THE TIMOR GROUP 
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nearly north and south of each other, being separated by 
the narrow Solor Strait. Omitting this, there are thus 
five breaks between Flores and Timor in this vast island 
chain—the Flores, Lamakwera or Boleng, Allor, and 
Pantar Straits, and the broad and profound channel 
known as the Ombay Passage. The latter is most used 
by vessels, but all are navigable, though more or less 
dangerous from the terrific currents which sweep through 
them, and at times render ships quite ungovernable. 
Their strength may be realised from the fact that mariners 
are cautioned in sailing along the islands not to approach 
within 12 miles of the mouth of the Straits, lest their 
ship should be drawn in. A vessel has been known, 
while experiencing strong southerly winds at the northern 
entrance of the Komodo Strait, west of Flores, to be 
drawn in at the rate of eleven miles an hour . Yet these 
currents are most uncertain, and vessels are sometimes 
not only days, but weeks, endeavouring to pass through. 
In March, 1868, some twenty or thirty sailing ships had 
been in vain trying to get eastward through the Ombay 
Passage, with the result of always losing by day what was 
gained at night. At length the captains of two ships 
resolved to try the Lamakwera Strait. In two days the 
entrance was reached, and in two and a half hours they 
had passed through. 
All these islands are inhabited by a race similar to 
the people of the interior of Flores—dark, tall, and 
frizzly-haired, and little known to Europeans—while on 
the coast are settled a few Bugis or other Malays. They 
are nominally under the jurisdiction of the Residency of 
Timor, and there are Postholders at Terong in Adonara 
and Allor Ketjil in Ombay. The entire population of the 
two groups is believed to be about 125,000 inhabitants. 
Solor is the smallest of the five islands, and the 
