SUMATRA. J5 



another, and is principally ufed to refift the ravages of the 

 termes^ or white ants. 



Saltpetre is procured in abundance out of the vaft caverns 

 with which the ifland is hollowed, and is extradled out of the dung 

 of the fwallows called Layang Layang, which build by thoufands 

 in the roofs. Thefe feem to be the kind which make the efcn- 

 lent nefts. The dung extends often twenty feet in breadth, and 

 is from four to fix feet in depth. 



Napali or the Steatites earth, forms the bafis of the cliffs, and 

 often the beds of the rivers. 



I SHALL now purfue the other parts of the natural hiftory, 

 begin with the zoology, and treat of it on the authority of Mr. 

 Mar/den, flinging it into a fyftematic form. 



The Horfes are fmall and hardy ; the cows and flieep are alfo Horses, Cows, 



Sheep. 



fmall ; the laft fuppofed to be of the Bengal breed. 



The buffalo, or carbow, the moft ufeful animal of the ifland, Buffalo. 

 is the beafl: of draught, and fupplies the inhabitants with milk 

 and butter. There are none at prefent in a flate of nature. 



Domestic goats are common, and are called Cambing. As to Goats. 

 the Catnbing Ootan-, or goat of the woods, of Mr. Marfdeii, his 

 defcription is not fufficient for me to afcertain the /pedes : 

 " One," fays he*, " which I faw, was three feet in height, and 

 " four feet in the length of the body. It had fomething of the 

 " gazelle in its appearance ; and, excepting the horns, which 

 " were about fix inches long, and turned back with an arch, it 

 " did not much refemble the common goat. The hinder parts 

 <' were fliaped like thofe of a bear, the rump floping round off 



* Sumatra, p. 93. 



" from 



