Stories from Deli

Java Bode 19-09-1895

September 7, 1895

The month of August, which is marked on every calendar that notes the birthdays of the now-reduced royal family, is considered the festive month, and for ’95, it is again part of the past, along with the name days of our two queens. Although the birthday of the queen regent was celebrated with some attention, the birthday of our 15-year-old queen received less attention—certainly due to the late timing. However, the day did not go unnoticed in Medan; besides the usual official honors, there was a reception at the residence at 10 a.m., and in the evening, a children’s party took place in the “White Society.” The reception was like any other, held anywhere—dull and boring. Formal faces peeking over stiff collars and gilded neckbands, measured steps, and equally measured movements, all neatly and properly in place.

Some had hoped for a party at the resident’s house, but it was not necessary. I can imagine that our resident is not inclined to host parties. During his still brief stay here, he once hosted a masquerade ball at his house, to which all Europeans on the East Coast were invited. That party was truly a deterrent against any further urges to invite the residents of the East Coast en masse, as I have never seen such rude and uncouth behavior. It was truly a “free-for-all,” and the signal to let loose was not given, as one might think, by those of lower rank, but the tendency to “really let loose” came more from the top down. It wouldn’t surprise me if the resident, after the fun was over, thought to himself: “That was once but never again,” or at least: “Not again for the time being.” The impression that all these “orang blanda” (Dutch people), who otherwise act so “formal,” must have made on the attending native dignitaries and other locals must have been quite strange. Anyway, it’s in the past; we can only hope that the next time will be better for the Europeans on the East Coast in general and for the resident in particular. Preparations are now being made for a tea dance at the Sultan of Deli’s residence.

The children’s party at the society was a great success. It was a delight to see all those white and darker-skinned children’s faces beaming with joy as they played together. The ladies and gentlemen responsible for organizing the event deserve all the credit for their work and certainly earned the extension of the evening, which turned the children’s party into a ball as the night progressed. The atmosphere was cheerful and remained so until the last guests left.

More serious, however, is the fact that cholera is currently visiting Deli, particularly Medan. A few weeks ago, a steamer arrived at the Belawan harbor with Chinese coolies on board. Two suspicious deaths had occurred during the voyage, and the inspecting doctor confirmed it was cholera. In most places, the passengers would have been prevented from disembarking. This, one would think, is in the best interest of the residents of the East Coast. However, there is another interest here that dictated otherwise: these coolies had all received their advance in cash and were needed for the tobacco cultivation. No coolies, no tobacco. While these 300 men could have been sent back, that would have disrupted the regular supply of laborers, and each returning coolie would have been a financial loss. So, the coolies were allowed to disembark, dressed in clean clothes (disinfected?), and transported by special train to the immigration bureau near Medan, where they were isolated. However, this did not please the men; they had come for work, not to be confined. Several attempts to escape were made, some of which were successful. Meanwhile, a few more cholera patients died, and finding a solution became even more urgent. In the end, cholera or not, the coolies were simply sent to their respective destinations after it was determined that they would be kept isolated on the plantations for which they were destined.

Anyone with even a slight understanding of tobacco plantations on Sumatra’s East Coast knows that this isolation is a mere formality. First of all, they come into contact with at least one tandil (overseer) and one assistant, and then the Chinese are such strong advocates of sociability that it is impossible to prevent the coolies already on a plantation from mingling with their newly arrived compatriots. As expected, the consequences followed, and cholera has been spreading. Officially, about 6 to 7 fatal cases are reported daily in Medan, and several cases have also been reported on the plantations. We are now even further from a resolution; soon, Deli will be declared infected, and I strongly suspect that other ports will not be as lenient in receiving ships from the East Coast as Deli was in receiving them.

Fortunately, it rains heavily every evening and night, and perhaps the unfavorable season for cholera will prevent its further spread, or even chase it away entirely. Let’s hope so, as there is hardly a more treacherous disease than cholera. It can truly be said that it comes like a thief in the night. It struck the East Coast unexpectedly, and it seems we are not equipped to handle such a visit. Besides the hospital, which usually serves, one of the brothels has also been converted into a cholera ward. Those who take a walk through Medan are now and then startled by the sight of a stretcher, hastily assembled from bamboo and carried by four kettingjongens (bearers), with a half-dressed victim of the terrible disease on it. Luckily, most residents seem to have strong nerves. I am told that there are no regulations that allow passengers from an infected ship to be prevented from landing in our colonies. I don’t know if that’s true, and I have no desire to delve into the matter, but if such regulations indeed don’t exist, it seems to me high time that they are made.

There was a case where a boat arriving from Singapore had to comply with the usual quarantine measures at Senang. This did not align with the wishes of the captain, who, after disembarking some passengers on an island near Penang, continued his journey to Deli, where he unloaded and loaded almost as if Singapore had not been declared infected. The boat then returned to Singapore, bringing back the portion of the cargo intended for Penang. The Straits ports are thus stricter in enforcing quarantine measures among themselves than we are concerning ships arriving from declared infected ports.

Recently, an unusual incident occurred in Belawan: two tongkans (boats) were successively raided, according to the Chinese crew, by Acehnese. It is suspected that the attackers were indeed Acehnese, many of whom live along this coast and, besides fishing, sometimes engage in such side activities, though they are only distantly related to our Acehnese neighbors further away, who continue to cause trouble for the Company. An investigation was launched, and it was thoroughly organized. The local government representative was to lie in wait in a tongkan manned with police guards. If this tongkan was also attacked, the police would spring into action, and the vile pirates would be caught. The plan was not bad and reminds one of the famous turfship of Breda.

However, it seems that our ancestors executed their plan better than this one. I heard from an eyewitness that from a couple of miles away, one could already tell that there was something unusual about this tongkan. It’s no wonder, then, that the Acehnese, or whoever the pirates may have been, kept a respectful distance, and the otherwise not bad plan failed. If the trap had been set a bit more practically, the rats might have been caught. However, the crew of the tongkan returned empty-handed and soaking wet, despite the sail stretched over it. It’s a pity the attempt failed, as the idea was sound and could still serve well on another occasion.

A few days ago, a meeting was held here by the planters’ committee to discuss, among other things, how to collectively prevent the overproduction of Deli tobacco. The idea is certainly not bad and deserves to be crowned with success. However, I fear that if not among the members of the association themselves, then certainly outside of it, the “every man for himself” attitude, so favored on the East Coast, will prevail. I sincerely hope that this fear will not be realized, and that the measures devised will prove effective, for a worse fate than the consequences of a crash is hard to imagine for Deli and the people of Deli.

Delis.