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But they were always outward-looking, establishing commercial and familial ties with the Macassan trepang fishermen of Sulawesi long before first British contact.

They are traditional Indonesian boats known as praus and they brought Muslim fishermen from the flourishing trading city of Makassar in search of trepang, or sea cucumbers.

Of these latter exports, rattans and gurjan oil are the chief; other natural products of the islands are trepang—bêche-de-mer—tortoiseshell and edible birds' nests, but they are only collected in small quantities.

On the rocks along the coast are found tortoises, trepang and edible birds’ nests, which are articles of export.

On the northern coasts are extensive fisheries of trepang, much visited by native traders from the Indian Archipelago.