154 
VOYAGE OF THE POTOMAC. 
[February, 
spreading, horizontal branches, reaching nearly to the ground. No 
pains are taken in cultivating it by the natives, or the sale of its 
bark might be turned to good account. 
In addition to the productions already enumerated, there are — 
rattans, cotton, betele-nut, coffee, turpentine, gums, &c. ; while the 
forests abound with a great variety of valuable woods, such as 
ebony, pine, sandal, «agle or aloes, teak, manchineel, iron-wood, 
and the far-famed hanyan-tree — more properly named by the Por- 
tuguese, arhor de raiis, and by the Malays, jawee-jawee. This 
tree, as is well known, possesses the singular property of dropping 
fibres from such parts of its boughs as incline to the earth, which 
take root, and become new stems or trunks. It thus goes on 
increasing, until one has been known to measure in circumference 
upwards of one thousand feet — to cast a shade at noon of more 
than eleven hundred feet — and to afford abundant shelter for a 
troop of horse. We have seen an account of one of these trees, 
which waved its boughs at the height of two hundred feet ; rising 
from, or rather resting on, roots, if they may be so called, occu- 
pying at least one hundred feet, forming, by the close and singular 
conibination, the appearance of a venerated Gothic pillar. It stood 
near the plains of Crocup ; and, like ^ other monuments of an- 
tiquity, has had its period of existence, and has long since been 
no more ! 
Besides the many articles of commerce afforded by the varied 
vegetable kingdom of Sumatra, there are productions appertain- 
ing to another kingdom which claim to be enumerated among the 
riches of this island. We have already, in a previous part of this 
article, very briefly alluded to the various metals which are found 
blended with, or lying beneath, the soil. Gold abounds in some 
parts of the island, but principally in the centre ; south of the 
Leemoon, a branch of the Jambi river, and to the north of Na- 
lohoo, from whence Acheen is principally supplied. It was the 
vicinity of these treasures which probably, in the first instance, 
induced the Dutch to establish themselves at Padang. The Ma- 
lays are the only class of inhabitants who make a business of 
procuring the precious metal, either from the beds of rivers, 
mingled with the sand, or sometimes by loosening, the adjacent 
banks. In a few instances they have attempted digging ; but 
their excavations have never extended deep. The metal is pro- 
