Show BRITAIN SULKS SEEKS ISLE OF TIMOR needed as link in world air route the british government ta is report ed by a news dispatch from froin london to be interested in timor island of 0 the east indies as a possible sea and air base an offer of 0 to may be made for the island it Is declared the eastern part of timor and a tiny nick of the western part now belongs to portugal and the remainder to the netherlands timor Is the eastern jumping off PI place ace of 0 tiie the sunda islands that chain of land spots which Is strung out from sumatra eastward toward the north coast of australia says a bulletin from the washington DC D C headquarters of the national geographic society it Is about miles from the timor coast to australia timor Is thus a vital link in the europe australia air route although timor had a portuguese settlement on its coast more than a century before capt john smith with his band of english colonists dis embarked at jamestown and although the dutch landed or the laland island about the time of the capt john smith pocahontas lifesaving life saving episode in virginia timor shows little littie ittle ittie effect of its contact with the western world about SOO miles long and averaging GO CO miles in width the island has but few settlements that even can be called township even koppang Koe pang capital and largest port on the dutch or western end of the island has only inhabitants and dill which Is the chief town in the eastern or portuguese portion of the island can account for only permanent residents there are no railroads on timor and one of the best roads of any great length la Is a horse trail that traverses the thae island no cable links it with other islands steamships that touch other east indian islands stop at timor ports to d deliver cotton goods oil and wine and to take away coffee copra hides cacao shells wax and sandalwood which are the leading exports and now and then an occasional visitor oft off the beaten tourist path walks down a steamship gangplank bent upon room roaming over the mountains and through valleys where live most of the Is land inhabitants largely a racial mixture of malayan polynesian and papuan blood the natives are divided into many tribes ruled by chiefs whose jealousy lea lousy 0 of neighboring leaders and land grab bing habits frequently have caused bloody clashes bows and arrows and spears are the war weapons of the natives for hunting game t they hey use blow guns and small darts while the loin cloth stin constitutes the entire wardrobe of 0 the men of some gome of the tribes other tribesmen wear two piece cotton garments and turbans the women don colorful sarongs strongs and shawls from the appearance of exposed arms and other portions of the natives bodies it Is evident that tattoo artists are kept busy in timor the tattooing to Is done with crude instruments and dyes which sometimes cause blood poisoning and death there appear to be no limits other than wealth and inclination to the number of wives a tribesman may bv have the native home Is a round oue one room wooden structure with a roof of gross grass or palmleaf palm leaf thatch and not too clean inside or out to appease the angry gods and to avoid destruction by evil shirts the tribesmen place palm branches before fruit trees houses and growing crops agriculture ri Is carried on with crude primitive implements and although there are many streams on the island irrigation Is hardly known during the dry season vegetation bows to the torrid sun even to the extent of the trees losing their leaves if the reported purchase Is consummated sum mated it will not be great brit ains first possession of timor in 1797 1717 the british attempted to drive out the dutch then dominantly in control of the island at first they tailed failed later the british succeeded and the dutch flag was lowered portuguese influence then swept the island until 1814 when by treaty the dutch resumed their old status today the dutch portion of timor Is 13 about square miles with inhabitants the portuguese portion Is square miles with about people both per portions ire are mountainous many peaks are more than feet high mount rameau near the center of the island rises feet feel |