Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 2.djvu/486

M2 DUTCH HISTORY of his companions. Before he was overpowered he made a gallant resistance, and when he fell was covered with wounds, and exhausted with loss of blood. In this situation he was brought before Vlaming, who insulted him with vulgar raillery, and, pushing the shaft of his spear into his mouth, bid him wake from his sleep. The dying chief was neither able nor willing to reply, but had strength enough remaining to turn his head aside, and avert his eyes from the hateful spectacle of the enemy of his country. The governor abandoned him to the fury of the Dutch sol iiers, who cut him to pieces, and threw his quiv'ing members over the precipices of the mountain, in the fastnesses of which he was captured. The last act of Vlaming was the murder of the king of Gilolo, who was accidentally taken prisoner in passing from one island to another. He and five-and-twenty of his family, the women and children only beitig spared, were put to death, and, for fear of a commotion among the people, they were privately drowned at midnight 1 The inhabitants of the Moluccas continued to carry on the war, though with less vigour, down to the year 1 67 1 , when, as generally happens in tropical climes, when the regular industry of man, and his natural pursuits, are interrupted by a long succes- sion of wars and intestine convulsions, a violent epidemic afflicted the country, the effects of which