THE SPICE ISLANDS VOYAGE, 1996

RESEARCH BY COOLDERRY CENTRAL SCHOOL, CO. OFFALY

MAY 1996

Tim Severin

Tim Severin was born in 1940 and was educated in Tonbridge school and Oxford University. He studied exploration. Tim sailed across the Atlantic to prove that St Brendan could have reached America. He sailed the Sinbad voyage from Muscat to China.

Tim is now sailing around the Spice Islands.Tim is going on the voyage to follow Alfred Wallace footsteps. Tim will be sailing with Bobby and Yanis on a boat made from trees cut in a forest of Warbal Island.

Researched by Paula Tooher

Alfred Russell Wallace

Alfred Russell Wallace is one of the forgotten fathers of modern science. He was born in the village of USK in Monmouthshire, England. His father died when Alfred was young. Not long after formal schooling ended for Alfred.He joined his brother ,William, in surveying a number of English counties over the next four years. This experience was to teach him how to make accurate observation and detailed recording, skills which would be of immense importance in later life. Tim Severn is doing a voyage on the Spice islands he is following Alfreds footsteps. Alfred also went to south America. He sent back many insects.

Singapore, in 1854 was a bustling place. Traders from near an far would bring their goods to the cities teeming marketplaces. Spices in particular, were highly prized Ships from many different nations would arrive to transport the precious commodity across the worlds seas.

Research by Deirdre Hall

Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin was born on the 12th of February 1809 in Shrewsbury England . He became a British Naturalist. In 1859 he found the theory of Evolution . The theory means " how men and women and other living things came to be as they are today. This theory of Evolution revolutionized

biology. The ship Darwin sailed on was called the Beagle.Some days later Darwin got a telegraph from Alfred Russell Wallace saying he found the theory as well . Charles Darwin said We'll call the theory "Darwin and Wallace Theory". Wallace wanted it called the Darwin theory . In 1882 Charles Darwin died on the 19 of April in Downs England . He was buried in Westminster Abbey .

Researched by Brendan Hensey

Indonesia 1

The official name for Indonesia is the Republic of Indonesia . The capital of Indonesia is Jakarta . The population of Indonesia is 174,950,O0O . Indonesia is 1,919,445 sq. km. or 740,905 sq. miles . There official language is Bahsa Indonesia . The people are 70% Moslem , 11% Christian , 11% Hindu and Buddhist . Their currency is the rupiah . Indonesia is an arc of islands along the equator which includes Kalimantan ( the central and southern part of Borneo ) , Sulawesi and Java . Indonesia is a Moslem nation and has the fifth largest population in the world . Over 3/4 of the people live in villages and farms

Researched by Thomas Lupton .

Indonesia 2

Indonesia is a Republic. It is the largest nation of southest Asia. There are 13,670 Islands in Indonesia. The Netherlands use to own the country of Indonesia until Indonesia became an independent country in 1949.Indonesia bridges the gap between Asia and Australia and divides the Pacific from the

Indian Ocean. Between them, they have a land area nearly eight times the size of the United Kingdom. The largest Islands are; Sumatra, Celebes and Java. Parts of Borneo and New Guinea are also in Indonesia and there about 3,000 smaller Islands. Nearly two- thirds of the people of Indonesia live

on the Island of Java. The volcanoes of Indonesia are all over the Islands. There fifth volcanoes are still including the might Krakatau in Sunda Srait. The climate is tropical and the rainfall heavy. There are dense forest and almost every kind of tropical fruit and flower.In the western Islands there are animals such as elephant, tiger, rhinoceros, the huge ape called the orang-utan and the mouse deer no larger then a hare. In the eastern Islands have Kangaroos, Wallabies, and the Bird of Paradise.

Researched by Alan Corcoran.

Moluccan Islands

Moluccas, also Spice Islands in the eastern portion of the republic of Indonesia, part of the Malay Archipelago. The group includes most of the islands between Celebes Sulawesi and new Guinea and between Timor and the Philipines. The island region where Tim Severin and his crew will sail is known as the Spice Islands. Another name for this group is the moluccas or Maluku. Although romantically named, the Spice islands have a long bloody history. By early 1500s Maluku was known as Jazirat/al/Muluk or Land of the kings.

Researched By Sheila Kirwan

History of the Spice Islands

The importance of the Spice Islands is as one of the few surviving rain The importance of the Spice Islands is as one of the few surviving rain forests, with a rich natural history. In previous centuries cloves and nutmeg were the focus of attention for traders since 300 B.C. or possibly earlier. Chinese, Indian and Arab merchants sought out these riches long before the European powers came to Maluku. In the early 1500s the Europeans first came to the Malluccas in search of cloves and nutmeg. They were highly valued as food preservatives. Wealthy ladies used to keep spices in lockets around their necks so they could freshen their breaths easily. Gentlemen added nutmeg to food and drink.

Researched by: Derek Loughnane.

Prau

In Southern Asia the outrigged, dugout canoe as well as various types of planking boats are employed in the inshore fisheries. The Malays developed a very swift double ended sailing canoe the prau. The Indians and the Arabs on the Persian Gulf produced swift sailing, decked fishing craft, usually with lateen or very very rig.

The Alfred Wallace

The Alfred Wallace is 48 feet long and built in a traditional way. It is powered solely by wind caught in two rectangular sails. The vessel is steered by a quarter rudder. The design is based on the native malay prau which has sailed the waters for centuries.

Researched by Joseph Teehan

Rain Forest

Rain Forest are significant for their valuable timber resources and in the tropic's they afford sites for commercial crops such as rubber, tea, coffee, bananas, and sugarcane. Rain Forest's may be grouped into two major types: tropical and temperate. Tropical Rain Forest's is characterized by broadleaf evergreen tree forming a closed canopy, an abundance of vine's and epiphte's. The maximun height of the upper canopy of tropical Rain Forest is generally about 30 to 50 [100 to 165 ft], with some individual tree's as high as 60m[200 ft] above the forest floor. The largest area's of tropical Rain Forest are in the amazon basin of South America in the congo basin of and in other lowland equatorial regions of Africa and on both the mainland and the Island's off southeast Asia, where they are especially abundant on Sumata and new guinea. Temperate rain forest's, growing in higher latitude regions having wet, maritime climate's are less extensive than those of the tropics but include some of the most valuable timber in the world. Rain Forest's cover less than six percent of the earth's total land surface.

Researched by Shane O Connor

Turtles

Turtles are reptiles from the order of chelonia. Turtles have a shell of usually fused, long plates covered by large horny scales. A turtles size is conventionally measured by the length of the upper shell called the carapace or the lower shell called the plastron in a straight line from front to rear. The earliest fossil remains of shelled vertebrates recognized as turtles are from the triassic period. Turtles have gone essentially unchanged in appearance since that time. Turtles in temperate regions hibernate during colder periods of the year. Turtles as a group are omnivorous, eating both plant and animal matter, living or dead.

Researched by Sarah Kennedy

The Orang-Utan

The orangutan , Pongo pygmaeus , a great ape , is native to the forests of Borneo and Sumatra . Its name is Malayan and means "man of the woods". There is an island legend that orangs can speak but do not for fear that humans will put them to work . Orangs have a shaggy coat of long , coarse , reddish brown hair . Adult males also have reddish blond beards and mustaches , well-developed cheek pads that extend outward from the sides of the face , and a large throat pouch that is used as a sound resonater to reinforce certain calls . Males are larger than females weighing around 75kg . Females weigh around 40kg . The orang's arms are very long and reach to the ankles when the animal stands erect . Orangs live in trees where they obtain their food and sleep . They live in small groups of two to four animals , but adult males may be solitary . Humans are the orangs' only enemy , and unless hunting and destruction of their forest homes are curtailed , and not merely made illegal , orangs will soon be extinct .

Researched by Emma Teehan.

Dolphins

There are 32 species of dolphins. The dolphins are closely related to the whale family. Dolphins like whales breathe through a blow hole through the top of their head. As they travel they breed the surface of the water about every minute or so. The tail is like that of other aquatic mammals

Dolphins feed mostly on fishes but some also take shellfish. Some kinds live in great rivers of Asia and South America, but the best known are found in the sea. There are several kinds in the Atlantic ocean including the common dolphin, which swim in schools, or groups, and sometimes comes into the coastal waters of great Britain. Dolphins often follow ships. Most dolphins are more or less black above and whitish underneath. Being members of the whale family they are warm blooded and the females give birth to young dolphins and feed them with milk.

Researched by Joseph Carroll

Cockatoo

Cockatoos are a tropical bird in the parrot family. One of the largest Cockatoos is the great black or the palm Cockatoo it is about 25 inches long and has black feathers with exposed patches of bright red skin on it's cheeks. One of the smallest Cockatoos is about 12 inches long with gray feathers with a yellow head. Cockatoos have large curved sharply pointed bills which are used to crack nuts. Most cockatoos eat Fruits, Vegetables and Roots.

Researched by Darren O'Connell

Bird of Paradise

Bird of Paradise is the common name for about forty-species of colourful birds common to New Guinea and North-east Australia. They live mainly on fruit and insects. The greater Bird of Paradise is found in New Guinea and the Aru Islands of Indonesia. The male has a black breast, yellow head and nape, chestnut tail, wing and feathers and belly. He has long feathers. The hen has no l is dull in colour.

Researched by Janis Nolan.

Firefly

The FireFly, belonging to the family lampyridae, is one of a number of bioluminescent insects capable of producing a chemically created cold light. Both male and female can generate the light, which is believed to attract them to each other. FireFlies are found in tropical regions. FireFlies are soft-bodied beetles up to 2.5cm long, with dark brown or black sheath-like front wings, covering the flying wings at rest, yellow or orange markings and luminescent glands located on the undersides of the rear abdominal segments. The timing of the flashes is controlled by the abundant nerves in the insects light making organ.

Researched by Olivia Hall

Volcanoes

Volcanoes start in the sea or mountains. It took Volcanoes years to start up. There is a fierce amount of heat. It cracks the ground apart and Explodes up. It is all fire.

Peoples homes have been destroyed .People have being killed. There is an awful smell from the sulphur. There are no Volcanoes in Ireland. There aren't as many Volcanoes now as there were years a go. A Volcanoes can shake the ground from 5 miles away. When the ground is shook a house can fall.

Researched by Shane Hoctor.

Plants of Indonesia

Indonesia has more than 8 000 000 landless farmers . Iondonesia has abundant forests and wood especially hard woods and teak. There is planting on high yield rice on terrace lands . By 1984 the country had become self sufficient in rice productions. Vegetables fruits and poultry are also raised for food. Cash crops that grow mostly on large estates include rubber, palm oil, coffee, sugar, tobacco and cocoa .Chinchona is a genus of about 40 species of trees and shrubs .The dried bark of the roots and trunk, also called chincho and was once known as bark or jesuits bark. The plants are native to South America. Sago a starch prepared from the pith of several species of palm trees belonging to cycad family .In Europe sago is used as a thickner in cooking and as textile sizing in Industry.

Researched by Kevin Brady

Food of Indonesia

Cloves are native to the Moluccas. Indonesia are one of Principal producers and exports of copra. Copra is dried meat of the coconut. Sago palm are native of Indonesia. Indones ia produces 7 percent of the worlds rice. Shrimp has been successful in Indonesia. Nutmeg is one of the spices from Indonesia. The nut meg tree is a native to the Moluccas. Nutmeg seed oil is used for perfume, flavouring sauces, tobacco and medicines. Sago palm is used as a thickener in cooking. Indonesians cook their food in coconut milk and oil and serve it wrapped in banana or coconut leaves. The meat they eat is beef and chicken. Corn is a popular food. City people eat western dishes and Chinese as well as Indonesian.

By Aoife Parlon.

We researched this on the Encarta C.D. ROM and on the Grolier C.D. ROM and encyclopedias in our classroom.

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