roi 



SUMATRA. 



SUMATRA. 



703 





They speak several dialects, which contain a great number of Malay 

 rootj*. The Lampongs occupy the most southern part of the island, 

 both the mountain region south of the river Padaug-Guchi and the 

 plain fcouth of the river Masusi. They have a strong resemblance to 

 the Chinese, particularly in the roundness of the face and the form 

 of the eyes; otherwise they do not differ in their persons from the 

 Suuiatrau?. They are the fairest people in the island, and the women 

 are the tallest and handsomest. Their language differs considerably 

 from that of the Sumatrans, and contains a great number of Javanese 

 words. Nearly all the nations inhabiting Sumatra are on a level 

 with respect to civilisation. The most advanced are those of Menang- 

 cabau and of Atcheen. 



According to the hUtory of the Malays, the whole island was once 

 subject to the sovereign of Menangcabau, and this assertion is strongly 

 supported by tho veneration which is still shown by nearly all the 

 inhabitant-! towards those who are connected with the reigning family 

 of that country. Every village or town has its chief, who acknow- 

 ledges only nominally one of the princes or sultans, of which there 

 are several in the island, but he acts quite independently, and makes 

 war on his neighbours as often as he pleases. The influence which 

 for more than a century has been exercised by European settlers and 

 governments has tended to diminish petty wars and promote peace 

 among the natives. 



The total population of Sumatra is estimated at between 3,000,000 

 and 4,000,OiiO. The population of the Dutch settlements at the end 

 of the year 1852 was as follows : 



Sumatra (went const) 1,019,000 



110,000 



54,000 



305,000 



Total 1,484,000 



Political Diviiiont, Tmcni, and Place* of Trade. Sumatra is partly 

 subject to native sovereigns and partly under the sway and influence 

 of the Dutch. The independent states lie on the north-eastern coast, 

 long the Straits of Durian and Malacca, from 2 8. lat. to the most 

 northern extremity of the island, and extend along the south-western 

 coast as far as 2 N. 1st The remainder of the south-western coast, 

 with a considerable part of the mountain region, and the north-eastern 

 coast as far north as 1 30' 3. lat., is either immediately subject to 

 the Dutch or governed by princes dependent on them. The inde- 

 pendent states are Atcheen [ATCHBEK], Siack, Imlrsgiri, and lambie 

 on the coast, and that of the liattas in the interior. 



1. The countries south of Diamond Point were formerly subject 

 to the sultan of Atcheen, but are now governed by their own 

 independent rajas, or sultans as they are called. On the coast along 

 this district an the ports of Langkat, Balu China, Drill, Sardang, 

 Batu-Bhara, and Assahan. The sultans of the four last places are 

 nominally dependent on the king of Siack. It appears that the 

 authority of these petty princes does not extend far from the sea, as 

 the inland country is inhabited by the Battas, who however send the 

 grater part of their produce to these ports in exchange for foreign 

 goods. The commerce of this coast with Penang is very active, 

 especially that of llalu China and Delli. These two places are only 

 a few miles from each other, and each is built on the banks of a 

 river, which is navigable for brigs to the town, and for large boats to 

 a considerable distance from the sea. The advantages of this easy 

 navigation have attracted the whole commerce of the country of the 

 Battas to these two harbours. Traders from the interior (as Alias 

 and Oaeia) and even from the banks of the Sinkel River and other 

 places near the south-west coast, come over with various articles and 

 carry back manufactured commodities. Batu-Khara is the largest and 

 most populous place on the north-east coast. The surrounding 

 country produces only rattans, salt-fish, horses, and slaver, as articles 

 of export. But Batu-Bhara is a frre port, and mostly inhabited by 

 merchants and shipowners. It is stated that 600 large trading boats 

 belong to this port. These vessels are the carriers of this coast 

 '1'lr y go in great numbers to Sardang, Delli, Batu-China, Langkat, 

 and other pepper ports, and to Assouan, whence they bring large 

 quantities of produce to Penang. Batu-Bhara is also a|manufactur- 

 iug place : large quantities of fine silk-cloth are made here, which 

 is in great esteem ill all the neighbouring countries, and largely 

 exported. The last place on this coast is Assahan, which has a 

 consi'lerablo amount of commerce. [AssAH.vx.] 



* the largest state on the north-east const, extending from 

 the vicinity of the Assahan (3 N. lat) to the river Kampar (0), and 

 bounded a by Indragiri, W. by Meuangcal.au, and N. by tho Battas 

 and Assahan. It is considered to extend even to 4 N. lat., but the 

 chiefs of the tribes between Assaban and Delli are only nominally 

 dependent on it, and even those south of 3 N. lat are frequently at 

 war with the king. The trading-places within this large tract are, 

 from north to south, Bila, Panai ; Tana-Putcb, Kubu, and Rakan, on 

 the Rakan River; iiukit-Batu on Brewer's Strait, Siack on Siack 

 Rivet, and Pulo-Lawang on the Kampar River. The town of Siack 

 is situated on the right bank of the river of the same name, about 

 lies from its mouth. It sends many vessels to Malacca and 

 Singapore with rattans, dammar, gambier, dye-wood, ebony, agila- 

 wood, wax, ivory, silk, cloth, coffee, camphor, salt-fish, fish-roes, and 



gold. The imports include salt, opium, cotton-cloth from the neigh- 

 bouring countries, which is called coast cloth, chintzss from Surat 

 and Europe, white cloth from Europe, raw silk and cotton, silk-stuffs, 

 gum-lac, iron and steel in bars and tubs, Java tobacco, precious stones 

 from Ceylon, gunpowder, and tin. Pulo-del-Lawang and other places 

 on the Kainpar River export a good deal of coffee to Singapore. 

 The islands which lie on the east of Brewer's Strait belong to Siack. 

 The largest of them, Rankan, is low and marshy : it produces a large 

 quantity of raw sago, which is imported into Malacca and Singapore 

 for the manufacture of pearl-sago. 



3. Indragiri is a kingdom of small extent, comprehending only the 

 countries on both sides of the river of that name, but extending to 

 the base of the mountain region, where it borders on Menangcabau. 

 It exports considerable quantities of rice to Singapore. Opposite the 

 mouth of the river is the island of Lingin, and from that island 

 northward to the capes of Burus and Romania and the port of Singa- 



>ore, the sea is literally strewed with islands and innumerable rocks. 

 Mich a sea is favourable to piracy : and as this extremity of the 

 2hina Sea is much navigated, partly on account of the rich countries 

 in its vicinity (Java, Borneo, Sumatra), and partly as being the great 

 thoroughfare of the commerce between eastern and western Asia, the 

 pirate nation of the Illanos or Lanus, whose original country is the 

 .sland of Magindanao [PHILIPPINES, vol. iv., col. 165], have pushed 

 their settlements, which are found in all parts of the Indian Archi- 

 pelago, as far as the shores of ludragiri. This is the most western 

 settlement of these pirates, 



4. lambie is the most southern of the independent states of Sumatra. 

 The boundary-line between it and the Dutch kingdom of Palembang 

 begins on the shores of the sea near 2 S. lat., and extends south-west 

 to the mountain region, where it terminates near 3 S. lat. Tho 

 present capital, Tanapileh (Chosen Land), is situated a day's voyage 

 ibove Old lambie, which is 60 miles from the sea. The produce of 

 the country is dragon's-blood, gambier, benzoin, and a variety of 

 rattans, with some gold-dust 



5. The country of tho Battas is separately described. [BATTAS, vol. 

 L, col. 930.] 



The Dutch possessions extend perhaps over half the area of the 

 island. The southern portion of the plain is subject to them as far 

 north as a line which begins near the mountains in the vicinity of 

 8 S. lat, and on the shores of the China Sea terminates near 2 S. lat. 

 The greatest part of the mountain region south of 2 N. lat, though 

 governed by their own chiefs, acknowledges the supreme authority of 

 the Dutch government. The Dutch government have five regeucic^, 

 or governments Palembang, Lampong, Bencoolen, Padang, and Ayer 

 Banghis. The first two are placed under the governor-general of Java, 

 and the threj last-mentioned regencies constitute the government of 

 the west coast of Sumatra. Beuooolen is separately noticed. [BEN- 



COOLI5.] 



The Regency of Palembang comprehends the kingdom of that 

 name, and though the king keeps his title,' tho country is under tho 

 administration of the Dutch regent, but the power of the regent is 

 very much circumscribed by that of the native chiefs. This exten- 

 sive country is thinly inhabited. The town of Palembang however 

 contains 25,000 inhabitants. The houses are of wood or bamboo, 

 except the palace of the sultan and the principal mosque, which are 

 of stone, and in the centre of the town. Though this place is about 

 70 miles from the month of the river, it carries on a considerable 

 commerce, as the river is navigable for large vessels. 



The Regency of Lainppng comprehends that portion of the plain 

 which lies south of the river Masusi, and that portion of the moun- 

 tain region which surrounds the bays of Lampong and Sainangka. 

 It terminates on the west near Flat Point The level part of tho 

 country is very thinly inhabited, and exports to Batavia only rice, 

 popper, and a little cotton. The only settlement of the Dutch, and 

 the place where the regent resides, it Mangala, on tho banks of tho 

 Tiil.-in Booang. 



The Regency of Padang comprehends the mountain region and the 

 west coast between 1* 55' S. lat., and the equator. It therefore 

 incloses the ancient kingdom of Menangcabau, whose population 

 Raffles estimated at more than a million. In this regency there are 

 numerous mines of gold, of which those situated in the district of 

 1'iga I'.las-Kotta are considered as very rich, more especially those of 

 Songui Pago and Si-Payong. They lie to the east aud south-east of 

 Padang. The town of Padang, the residence of the governor of the 

 west coast of Sumatra, and of tho regent of 1'adaug, is a small but 

 well-built place. Ayer Adji is a small port 



The Regency of Ayer Banghis comprehends the mountain region 

 and the west coast between the equator and 2 N. lat Along the 

 coast it extends somewhat farther north. In the southern districts of 

 the mountain region there arc several gold -minis, especially in thoso 

 called Rawer, or Ran, and Maudilling. The two best harbours of 

 Sumatra, the bays of Ayer Banghia and Tapnnooly, arc within these 

 territories, and there is a good harbour also at Natal. Ayer Banghia 

 is the seat of the resident Natal is rather a populous trading town. 

 On the Bay of Tapauooly arc a few European commercial settle- 

 ments. 



Mmmfaclnrei. Nothing perhaps shows more clearly the advanced 

 state of civilisation of the inhabitant* of Huinatra than their inanu- 



