Sumatra.] 



ORIENTAL COMMERCE 



S7b 



JAMBEE. — This river is of considerable size. The town of Jam bee 

 is about sixty miles from the sea. 



Trade.—- The trade consists chiefly of gold-dust, pepper, rattans, and 

 canes ; but most of the gold proceeds across the country to the W. coast ; 

 and the pepper, like that of Palembang, is not held in esteem. Sometimes 

 a trading ship from Bengal endeavours to dispose of a few chests of opium ; 

 but the masters scarcely ever venture on shore, and deal with such of the 

 Malays as come off to them at the sword's point, so strong is the idea of 

 their treacherous character. 



INDRAGIRI. — This river is about o degree to the N. of Jambee, and 

 is navigable a great distance ; sloops tide it up for five or six weeks, as they 

 assert, anchoring as the ebb begins to make. It is but little frequented, 



SIAC. — This river, which is the most considerable on the island, 

 empties itself into the sea, nearly opposite to Malacca, in latitude about 

 1° 40' N. Opposite its entrance are several islands. From the place where 

 it discharges itself into the Straits of Campar, or Bancalis, to the town of 

 Siac, is about 65 miles, and from thence to a place called Pakanbharu, is 

 about 100 more. The width of the river b in general from about { to | of 

 a mile, and its depth from 7 to 15 fathoms ; but on the bar at low water 

 there are only 15 feet, and several shoals near its mouth ; the tides about 11 

 feet at the town. Not far within the river is a small island. According to 

 the information of the natives, the river is navigable for sloops to a place 

 called Panti Chermin, being eight days 1 sail, with the assistance of the tide, 

 and within half a day's journey by land, of another named Patapahan, which 

 boats also of 10 to 20 tons reach in two days. This is a great mart of trade 

 with the interior, and here its merchants resort with their gold- 



Traoe. — The commerce is chiefly carried on by kling vessels, as 

 they are called, from the Coast of Coromandel, which are supplied, generally 

 at Pinang, or Singapore, with the following articles, which, with the piece- 

 goods brought from the coast, find a ready sale here : — Brass wire, coarse 

 cutlen', China ware, gunpowder, iron, looking glasses, lead, muskets, opium, 

 salt, steel, and tobacco. 



In return they receive brimstone, camphire (head), bezoar stones, 

 dammer, elephants 1 teeth, gutta gambir, gold-dust, rattans, sago, and wax. 



Between Siac and Diamond Point is the river Arakan, or Kakan, by 

 far the largest in the island ; it may be considered as an inlet of the sea, and 

 is navigable for sloops to a great distance from the sea ; but from the 

 danger apprehended from the natives, it is scarcely at all known to 

 Europeans. 



On this part of the coast are prodigious numbers of wild swine. 



