chap, xni.] PORTUGUESE GOVERNMENT. 307 



a roof. Here the body remains till the relatives can 

 afford to make a feast, when it is buried. The Timorese 

 are generally great thieves, but are not bloodthirsty. They 

 fight continually among themselves, and take every op- 

 portunity of kidnapping unprotected people of other tribes 

 for slaves; but Europeans may pass anywhere through 

 the country in safety. Except a few half-breeds in the 

 town, there are no native Christians in the island of Timor. 

 The people retain their independence in a great measure, 

 and both dislike and despise their would-be rulers, whether 

 Portuguese or Dutch. 



The Portuguese government in Timor is a most miserable 

 one. Nobody seems to care the least about the improve- 

 ment of the country, and at this time, after three hundred 

 years of occupation, there has not been a mile of road 

 made beyond the town, and there is not a solitary European 

 resident anywhere in the interior. All the Government 

 officials oppress and rob the natives as much as they can, 

 and yet there is no care taken to render the town de- 

 fensible shovdd the Timorese attempt to attack it. So 

 ignorant are the military officers, that having received a 

 small mortar and some shells, no one could be found who 

 knew how to use them ; and during an insurrection of the 

 natives (while I was at Delli) the officer who expected to 

 be sent against the insurgents was instantly taken ill ! and 

 they were allowed to get possession of an important pass 



x2 



