483 



Flores opened tins in order to work the solder into bracelets etc, 

 made van Schelle remark that such an idea, with regard to the 

 Rokkas, "mnst be rejected as ntterlj untenable". Weber on the con- 

 trary had positively asserted that this origin of the tin objects of 

 the province of Rokka was unacceptable. The fact that among the 

 constituents of the bracelets in question lead occurs, the import of 

 Avhich was in former times as little known as that of tin, would 

 lead to the conclusion that tiiis metal must likewise be originating 

 from Flores itself. 



Leaving out of consideration the fact that lead-ore occurs onlj' 

 sporadically ^). nobody will certainly suspect the natives of under- 

 standing the art of reducing the metal from it. 



A boy of fourteen years who was taken prisoner in 1890 with 

 the object of being able to interrogate him, rightly remarked "he 

 "could not possibly give any information concerning the tin ; the tin 

 "that is in their possession, they have as pusaka from their ancestors". ^) 

 If one should object that objects regarded as pusaka are as a rule 

 higher valued, we may point out that for several years, the gold 

 that is brought by Australian horse-dealers in the shape of sovereigns 

 to Sumba, from where it has found its way to Flores is more to the 

 taste of the natixes. During the bad harvests which are by no means 

 rare, they are moreover compelled to part with objects that are 

 dear to them, in order to obtain food. 



Consequently we come to the conclusion that the metallic objects 

 in the Rokka territory are not originating from the island itself, but 

 that they were imported in former times. Their origin is as unknown 

 as that of the different metallic objects found with the natives of 

 other islands. 



The last question that must be answered is, whether the geolo- 

 gical condition of the island is of such a nature, that there is any 

 prospect of being able to detect tin-ore — in whatever form it 

 may be. The following summary may serve for this purpose. In 

 Western Flores, the eastern frontier of which is situated between 



1) Galena was found by J. J. Pannekoek van Rheden in small quantities in 

 the neighbourhood of Lowo Sipi (Endeb) and in the peninsula of Batu Asa 

 (Manggarai). J. P. Freyss supposed that the same mineral occurs near Rium and 

 near Geliting on the north-coast, which is very unlikely. R. Everwijn mentioned 

 lead from Mount "Himendiri in Western-Timor" (Jaarboek van het Mijnw. 1872. 

 I, p. 261). The mountain is really called "Ilimandiri" and situated in Eastern 

 Flores. The piece mentioned is an augite-andesite containing hematite, lead however 

 is not present at all. 



~j Java-Bode, Tuesday 8 July 1890, N^. 154. 



32 



Proceedings Royal Acad. Amsterdam. Vol. XVII. 



