X14 TRAVELS IN TEE EAST INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



long. TluB is a fine harbor now in the eastern 

 monsoon, but clmdng the western monsoon it is so 

 slightly protected by the noi*thern end of Semao that 

 the sea may be said to roll dit'ectly in from the open 

 ocean. At such times the steamer is obliged to seek 

 a partial shelter imder the lee of a small island on 

 the north side of the bay. Whalers, and merchant- 

 ships bound to and from China in the western mon- 

 soon, howeveFj frequently call here, because it is the 

 only harbor of any kind near the southern end of 

 the island. If the projected line of steamers between 

 northern Australia, Surabaya, Batavia, and Singa^ 

 pore, ia established, this port would be one of the 

 places they would visit. '^The village is situated on 

 a sandy beach, that is terminated on either hand 

 by cliffs of coral rock, which the sea has woni out 

 into caves and small projecting points of the most 

 grotesque forms. It has a population estimated at 

 frx)m sis to seven thousand. Its chief exports are 

 tripang, beeswax from the interior, and a sandal- 

 wood, which ia said to be the best in the whole 

 archipelago. They raise several kinds of the nicest 

 oranges. The Mandarin orange, probably brought 

 originally from China, is the most delicious of any 

 kind of this tmit that I ever tasted. I doubt veiy 

 much whether om West India Islands, or Sicily, or 

 any other part of the world, can compete with Timur 

 in the rich flavor of its oranges. The hills around 

 the village are only covered with a scanty vegeta- 

 tion, through which the coral rock outcrops, and in 

 every direction the whole country, except in the val- 

 leys, presents a most barren and uninviting aspect, 



