1845 ] SIBOCOO RIVER. 281 



" There is adjacent to this place, another red Land, 

 called also Tanna Mem. 



Sambacoong, which, according to the Sultan's account, 

 yields above twenty piculs of bird's nests. It is also a 

 large river though less than Leo, but it has some shoals 

 at the entrance, and several islands divided by creeks, 

 and covered by Nipa trees. The outermost of the 

 islands, which terminates in a sharp point, is named 

 Pedadda, it forms, on the south Sibocoo Bay, in which 

 the river disembogues. 



" Sibocoo River is larger than Sambacoong, but is said 

 to have some shoals at the entrance. The current is very 

 rapid, so that the tide never runs up, the flood only 

 slackening the stream. All these rivers are very deep 

 within. Off this river's mouth are situated two pretty 

 large islands, named Samangkarroo or Samakadoo, and 

 Leebattick, the last is high, and yields much Dammer. 



" Sibocoo has more than thirty towns inland ; produces 

 forty piculs of birds' nests,* according to Alimudin, fifty 

 piculs by Bantilans account, 100 piculs Wax, Canes, 

 Rattans, very fine Sago, Honey, Boory Mats, and 1,000 

 people." 



The folowing islands belong to Curan district, and are 

 situated immediately off the point of Tanna Mera. The 

 only one deserving of notice is Maratua, which the natives 

 declare to abound in valuable woods, and to be one of 

 their most valuable fisheries. Dalrymple describes it as 

 follows : 



" The Maratua Islands are six in number, Maratua, 



* Each picul of birds' nests is reckoned in the present clay at 

 between 500/. and 550/. sterling. 



