the malay archipelago-1-第51章

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e　they　of　the　existence　of　the　copper；　that　they　thought　it　would　be　waste　of　time　and　money　to　have　any　exploration　made　first；　and　accordingly；　sent　to　England　for　a　mining　engineer；　who　was　to　bring　out　all　necessary　tools；　machinery；　laboratory；　utensils；　a　number　of　mechanics；　and　stores　of　all　kinds　for　two　years；　in　order　to　commence　work　on　a　copper…mine　which　he　was　told　was　already　discovered。　On　reaching　Singapore　a　ship　was　freighted　to　take　the　men　and　stores　to　Timor；　where　they　at　length　arrived　after　much　delay；　a　long　voyage；　and　very　great　expense。

A　day　was　then　fixed　to　〃open　the　mines。〃　Captain　Hart　accompanied　Mr。　Geach　as　interpreter。　The　Governor；　the　Commandante；　the　Judge；　and　all　the　chief　people　of　the　place　went　in　state　to　the　mountain；　with　Mr。　Geach's　assistant　and　some　of　the　workmen。　As　they　went　up　the　valley　Mr。　Leach　examined　the　rocks；　but　saw　no　signs　of　copper。　They　went　on　and　on；　but　still　nothing　except　a　few　mere　traces　of　very　poor　ore。　At　length　they　stood　on　the　copper　mountain　itself。　The　Governor　stopped；　the　officials　formed　a　circle；　and　he　then　addressed　them；　saying；　that　at　length　the　day　had　arrived　they　had　all　been　so　long　expecting；　when　the　treasures　of　the　soil　of　Timor　would　be　brought　to　light；　and　much　more　in　very　graandiloquent　Portuguese；　and　concluded　by　turning　to　Mr。　Leach；　and　requesting　him　to　point　out　the　best　spot　for　them　to　begin　work　at　once；　and　uncover　the　mass　of　virgin　copper。　As　the　ravines　and　precipices　among　which　they　had　passed；　and　which　had　been　carefully　examined；　revealed　very　clearly　the　nature　and　mineral　constitution　of　the　country；　Mr。　Geach　simply　told　them　that　there　was　not　a　trace　of　copper　there；　and　that　it　was　perfectly　useless　to　begin　work。　The　audience　were　thunderstruck！　The　Governor　could　not　believe　his　ears。　At　length；　when　Mr。　Geach　had　repeated　his　statement；　the　Governor　told　him　severely　that　he　was　mistaken；　that　they　all　knew　there　was　copper　there　in　abundance；　and　all　they　wanted　him　to　tell　them；　as　a　mining…engineer；　was　how　best　to　get　at　it；　and　that　at　all　events　he　was　to　begin　work　somewhere。　This　Mr。　Geach　refused　to　do；　trying　to　explain　that　the　ravines　had　cut　far　deeper　into　the　hill　than　he　could　do　in　years；　and　that　he　would　not　throw　away　money　or　time　on　any　such　useless　attempt。　After　this　speech　had　been　interpreted　to　him；　the　Governor　saw　it　was　no　use；　and　without　saying　a　word　turned　his　horse　and　rode　away；　leaving　my　friends　alone　on　the　mountain。　They　all　believed　there　was　some　conspiracy　that　the　Englishman　would　not　find　the　copper；　and　that　they　had　been　cruelly　betrayed。

Mr。　Geach　then　wrote　to　the　Singapore　merchant　who　was　his　employer；　and　it　was　arranged　that　he　should　send　the　mechanics　home　again；　and　himself　explore　the　country　for　minerals。　At　first　the　Government　threw　obstacles　in　his　way　and　entirely　prevented　his　moving；　but　at　length　he　was　allowed　to　travel　about；　and　for　more　than　a　year　he　and　his　assistant　explored　the　eastern　part　of　Timor；　crossing　it　in　several　places　from　sea　to　sea；　and　ascending　every　important　valley；　without　finding　any　minerals　that　would　pay　the　expense　of　working。　Copper　ore　exists　in　several　places；　but　always　too　poor　in　quality。　The　best　would　pay　well　if　situated　in　England；　but　in　the　interior　of　an　utterly　barren　country；　with　roads　to　make；　and　all　skilled　labour　and　materials　to　import；　it　would　have　been　a　losing　concern。　Gold　also　occurs；　but　very　sparingly　and　of　poor　quality。　A　fine　spring　of　pure　petroleum　was　discovered　far　in　the　interior；　where　it　can　never　be　available　until　the　country　is　civilized。　The　whole　affair　was　a　dreadful　disappointment　to　the　Portuguese　Government；　who　had　considered　it　such　a　certain　thing　that　they　had　contracted　for　the　Dutch　mail　steamers　to　stop　at　Delli　and　several　vessels　from　Australia　were　induced　to　come　with　miscellaneous　cargoes；　for　which　they　expected　to　find　a　ready　sale　among　the　population　at　the　newly…　opened　mines。　The　lumps　of　native　copper　are　still；　however；　a　mystery。　Mr。　Geach　has　examined　the　country　in　every　direction　without　being　able　to　trace　their　origin；　so　that　it　seems　probable　that　they　result　from　the　debris　of　old　copper…bearing　strata；　and　are　not　really　more　abundant　than　gold　nuggets　are　in　Australia　or　California。　A　high　reward　was　offered　to　any　native　who　should　find　a　piece　and　show　the　exact　spot　where　he　obtained　it；　but　without　effect。

The　mountaineers　of　Timor　are　a　people　of　Papuan　type；　having　rather　slender　forms；　bushy　frizzled　hair；　and　the　skin　of　a　dusky　brown　colour。　They　have　the　long　nose　with　overhanging　apex　which　is　so　characteristic　of　the　Papuan；　and　so　absolutely　unknown　among　races　of　Malayan　origin。　On　the　coast　there　has　been　much　admixture　of　some　of　the　Malay　races；　and　perhaps　of　Hindu；　as　well　as　of　Portuguese。　The　general　stature　there　is　lower；　the　hair　wavy　instead　of　frizzled；　and　the　features　less　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　around　the　waist　and　hanging　to　the　knee；　as　shown　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　back　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　until　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　for　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　defensible　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　ill！　And　they　were　allowed　to　get　possession　of　an　important　pass　within　three　miles　of　the　town；　where　they　could　defend　themselves　against　ten　times　the　force。　The　result　was　that　no　provisions　were　brought　down　from　the　hills；　a　famine　was　imminent；　and　the　Governor　had　to　send　off　to　beg　for　supplies　from　the　Dutch　Governor　of　Amboyna。

In　its　present　state　Timor　is　more　trouble　than　profit　to　its　Dutch　and　Portuguese　rulers；　and　it　will　continue　to　be　so　unless　a　different　system　is　pursued。　A　f