ACHEH, 



COMMONLY CALLED ACHEEN 



BY 



a. P. TOLSON. 



In perusing the following account of Acheh, I trust your read- 

 ers will accept it for what it is meant to be, namely, a brief com- 

 pilation of notes regarding the country as I found it. 



Acheh is the correct name of that part of Sumatra extending 

 from Tamiaug Point on the East to Trumun on the AYest Coast, 

 though it is commonly, but erroneously, known to Europeans as 

 Acheen. 



Yalentyx, however, writing as long ago as 1688, has exposed 

 this misnomer. It is derived from the Hindustani word Achat 

 meaning fine, or lovely, and is so called on account of the ex- 

 clamation alleged to have been uttered by the first visitors from 

 India on sighting the coast in general and Kampong Pandei in 

 particular. This place, situated on the Acheh river, and not far 

 from Kota Raja, is remarkable for "a grove of enormous trees of 

 great beauty. In describing the land and what they saw, we 

 may presume this epithet Achat was so repeatedly used, that peo- 

 ple came to speak of the newdy discovered country as Nigri Achat. 

 This visit must have been paid centuries back, at any rate long 

 before the Islam religion was introduced into the country ; for 

 we find the name recurring in the " Undang Undang " or laws and 

 customs of Menangkabau, promulgated by Perpati Sebatang, 

 and collected and transcribed by Mr. Vast Ophuyzen. 



In them mention is made of the marriage of one of the Me- 

 iiangkabau princesses with a royal prince of Acheh. I may add 



