THE EASTERN ARCH IFEL AGO, 177 



in it* slightly volcanic, to the latter in ita more highly developed 

 ledimentajy formations, different from both in the lie of it* main 

 axis, which is not west and east, but south- weH rod north -east. The 

 great prevalence of old rocka, sttefa m (dilate, elates, sandstone*, and 

 carboniferous limestones, combined with the fact that it lien mainly in 

 very deep waters, seems to indicate o former connection with the 

 vanished Lemurian continent, of which it may perhaps be regained 

 as the eastern limit in thin direction, Timor is the largest of all thu 

 ],,-- r Sunday bctnj* 30!.) mil--- by fiO, with an area of over 11,000 

 square miles. The surfactr ia everywhere rugged find tnutintainons, 

 with numerous irregular ridges from 4000 to 8000 foot, and peek* 

 rising considerably bibber, Mount KubalaM, in the eastern district 

 of Munufahi, has an altitude of over 10,000 feet (Forbes),, while 

 Giinung Alias, near tlm south coast, appears to be the eliminating 

 point,, with an elevation of 11,500 feet. 



Iron, copper, and gold occur in se veral places, and the uplands yield 

 excellent wheat and potatoes* The woodlands, which nowhere devtdope 

 into iron fureals, contain much sandalwood of fine quality, which forms, 

 with ponies, n chief staple of export. 



"I'll- hXLl.mr.iiim] of ihe imputation appear to bo Papuan, but inter- 

 mingled in the moat varied proportions with Malayan, Indonesian, and 

 other rdemants. They aw divided into a largo number of more or Una 

 hostile tribes, speaking as many as forty distinct l'mpiiaii and Malayan 

 languages or dialects. Rotne of the tribes an 1 extremely rude, and still 

 addicted to head-hunting, at least during war, and to other barlmroua 

 practices. In their & T wui- /.«/». or sacred (tabooed) enclosures ritea are 

 performed resembling those of the South Sea Islanders. 



Politically Timor belongs partly to the Patch, and partly to the Por- 

 tuguese. The western and larger section is bomimilly administert'd by a 

 Dutch Resident stationed at K»vang t a petty little town, with a mixed 

 Timorese } Malay, Chinese, and European population, at the western ex- 

 tremity of the island. It exports sandalwood, beeswax, ponies, and 

 maize. 



The eastern section is ruled by the Portuguese, whose chief settlement 

 is at Ih'iit a group of howls and wretched houses, with a ruined fort, in a 

 fever-stricken district on the north coasts Its chief exports are wheat, 

 potatoes, coffee of fine quality, ponies, sandalwood, and beeswax. But 

 Unci are a large n umber of practically independent petty Slates ; as many 

 as forty-seven in Enat Timor alone. Thews " Henos," or "kingdoms," are 

 under absolute " Leoreis," or chiefs, and Rubdivided itttfl Sukus, or dis- 

 trict^ each under a Jtoto, dependent ou the Leorei, and assisted by a Cabo 

 ami Taienif. (Forbes.) 



Scattered over tha Hand a Spr, Wtween Timor and Timor bant, are 

 several- inlands and insular groups— Wetier t Row*, Mm, tha Servnii islets, 

 ami Jiithbur— which are mostly volcanic, and consequently form a natural 

 eastern extension of the lesser Surulas in the direction of Timor Laut, 



Wetter, which w considerably larger than all the rest put together, lies 



K 



