370 



ORIENTAL COMMERCE. 



| Sumatra, 



2 jankals equal to 1 esto. 



2 estos 1 hailoh. 



2 hailohs w 1 di-poh sss 72 En. in. 



The Chinese use the following : 



Ui noons .....equal tu I choun. 



10 chooos » I cheoli. 



6 cheolw I gochvoh. 



2 gocheobs 1 tung — Ul En. in. 



Between Bencoolen and the S. extreme of Sumatra, are the under- 

 mentioned places, from whence the Company drew supplies of pepper, and 

 where they used to have residents ! — 



Saluomah, in lat. about 4° 12* S , the Average annual produce from 200 to 230 tons. 



Manna, ditto 4° 85' ditto 250 to 300 ditto. 



Cawoor, ditto 4° 54* ditto 80 to 90 ditto. 



Crooe, ditto 5° 13' ditto 170 to 180 ditto. 



Tins produce varies of course as the seasons are more or less productive; 

 but on an average of five years, it did not exceed the above quantity. 

 Crooe is also celebrated for birds* nests, which are gathered in considerable 

 quantities from some caves about four miles up the river. 



There are a number of islands lying off the W. Coast of Sumatra, 

 running in the same direction, at about the distance of 20 leagues, the 

 principal of which are Pulo Neas, Se Porah, Poggy or Nassau Islands, and 

 Engano; they are little frequented, and of course but imperfectly known. 



PULO NEAS is the largest, most productive, and important of the 

 whole range, and extends from latitude 1° IS' N., nearly in a S. E. direction 

 to 0 5 28' N ; its inhabitants exceed 200,000, and are of a race very different 

 from the Malays in general. Those in the N. differ considerably from those 

 in the S. The island is divided into a number of small districts under 

 Rajahs, who are independent of, and at perpetual variance with, each other; 

 the ultimate object of their wars having been to make prisoners, whom they 

 sold for slaves, as well as all others not immediately connected with them, 

 whom they could seize by stratagem. These violences were doubtless encou- 

 raged by the resort of native traders from Padang, Natal, and Acheen, to 

 procure cargoes of slaves, who are also accused of augmenting the profits of 

 their voyage, by occasionally surprising and carrying off whole families. 

 This trade has been greatly checked by the settlement established here by 

 Sir T. S. Raffles in 1821. 



The island possesses several rivers of considerable size, whose qualloes. 

 or mouths, afford entrance to native vessels and boats. There are good 

 harbours at the N. and S. ends ; and there is anchorage for ships almost all 

 along the E. coast. 



