Salted fish being dried in the sun on the island of Pulau Ron, located within the Banda Sea region of Indonesia, a country made up of 17,500 islands. The scene draws attention to another feature of the island, which lies in its spices. “Pulau Ron,” this small island in Indonesia, was a source of attraction for the Dutch because of its special spice, “nutmeg,” and its 2,000 residents live in one village next to the only bay on the island. Colorful metal-roofed houses are clustered along the waterfront and on the hillside, at low tide, dozens of fishing boats lie beached. There are no cars or roads on this island, and there are only about 20 motorcycles. Most people wander along paved footpaths or up steep stairs, often carrying plastic jugs of water from the village's many wells or sometimes hauling in fresh tuna. Pulau Ron is one of 11 small islands that make up the Banda Islands group, which was once the only place where nutmeg grew.
To the north are the larger Maluku Islands, which are famous for their cloves. The two groups of islands were known to European colonists as the Spice Islands. During the seventeenth century AD, and in light of the Europeans’ need for spices, they moved their fleets and began a wave of global exploration, especially after the British arrived on the island for the first time in 1603. In the words of historian John Key, Rhône was “the seed from which grew the most extensive empire that ever existed.” “The world has ever seen it.”
(Photo courtesy of the New York Times)
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