Account of Timor. 187 
the country in reading and writing, and the principles of the 
Chriftian religion; the Dutch having printed verfions of the 
New Teftament, a catechifm, and feveral other trafts, in the 
language of this and the neighbouring ilknds. Dr. Solan- 
der, who was at his houfe, faw the books, and the copy books 
alfo, ol nis fcholars, many of whom wrote a very fair hand. 
He bonded that there were no lefs than fix hundred Chriftians 
in the townfhip of Seba ; but what the Dutch Chriftianity of 
thefe Indians may be, it is not perhaps very eafy to guefs for 
there is not a church, nor even a prieft, in the whole illand. 
While we were at this place, we made feveral enquiries 
concerning the neighbouring illands, and the intelligence 
which we received, is to the following effedt : 
A'fmall illand to the weltward of Savu, the name of which 
we did not learn, produces nothing of any confequence but 
areca-nuts, of which the Dutch receive annually the freight of 
two Hoops, in return for prefents that they make to the 
ilianders. 
Timor is the chief, and the Dutch refidents on the other 
illands go thither once a year to pafs their accounts. The 
place is nearly in the fame Hate as in Dampier’s time, the 
Dutch having there a fort and ftore-houfes ; and, by Lange’s 
account, we might there have been fupplied with every necef- 
fary that we expefted to procure at Batavia, fait provifions 
and arrack not excepted. But the Portuguefe are Hill in pof- 
fefiion of feveral towns on the north fide of the illand, parti- 
cularly Laphoa and Sefial. 
About two years before our arrival, a French lhip was 
wrecked upon theeaft coal! of Timor ; and after Ihe had lain 
forne days upon the Ihoal, a fudden gale broke her up at once, 
and drowned the Captain, with the greateft part of the crew : 
thofe who got alhore, among whom was one of the Lieute- 
nants, made the bell of their way to Concordia ; they were 
four days upon the road, where they were obliged to leave part 
of their company through fatigue, and the reft to the number 
of about eighty, arrived at the town. They were fupplied 
with every necelfary, and fent back to the wreck, with pro- 
per afiiftance, for recovering what could be filhed. up ; they 
fortunately got up all their bullion, which was in chefts, and 
feveral of their guns which were very large. They then re- 
turned to the town, but their companions who had been left 
upon the road were miffing, having, as it was fuppofed, been 
kept among the Indians, either by perfuafion or force ; for 
they are very defirous of having Europeans among them, to 
inftrudl them in the art of war. After a ftay of more than 
two months at Concordia, their number was diminilhed near- 
ly one half by ficknefs, in confequence of the fatigue and 
hardlhip 
