MOLOTE

[s. 515] : A village in the Transvaal, Africa, Stasituated 22 miles S. W. of Johannes burg. tion of the Herm anns burg Mi ionary Society (1895), with (1901) 1 mi ionary and his wife, 4 native workers, 4 outstations, 1 place of worship, 4 day schools, and 688 profe ed Christians. MOLUCCA ISLANDS {also called Spice Islands): A group of islands scattered over the sea from Celebes on the east to Papua on the west, and Area, 42,946 lying S. E. of the Philippines. square miles. The number of these islands is Many of them are said to be several hundreds. small and uninhabited. The large islands are Ceram, Jilolo or Halma heir a, and Buru. Nearly The climate is hot, but all are mountainous. Population is about 430,000 not exce ively so The native popunatives and 2,600 Europe ans. lati on consists of two races, the Malays and the common language, Papuans. The Malay is the and the Arabic character is employed in writing it. Mohammedanism is the prevailing religion, but some few profe Christianity. The law a Uombaaa Montgomery are chiefly founded on the precepts of the Koran. The chief power is in the hands of the Dutch. Mi ionary work was carried on until 1865 by the Netherlands Mi ionary Society. The 45,000 Christians in Ceram, Amboina, Banda, and other islands are now treated as part of the established Church of Holland, and the Government appoints and supports their pastors. The Government also supports a theological school which was founded in 1835. The Utrecht Mi ionary Society has stations on the islands of Halma heir a (Jilolo) and Buru, with about 1,700 profe ing Christians. Pfiuger (A.), Smaragdinaeln der Sudsee^ Bonn, 1901; Lith (Dr. P. A. van der), Bncyclopedie van Nedert.-Indie, Leiden, 1895. 516