372 
COMPENDIUM OF GEOGEAPHY AND TEAYEL 
unhealthy, especially from November to April, when the 
westerly monsoon brings an abundant rainfall. There 
are not five miles of road in any direction, and the fine 
hills that rise at the back of the town have not even 
decent bridle-paths to make them accessible. A good 
force of police is required, as street robberies are frequent. 
The condition of the colony appears wretched, and a 
Portuguese writer to As Oolonias Portuguezas complains 
that there are neither funds nor men to keep it going. 
Omitting the Dutch steamers, which touch regularly at 
the port, hardly any vessels visit it. In the year 1885 
only twelve entered it, and of these seven were Dutch. 
The export trade in coffee has fallen off, although the 
berry is exceedingly good. The exports, which in 1888 
amounted to the value of £110,000, had fallen in 1890 
to £72,000. Of this latter sum coffee represented 
almost the whole, its value being given at £67,000 ; the 
remainder was practically confined to beeswax and sandal¬ 
wood. What trade exists is chiefly in the hands of 
Macao Chinese. 
Mr. H. O. Porbes describes Timor as portioned out 
into small kingdoms ruled over by independent chiefs. 
In Portuguese Timor there are forty-seven such kinglets. 
Each kingdom is in turn divided into districts or Sulcus , 
ruled over by Datus. Most if not all of these native princes 
pay some sort of tribute, and it is said that each king¬ 
dom has a different language, or at all events a widely 
different dialect. Under an energetic government, and 
with some outlay in the construction of roads, the island 
might be prosperous, for wheat and potatoes of excellent 
quality are grown on the hills, and might be cultivated 
in sufficient quantity to supply the whole European 
population of the archipelago. Sheep also thrive on the 
hills, and though wool-bearing varieties have not been 
