Beyond Bali

SAWU AND RAIJUA:
A TALE FROM ISLANDS ON THE RIM

Meals are served and drinks are passed around... Raja Ama Doko Lomi Djara and group are indulging delightedly in the English veal dish (the last on the ship) and the quality European beverages. Cheers all around on board the Endeavour that night in September of 1770. When Raja Ama Doko left the Endeavour, Captain James Cook ordered his crew to fire off nine salvos in honor of the king.

 

The following morning the captain and his crew were invited on land to a dinner hosted by Raja Ama Doko. The party was arranged especially for the crew of the Endeavour in response to the hospitality they received the day prior on board the Endeavour.

Sitting cross-legged on woven mats, no less than 36 dishes were served in containers that most likely were made of lontar palm leaves. In them were rice, frogs cooked in alcohol, and much more. Captain Cook was contented with the treats that evening, as the sailing crew could not even finish the feast.

 

The Island of Sawu and the Discovery of Australia

Captain James Cook has gone down in the world's sailing history with his "first fleet" and as the "discoverer" of the Australian Continent (as well as the "discoverer" of the Hawaiian Islands and the first to map New Zealand). He had just left Botany Bay, where his botanist had discovered a unique specimen when he and his legendary HMS Endeavour crew "discovered" Sawu Island (roughly five months after the discovery of Australia).

Sawu is geographically located north of Australia and indeed lies in the route where the captain journeyed to return home to Europe. Coincidentally, the Endeavour encountered a Sawu Island that was strikingly still green (though it hasn't received a single drop of rain in the last seven months). From aboard the vessel could be seen villages and livestock. It was at this time when the Endeavour was in urgent need of replenishing its onboard supplies.

Many of its crew had fallen ill and were in bad shape (the Endeavour had hit a reef three months prior at the Great Barrier). They even hoped to discover another paradise like Tahiti, which they had encountered the previous year.

Captain James Cook, known for his diplomacy and avoiding the use of violence, tried to win the heart of Raja Ama Doko Lomi Djara, the king of Seba, which today is the main town on the island of Sawu. His goal was none other than to secure supplies for his crew. The process of obtaining the rations was quite complicated. After going through a process that lasted several days, at last the captain's wish was fulfilled. He was able to load to his ship with buffaloes, goats, poultry, eggs, and more that were sufficient for the rest of his journey. The Endeavour could then finally continue its journey back home to England and bring the news of the discovery of a new continent, Australia. Thanks to the hospitality of the Savunese!

And that's what we can read from this global voyager's log. But unfortunately, nowadays hardly any of the Savunese knows about this historical event between their island and the discovery of the continent to the south. Moreover, this historical event must be quoted from the notes of the explorer, as the only possible evidence on the island is a carving depicting a European sailing ship and an inscription underneath it. The Endeavour, perhaps?

Alas, no one can positively explain, as the inscription can no longer be deciphered. But Captain Cook and his crew had indeed mentioned their visit to the Namata village located south of Seba where the carving lies....

 

'Sawu', 'Savu', 'Sabu', or 'Hawu'?

"What's in a name?" goes Shakespeare. And yes, names can lead to confusion. Especially when one has so many! So let's first clarify the name of this island. This island we know as Sawu is also referred to as Savu, Sabu and Hawu. All refer to the same island located 15 hours by ferry from Kupang. The difference is in the tongue, as Sawu is the Indonesian name while Savu is English. And Sabu is said to be from the pronunciation of the Dutch, Hawu being the original name.

 

Seldom Written About, Likewise Visited

One of the attractions of Sawu and Raijua (its western neighboring island) actually lies in the scarcity of available information about the island itself. You will hardly find writings of it, brochures or photography. Secondly, its remote position also lures the adventurous to go and explore it.

The island of Sawu is located between Timor and the Island of Sumba, right in the Sawu Sea in the province of East Nusa Tenggara. Overall, it is at the southernmost region of the Indonesian archipelago. It borders directly with Australia in the south. The climate is largely influenced by the neighboring continent. This can be seen from the intensity of rainfall, which is at a minimum (sometimes only 20 days of rain in a period of three months in the wet season). And the weather conditions in the neighboring country superficially ripple over to the island of lontar palms. The cold season there would also cause cold and dry natural conditions in Sawu and Raijua. The earth also resembles the red dirt of the Australian outback.

 

Traditional, Original

Life on Sawu, as well as on Raijua, is traditional, although locals wearing traditional clothing in daily life have already become rare. Though contact with the outside world can be said to be at a minimum (ferry connections to Kupang are only twice a week, while flight schedules are very indefinite), the locals in all their limitations have managed to rapidly adopt the way of life of their neighbors. Motorcycles (with their loud and sound polluting noise) as well as cellular mobile phones are two things that are 'in' with the local people. Yet apart from this their lives there are still relatively natural and laid back.

Electricity in Seba on the island of Sawu for instance (divided into four districts), only flows at night. Even Seba, which acts as the capital, is only comprised of two rows of pot-holed roads along 150 meters with food stalls and five-and-dime stores on the sides. Lodgings, as far as we found, were only two, both in Seba. Apart from that, you would have to stay at a local's house.

On the island of Raijua, which is populated by approximately 7,000 families, things are even simpler. No electricity. There is only one five-and-dime store and no food stalls whatsoever on the island. There is also no established lodging there. But we could stay at Bapak Hiriloji's house, which only recently started to receive guests, or at the house of Bapak Daga. If you're looking for Muslim cuisine, the family of Bapak Ismail, a public junior high school (SMP) teacher, can provide you with it as there are only three Muslim families on the island! The rest are Catholic, Protestant and Jingitiu (the native religion of the Sawu and Raijua societies).

 

The Tree of Life

The economic life here is leveraged by the seaweed cultivations that for the past several years have gained relatively good value. This is what breathes life into the people's lives. Previously the people of Sawu and Raijua relied only on their lontar palms. God endowed sustenance on the arid lands with these plants.

The lontar palm remains to thrive in dry climates. So it is considered the tree of life among the Sawu, Raijua and Rote societies. From this tree can be harvested refreshing and energy boosting drinks from the sabu syrup. It is said that when given this syrup to drink, the people can live only having one meal for a whole day. The leaves can be made into food and beverage containers, roofing material, and can also function as fertilizer. The midribs of the tree can be made into partitions, fencing, and firewood. Back in olden times, the leaves were also used as natural clothing fiber! Its other uses include material for the famous stringed musical instrument iconic to the area (called 'sasando'), fans, ropes, and even cigarette rolls! And its tree stem can be made into central pillars for houses. It is also said that when harvests of other crops fail (the other part of their diet is comprised of ground nuts), a family could live on the fermented drink of tuak or sabu sugar derived from only 2-3 lontar palms. Such is the endowment of nature in the multifunctional form of a single palm. Sawu's population exceeds that of Timor, which is notably not as arid.

 

Raijua – Animistic, Proscriptive

Visiting Raijua is even more challenging. Although located only 20-30 kilometers west of Sawu, big waves there frequently become the journey's main obstacle. Raijua is referred to as where the original religions of Sawu and Raijua, called Jingitiu, originated. The devout atmosphere of the ancient belief system has slowly started to fade, but remains of its animistic beliefs are still sensed in this traditional ikat weave producing island. This is notable from the many proscriptions we must adhere to when visiting this island.

In aspects of tourism objects, both islands have their own specific assets. We must explore on our own and discover its unique corners. Several of my own discoveries can be seen through these photos.

Indonesia is indeed vast and rich. There are still many more areas in other places that wait to be explored, not only by foreigners but by its own people, who need to explore their own backyard more. According to the people of Raijua, our visit as photographers and at same time as domestic tourists were the first or the second who came to their island. Others consisted of researchers and foreign surfers. Here we would also like to extend our gratitude towards the family of Bapak Mahari, Bapak Rauf and Ibu Sehat Makarim for their hospitality during our exotic adventure there. «»

 

Text and photos by Fadil Aziz
(Alcibbum Photography)