Q U E D A H. 23 



At the termination of the kingdom of Siam, hegins the little Kingdom of 

 monarchy of ^ledab, a flat and fertile country, which extends ^^°-'^"* 

 feveral leagues along the coaft. It was once tributary to Siam, 

 but during a war the Siamefe were engaged in with Pegu, it re- 

 volted, and is governed by a Malay Aiabometan prince, as ty- 

 rannical as he is poor; he refides in a town about fifty miles 

 from the fea, on a fmall navigable river ; the mouth of which is in 

 Lat. 6° 10'. This river, according to Mannev///ei(e,hi:anch.es, pe- 

 ninfulates a great trait, and reverts to the fea, forming two diftant 

 entrances into the country ; the interior land rifes to a great 

 heighth. The monarch never fails viliting the European fliips 

 which enter the port, to extort from them fome prefent ; the 

 religion of the country is a mongrel Mahometanijm., mixed with 

 the native idolatry. 



The little ^edah turtle * is of the fize of a fparrow, and moft Turtle Doye. 

 delicious food ; it has been tranfported to the Ifle of France, 

 where it has multiplied greatly. 



The northern end of the ifland of Sumatra lies in Lat. 5° 5', 

 and immediately oppofite to old ^edah. That part of Sumatra 

 trends faft to the fouth-eaft till it reaches Cape Diamond, in Lat. 

 4° 5o'> which is the parallel of Fulo Dolom, an ifle clofe to the 

 fliore of the peninfula oi Malacca. Here commences the Feri- SxREiGHTsoy 

 mulicusfinus, or great ftreights of Malacca, bounded by Sumatra ^^^^^^^ 

 on the weft, and the peninfula on the eaft. I fliall fcarcely men- 

 tion that noble ifland, till I begin with it as chief of thofe of the 

 Indian Ocean. 



The next place of note on the coaft, is a great trad of flat 



* Soiinerat, vol. ii. 177. 



landj 



