 He entertained friendly contacts with the Muslim kingdom of Makassar, but his power was checked by devastating invasions by the Portuguese in 1642 and 1665.Wehali was now brought inside the Portuguese sphere of power but appears to have had limited contact with its colonial suzerain.The Portuguese grip over western Timor receded greatly after the 1749 Battle of Penfui, and the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC), which had hitherto been confined to Kupang, expanded its sphere of power over large parts of the island.