n the present king and one of his
nephews, which caused a civil war that lasted from the beginning of the
year 1786 to 1788, when their differences were settled by a treaty,
chiefly in favour of the king. The ravages committed in these disputes
have occasioned a scarcity of provisions that probably, from the want of
industry in the natives, will not soon be remedied. I had an opportunity
of making a visit to the king. His dwelling was a large house which was
divided into only three apartments and surrounded by a piazza, agreeably
situated but very dirty, as was all the furniture. The king, who is an
elderly man, received me with much civility and ordered refreshments to
be set before me, which were tea, rice cakes, roasted Indian corn, and
dried buffalo flesh, with about a pint of arrack, which I believe was all
he had. His dress was a check wrapper girded round his waist with a silk
and gold belt, a loose linen jacket, and a coarse handkerchief about his
head. A few of his chiefs were with him who partook of our repast; after
which the king retired with three of them for a short time and when he
returned presented me with a round plate of metal about four inches
diameter on which was stamped the figure of a star. As I had been
informed that arrack would be an acceptable present I was prepared to
make a return which was well received. They never dilute their liquor and
from habit are able to drink a large quantity of spirits at a time
without being intoxicated.

When a king dies a large feast is made to which all the inhabitants are
invited. The body after a few days is put into a coffin which is closed
up and kept three years before it is interred.

The Dutch have been at some pains to establish Christianity among the
natives: but it has not gained much ground, except in the neighbourhood
of Coupang. The present king was christened by the name of Barnardus. His
Indian name is Bachee Bannock. The scriptures are translated into the
Malay language and prayers are performed in the church at Coupang by a
Malay clergyman, in that language.

I met at Timor with most of the fruits that are described in Captain
Cook's first voyage as natives of Batavia, except the mangosteen. The
breadfruit tree, called by the Malays soccoom, likewise grows here with
great luxuriance and appears to be as much a native of this island as it
is of Otaheite. The fruit is exactly of the same kind but not so good. A
breadfruit of Timor weighs half