534 TRAVELS IN THE EAST INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



which I have been everywhere received and aided, 

 both by the government and by private persons, as 

 has constantly appeared on these pages, convinces 

 me that any American, whose character and mission 

 are above suspicion, will be treated with no greater 

 kindness and consideration by any nation than by 

 the Dutch in the East Indian Archipelago. 



May \2>tli. — Took a small steamer for Muntok, 

 on the island of Banca, where the mail-boat from 

 Batavia touches while on her way to Singapore. 

 Muntok is a very pretty village. The houses, which 

 mostly belong to Chinamen, are neatly built and 

 well painted. The streets are kept in good repaii', 

 and the whole jilace has an air of enterprise and 

 thrift. Here I had the pleasure of making the 

 acquaintance of the chief mining engineer on the 

 island. One morning we rode out a few miles to a 

 granite hill, from the top of which I had a fine view 

 over the Strait of Banca to the low, monotonous 

 coast of Sumatra. There are but few elevations on 

 Banca, and none of any considerable height. All 

 are covered with a thick forest. The rocks of which 

 Banca is composed are chiefly granite, and a red, 

 compact sandstone or grit. The tin is disseminated 

 in small particles through the whole mass of granite, 

 which has slowly disintegrated and decomposed, and 

 the clay and sand thus formed have been washed into 

 the nearest depressions. The tin, being the hea^dest 

 of these materials, has settled near the bottom of each 

 basin, when they have been somewhat assorted by 

 the action of water. The upper strata being re- 

 moved, the particles of tin are found in the lower 



