306 



pulatian, derived from huts scattered in the vici- 

 nity, Simpo, for instance, which was aitracted 

 thither by the Goncomitaiit and pernicious ex- 

 cilements of the arrack, opium, and gambling, 

 larms. This hypothesis is fairly corroborated by 

 the subsequent accountof the districts of Soongei 

 Dookuo and Gissee* 



About an hour^s null from great Sebong up 

 the Pitjukang branch lies little Sebong, a place 

 which appears to be of very littte importance. 

 The same estimate, winch gives us such an over- 

 whelming population to great Sebong, here sinks 

 to nearly one half ; that is to say, the houses are 

 stated to be twenty seven, situated in a morass, 

 and built of wood, and the inhabitants four hun^ 

 dred, whereby an average of somewhat less than 

 fifieen is afforded, although there are here also 

 arrack, opium, and gambling, farms. 



M even this is far too high, the excess can on- 

 ly be accounted for on the foregoing principles. 



I am, nevertheless, inclined to believe that 

 the population is considerably over-rated for the 

 following reasons. The principal, if not the 

 hole, inhabitants of those portions of the island 

 of Bintang, upon which gambier is grown, are 

 Chinese; a race, whom ilie Butch affect to con- 

 tcmn, and even go so far as to say that they in- 

 jure the country by living like leeches on its pro^ 

 duce, until they are enabled to retur.^ to their 

 native country with the wealth which they have 

 thus amansed* 



Without stopping to enquire whether the cen- 

 f^ure, thus bestowed upon the Chinese, be not 

 equally applicable to other nations, I proceed to 



