126 



A NATUJSAIIST^S WAyDEMINGS 



rison of some 200 men. In addition to the true natives of the 

 town, there was a large eumpong of Chinese, a few Arabs, with a 

 considerable fluctuating population of traders from Borneo and 

 Celebes, and other islands of the Archipelago. The Buginese 

 or Celebes men are by far the most skilled navigators, and the 

 greatest traders of them all ; Jfacassar prans being famous 

 throughout the Eastern seas for their voyages made without 

 compass, yet rarely with mishap, from the eastern coasts of 

 New Guinea to the Indian Ocean in the west, trading in their 

 native-made cloths, in the h>veiy lories which they bring from 

 east of their own shores, and in the native Slaeassar oil The 

 town was, therefore, before its destruction by the terrible 

 earthquake wave of August 1883, inhabited by a rather hete- 

 rogeneous collection of islanders ; and, in consequence of each 

 race building their domiciles according to the fashion in their 

 own country, it was very irregular ; but what it lost in this 

 respect it gained in picturesque ness. It stood but little above 

 the level of the sea, on a low narrow flat, which inti^rvened 

 between the shore and the very abruptly rising bills, on whose 

 slope are situated the Grovemment offices and some of the Euro- 

 pean residences, commanding a most lovely view of the bay. 



One cannot examine a map uf Sumatra without being struck 

 by the singular disposition of the land. Along the whole 

 length of the west coast is found, as already remarked, a long 

 range of mountains with their outliers, while to the east of 

 the Barisan, as this range is named, not a mountain, and 

 scarcely even a hill, is to be seen. The entire eastern portion 

 is one vast plain, of which immense tracts often lie at a time 

 under water — the word Lampong signifies "bobbin g on thp 

 water.'* One may travel in some parts in a straight line west- 1 

 "warrOrom the east coast for 150 or 200 miles without reach- 

 iner an elevation of over 100 or 500 feet, while some 30 miles 

 farther the Barisan peaks may ascend to over 10,000 feet. 



After a short stay in the toivn, I started for Gedong-tetahan, 

 some twenty miles north, provided by the Kesident with a man- 

 date to the chiefs of the various margas or districts through 

 which my road lay, commanding them to render me every 

 assistance. In Java the traveller has to look out for his own 

 coolies, with whom ho makes his own terms as to distance and 

 remuneration, and finds no difficulty in so doing; but here, the 



