Timor

Timor is a large island in the Malay Archipelago that the Nautilus passes in the Timor Sea on January 13, 1868, during its journey from the Torres Strait toward the Indian Ocean. The island is notable for its rajahs, who claim descent from crocodiles, and for the brief glimpse Professor Aronnax gets of it as the chief officer takes his noon sighting. The Nautilus's passage near Timor marks a key navigational point as the vessel turns southwest toward the Indian Ocean, and the island's association with sacred crocodiles and its women's reputation for beauty in Malaysian markets are mentioned in passing.

Geography and Position

Timor lies in the Timor Sea, a body of water the Nautilus enters after crossing the Coral Sea and navigating the Torres Strait. On January 13, 1868, the Nautilus arrives in the Timor Sea, and Captain Nemo raises the island of that name at longitude 122°. The island's surface area is 1,625 square leagues. At noon, the chief officer determines the Nautilus's position, and Professor Aronnax catches only a glimpse of Timor itself, as well as little Roti Island, part of the same group. After this position fix, the Nautilus's latitude bearings are modulated to the southwest, and the vessel's prow points toward the Indian Ocean.

Governance and Culture

The island is governed by rajahs, who deem themselves the sons of crocodiles, in other words, descendants with the most exalted origins to which a human being can lay claim. Accordingly, their scaly ancestors infest the island's rivers and are the subjects of special veneration. These crocodiles are sheltered, nurtured, flattered, pampered, and offered a ritual diet of nubile maidens; woe to the foreigner who lifts a finger against these sacred saurians. The women of little Roti Island, also part of this same group, have a well-established reputation for beauty in the Malaysian marketplace.

Narrative Significance

The Nautilus's passage near Timor is a brief but significant navigational marker. After the position fix, the Nautilus turns southwest, heading into the Indian Ocean. This moment prompts Professor Aronnax to wonder where Captain Nemo's fancies will take them: whether he will head up to the shores of Asia, pull nearer to the beaches of Europe, go down south to double the Cape of Good Hope and then Cape Horn, push on to the Antarctic pole, or return to the seas of the Pacific. The passage near Timor thus marks a turning point in the voyage, as the Nautilus leaves the familiar waters of the Pacific and enters the Indian Ocean, opening up new possibilities for the journey ahead.