Sumatra.] 



ORIENTAL COMMERCE. 



371 



Trade. — Considerable quantities of rice and paddy are annually taken 

 hence by the traders, in exchange for iron, pteel, beads, tobacco, and coarse 

 piece-goods. Numbers of wild hogs are reared here, and some parts of the 

 main, especially Baroo.% are supplied from hence with yams, beans, and 

 poultry ; neither buffaloes, cattle, nor horses are indigenous. Some of the 

 lvajahs are said to have amassed from 10 to 20,000 dollars each, which are 

 kept in ingots of gold and silver ; much of the latter consisting of small 

 Dutch money (not of the purest com) melted down, and of these they make 

 an ostentatious display at weddings and other festivals. 



NASSAU, oa FOGGY ISLANDS. — These two islands are called 

 the North and South Foggy, or Nassau Islands ; Cape Cuddalore, the N. 

 point of the former, is in latitude 2° 32 S. They are separated by a nar- 

 row strait, called Se Cockup ; the straits are about two miles long, and a 

 quarter of a mile broad, and an excellent place for ships of any size to 

 anchor, being perfectly secure from every wind. They have both in ha- 

 bitants divided into small tribes, each occupying a small river, and living in 

 one village. On the S. island are five, and on the N. seven villages, of 

 which Kakap is reckoned the chief, although Labulabu is supposed to con- 

 tain the greater number of people. Their houses are built of bamboos, and 

 raised on posts, the under part of which is occupied by hogs and poultry. 

 Sago constitutes the principal food of the inhabitants, who do not cultivate 

 rice. Large red deer, hogs, and fowls are common, but they have neither 

 buffaloes nor goats, They are strangers to the use of coin of any kind, and 

 have little knowledge of metals. The iron bill or chopping-knife, called 

 parang, is in much esteem amongst them ; it serves as a standard for the 

 value of other commodities, such as articles of provision. A metal coat 

 button is of equal value in their esteem to a piece of gold or silver coin. 

 On the N. island, near the entrance of the straits, are a few houses inha- 

 bited by some Malays from Fort Marlborough ; they reside here for the 

 purpose of building large boats, the timber and planks for which are found 

 close at hand ; the mountains being covered with various kinds of timber, 

 amongst which are poon trees, of sufficient dimensions for lower masts to a 

 first-rale man of war, and several sorts suitable for building ships of large 

 burden. 



ENGANO, the southernmost of the large islands fronting the W. 

 Coast of Sumatra, is large, triangular, and the inland country high ; its 

 S. extreme is in latitude 5° 30' S., and longitude 102° 29' E. The N. point 

 b in latitude 5° 15' S., longitude 102° 25' E. The N. coast is buld ; no 

 soundings from 3 to 5 miles off ; the shore in some places rocky, but the 

 beach mostly of sand. The island is very imperfectly known ; all attempts 



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