144 COMPENDIUM OF GEOGKAPHV AND TRAVEL 



the chief town. In population and commercial import- 

 ance it surpasses the capital, its port being the best in 

 the island. It is, in fact, with the exception of Chilatjap 

 on the south coast, the only natural harbour that Java 

 possesses, the others being merely open roadsteads. The 

 Government dockyards and arsenals are situated here, and 

 large sums have been spent on the fortification of the 

 place. The river is navigable by boats far into the in- 

 terior, and is the means of bringing down an enormous 

 quantity of rice, sugar, and other products, the sur- 

 rounding province being exceedingly fertile and thickly 

 populated. A little to the north is Gressi, now almost 

 deserted, but at one time a place of considerable import- 

 ance, and of interest as being the chief town frequented 

 by the Portuguese after their conquest of Malacca. 



Samarang suffers, like most of the ports of Java, froip 

 being without protection, and is a very dangerous anchor- 

 age in the north-west monsoon. It is, nevertheless, one 

 of the chief commercial cities of the island, and had a 

 population of over 70,000 in 1886. It appears to be 

 decreasing, for by the census of 1878 there were nearly 

 80,000 inhabitants, but there is no great falling off in 

 the exports. Its situation is ill adapted both for health 

 and commerce, a mile or more of low -lying marshy 

 ground intervening between it and the sea, which is only 

 to be reached by a raised causeway. As at Surabaya 

 and other towns the river has been canalised, and piers 

 protect its mouth. In many ways, however, Samarang 

 rivals the last-mentioned port. The buildings are finer, 

 and the town has been arranged after the home model. 



Chilatjap possesses the best harbour upon the south 

 coast. It is an open port both for export and import 

 trade, and its favourable position has caused a wonderful 

 increase in its consequence. It is in connection Ijy the 



