Bengal to the Malay.] ORIENTAL COMMERCE. 323 



nuts, oil, canoes, birds'-nests, tortoise-shell, ambergris, kc. With respect 

 to the latter article, which is sometimes met with here, the natives have 

 learned a mode of adulterating it ; therefore it is seldom genuine. Birds"- 

 nests are found among tbe rocks, and a great variety of beautiful shells 

 met witli on the shore. Money being of no use here, the country ships 

 purchase coco-nuts, four for a leaf of tobacco, and 100 for a yard of 

 blue calico, and a bottle of coco-nut oil for four leaves of tobacco. 



Provisions and Rgfbbshmknts. — Hogs, fowls, and fruit are plen- 

 tiful ; the sea abounds with excellent fish, and the islands are much fre- 

 quented by turtle. Water is procured from wells at Carmorta, and fire- 

 wood may be got with the greatest ease on any of the islands. 



The Great and Little Sambelong are but little known ; they are, 

 however, said to be very populous. All the islands, except the Quoin, 

 and some of the smaller ones, are inhabited. 



SECTION XXIIL 



MALAY PENINSULA AND SINGAPORE. 



THE coast between Junkceylon and Queda is fronted by numerous 

 islands of various sizes ; and inside most of the groups, and between them, 

 are passages for small vessels, but large ships generally sail outside. The 

 country of Queda extends from the River Trang, in lat. 7* 3(X N. to that 

 of Carian in lat. 5" N.; its length is about 150 miles, and its breadth 

 from 20 to 35 miles. From Trang to Purlis the coast is sheltered by many 

 islands and sandbanks navigable for small vessels only ; the entire country 

 is exceedingly well watered, and fertile. Twenty-three rivers, all navigable 

 for proas, and many of them for larger vessels, empty themselves into the 

 sea ; the principal is 



PURLIS. This river is deep and narrow ; at its entrance is a small sandy 

 island, on which stands a fishing village. The bar of the river is very long, with 



X 2 



