IN TIMOR. 419 



Tho most marked characteristic of the Timorese is their in- 

 dependence and self-assurance. With the utmost sang froid 

 they would occupy all the chairs reserved for the use of 

 Europeans, without for a moment, even on the entrance of an 

 official of the Government, thinking of offering to give place, 

 although on being asked they would remove with perfect good 

 will, as if it had been a simple omission on their part not to 

 have done so before. It is innate in him to feel that he is as 

 good as any one else. Towards their own rajahs, however, 

 they show much deference and respect, if not servility. One 

 regrets the difficulty that exists in portraying in written words 

 the life and vigour of these scenes. 



It was interesting to observe the wide contrast between 

 the character of the Mongolian and that of the Timorese. 

 The former with extreme patience and perfect good humour, 

 over and over again taking down, exhibiting, putting up, 

 discussing the price of the same piece of goods with the 

 same individual, who, regardless of time, with him the most , 

 inexhaustible element in nature, would break off without a 

 word, to examine a score of different things that might 

 chance to catch his eye, or to join in some discussion carried 

 on by his friends away in the street perhaps, by-and-bye 

 to return to only to break off again from his bargaining, 

 which cannot possibly be concluded till one after another of 

 his companions has in whispered consultation given his idea 

 of the transaction under consideration. When at last he has 

 made up his mind to purchase or exchange his produce for, 

 say, cloth of so many arm-stretches, if he is not of more than 

 ordinary stature, he brings the very tallest man of his ac- 

 quaintance to be his standard of measurement, who considers 

 it a duty to his friend to adopt every possible device to 

 expand his chest and arms. Placing the end of the web at 

 the tip of the longest finger of his left hand, and making a 

 gigantic inhalation, he runs his right arm out to the fullest 

 extremity of his finger-tips, invariably succeeding in getting 

 an inch or two more than he ought as he picks up the mark, 

 from which he will on no account, even though his eyes be 

 never taken oflf the spot, remove his finger till the cloth has 

 been cut. Should by chance he move his finger the slightest 

 degree, the whole measurement must be done over again, and 



