Stories from Deli

Kongsikang

Kongsikang is a Chinese worker of less significance than the field coolie. Whether because of his unwillingness, unfitness or inexperience, he does not get a field to work, but helps the other coolies (kongsikang = cooperation) and receives a daily wage. All stinkers can only be kongsikang, not all kongsikangs are stinkers. Not long ago…
Report on Deli

Jeremiah Jenks, 1902 EAST SUMATRA (DELI). Agricultural conditions The situation in East Sumatra (more frequently called Deli) as regards Chinese coolies is similar in many respects to that in the Federated Malay States, but the Dutch have followed quite different methods of procedure both in securing immigrants and in controlling them after their arrival, so…
The Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States

Jeremiah Jenks, 1902 The Straits Settlements consist of the island of Singapore, the island of Penang, with the adjoining Province of Wellesley on the mainland, together with the Dindings, and Malacca. These settlements were transferred from the Indian government to that of the secretary of State for the Colonies April 1, 1887. Since that date,…
Soeka Manis

A vast landscape appeared before our eyes. Hilly terrain. Everywhere, as far as we could see, it burned and smoked. Between the thick clouds of smoke we saw Chinese coolies walking, dressed only with a loincloth on their heads and a pointed bamboo hat.A few months ago it was all still wood, said Huug. Are those tree trunks…
DELI PLANTER

INLEIDINGMet dit boek heb ik beoogd een getrouw beeld te geven van het lief en het leed in mijn 15-jarige plantersloopbaan ondervonden.Zooveel mogelijk heb ik getracht geen verkeerde voorstellingen te wekken omtrent het leven in de tropen, daar ten onrechte enkele uitzonderingsgevallen tot generaliseeren zouden kunnen leiden.In het plantersleven is de strijd om het bestaan…
From an assistant in Deli

Titus, 1879 Even after by the Indian Gazette n o . 203 of 1879 a decision has been taken on the well-known article 2, number 27 of the General Police Penalty Regulations for Natives, yet the great problem has not been solved at all for this assistant residence, where private industry has soared. Here, however,…
European Life on a tobacco field

Louis Couperus, 1923 The life of the young assistants at Deli was then largely dominated by excessive partying. I believe I can see that this has changed completely. Let the young people rejoice at the ‘hari-besar’, at the Boer or elsewhere, who will let them not? They work hard, as hard as Westerners only work…
In Medan

Louis Couperus, 1923 We have been in Medan for a few days now, guests of Mr. Westenenk, governor of Sumatra’s east coast, and his wife. The impressions that I have received, under the guidance and information of my host, are overwhelmingly many. I want to make an attempt to arrange them in my memory and…
Tobacco and Tobacco

1914, Augusta de Wit I first saw a tobacco field in May, flowering and harvest time was also. The pale red haze of the blossom spread in long streaks over the coarse, large-leaved green of the hill fields. And everywhere, among the high shrubs where they plucked the leaves, on the bright sunny paths along…
Tobacco in Deli

DeWit 1914 To a worse degree than ever since the beginning of this voyage I have got to feel here in Deli how far a distance separates us Westerners from the Oriental. There lies the great work of the Delian tobacco culture before all eyes. But of the tens of thousands who do that work,…