46i 



consequence of a repoi-t of Albert Coles ') according to which the 

 inhabitants of Potta bring' (in to market. Tiiat information was ]iot 

 confirmed by him, on tiie contiarv he was told that in the district 

 of Diia to the South of Potta, tin, gold and even diamonds occurred. '*) 



The last investigation took place in the end during the years 1910 

 and 1911 by J. J. Pannekoek van Rheden. In the second of his 

 papers ') mentioned at the foot he says with regard to the occurrence 

 of tin: "According to the reports of Wichmann and van Schelle 

 "there was sufficient foundation for the supposition that the tin that 

 "was used by the population of Central Ngada was originating 

 "from ore found in the district itself. ^) As the presumable finding- 

 "place the region to the North of volcano Inië Rië is indicated. On 

 "the occasion of the expedition in North Ngada in 1890 a slight 

 "quantity of fine cassiterite was collected near Torang. The investi- 

 "gation I loas charged with about the occurrence of tin-ore in these 

 "regions could not yet be brought to an end on account of the un- 

 ^ favourable political situation." ^) 



After the above historical explanation we shall now try to answer 

 the question whether there is sufficient ground to admit that tin 

 occurs in Flores. C. J. van Schelle had answered the question affirm- 

 atively and supported his answer by the 3 following hypotheses. 

 1^*^ . nothing is known about the importation of tin objects, 2'"^ the 



^) CoLFS made a journey llirough Manggarai in 1880. In the description of his 

 journey not a single word is said about the above communication (Het Journaal 

 van Albert Golfs. Batavia 1888, p. 71 — 72). 



~) Verslag van de reis van den Controleur Hoedt naar de noordkust van West* 

 Flores. Tijdschr. voor Ind. T. L. en Vk. 36. 1893, p. 281, 292. 



S) Ecnige geologische gegevens omtrent het eiland Flores. Jaarboek van het 

 Mijnwezen in Ned. Ind. 39. 1910. Batavia 1912. Verhandel, p. 132—138, pi. X. 

 — Overzicht van de geographische en geologische gegevens verkregen bij de 

 MijnboHwkundig- geologische verkenning van het eiland Flores in 1910 en 1911. 

 Jaarboek van het Mijnwezen 40. 1911. Batavia 1913. Verhdig., p. 208—226. 



■*) This remark is, in so far as regards myself, entirely invented. The only 

 thing ever written by me about this subject runs as follows: "Ebenso schleier- 

 "haft (namely, as the origin of the Muli Tanali) ist die Herkunft des Zinns, dem 

 "eine gleiche Entstehung zugeschrieben wird. Es bedarf kelner eingehenden Ausein- 

 "andersetzung, um darzuthun, dass Zinnerz durch brennendes Gras nicht reducirt 

 "werden kann. Man hat auch noch niemals die geringste Spur von Zinnerz auf 

 "Flores gefunden. Die uns zu Gesicht gekommenen Gegensliinde aus Zinn hat 

 "Weber beschrieben. Sie sind siimmtlich bleihaltig." (Tijdschr. K. Nederl. Aardr. 

 Genootsch. (2) 8. 1891, p. 230—231). It is exactly the same wilh P. G. Schmid- 

 hamer's remark concerning the information of the . . . professors Wichmann 

 and Max Weber\ (1. c. p. 106). 



5) \. c, p. 226. 



