INHABITANTS OF THE POGGY ISLANDS. 7() 



channel. While lying at anchor, we could plainly dif* 

 cern the his:h land o{ Sumatra. In tlie ilraits are feat" 

 tered leveral Imall illands^ each of which conhft* 

 of one immenfe rock, and which probably was origi- 

 nally connected with the main iflands. The face o£ 

 the country is rough and irregalar, confining of high 

 hills or mountains, of fudden and lleep afcent ; and 

 the whole appearance of fuch iflands, in common with 

 Su?natra, bears ftrong marks of I'onie powerful convui- 

 jiion of nature. The mountains are covered with tree« 

 to their fummits, among which are found fpecies of 

 excellent timber ; the tree called by the Malays Bin- 

 tangoor, and which on the other hkiia is called Pohoon 

 abounds here. Of this tree are made mafts, and 

 fome are found of fufficient dimenfions for the lower 

 mail of a firft rate fliip of war. During my Hay here 

 which was about a month, I did not difcover a lingle 

 plant which we have not on Snmalra. The fago tree 

 growing in plenty, and conflitutes the chief article of 

 food to the inhabitants, who do not cultivate rice ; the 

 cocoanut tree and the bamboo, two molt ufeful plants, 

 are found here in great plenty. They have a variety 

 of fruits, common in thefe climates, fuch as man- 

 gofteens, pine-apples, plaintains, Buah, Clmfah^ &c. 

 The woods in their prefent Itate are impervious to man ; 

 the fpecies of wild animals which inhabit them are 

 but few ; the large red deer, fomc hogs, and feveral 

 kinds of monkey are to be foimd here, but nei- 

 ther buifaloes, nor goats ; nor are thefe forefts in- 

 felled, like thofe of Sumatra, with tigers or any 

 other beaft of prey. Of domcflic poultry, there \% 

 only the common fowl, which probobly has been ori- 

 ginally brought from S-umalra : But pork and fiih con- 

 ilitute the favourite animal food of the natives. Filh 

 are found here in conhderable plenty and very good. 

 On the reefs of coral, wiiich extend from the ihore, 

 and are frequently dry at low water, are found various 

 kinds of fhell fifh, but I did not difcover any which 

 I had reafon to fuppofe uncommon. The fliell of a 

 large fpecies of fiauulus^ marked like zehra, is fre- 

 quently 



