Jaoa] 



ORIENTAL COMMERCE. 



396 



you are then off the entrance of the coral reefs which secure the harbour. 

 You are obliged to take a pilots who always comes off on a signal being 

 made, and carries you in to anchor, with the flagstaff bearing S. 59° E. 

 The town is large and well-inhabited, and a large trade is carried on with 

 Macao by the Portuguese and Chinese, of whom numbers are resident here. 

 Laphoa is another Portuguese town. 



Trade. — The power of both the Portuguese and Dutch Governments is 

 almost nominal in Timor, though they claim the entire sovereignty. Two 

 of the rivers, most productive of gold, are within the Dutch line of possessions. 

 Some of the lumps of gold found in Timor weigh full 2 ounces. Copper is 

 said to abound in the centre of the N. W. side of the island, the Chief of 

 which acknowledges the authority of Coupang. The specimens are lumps of 

 native copper imbedded in hard white shiny stone. The trade of Timor is con- 

 siderable, especially at Dheliy, which is under stricter regulations, to prevent 

 exports from the small ports, than Coupang. The imports are coarse blue 

 and white cloth, large pattern chintzes, a few fine ; and handkerchiefs with 

 much red in them. China silks, coarse and of gaudy patterns ; China ware, 

 coarse and green ; pavongs, muskets, gunpowder, iron, coarse British 

 cutlery, Macassar parangs, lead, &c. The exports are gold-dust and birds'- 

 nests, but principally wax, sandal -wood brought from the S. coast, 

 earth oil, and cattle ; the last chiefly to the Isle of France and Amboyna. 

 The Timor sandal-wood is not so prized in the China market as that from 

 Malabar. It is not easy to calculate the value of the entire trade of the 

 island ; but the fair annual commerce of Coupang alone (supposed about 

 one fourth) exceeded, for the last five years, 1,200,000 Spanish dollars, 

 according- to the farmers 1 books. (Malay MisreL Vol. I.) 



Provisions and Refreshments are plentiful and cheap, both in the 

 Portuguese and Dutch districts. The sea abounds with fish of various 

 kinds, and many curious and valuable shells arc met with. 



Coins. — In the Dutch ports the money is the same as at Batavia. At 

 Dheliy, Spanish dollars and Portugal coins are current 



Weights. — In both districts goods are bought and sold by the 

 Chinese pecul. 



The small Islands of Sebrao, Pantar, or Alao; Ombay, and Wetter, 

 are inhabited by the same class of people as the mountaineers of Solor (who 

 differ from those on the coast) ; nor is it safe for a boat to land on any of 

 them, unless well armed, as they are all cannibals. They occasionally 

 barter wax with proas that frequent their ports, and even supply the 

 whalers with stock ; but the utmost caution is requisite in trading with 

 them, as they are always on the watch to sin-prise the unwary. 



