Ambelau

According to Valentijn, a contemporary author, there was little of interest to be found on Amblaauw a tiny islet that lay south east of the island of Buru. According to Valentijn there were 15 villages, of which nine had a VOC guard post. Valentijn further remarks on the island population's skill in shipbuilding. The fact that the island was so remote from the important trading centres made it an unattractive prospect. But because it lay on the route to Maccassar and maintained strong links with the latter, the VOC in the mid 17th century built a redoubt on Amblaauw using locally supplied materials. Amblaauw was dogged by war, particularly around 1664 when the VOC was in dispute with Maccassar on Sulawesi. The ruler of Maccassar backed the rebels in the Moluccan islands in their uprising against the Company.