Muslims whom the VOC had driven out of Nusaniwe and other villages of Leitimor founded Laha, situated on the bay of Ambon opposite Ambon City, after 1620. The VOC built fortifications there, as Laha offered prime moorings for vessels visiting the bay during the west monsoons. Laha was surrounded by sago forest. The sago produced here formed the staple diet of the inhabitants of the Moluccan islands.
