THE TIMOR GROUP 
361 
form a large proportion of the littoral population, but 
according to Dr. Weber the true Buginese are hardly 
seen except at Maumeri, where they construct the large 
trading praus for which they are so famed. The ab¬ 
original inhabitants thus occupy the interior. They are 
totally distinct from the sub-Malayan peoples of the 
coast, and are by most observers considered to be of 
Papuan origin. They are tall and strongly built, with 
somewhat of the unreserved and noisy manners of the 
New Guinea savage. The teeth are filed to points; the 
nose is large, rather prominent, and finely cut; the skin 
dark, or, according to some travellers, sooty-black. The 
hair is frizzly and abundant, but waved, and less re- 
sistent than in the true Papuan; and altogether the 
Flores aboriginals may perhaps be said to be most 
nearly allied to the Timorese. They are not very friendly 
even near Larantuka, where Europeans have been long 
settled, and a Dutch expedition attempting to explore 
inland from the south coast in 1889 was attacked 
and driven to retreat, the leader and two Government 
officials having been wounded. These people are pure 
pagans, their creed being apparently a form of nature- 
worship. The earth is considered holy, and to be dis¬ 
turbed as little as possible, so that in the dry season they 
will only dig for water in the river-beds as a last 
resource. The coast dwellers are mostly Mohammedans, 
but the Portuguese made some converts during their 
tenure of the island, and a good number, especially of the 
mixed race of Portuguese blood in Larantuka, still call 
themselves Christians, and are said to be visited by the 
priests from Timor. There is also a Dutch Catholic 
mission at Maumeri and Sikka. The people inhabiting 
Rusa Raja Island are pagans of the same race as those of 
the interior. 
