14b 
SUMATRA. 
tation of innumerable birds, of the fwallow kind, which he perceived 
to abound the more, the farther he proceeded. Their nefts are formed 
about the upper parts of the cave, and it is their dang fimply, that 
forms the foil (in many places froni four to fix feet deep, and from 
fifteen to twenty broad), which affords the nitre. A cubic foot of this 
earth, meafuring fevcn bamboos or gallons, produced on boiling feven 
pounds, fourteen ounces of Taltpctre ; and a fecond experiment gave a 
ninth part more. This I afterwards faw refined to a high degree of pu- 
rity ; but I conceive that it's value would not repay the expencc of the 
procefs. 
Bees wax is a commodity of great importance in all the eaftern iilands^ 
and is from thetn exported to China, Bengal, and other parts of the 
continent. No pains, is taken wkh the bees,^ which are left to fettle 
where they lift, and are never coUeded in hives. The (quality of the 
iioney, is much inferior to what we have in England,. 
The forefls abounding with elejihants (g^J^), ivory Is of courie in 
plenty^ and is carried both to China and Europe. Excepting a few of 
thefej kept for ftate by the King of Acheen, they are not tamed in any 
part of the ifland. As they are' gregarious, and ufually traverfe the 
country in large troops together, they prove highFy deftrudtive to tKe 
plantations of the natives, obliterating the traces of cultivation, by 
merely walking through the grounds ; but they are alfo fond of the pro- 
duce of theit gardens, pardeularly of plantain trees and the fugar cane, 
which they devour with eagemefs* This indulgence of appetite often 
proves fatal to them, for the owners knowing their attachment to thefe 
vegetables, have a pradice of poifoning fome part of the plantation, by 
fplitting the canes and putting tajrangan mto the clifc ; which the aniC 
mal unwarily eats of and dies. Not being by nature carniverous, "the 
elephants are not fierce, and fcldbm attack a man, but ^vhen fired at, or 
Othcrwife provoked. The rhinoceros (ludJa) is alfo a native of thefe 
woods,, and his horn is efleemed an anridoce againft poifon- I cannot 
vouch for the ftoriestold of their mutual antipathy^.and the defperate en- 
counters between thefe two enormous beafts* 
The 
