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Flinders's Providence Logbook Oct 8-9, 1792

Remarks on board H M S Providence – In Coepang Bay – Island Timor

Remarks

The Island Timor, where we made it, is high Land covered with Wood and sloping towards the SW – we had no Soundings off the Coast till we were in sight of Pulo Samow standing between Timor and Rottee Island or Islands. the nearest Parts are about 3 Leagues distant. the NE Point of Rotee and SW Point of Timor being nearly North and South of each other; off the latter lay some rocks, and shoal water about a Mile out, on which there is a considerable Surf. as we approached this Shoal we had 22 Fathoms and down to 11 when 1½ Miles distant from the Point but as we entered Samow Streight we deepened again and got no Ground – at the Entrance the Distance between Samow and Timor is 3 or 4 Miles ESE and WNW and continues that a little more or less to the Northern Entrance where it is not quite half that – Pulo Cambing is a single round Hill covered with Wood inserted into the Samow shore from which it is scarcely to be distinguished. the Passage between them is blocked up with banks and shoals – Samow is moderately high and is likewise covered with wood. off its NE Point there is a reef runs out about ¼ Mile and shoal water nearly half way across the Neck with rocky bad Ground and where there is a tolerable Depth of Water it is equally bad. on the Timor side it is very deep and near Coepang the Anchorage is good in 6 to 25 Fathoms. This Town as we approached it had more the Appearance of an Indian Village than an European Settlement and but for the Dutch fort and Colours, which are not the most conspicuous, it would scarcely have been taken for one. the Houses being shaded with large Trees mostly gruit and almost invisible except a few Malay Hutts next the Beach on which there is mostly surf enough to make it bad landing and its ascending gradually prevents Boats approaching it very near so that we
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generally got wet to the middle going on shore, where the first thing that strikes a Man is generallly the People, and here the Chinese are very remarkable their bald Heads the single lock of palatted [platted - braided] Hair reaching almost down to their Heels. their Nails half as long as the Fingers and their singular dress altogether cannot fail to strike the attention of a stranger, excep the Malays or Malayans who are mostly slaves. they form the greatest Part of the Inhabitants of Coepang and are the only Tradesmen in it, but by their Carelessness and Indifference in serving their Customers one would suppose they did not care to sell any thing. nevertheless a Stranger who deals with them may depend upon being confoundedly cheated. their Houses stand in two rows near and parallel to the Beach, which part of the Town is called the Bazar or Market – The Houses of the Governor and Dutch Inhabitants are large and very suitable to the Climate but not very elegant. they are never more than one Storey, but have Piazzas facing the rising and setting Sun, where they enjoy the cool Air at those Times. those of the Malays are no better than Hutts, their covering is Palm leaves – The Fort is a Square Fortification with 3 Bastions two pointing into the Bay and one into the Country. the other corner & two sides are occupied by the Barracks and other Buildings. the principal Battery is a covered one, on the Curtin facing the Sea. the exact Number of Guns, I do not know but it must be about 20 and I think eighteen. the Number of Soldiers here at present is not more than a hundred. within the Fort is the Company's Storehouse where are to be had Coffee, Sugar, Arrack, rice and some other Articles. the two former we bought for 10 Stivers or 16 pence per pound but neither of the latter where [were] to be had at this Time indeed rice is scarcely to be had or any other Provisions so much so that when we went ashore we were obliged to take it from the Ship. a bit of rice bread except at the Governors table was a wonderful thing; this they say is occasioned by their having had no rain [for]
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a long Time and the Pandora's People taking away a great deal with them. the Beef we got was tender, but had not the solidity in it that English Beef has. the Animal which they call a Carabou is not larger than a well grown Calf and is exactly like one, its Hide is remarkably thick. We expected to have got Arrack tolerably cheap and in great Plenty, but we found ourselves miserably deceived in this as in most other of our Expectations. the river empties itself into the Bay just under the Fort and at high Water is deep enough for their scoots to go up as high as the Bridge. below it are several small Vessels principally Yachts or pleasure boats – we watered just below the Bridge but were always obliged to take the Opportunity of going in with the last of the Flood loading and getting out before the Water fell much, the Water at those Times is brack a little above the Bridge – It takes its rise several Miles in the Country but no Boat can go up higher than the Tide rises it being filled up with rocks and large stones. About the Town are several large Gardens most of which belong to the Governor who keeps a Malay Family or two in each to cultivate Vegetables Fruit &c most of which are European – the Malays themselves are in general thin and slender they chew the Beetle nut like the rest of thier East Indian Brethren to which they frequently add Tobacco, the leaf o the black pepper & the fruit of the lony. this gives their Mouths a dirty disgusting look, dying their Teeth black, which perhaps are half worn away by it, and thier Lips red. it is not an uncommon sight to see a young Girl, who otherwise would be tolerably handsome with her Mouth in this Condition and a chew of Tobacco or Beetle nut hanging half out of it. the Current Coin here is the Dutch and Spanish Dollars, but the People and particularly the Chinese had rather exchange for iron tools, Guns or wollen [woolen] apparel, which may be bartered to great advantage. we were offered a Pound of Tea which would be sold for 5 [pence?] in England and which we purchased for a rupee, for a File
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Remarks at Timor

and I make no Doubt but a Trader might make two Hundred per Cent upon any hardward he would bring out – The Soil about Coepang is dry and barren, particularly in the higher Parts w[h]ere it is not so well shaded. it produces a good Variety of Fruits. those which were at present in Season, are the Mango, a large pulpy Drupa [drupe] covered with a thick green skin, the Pulp which is the eatable Part, has not a remarkable fine flavour, is stringy and adheres close to the stone which is large and flat – the Nancha or sour-sop resembles the Breadfruit, is very delicious and contains a Number of large reniform seeds. it is not exactly the same as the West-indian – the Pomegranate is a fine Fruit and well known, some that we took away kept good two Months – The Breadfruit (Tooke) grows here, but is seldom eaten. the Botanists procured three young Plants of the fertile kind in a palm leaf baskett – But of all others the Palm tree seems to be the most usefull, with the Leaves, they thatch their Hutts, make basketts which hold water, and a great variety of straw-work. they likewise make Cinnet [sinnet] of them, with which they make exceeding good Hatts from the Body of the Tree, they draw a liquid which boiled down makes a syrup like Treacle but thicker and much better. this they substitute for sugar and call goolah – Besides the fruits I mention they have many others which I did not see, as the Namnam a Drupa of a pleasant acit taste, containing a large seed like a Windsor bean – two or three sorts of Jambo, the Jambolang the Bemblang, Carembolah and Chermailah – the fruit of the 3rd is an oblong Pomum of a pleasant acid taste, the 4th an angulated one and likewise acid – these with the Otaheitean rattah, the Beetle-nut, the black and long Pepper for4m the greatest Part of their Fruits, except the Tamarind which I saw and grows on very large Trees in many Parts of the Town

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