prominent. The houses are built on the ground, while the
mountaineers raise theirs on posts three or four feet high.
The common dress is a long cloth, twisted round the waist
and hansnns: to the knee, as shown O O ' in the illustration
(page 305), copied from a photograph. Both men carry
the national umbrella, made of an entire fan-shaped palm
leaf, carefully stitched at the fold of each leaflet to prevent
splitting. This is opened out, and held sloping over the
head and hack during a shower. The small water-bucket
is made from an entire unopened leaf of the same palm,
and the covered bamboo probably contains honey for sale.
A curious wallet is generally carried, consisting of a
square of strongly woven cloth, the four corners of which
are connected by cords, and often much ornamented with
beads and tassels. Leaning against the house behind
the figure on the right are bamboos, used instead of
water jars.
A prevalent custom is the “ pomali,” exactly equivalent
to the “ taboo ” of the Pacific islanders, and equally respected.
It is used on the commonest occasions, and a
few palm leaves stuck outside a garden as a sign of the
“ pomali’' will preserve its produce from thieves as
effectually as the threatening notice of man-traps, spring
guns, or a savage dog, would do with us. The dead
are placed on a stage, raised six or eight feet above
the ground, sometimes open and sometimes covered with
a roof. Here the body remains till the relatives can
afford to make a feast, when it is buried. The Timorese
are generally great thieves, but are not bloodthirsty. They
fight continually among themselves, and take every opportunity
of kidnapping unprotected people of other tribes
for slaves; but Europeans may pass anywhere through
the country in safety. Except a few half-breeds in the
town, there are no native Christians in the island of Timor.
The people retain their independence in a great measure,
and both dislike and despise their would-be rulers, whether
Portuguese or Dutch.
The Portuguese government in Timor is a most miserable
one. Nobody seems to care the least about the improvement
of the country, and at this time, after three hundred
' years of occupation, there has not been a mile of road
made beyond the town, and there is not a solitary European
resident anywhere in the interior. All the Government
officials oppress and rob the natives as much as they can,
and yet there is no care taken to render the town de-
fensible should the Timorese attempt to attack it. So
ignorant are the military officers, that having received a
small mortar and some shells, no one could be found who
knew how to use them ; and. during an insurrection of the
natives (while I was at Delli) the officer who expected to
be sent against the insurgents was instantly taken i ll ! and
they were allowed to get possession of an important pass