50 MEMOIR OF 



vered. In this we did not discover any inscription 

 in the ancient character, but the ground was but 

 very partially and hastily examined. We were struck, 

 however, with the sculpture of later days, the me- 

 morials of the dead raised in Mahommedan times, 

 on a small scale, but beautifully executed." 



" This city had shared the same fate with that of 

 Saruasa. Three times had it been committed to the 

 flames ; twice had it risen to something like splen- 

 dour ; from the last shock it had not yet recovered. 

 Where the palace of the Sultan had stood, I observ- 

 ed a man planting cucumbers, and the sugar cane 

 occupied the place of the seraglio. The whole coun- 

 try from Pageruyong, as far as the eye could dis- 

 tinctly trace, was one continued scene of cultivation, 

 interspersed with innumerable towns and villages, 

 shaded by the cocoa nut and other fruit trees. I 

 may safely say, that this view equalled any thing 1 

 ever saw in Java. The scenery is more majestic and 

 grand, population equally dense, cultivation equally 

 rich. Here, then, for the first time, was I able to 

 trace the source of that power, the origin of that 

 nation so extensively scattered over the Eastern Ar- 

 chipelago." From this interesting city and fine coun- 

 try, the party commenced their return, and reached 

 Padang, after an absence of fourteen days. 



Sir Stamford again arrived at Bencoolen, com- 

 menced his official occupations with his wonted 

 energy, visited Calcutta and many of the neigh- 

 bouring islands. In most of these excursions he was 



