126 A NATURALIST'S WAH 



rison of some 200 men, Iii aildition to tlic true natives of the 

 town, there was a large campong of Chinese, a few Arabs, with a 

 considerable fluctuating population of traders from Borneo and 

 Celebes, and other islands of the Archipelago. The Buginese 

 or Celebes men are by far the most slcilled navigators, and the 

 greatest traders of them all ; Macassar praus being famous 

 throughout the Eastern seas for their voyages made without 

 comj)ass, yet rarely with mishap, from the eastern coasts of 

 New Guinea to the Indian Ocean in the west, trading in their 

 native-made cloths, in the lovely lories which they bring from 

 east of their own shores, and in the native Macassar oil. The 

 town was, therefore, before its destruction by the terrible 

 earthquake wave of August 1883, inhabited by a rather hete- 

 rogeneous collection of islanders ; and, in consequence of each 

 race buildini^^ their domiciles accordini): to the fashion in their 

 own country, it was very irregular ; but what it lost in this 

 respect it gained in picturesqueness. It stood but little above 

 the level of the sea, on a low narrow flat, which intervened 

 between the shore and the very abruptly rising hills, on whose 

 slo230 are situated the Government offices and some of the Euro- 

 pean residences, commanding a most lovely view of the bay. 



One cannot exaniine a map of Sumatra without being struck 

 by the singular disposition of the land. Along the whole 

 length of the west coast is found, as already remarked, a long 

 range of mountains with their outliers, while to tlie east of 

 the Barisan, as this range is named, not a mountain, and 

 scarcely even a hill, is to be seen. The entire eastern portion 

 is one vast plain, of which immense tracts often lie at a time 

 under water— the word Lampong signifies "bobbing on the 

 water." One may travel in some parts in a straight line west- 

 ward from the east coast for 150 or 200 miles without reach- 

 ing an elevation of over 400 or 500 feet, while some 80 miles 

 farther the Barisan peaks may ascend to over 10,000 feet. 



After a short stay in the town, I started for Gedong-tetahan, 

 some twenty miles north, provided by the Eesident with a man- 

 date to the chiefs of the various margas or districts through 

 which my road hxy, commanding them to render me every 

 assistance. In Java the traveller has to look out for his own 

 coolies, with whom he makes his own terms as to distance and 

 remuneration, and finds no difficulty in so doing ; but here, the 



s 



