SEPT. 1770 LANGUAGE TIMOR 359 



In the course of conversation Mr. Lange gave us little 

 accounts of the neighbouring islands ; these I shall set down 

 just as he gave them, merely upon his authority. 



The small island to the westward of Savu, he said, 

 produces nothing of consequence except areca nuts, of which 

 the Dutch annually receive two sloop-loads in return for 

 their presents to the islanders. 



Timor is the chief island in these parts belonging to the 

 Dutch, all the others in the neighbourhood being subject to 

 it in so far as that the residents on them go there once a 

 year to pass their accounts. It is now nearly in the same 

 state that it was in Dampier's time. The Dutch have their 

 fort of Concordia, where are storehouses, which, according 

 to Mr. Lange's account, would have supplied our ship with 

 every article we could have got at Batavia, even salt provi- 

 sions and arrack. The Dutch, however, are very frequently 

 at war with the natives, even of Copang, 1 their next neigh- 

 bours, in which case they are themselves obliged to send to 

 the neighbouring isles for provisions. The Portuguese still 

 possess their towns of Laphao and Sesial on the north side 

 of the island. 



About two years ago a French ship was wrecked upon 

 the east coast of Timor. She lay some days upon the shoal, 

 when a sudden gale of wind coming on broke her up at 

 once and drowned most of the crew, among whom was the 

 captain. Those who got ashore, among whom was one of 

 the lieutenants, made the best of their ways towards 

 Concordia, where they arrived in four days, having left 

 several of their party upon the road. Their number was 

 above eighty ; they were supplied with every necessary, and 

 had assistance given them in order to go back to the 

 wreck and fish up what they could. This they did, and 



1 Part of Timor, near Concordia. 



