ARU ISLANDS (Dutch Aroe)

This article appears in Volume V02, Page 705 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: ARN-AUD

ARU ISLANDS (Dutch Aroe) , a group in the residency of Amboyna, Dutch

East

EAST
EAST, ALFRED (1849- )

Indies; between 5 18' and 70 5' S., and 134 and 135 E.; the member nearest to the

south

SOUTH
SOUTH, ROBERT (1634–1716)

-west coast of New

Guinea

GUINEA

lying about 70 M. from it. The larger islands (Wokan, Kobrur, Maikor and Trangan), and certain of the lesser ones, are regarded by the Malays as one land mass which they

call

CALL (from Anglo-Saxon ceallian, a common Teutonic word, cf. Dutch kallen, to talk or chatter)

tana besar ("

great

GREAT

land "). This is justified inasmuch as its parts are only isolated by narrow creeks of curious form,
r T. 23ARUNDEL 705
having the character of rivers. The smaller islands number some eighty; the total land area is 3244 sq. m.; and the population about 22,000. The islands are low, but it is only on the coast that the ground is swampy. The principal formation is coralline limestone; the eastern coast is defended by coral reefs, and the neighbouring sea (extending as far as New

Guinea

GUINEA

, and thus demonstrating a physical connexion with that land) is shallow, and abounds in coral in full growth. A large part of the surface is covered with virgin forest, consisting of screw-pines, palm trees, tree ferns, canariums, &c. The fauna is altogether Papuan. The natives are also Papuans, but of mixed blood. They are divided into two confederations, the Uli-luna and the Uli-sawa, which are hostile to each other. The houses are remarkable as being built on piles sunk in the solid

rock

and having two rooms, the one surrounding the other. The people are in manners complete savages. The natives are governed by rajas (orang kajas), the Dutch government being represented by a posthouder. In the interior is said to exist a tribethe Korongoeiswith white skins and

fair

FAIR

hair

HAIR (a word common to Teutonic languages)

, but it has never been seen by travellers. A few villages are nominally Christian, and the Malays have introduced Mahommedanism, but most of the natives have no religion. Dobbo, on a small western island, is the

chief

CHIEF (from Fr. chef, head, Lat. caput)

place; its

resident

RESIDENT

population is reinforced annually, at the time of the west monsoon, by traders from that quarter, who deal in the tripang, pearl shell, tortoise-shell, and other produce of the islands.

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