443 



!ands lying between Oojong Salang and Mermh 

 0( these there are aUo three kinds, the white, 

 red, and black, but the order of excellence is m- 

 Terted, the white, or transparent, t^ort being the 

 purest, and bringing as much as 24 dollars per 

 catty • ill China; the second sort fetches from 

 7 to 16 per adiy, according to its freedom from 

 impurities and feathers; and the dark, or inren- 

 or, kind sells as low as thirty dollars per picuL 

 The collection of these two articles employs 

 animaliy about a tliousand pi uina, and 4,500 

 people.' Formerly, the king of Kedah clammed 

 the sovereignty of these seas, and rented out the 

 privilege of collecting the Biche de imr, and 

 Birds nests, to some of his nobles, receiving in 

 return from 12 to 15,000 dollars per annum. 

 Since the subjugation of his kingdom by Siani, 

 this source of revenue has passed into other hands, 

 Louberet asserts that there i?; a mountain of 

 loadstone in Oojong Salaog, but that the magnet- 

 ic power islost in three or four months. I doubt 

 whether this can be the genuine loadstone. 



In the vegetablii kingdom, Oojong Salang pro- 

 duces amongst others, the oil, and dammar, trees ; 

 the red, and white, jmti, used lor masts; the 

 tokien, the long, and tifokua, employed in ship 

 and bouse building; the toomssack for piles, and 

 the mi/tack for oars ; there is also an abundance 

 of biack, and nui, wood for furniture. The 

 whole ©f these trees are lofty and large m girth ; 

 the white oak, on the contrary, which is also to 

 be found on the island, is crooked and stunted 



t Lotil>*rp, p ISr 



