summvx 



BUND A ISLANDS. 



7' 1 



featuring industry. The u>ot important manufacture* are those of 

 lno >B ^ MM!, which sre carried to a coiuiderablo degree of perfection 

 U Mroanteabau. where iron bu been worked from time immemorial. 

 HM kri (dagger) blad<- made here are famous all over tbe Indian 

 Archipelago. Common implement* of agriculture and Mveral kimls 

 of tooUare made. Large quantities of fine tilk -cloth are made at 

 Balu Bhaia. Silk-cloth ii made at Atchesn. Earthenware is made 

 on an extmaive acale at several places, especially at Menangcaban, 

 whence I'adabg and Benooolen are supplied with thii article. The 

 beautiful (old and ailrer fillagree-work made in thU iaUnd hai long 

 hern admired, though it u executed with Tory coarse and imperfect 



. Karoo Polo calk Sumatra Java Minor. Tlio name of 

 Sumatra oocun first iu the travel* of Nicolo di Couti, who visited it 

 before 1440. The Malay name of the i.land is Pulo Perch*. The 

 Portuguese navigator, reached the coast of Pedir in 1509, under Diego 

 Lopes Sigucira, At this time it appears that the ancient kingdom of 

 Uinangcabau, which, according to the Mala; history, extended over 

 the whole island, had already been dUmembered ; but Atcheen was 

 then governed by a powerful king, who prevented the Portuguese from 

 gaining a footing iu the uland, and even tried to expel them from the 

 town of Malacca. In 1576 a fleet of the Atcbeenese destroyed the 

 shipping of the Portuguese iu tbe harbour of that town; and iu 1582 

 another fleet tried to get possession of the town itself, though with- 

 out success. From that time the kingdom of Atcheen began to be dis- 

 tracted by internal wars, and continual discord between the sovereigns 

 and the hereditary chiefs, and fell by degrees into insignificance. 

 The Dutch appeared first on the north coast towards the close of 

 the 16th century, and the English early in the 17th. The pepper-trade 

 was the great object of these two nations; the Dutch formed a settle- 

 ment at Padang iu 1649 or shortly before, and the English at Ben- 

 ooolen in 1 OS 5. The Dutch also got a firm footing in the southern 

 district* of the island. As allies of the sultan of Bantam, they erected 

 a factory on the river Tulan Booang, in the country of the Lainpongs ; 

 and in 1661 extorted permission from the king of I'alenibang to 

 establish one in the capital of that country. In 1811 the Dutch pos- 

 sessions, together with the island of Java, fell into the hands of the 

 English. After the peace of Paris, in ISlti, the Dutch colonies on the 

 In.iiau Archipelago were restored to them. In 1824 the Dutch found 

 it expedient to give up to the English the town of Malacca and some 

 settlements in Hindustan in exchange for tbe British settlement') on 

 the west coast of Sumatra. A further accession of territory to tho 

 Dutch possessions took place in 1835, in consequence of a war with 

 the Padriea, a religious sect which began to appear in the country of 

 Henangcabou about the beginning of this century. This sect aimed 

 at the suppression of the practices of gambling, smoking opium, and 

 drinking intoxicating liquors, on account of their effects, as they often 

 led to tie commission of murders, thefts, robbery, fraud, and tended 

 to produce a depraved state of society. For about 15 or 16 years this 

 doctrine was propagated only by conviction and persuasion, and tho 

 leader of the sect acquired many adherents; but about 1815 or 1816 

 a society was formed among the principal adherents of this new 

 doctrine, for the purpose of compelling the other inhabitants to con- 

 form. The war* which arose devastated for many years the country 

 of Menangcubdu and some adjacent districts. Some of the email 

 chieftains who inhabit the country between Padang and Meuangcabau 

 applied to the Dutch for protection, and the Dutch government took 

 up their cause. The result was that the whole country of Mouang- 

 cabau is now included in the Dutch possessions. 



(Marsdeu ; Crawfurd ; lleyne; Anderson, Account of a Motion to 

 Ac Salt Coatt vf Sumatra ; Lady Raffles, Memoirs of the Life and 

 Public Servica of the late Sir T. S. Rofflct, 4c. ; Moor, Noticei on the 

 Jmdia* Arcliipdayo, Singap., 1 837 ; Anderson, Achcen and the Purlt 

 on the Korth and Bait CoaiU of Sumatra.) 



SUMBAWA. [SUKDA ISLANDS.] 



SUMMEIU1ILL. [MEATIL] 



SUMY. JCiiABKOFF.J 



SUNDA ISLANDS is a term formerly used to designate the islands 

 which inclose the Java Sea (which is also called the Sunda Sea, and 

 U connected with the Indian Ocean by Suiula Strait between Java and 

 Sumatra), namely, Java, Borneo, Sumatra, and Celebes. These four 

 bland* are still sometimes called the Greater Sunda Idandt. The 

 chain of islands which extends from the eastern extremity of Java to 

 the coast of New Guinea, or Papua, are collectively named the Letter 

 Smmda Jtlaxdt ; so that under the term Sunda Islands the whole of 

 the Indian Archipelago is comprehended, with tbe exception of the 

 Molucca*, the Sooloo Archipelago, and the Philippines. The Greater 

 Sunda bland* and their dependencies are noticed under separate 

 heads. [BoKXo ; CELKBB; JAVA; BUMATBA: BANCA; BILUTON; 

 MAI>UU.) 



The Letter Stmda /,!aml, are situated between 5 and 11 8. lot, 

 114' and 135 E. long. These islands were first visited by the Fortu- 

 nes*, who formed *mall settlements on some of them. The Dutch 

 East India Cuni]>aiiy afterwards occupied them, in order to destroy 

 the clove- and nutmeg-tree*, and tlius to secure to themselves a 

 monopoly in the spice trade. The company accordingly prevented 

 other Europeans from approaching these ulands, and withheld all 

 information respecting them; and it h only within the present century, 



since tbe dissolution of the Dutch East India Company, that Europeans 

 have become better acquainted with them. 



The Lesser Suuda Islands consist of four large groups, which from 

 west to east are called the Timor Islands, the Serawatte Inlands, the 

 Teuimber group, and the Aroo Islands. The term Lesser Suuda 

 Islands is frequently applied to the Timor Islands alone. 



Tbe Timor Group, so called from the largest of the islands, extends 

 from 114 to 127 30' E. long., and comprehends the greater part of 

 the islands and the larger islands of the whole chain. Between 114 

 and 119 E. long, it consists of three large islands, Bally, or BALI, 

 LOMBOK, and Sumbawa, which lie west and east of one another. But 

 between 119 and 127 K. long, the ulands constitute a double row, 

 of which the northern, lying between 8 and 9 S. Int., comprehends 

 Comodo, Floris, Solor, Sebrao, Lomblen, Pantar, Ombay, and Wetter. 

 The southern row forms a curve towards the south, advances nearly 

 to 11 S. lat., and consists of tbe islands of Sumba, or Sandal- 

 wood, Savu, Uotti, Siinao, and Timor. The straits which separate 

 these islands from one another are often navigated by vessels bound 

 to or from China, when they reach these seas iu seasons during which 

 the navigation through Suuda Strait is either dangerous or tedious. 



Tbe island of Sumbawa, or Surubawa, extends from west to east 

 about 180 miles, its width varies between 50 and 20 miles ; two 

 large bays, Sallee and Bima bays, enter deeply into tho island from 

 the north. Tbe average width may be 40 miles, which gives on area 

 of 7200 miles. Along the southern shores of this large island extends 

 a mountain range, which begins on the shores of the Strait of Alias 

 (which separates Sumbawa from Lombok), and terminates on those 

 of Sapy Strait. About the middle of this chain, and opposite the Bay 

 of Sallee, which cuts it nearly iu two, is a deep depression in tho 

 range, which is not much above the sea-level, and is covered with thick 

 forests. The shores of this mountain tract are high and steep. Tlio 

 remainder of the island is generally hilly, but a few of the elevations 

 rise considerably above the rest. The most remarkable of them is 

 Tumbora Peak, a volcano, whose eruption in 1815 is one of the most 

 terrible on record. Its elevation above the sea is between 6000 and 

 9000 feet. The low and level tracts occupy only a comparatively 

 small part of the island, and they generally occur at the innermost 

 recesses of the bays along the northern coa>t, and along the Strait of 

 Sapy. The Strait of Alias presents a high and rocky coast, which 

 however towards the north is lined by many low rocky islands. In 

 soil this island seems to be much inferior to Lombok or Bali, but it 

 does not differ iu vegetable productions, except that in the forests, 

 which cover a considerable part of its surface, there is a great number 

 of teak-trees. The animals ore also the same as iu Bali, but buffaloes 

 are far more numerous. The horses, or rather ponies, of this island, 

 especially those of Bima, are the finest breed iu the whole archipelago, 

 and are extensively exported. Gold is collected in some of the sin ill 

 rivers. Pearls are fouud iu Sallee Bay. Some intercourse exists 

 between Bima and Java, and trading boats from Ceram and Celebes 

 visit the port of Sumbawa. These seem to be the only places from 

 which the produce of the island is exported. 



To the east of Sumbawa is the Strait of Sapy, which on tho other 

 side ia formed by the island of Comodo. The northern part of it is 

 divided into two channels by the island of Gilibanta, which is of con- 

 siderable size, and has a peak near the centre. Near the northern 

 entrance of Sapy Strait is the island of Goonong Apee, which is very 

 high, and formed of a largo mountain with two summits, of which the 

 south-eastern is called the Lawa Peak, aud is a volcano. The island 

 of Comodo consists of a high rocky mass covered with wood. On tho 

 east of it is the Strait of Manyeryc, which is studded with numerous 

 rocky islands. 



East of this strait is the island of 1'hrit, or KndcS, which is about 

 200 miles long from east to west, and about 35 miles broad. Tho 

 surface is hilly, particularly on the south side, \vb.eru there are several 

 high volcanoes. The principal town, Eudt : , on the south coast has an 

 excellent harbour. Larautuka, on tho east coast, is held by the Portu- 

 guese, who have converted many of the natives to the Catholic faith. 

 The population of the south coast are called Itakka, and are said to be 

 much addicted to cannibalism. [KLOIIU.] The Dutch protection does 

 not extend east of Floris; and the inhabitants of this island ami tho 

 islands eastward of it are said to practise piracy. North of Floris, 

 iu 123 E. long., is Conttoi island, of conical shape aud au active 

 volcano. 



East of the Strait of Floris are five islands of considerable extent : 

 Sebrao, or Sabrao, and Solor, already mentioned; and Lomblen, 

 Pantar, aud Ombay, each comprehending an area of from 300 to i 00 

 square miles. All of these are very high and bold, especially tho 

 three last mentioned. A peak on Lomblen is visible at the distance 

 of 50 miles. On Pantar are three summits, the highest of which ia 

 an active volcano. Tho inhabitants of Sebrao are Christians, and 

 connected with Larantuka, The chief town of tho island is called 

 A dinar (i, which is sometimes applied to tho island itself. Solor is 

 dependent on the Dutch of Coopang, and sends to that place large 

 quantities of wax and fish-oil. Tho inhabitants of the coast are 

 Mohammedans. The inhabitants of Loinbleu, Pautar, aud Ombay 

 are numerous, and mostly if not entirely belong to the Haraforas race : 

 they avoid communication with foreigners. These islands are very 

 rarely visited by Europeans, and not frequently by Bugis, who obtain 



