TIMOR, the largest of the Lesser Sunda Islands, in the Malay Archipelago, the north-eastern part of which, together with a small enclave in the south (Ocussi-Ambeno), belongs to Portugal, whilst the south-western half belongs to Holland and forms part of the Dutch East Indies. Dutch Timor with Sumbawa, Sumba, Flores and the Alor and Solor Isles, forms a residency of the D.E. Indies known as Timor and dependencies, with a population of 1,656,636. Timor stretches from S.W. to N.E. for 30o m. and has a mean width of 6o m. It lies west of the Arafura Sea. It is outside the great volcanic belt extending from Java eastwards but it is within the volcanic region, and has a volcanic peak near the centre of the island. There are no active volcanoes, but mud geysers exist. It differs greatly from the other Lesser Sunda Islands, being traversed by a series of parallel mountain chains, with outliers in many places, especially on the eastern coast, descending to the sea. The centre of the country is a confused mass of very steep mountains. There are ridges from 4,000 to 8,000 ft. in height, whilst the highest peak is Mt. Rameau, 9,600 ft., in the centre of Portuguese Timor. Mt. Durulau, near it, is 8,30o and Mt. Suro 7,500 ft. More than 20 other mountains range from 3,500 to 6, Soo ft. along or near the Dutch-Portuguese boundary.
The geological structure of Timor is Archaean rock, with Permian beds, chiefly of limestone, containing numerous fossils. Volcanic rocks are present. Off the south-western coast are the islands of Semau, Rotti and Savu. Semau (which has some re markable springs) is small and unimportant. Rotti, which is much larger, has well-developed Triassic beds and volcanic mate rial. It has extensive plains, several streams useful for agri culture, and many inlets, of which Buka Bay is the largest. Savu is more than half the size of Rotti. The climate differs consider ably from that of Java and Sumatra, there being a short rainy season and a prolonged dry period. Many trees lose their leaves during the dry season. A temperature of 104° is reached.
flora has Australian forms, such as the eucalyptus. Vegetation is scanty and scrubby generally, though the uplands yield fairly under cultivation. The woodlands, which nowhere form fine forests, contain much excellent sandal wood. The fauna of Timor is of special interest since it proves, conclusively, that Timor has never formed part of Australia within recent geological epochs. The deep sea channel between has proved such an obstacle that only one Australian type is found—a marsupial, the cuscus (Phalanges orientalis), whereas Asiatic types include the grey monkey (Macacus cynomologus), deer, wild pig, civet-cat, shrew mouse, bat and a particular spe cies of wild-cat, Felis megalotis, which is found only in Timor and Rotti. As regards birds, there is a slight preponderance of Asiatic over Australian. Amongst the insects are few beetles, a rare rose chafer (Lomaptera timorensis), such moths as the Noctuae, a new species of Ophiodes, Remiga virbia, and a humming-bird moth (Protoparce orientalis), and many butterflies, Pieridae and Lycaenidae being common, others including the rare and beauti ful swallow-tails Papilio aenomaus and P. liris, and the deep purple-winged Cethosia leschenaultii. The very few land shells of Timor are allied to or identical with Moluccan and Celebes forms. There are snakes, and a species of crocodile.
The soil of the plains is poor and as the Timorese have a very scanty knowledge of irrigation and primitive means of ploughing, cultivation is backward. The mineral resources of Timor include
gold, copper, gypsum and petroleum, but little or nothing has been done to use them.
of Timor is about 800,000, that of Rotti 46,823, and of Savu 27,365. It includes very few Europeans and Eurasians, or foreign Asiatics (the latter being mostly Chinese, with a small number of Arabs), and consists of Timorese, a much mixed race, probably Malayo-Papuan-Polynesian. There is a more pronounced strain of Malayan blood in the people about the coast, whilst in the west (Kupang, Semau, etc.), there has been intermingling with the people of Rotti and Savu, who are lighter-complexioned, good-looking, well-featured people, of Ma layan (and probably Polynesian) stock. Inland amongst the mountains live the native Timorese, generally a dusky brown or blackish people, slender-figured and of tall or medium height. Forbes mentions a race of dwarfish people living in the Fatu Matabia mountains. There are small communities of Christian converts, Catholic and Protestant in Dutch Timor, Catholic in Portuguese Timor, and a few Mohammedans along the coast. The people of Rotti and Savu are largely Christian, and Mo hammedan. Except along the coast, the Timorese have been little touched by civilization. They lead a very primitive ;ife and are often at war with each other, there being numbers of small native kingdoms, under both Dutch and Portuguese rule. The usual dress of the men consists of two pieces of patterned cottoned material, with a decorated belt, often a sort of shawl, thrown over the shoulder when not in full use, and sometimes a kind of turban headgear, and a cloth wallet is carried. Women wear a sarong, also with a shawl, and they are fond of armlets of gold and silver, necklaces of glass, quartz or clay, and gold and silver chest plaques. Chiefs have special decorative garments: tattooing is practised. Weapons are the bow and arrow, spear (and shield), sword, and blow-pipe, for hunting; the use of the gun is known, and the men are very good horsemen. The usual Timorese house is built of wood, on piles, and is round in shape, with a roof of grass or palm-leaf thatch, and only one room, (except in the case of chiefs and other notables), villages, and sometimes houses often being stockaded. There was a special hut in which the leader of a successful head-hunting expedition underwent purification—to appease the ghosts ofthe slain. Pomali, or taboo, is very prevalent in Timor, and apart from the custom of placing a palm branch, as a sign of taboo, before fruit-trees, houses, growing crops, etc., to protect them—an effective method of preventing robbery—villages possess a regular pomali house, known as the
It stands in a cleared space, within which not a stone may be overturned, or a twig plucked. The building itself is raised above the ground on pillars and has two doors, one at the side and one at the end. The presiding official at the ceremonies of pomali is known as the Dato Luli, and has great power. Certain relics are preserved in the pomali house and there is a special part reserved where offerings are made to the Vatu Luli, or sacred stone. Some houses have a Luli chamber, where sacrifices of animals (pigs) are made and where a bunch of rice is hung—to ensure a bountiful harvest. The dead are placed on a stage raised above the ground, sometimes covered with a roof, and kept until a burial feast can be arranged. Stone carved seats for graves are known in Rotti.