Introduction
Until the 18th century, Indonesia had been the only place in the world that produced cloves, mace and nutmeg, and most of these spices came from "the Spice Islands", Maluku. Cloves, mace and nutmegs were the very valuable trade commodities of the world at that time. Even Columbus discovered America because of the spices he was looking for. Merchants from Malacca, China, India, Turkey, Persia and Arabia came to Maluku to purchase these spices and later sold it in Asian territories, even until Europe continent with very high prices. This renowned Maluku could not be taken irrespective of the role of the cluster of islands known as Lease, located in the centre of this archipelago.
The term Lease comes from the local dialect Uliase or Uliaser which means however many ulis, they are still one. The Lease islands are a cluster of three islands app. 3 miles east of the Ambon island. It consists of Haruku, Saparua and Nusalaut islands. The Lease islands are bordered by Seram island in the north, the Banda Sea in the south and Ambon island in the west.
Administration
The Lease Islands consist of two subdistricts (Kecamatan), and one auxilary sub district. Haruku sub- district (Kecamatan Haruku) covering the island of Haruku with its capital Pelauw, the sub district of Saparua (Kecamatan Saparua) covering the island of Saparua with Saparua as the capital, and auxilary sub district Kecamatan Pembantu Nusalaut) of Nusalaut with Ameth as its capital.
Economy
Most of the people of Lease islands live as farmers, fishermen, and craftsmen. Their main producis are doves, mace and nutmeg, while root products mostly are usually for self-consumption only.
The third island in the Lease island cluster is Nusalaut. It is a small 3,6 km2 island with its seven villages Nalahia, Ameth, Akoon, Abubu, Titawai, Leinitu and Sila. The people live as farmers and fishermen. Saparua island ( 190km2) lies east of Haruku island. The area covers the villages of: Pia, Kulur, Paperu, Booi, Portho, Haria, Saparua, Tiouw, Tuhaha, Mahu, lhamahu, lha, Noloth, Itawaka which are on the Hatawano peninsula; Sirisori Kristen, Sirisori Islam, Ulath , Ouw on the South East peninsula; and Saparua as the capital town. Most of the people live as farmers and fishermen, beside government's office employee, and as teachers. The Argicultural products are cloves, nutmeg, root products, palm sugar etc.
Saparua town's market open only on Wednesdays and Saturdays. On these days the people from Nusalaut and Haruku come to this market to sell their agricultural, sea, and other household products. At the same time, various Saparua snacks and cookies are sold. There is also a daily market in Porto, except on Sundays, it is open at 4 pm.Saparua island, especially lhamahu village is well-known for its delicious specific local snacks and cookies such like the sagu lhamahu (dry sago-cookies), bageas, kue serut, sagu tumbu.cakar-cakar and many others. dminstratively Lease Islands has two subdistrict and one assistance subdistrict, such as : District Haruku (Pelauw as the capital), District Saparua (Saparua as the capital) and assistance subdistrict in Nusa Laut Island with Ameth as the capital. These subdistric has related to the centre government of Maluku, with Masohi as the capital
