\Vith respect to the trade and manufactures of the natives or Celebes, as their wants are few, their com merce is limited; neither do they carry on any regular trade with more distant countries, especially from hav ing scarcely any manufactures that would be an object or acquisition, though valuable to themselves. I I ow ever, they weave a quantity of very fine cotton cloth, chequered red and blue, which is greatly esteemed in India, and is imitated on the coast of Coromandel. They also weave strong white cotton cloths, from the abun dance of cotton on their island, which they aro very ex pert at cleaning. Beautiful silk belts, wherein they fix their creeses or daggers, likewise are manufactured ; and they make a kind of paper from the inner hark of a small tree. They understand the art or working in gold and silver ; and can cast brass guns six feet long, Wich will carry a half pound ball. A number of slaves are annually sold to traders from Batavia or else where. These unfortunate beings are generally kidnap ped, and being secretly sold to Europeans, arc carried away in their vessels. A Chinese junk or vessel of large size annually arrives at Macassar, and the goods being exposed to sale in a large building specially adapted for the purpose, are very soon disposed of among the natives, the Dutch, and other settlers. Arms and ammunition, iron and steel, blue and white cloths, and opium, are imported. Gold, rice, sago, tortoise shell, and cotton cloths, arc, besides the articles already named, among the exports.
Several remarkable peculiarities arc seen in the go vernment of the petty states of Celebes : each is ruled by a rajah or chief, sonic of whom succeed by inheri tance, and others arc elected to the dignity. The fe male sex is not excluded from the highest degrees of sovereignty. Something resembling parts of the feudal system, as recognised in Europe, is also seen in the island. Formerly the rajah, or king of Goach, as he is deno minated by the Dutch, was the most powerful in Ce lebes, although the territory of Bony it is said could send 70,000 fighting men into the held. But the policy of that nation having been to maintain one tribe against another, his power has declined. Bony is governed by a rajah called Pajong, who is elected by seven chiefs, enjoying this privilege by hereditat y right, and which may rest in women by descent. The Pajong is under controul of 400 representatives of the people, of three different degrees, who have a voice in the government of the country. \Vajoo or Tuadjoo is governed by a rajah, elected from the chiefs of the highest rank, vvho arc chosen from forty others of lower rank, but who ne vertheless are said to be the actual rulers of the state. Besides these there is still another order, who, as be fore, have some controul in state affairs. The council of forty, of which women may be members equally as men, determine questions of peace or war. They are divided into three portions, each of which has a chief banner or flag. Two chiefs arc elected from each of these divisions, one of whom has the administration of civil, and the other of military matters, and over the yy hole is the fortieth pet son, called mattona, or aramatooa, the sovereign of the whole. Thus there arc two from each division, and the sovereign or rajah. When the arama tooa dies, the thirty-nine survivors elect one of them selves to the dignity.
An oath of fealty, somewhat similar to that which of old was known in countries acknowledging the feudal system, and also investitures of land, prevail in Celebes.
At. least see know, that such is the case with regard to foreigners. The person is introduced to the presence of the rajah, when he takes up a shield and dagger, and goes through all the warlike manceuvres of the people with great violence and agitation, at the same time vow ing vengeance against the various tribes at war with the rajah... This being done, the dagger and shield are laid clown, and if the person be a man of consideration he scats himself by the rajah, while the others to be sworn in, perform a similar ceremony. When one obtains a grant of land he takes possession of it in form, by kin dling a lire upon it, and piling up a heap of stones, a ceremony iesembling the sasine used in this kingdom.
It is said that some of the laws of the natives of Cele bes art written, and that others are administered accord ing to the custom of their predecessors, as preserved in the remembrance m aged pc rsons. C. a da c not pun ished arbitrarily at the will of the chief, but ace ordin • to established laws. The accusation, however, is Crowell' before him, and he orders an investigLtion of fact When a report is made, if it be of -a crime delerviti,; capital punishment, the chief gives a sign with his eye and thee ripen is carried forth and poniarded. Should aggravated circumstances hate attended it, the chief or dams a more severe punishment : thee riminal is bound to a tree, and his skin pricked with daggers in innume rable places, w hich are rubbed over with sugar and mo lasses. Ilis whole body is soon covered by swarms of ants, and he is literally devoured alive. This horrible punishment is never inflicted on persons of high rank, who are simply poniarded to death. Nevertheless sonic of the rajahs rule with arbitrary sway, and little account is made of life by the natives.
The different tribes arc frequently. involved in mutual wars, originating from very slight occasions, and they even venture attacks on Europeans, which are generally irregular. All are noted pirates, and commit many de predations on the N essels of every nation which they meet at sea. There they are held in greater dread than by land ; their vessels being often mistaken for those ci more pacific people, and because much stratagem is employed to decoy the unwary. Long voyages are made by them to Prince of \Vales Island, Batavia, and so far as the coast of New Holland. In engagements by land the victors decapitate the slain, and prisoners arc sold for slaves at between 51. and 101. each. The arms arc, spear, dagger, and shield ; but many have muskets like wise. In the words of an intelligent voyager, one of these natives " altogether very much resembles a Scot ish highlander when the ends of his plaid arc sewed to gether. His arms are a sword, lance, dagger, and target; sometimes a musket and bayonet or blunderbuss instead of the lance; but then he is attended by a lad, who, himself armed, carries several lances." In parti cular districts the natives fight with barbed arrows poi soned, blown out of black ebony blow guns about four or five feet long. In the use of them they arc very ex pert, and can kill at the distance of twenty yards. The effect of these arrows is most destructive, and the object speedily expires in excruciating agonies.