BY THE KEV. J. E. TEXISON-WOODS. 



143 



ginous beds, which English people are accustomed to distinguish 

 generally by the name of laterite. It is at the junction of these 

 beds with the granite that the rich deposits of alluvial tin occur. 

 Bankn and the neighbouring island Biliton have long been famous 

 for their rich mines of stream tin j but there are no veins. This 

 forms the great export of these islands, from which the Dutch 

 derive very large revenues. The tin mines of Biliton and Banka 

 used to be considered the largest as well as the richest in the 

 world ; but probably they are equalled, if not surpassed, by those 

 of Perak. 



But another great source of revenue to the island of Banka is 

 from the export of two kinds of timber, namely, Agila and 

 Belian. Agila or eagle-wood {Aqnilaria agalloclia^ L.) has been 

 from time immemorial imported by the western nations from the 

 East, and is supposed to be the " Aloes- wood " of Scripture. It 

 is burnt like incense, but is also much used as the source of a 

 perfume extracted from its resin. That exported from Banka is 

 considered amongst the best. Belian (Eusideroxylon zioageri, 

 T. and B.) is the iron- wood of commerce, belonging to the laurel 

 family, and being found in abundance on this island, though it is 

 also known from Sumatra and Borneo. T have seen trees likewise 

 in the northern part of Celebes. The wood is of extraordinary 

 hardness and durability, and is said to resist the white ant, which 

 I question. At any rate it is considered a mast valuable export, 

 and adds much to the revenue of the island. The wood is 

 exported in long beams, sawn to about 6 inches square. Muntok, 

 tlie port of Banka, is opposite to the great alluvial delta of the 

 Palembang river in Sumatra. 



From Banka I proceeded to Bintang, the largest island of an 

 archipelago between Singapore and Sumatra. It has an area of 

 3,336 geographical miles. It is a granitic formation with a low 

 mountain chain like Banka, whose highest portion is only 1,368 

 feet above the level of the sea. On the western side, dividtd 

 from Singapore by a narrow strait, is the Dutch settlement of 

 Rhio whence twice a month steamers leave for Delli, the great 

 tobacco district of central Sumatra. The geological formation is 



