TIIK TIMOR GROUP .'^G."'. 



nearly north and south of each other, being separated by 

 the narrow Solor Strait. Omitting this, there arc thus 

 five breaks between Flores and Timor in this vast island 

 chain — the Flores, Lamakwera or Boleng, Allor, and 

 Pantar Straits, and the broad and profound channel 

 known as the Ombay Passage. The latter is most used 

 by vessels, but all are navigable, though more or less 

 dangerous from the terrific currents which sweep through 

 them, and at times render ships quite ungovernable. 

 Their strength may be realised from the fact that mariners 

 are ■ cautioned in sailing along the islands not to approach 

 within 12 miles of the mouth of the Straits, lest tlicir 

 ship should be drawn in. A vessel has been known, 

 while experiencing strong southerly winds at the northern 

 entrance of the Komodo Strait, west of Plores, to be 

 drawn in at the rate of eleven miles an hour. Yet these 

 Currents are most uncertain, and vessels are sometimes 

 'not only days, but weeks, endeavouring to pass througli. 

 In March, 1868, some twenty or thirty sailing ships had 

 been in vain trying to get eastward through the Ombay 

 Passage, with the result of always losing by day what was 

 gained at night. At length the captains of two shijis 

 resolved to try the Lamakwera Strait. In two days the 

 entrance was reached, and in two and a half hours they 

 had passed through. 



All these islands are inhabited by a race similar to 

 the people of the interior of Flores — dark, tall, and 

 frizzly -haired, and httle known to Europeans — while on 

 the coast are settled a few Bugis or oth^r Malays. They 

 are nominally under the jurisdiction of the Residency of 

 Timor, and there are Postholders at Terong in Adonara 

 and Allor Ketjil in Ombay. The entii'e population of the 

 two groups is believed to be about 125,000 inhabitants. 



Solor is the smallest of the five islands, and tlie 



