413 



An early illustration of this error was afforded by J. H. Croockkwit, 

 who considered the absence of tin-objects in Billiton — those that 

 were found there had been imported from Banca — to lend support 

 to his hypothesis that no tin-ore was to be found in that island. ^) 

 Conversely (3. J. v. Schklle's whole argumentation rested onli/ on 

 the fact that natives of Flores were found in possession of tin 

 objects etc., on which fact also Piof. Vermaks set so high a value. 

 This is the logic of a Papuan, who, judging from the knives and 

 axes he gets from the merchants in exchange for his birds of para- 

 dise, believes tiiat Holland is rich in iron-ore. 



The truck to which the natives attach great value does nol only 

 serve as an ornament, l)ut also as a form of imeslment, as some- 

 times occurs i[i Europe also. There is even among uncivilised nations 

 a liking for capitalization, especially among the more intelligent part. 

 This tendeiu'y iucreases with the degree of personal safety. That is 

 why the government of a Western Power has always encouraged 

 "capitalization". The natives' choice of articles of investment is very 

 limited compared with that of Europeans, who prize stocks and 

 other paper value so highly. Such articles nuist be proof against 

 the influences of the climate and moreover be gaudy and showy. 

 'In districts where Europeans have settled or in not too insignificant 

 commercial centra coined money, "rijksdaalders","^) and especially 

 gold coins are greatly in favoui'. 



If the soil does not produce the desired objects, as is the case in 

 nearly all the islands of the Timor Aivhipelago '), the native is 

 obliged to look about for foreign objects. Next to weapons and other 

 iron tools all the native tribes set great value upon the "muti tanah", 

 dirty-coloured orange-red glass beads. They are skilfully wi'onght, 

 but not beautiful and owe their value rather to being "antique" and 

 to the fact, that they were not iniported after the pre-historic period, 

 i. e. after the arrival of the Europeans. 



') Extract from tlie report of a journey across the island of Billiton (Natmirk. 

 Tljdschr, Ned. Ind. 3 Batavia 1S52, p. 4Ü1. 



-) Dutch coin worth 4/2. 



') It is true, gold and copper occur in Timor, but by far nol sufficiently to meel 

 the demand for Ihose metals. Moreover the occurrence of ores does not prove at 

 all that the natives are skilled in melallurgy. Tiie inhabitanls of Billilon e g. were 

 entirely unacquainled with the art of reducing tin from tin ore, whereas from time 

 immemorial Ihey are quite familiar with the more complicated process of working 

 iion, and it was only recently that F. Sarasin declared: "Die Kunst Metalle zu 

 bearbeiten, liaben die Caledonier trotz des enormen Reichtums des Landes an 

 solchen, speziell von Eisen, nie gekannt und aucii heute noch nicht gelernt" 

 (Neu-Caledonien. Basel 1917, p. 88j. 



27 

 Proceedings Royal Acad. Amsterdam, Vol. XXI. 



