308 COUPANG IN TIMOR. 



trees. The sand of the beach was broken here and 

 there by small headlands, ending in little precipices 

 of dark rock. On one of these cliffs is the fort of 

 Concordia, a mere wall surrounding some stone 

 buildings, and apparently in a very dilapidated con- 

 dition. Its strength could never be great, as it is 

 commanded by higher land immediately behind it. 

 Just under the fort, on the eastern side is a brook, 

 the mouth of which admits small boats at low water, 

 and at high tide is sufficient to float up small 

 prahus, and other native craft, for about one hun- 

 dred yards. East of this, again, is the town. This 

 consists of two principal streets, running parallel to 

 the beach for about a quarter of a mile, with two 

 small irregular streets crossing them. The houses 

 near the sea are mostly small, and inhabited princi- 

 pally by Chinese, consisting of small shops and store- 

 houses, of which latter two or three belong to Euro- 

 peans, either Dutch or Frenchmen. Behind the 

 town is an open space of grass, shaded by fine tama- 

 rind-trees, on one side of which is the house of the 

 Resident, and on the other is the brook, in which 

 the inhabitants are always bathing or washing 

 clothes. One or two roads run up the valley, lead- 

 ing to two or three tolerable houses belonging to 

 Europeans, and to many huts or cottages of Malays, 

 forming generally small clusters. The little valley 

 behind the town was very pleasant, being watered 

 not only by the brook but by many small rills con- 

 ducted from it higher up, and carried either in 



