475 



The first report originates from J. P. Frkyss, wlio wrote on aoeount 

 of his information received in 1856 in Manggarai (West Flores). 

 ''In the monntains of Rokka at Sui Tni ^) gold is found, whilst 

 "Mount Aspana produces tin ^)". 



In 1866 a resolution was taken b}' the Governor General \j. A. 

 J. W. Baron Si.oet van de Bkele "to send a trustworlhy fnnclio]uii\y 

 "to the isle of Flores in or'ler to investigate if on the south-coast 

 "of this island in the neighbourhood of the village of Rokka tin 

 "is found". It is unknown whether the resolution (of January the 

 'j5th]sjo 3) ^yj^g QyQY p^t iiifo execution''). 



Five jears afterwards J. A. van der Chijs fixed the attentioji to 

 the fact, "that every year a rather considerable quantity of arm- 

 "and leg-rings made of tin and of a rude construction was exported 

 "from the district of Rokka, situated on the south-coast of the isle 

 "of Flores" ''). The Indian Government having been requested lo 

 order the controller S. Roos, established in the isle of Sumba, to 

 make an investigation whether in reality tin occurred in Flores, a 

 resolution was taken to this effect November the 13''' 1871 N". 3, 

 and the Board of Directors of the Society of Industry and Agricul- 

 ture received a short time after from the above-mentioned functionary 

 "a few specimens of tin-ore from Masai'a". 



According to the investigation which was entrusted to C. de 

 Gaveke, the mineral in question was pyrites ^). In the mean time 

 the Governor General Pieter ïMijer had authorised, by resolution 

 of April the 18^'' 1872 N". 59, the resident of Timor to send an 

 expert to Rokka "that he might convijice himself on the spot, in 

 "how far tin-ore ii-, dug up and melted there, and at the same time 

 "to collect some specimens of ore and j'ocks" "). This investigation 

 had neither any result, for, as was repoi-ted, the native chief ^) — 

 this was the expert — "had until now, on account of ill health and 



1) The place is called Sui ('manggaraish) or Tui (endehneisli) and is situated on 

 the west-side of the Aiméré bay. There can be no question of the occurrence of 

 gold there, for behind that place rises the extinct vulcano Koinba. 



-) Reizen naar Mangarai en Lombok in 1854 — DG. Tijdschr. voor hid. Taal-, 

 Land- en Volkenkunde. 9. Batavia 18G0, p. 507. 



^) Koloniaal Verslag van 18.)1, p. 29. 



•'•) Tijdschr. voor Nijverheid en Landbouw in Ned. bid. 16. Batavia 1871, p. 

 158-159. 



'^) Tijdschrift voor Nijverheid en Landbouw in Ned. bid. 17. Batavia 1.S72, p. 184. 

 21. 1877, p. 40-41. 



6) As quoted 17. 187:2, p. 385. 



") He proved afterwards to be an Arab who had settled in Suuilia. (Koloniaal 

 Verslag van 1891, p. 23). 



