tobac-
CO, tea plantings on Ceylon. and
anthony in Dutch Borneo. His
son was in charge Of the principal
trading station az BanlermaSln, |
and various Of his astronpnaically /
large family Of cousins were IN
volved in the development OF ne
Dutch banking systems which
were rapidly establishing thena-
selves all over the east from Bang
kok 20 Melbourne. His own head
quarters were az BuitenZorg. IN
Java: but most Of his time was
spent in floating about from one
OF his concessions 20 another IN
mis- exceedingly slow old brig.
he did not look like this sort Of
man. His capacity for continuous
activity was concealed in an extra
100 pounds Of fat, and he man.
aged crumpled appearance at all
times which suggested the unsuc-
eessful drink-cadger. rather than
the man Of inter-iSland affairs
that he was. Il was only when he
talked that you began 20 see why
he was important
Mynheer van der Donggen had
been in Baniermasin when the
Avon touched there; Robert For
roster had. as a matter Of fact. been
transferred 10 a ship in which ven
der Donggen owned an interest.
This was the first that van der
Douggen, or anyone else Of the
-