Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 2.djvu/433

HISTORY OF CELEBES. 889 of disasters and defeats forced the Macassars to make a peace, which emancipated all the tributary nations, and put a stop to the conquests and great- ness of the Macassars. But, for the interference of the Europeans, it is nojt improbable that the en- terprising state of Macassar would have founded, on this occasion, a more extensive and niore po- tent state than had ever existed before in that part of the Archipelago. The convenience of the port, and the energy of the government, attracted to it, during the period it flourished, a considerable com- merce, and we discover the native traders of the Ar- chipelago, the European nations, and the maritnne nations of continental Asia, resQrting to it as a great emporium. Raja Falaka, the ambitious and enterprising chief who had fled to the Dutch, and who was the great instrument in the conquest of Celebes, was raised to the throne in the year 1 67 "^2, and render- ed tributary to him, while he himself was under the influence of the Dutch, all the considerable states of Celebes, and from this period the state of Boni assumed the place of the conquered Macas- sars, giving law to Celebes. From the time of this arrangement, the history of the island has consist- ed of a series of rebellions, for neither the European nor native paramount authority have had power or skill to preserve order or tranquilliiy. The com- mercial monopoly of the Europeans has destroyed