204 COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL 



and is a port of call for all the mail steamers between 

 Batavia and Singapore. The Dutch are represented by 

 Controleurs at eight different towns and villages in various 

 parts of the island. 



East of Bangka, and separated from it by the dangerous, 

 reef-beset Gaspar Strait, lies Blitong (Billiton), a consider- 

 able island of an irregular, sub-quadrangular form, and 

 about 40 miles across. It has an area of about 1800 

 miles, and the highest point attains an elevation of 3117 

 feet. Geologically it resembles Bangka and exhibits the 

 same alluvial deposits of tin, and hke that island it is 

 covered with dense forest. The iron ore has been worked 

 by the natives for a very long period, but the value of 

 the tin deposits was only recognised about the year 

 1850. At the present time nearly as much is obtained 

 from this island as from Bangka, but it is the extreme 

 southern limit of the stanniferous formation. This begins 

 in Tenasserim, and occupying more than 20° of latitude, 

 is thus the most extensive in the world. 



The chief town of Blitong is Tanjong Pandang, on the 

 Chiruchup river. There is but little trade except in 

 forest produce and tin. The population of the island in 

 1887 was 35,000, of whom over 9000 were Chinese. 

 The total output of tin for Bangka and Blitong in tons 

 for the live years 1886-1890 was as follows: — 6175, 

 7906, 11,712, 10,383, 8876, and the average may 

 therefore be placed at about 9000 tons. The industry is 

 a Government monopoly, and is leased to a company. 

 Of late the island has been politically separated from 

 Bangka, and is now an Assistant Piesidency. 



8. Religion. Antiquities. 

 It is impossible now to fix the date of the introduction 



