~- 92 — 



crystal, carbonate of copper, ( 1 ), good horses, rhinoceros-horn , amber-gris , lig- 

 num aloes, putclmk, cloves, swords, bows, tin, pepper, sapanwood, sulphur 

 and sucli more. 



When merchant-vessels go there , they trade with them in a fair way. 

 The soil is poor and they have no wheat, but there is rice which ripens 

 twice a year. Merchants from all sides collect at this place and as the country 

 is distant and the prices high, the Chinese who go there make more pront 

 than anywhere else. 



The temperature is hot during daytime and cool at night ; in summer 

 malarious fevers are prevalent. 



The women leave the upper part of their body bare and only fasten 

 a piece of cloth round their loins. The customs and manners of this country 

 are much like those of Malacca. 



After the murder of the king, the name of the country was changed 

 into Atjeh ( 2 ). 



The three preceding articles , beginning on p. 85 , give the name of Sumatra 

 to the northern part of the island , which is now entirely called by this name. In 

 this case the name is certainly taken from the capital or principal settlement on the 

 coast. Marco Polo, who visited Sumatra in 1290, speaks of Samara, which probably 

 is the same place , as the difference in sound is easily explahied by the circumstances 

 under which Polo's book was written. Ibn Batuta (1346) correctly calls it Samathra 

 or Samuthra and describes its situation nearly in the same terms as our author. As 

 we know very little of the country yet , we are unable to determine the exact locality 

 now, but we think that eventually the details given above will assist in doing so. 

 It appears however that this place Sumatra was not situated on the spot of the pres- 

 ent Atjeh , but more to the east , on one of the smaller rivers which fall into the 

 sea there ; this is proved beyond doubt by the fact that three smaller states were 

 situated due west of it , before the Indian ocean on the western side of the island 

 was reached, the last of these three occupying the site of the present Atjeh , as will 

 be shown afterwards. We do not learn at what epoch Sumatra lost its importance 

 and was supplanted by Atjeh; the time assigned to this event in the llistory of the 

 Ming dynasty, translated just now, is certainly too recent, and wc think that the 

 latter part of this article does not apply to Sumatra, but to the new capital of 

 Atjeh. 



(') Here follows an article called [pj [g] pq which I have not been able to identify. 



O *ïp ^1i i a f ' 01 * l 'ect transcription of the uative name, which has been corrupt ed by Eu- 

 ropeans into Acliin or Aeheen. 



