74 ARRIVAL AT SOUTRANHA. 



CHAPTER IV. 



Anchor in Soutranha Bay, Timor Visit the rajah The 

 ship visited by the rajah, his family, and suite De- 

 scription of the country and its inhabitants Village of 

 Soutranha Physical character of the natives Their 

 clothing Ornaments and food The Betel masti- 

 catory Despotism of the rajah His warriors and 

 wars Religion of the people Malay and aboriginal 

 languages Commerce and manufactures Chinese re- 

 sidents Proas and canoes Climate Natural produc- 

 tions Reflections on the probable Asiatic origin of 

 Polynesian Islanders Natural History corroborative 

 of that opinion. 



AT noon, on the 18th of July, we entered 

 Soutranha Bay, on the western side of Timor, 

 and cast anchor off a Malay settlement, where 

 the Dutch flag was hoisted in front of the 

 principal residence. Soon after our arrival 

 we received a visit from Don Simon De Cruz, 

 the son of the rajah of this district, and 

 his friend Mr. Brown, (a half-caste, between 

 Dutch and Malay,) who had arrived here from 

 Coupang, to collect sandal-wood. The latter 

 was an intelligent young man, and, as he 

 spoke the English and Malay languages fluently, 



