106 AUSTRALASIA. 



Topography of Sumatra. 



Being still destitute of easy highAvays, and inhabited by diverse tribes and 

 nations without any political cohesion, Sumatra has developed on its seaboard but 

 few considerable towns, while in the interior the largest centres of population are 

 little more than villages. Nevertheless several epochs have witnessed the growth 

 of large kingdoms, whose capitals have successively been important commercial 

 marts. 



The old Atjeh empire, Avhich, according to the cbroniclers, arose about the be- 

 ginning of the thirteenth century, was of considerable extent. At the time of its 

 greatest prosperity, in the first decades of the seventeenth century, it embraced 

 about half of the island, and held several secondary states in vassalage. From 

 Egypt to Japan ruling princes sought its alliance ; its army comprised hundreds of 

 fighting elephants and disposed of two thousand guns. The sultan, who, despite 

 his Arab name claimed descent, like so many other Eastern potentates, from 

 Alexander of Macedon, exercised almost absolute power, at least in the districts in 

 the vicinity of bis residence. 



At present the Atjeh frontiers, as arbitrarily laid down by the Dutch across a 

 territory of which they are not even masters, includes only the northern extremity 

 of the island, from south of Langsar Bay on the east, to Silekat Bay on the west 

 coast. The island of Babi, with a few adjacent islets partly inhabited by Achinese, 

 also forms part of the State. Although the population has been more than deci- 

 mated during the long war with the Dutch, it is still believed to exceed half a 

 million. The Achinese, properly so called, are divided into three clans, the 

 "twenty-two," the "twenty-five," and the " twenty-si:s.," sagi or mukims, that is, 

 communes, each governed by two panghmas, or hereditary chiefs, who naturally 

 check each other's power, while the whole body of the panglimas constitute the 

 national council. Moreover, each village enjoys local self-government, being 

 administered by its elders, without whom the chief can decide nothing. This 

 independent communal life explains the astonishing vigour with which the natives 

 bave hitherto defended their liberties against the foreign aggressors. 



Since the first treaty of commerce, signed in 1509 with the Portuguese, the 

 Achinese have always maintained either pacific or hostile relations with the Euro- 

 peans. But about the middle of the present century the State had fallen into 

 complete decay, and the Dutcb had seized several places on the seaboard. In 1872 

 the moment seemed favourable to punish the sultan for the piratical doings of his 

 vassals, with whom he was probably in league. Thanks to a treaty with the English, 

 yielding to them her possessions on the coast of Guinea as a set-off against any 

 further claims on their part to the northern parts of Sumatra, Holland hoped soon 

 to make an end of the Achinese ; but their first expedition ended disastrously. 

 Further equipments, a regular campaign, and a siege of forty-seven days, were 

 required to reduce the kraton, or chief native stronghold, which, however, was not 

 followed by the submission of the sultan . After fifteen years of incessant warfare, 

 which has cost Holland an expenditure of .£20,000,000 and over one hundred 



