Some of the most
intelligent and best informed Dutchmen I have met with are trading
captains and merchants.
This country much resembles Australia in its physical features, and is
very barren compared with most of the other islands.... It is very
rugged and mountainous, having no true forests, but a scanty vegetation
of gum trees with a few thickets in moist places. It is consequently
very poor in insects, and in fact will hardly pay my expenses; but
having once come here I may as well give it a fair trial. Birds are
tolerably abundant, but with few exceptions very dull coloured. I really
believe the whole series of birds of the tropical island of Timor are
less beautiful and bright-coloured than those of Great Britain. In the
mountains potatoes, cabbages and wheat are grown in abundance, and so we
get excellent pure bread made by Chinamen in Delli. Fowls, sheep, pigs
and onions are also always to be had, so that it is the easiest country
to live in I have yet met with, as in most other places one is always
doubtful whether a dinner can be obtained. I have been a trip to the
hills and stayed ten days in the clouds, but it was very wet, being the
wrong season.
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