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CERAM (Sirang)

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Originally appearing in Volume V05, Page 703 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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CERAM (Sirang) , an See also:island of the Dutch See also:East Indies, in the Molucca See also:group, lying about 3° S., and between 127° 45' and 131° E. Its length is a little over 200 m., its greatest breadth about 50 m., and its See also:area, including neighbouring islets, 6621 sq. m. It consists of two parts, See also:Great Ceram and Little Ceram or Huvamohel, See also:united by the See also:isthmus of Taruno; and, for administrative purposes, is assigned to the residency of See also:Amboyna, being divided into Kairatu or See also:West Ceram, Wahai and Amahai, the See also:northern and the See also:southern parts of See also:Middle Ceram, and Waru or Eastern Ceram. No central See also:chain of mountains stretches west and east through the island, but near the See also:north See also:coast hills, rising 2300 to 2600 ft., slope steeply to the See also:shore. Near the See also:south coast, west of the See also:Bay of Elpaputeh, a complex See also:mass of mountains forms, a See also:colossal See also:pyramid, with peaks rising to nearly 5000 ft. The isthmus connecting the two parts of the island is very narrow, and has a height of only 46o to 490 ft. The See also:chief See also:rivers flow north and south into bays, but are navigable only for a few See also:miles during the See also:rainy See also:season. The rainfall is very heavy, amounting to 121 in. (mean See also:annual) on the south coast. On the north coast the bays of Savai and Waru are accessible for small vessels. The See also:geological structure, consisting chiefly of eruptive rocks and crystalline See also:limestone, is similar to that of northern Amboyna. In the eastern See also:section the prevailing See also:rock is crystal-See also:line See also:chalk, similar to that of See also:Buru.

Several hot springs occur, and earthquakes are not infrequent. About 4000 persons perished in the See also:

earthquake of 1899. A large See also:part of the interior is covered with dense forests, and except along the coast the See also:population is scanty. For the naturalist Ceram is without much See also:interest, lacking characteristic See also:species or abundance of specimens. The Bandanese pay occasional visits to shoot bears and See also:deer; there are See also:numbers of See also:wild goats and See also:cattle; and among birds are mentioned cassowaries, cockatoos, birds of See also:paradise, and the swallows that furnish edible nests. A large number of See also:fish are to be found in the various rivers; and as See also:early as 186o no fewer than 213 species were described. The most valuable See also:timber See also:tree is the See also:iron-See also:wood. See also:Rice, See also:maize, See also:cocoa-nuts, See also:sugar-See also:cane and a variety of fruits are grown; and some See also:tobacco is exported to See also:Europe; but by far the most important See also:production is the See also:sago See also:palm, which grows abundantly in the swampy districts, especially of Eastern Ceram, and furnishes a vast See also:supply of See also:food, not only to Ceram itself, but to other islands to the east. The Dutch have established cocoa and See also:coffee plantations at various points. The coast-villages are inhabited by a mixed See also:Malay population, Buginese, Macassars, Balinese and other races of the See also:archipelago. The interior is occupied by the See also:aborigines, a See also:people of Papuan stock. They are savages and See also:head-hunters.

The introduction of See also:

Christianity was hampered by the baneful See also:influence of a See also:secret society called the Kakian See also:Union, to which pagans, Mahommedans and Christians indiscriminately attached themselves; and it has several times cost the Dutch authorities considerable efforts to frustrate their machinations (see Tijdschrift See also:van Ned. Ind., fifth See also:year). The See also:total population is estimated at roo,000, including 12,000 Christians and 16,000 Mahommedans. The chief settlements are Savai at the north and Elpaputeh at the south end of the isthmus of Taruno. There was a Dutch fort at Kambello, on the west See also:side of Little Ceram, as early as 1646.

End of Article: CERAM (Sirang)

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