372 COMPENDIUM OF GEOGEAPHY AND TltAVEL 



unhealthy, especially from November to April, when the 

 westerly monsoon brings an abundant rainfall. There 

 are not five miles of road in any direction, and the fine 

 hills that rise at the back of the town have not even 

 decent bridle-paths to make them accessible. A good 

 force of police is required, as street robberies are frequent. 

 The condition of the colony appears wretched, and a 

 Portuguese writer to As Colonias Portuguezas complains 

 that there are neither funds nor men to keep it going. 

 Omitting the Dutch steamers, which touch regularly at 

 the port, hardly any vessels visit it. In the year 1885 

 only twelve entered it, and of these seven were Dutch. 

 The export trade in coffee has fallen off, although the 

 berry is exceedingly good. The exports, which in 1888 

 amounted to the value of £110,000, had fallen in 1890 

 to £72,000. Of this latter sum coffee represented 

 almost the whole, its value being given at £67,000 ; the 

 remainder was practically confined to beeswax and sandal- 

 wood. What trade exists is chiefly in the hands of 

 Macao Chinese. 



Mr. H. 0. Forbes describes Timor as portioned out 

 into small kingdoms ruled over by independent chiefs. 

 In Portuguese Timor there are forty-seven such kinglets. 

 Each kingdom is in turn divided into districts or Sulcus, 

 ruled over by Datus. Most if not all of these native princes 

 pay some sort of tribute, and it is said that each king- 

 dom has a different language, or at all events a widely 

 different dialect. Under an energetic government, and 

 with some outlay in the construction of roads, the island 

 might be prosperous, for wheat and potatoes of excellent 

 quality are grown on the hills, and might be cultivated 

 in sufficient quantity to supply the whole European 

 population of the archipelago. Sheep also thrive on the 

 hills, and though wool-bearing varieties have not been 



