SUMATRA 203 



animals now inhabiting it may thus be the unmodified 

 descendants of ancient Malayan species which in the 

 larger islands have undergone progressive changes. 



The history of Bangka practically dates from the dis- 

 covery of its tin, which occurred in 1709. From the 

 Sultan of Palembang, to whom the island belonged, tlie 

 Dutch acquired the monopoly of the metal. In 1811, 

 when the English gained possession of the Sumatran 

 settlements, the Sultan, in the hope of gaining favour 

 with them, massacred all the Dutch in his dominions, an 

 act of treachery which was fitly punished by his dethrone- 

 ment by the British. From 1812 to 1816 the island 

 remained a British possession, at which latter date it was 

 again resigned to the Dutch, who, after a few native wars, 

 have since remained in undisturbed possession of it. 



The original inhabitants of Bangka are few in number. 

 They consist of hill tribes, said to resemble the Battaks, 

 cultivating a little rice, but existing largely on the pro- 

 ducts of the forest; and the Orang Laut, or fishermen, 

 who live chiefly in their praus. The bulk of the popula- 

 tion is immigrant, and is almost entirely formed by 

 Malays from the north and by Chinese. The census of 

 1st January, 1887, gives the entire population as nearly 

 75,000, of which 21,000 are Chinese, over 53,000 

 Malays, and only 165 Europeans. The Chinese are 

 chiefly engaged in digging, washing, and smelting the 

 alluvial tin ore, which is widely spread and worked in 

 many parts of the island, although chiefly in the north- 

 west, around Merawang, of which district the well-pro- 

 tected but narrow harbour of Klabat forms the port. 

 Gold and iron are also worked, and lead, silver, copper, 

 and arsenic have been found. The chief town of Bangka 

 is Muntok, which is fortified and garrisoned, and is the 

 seat of the Picsident. It has a population of about 4000, 



