50 
MEMOIR OF 
vered. In tins we did not discover any inscription 
in tiie ancient diameter, but the ground was but 
very partially and hastily examined. We were struck, 
however, with the sculpture of later days, the me- 
morials of the dead raised in Mahommedan times, 
on a small scale, but beautifully executed,” 
“ This city had shared the same fate with that of 
Saruasa, Three times had it been committed to the 
flames; twice had it risen to something like splen- 
dour ; from the last shock it had not yet recovered. 
Where the palace of the Sultan had stood, 1 observ- 
ed a man planting cucumbers, and the sugar cane 
occupied the place of the seraglio. The whole coun- 
try from Pageruyong, as far as the eye could dis- 
tinctly trace, was one continued scene of cultivation, 
interspersed with innumerable towns and villages, 
shaded by the cocoa nut and other fruit trees. I 
may safely say, that this view equalled any thing I 
ever saw in Java. The scenery is more majestic and 
grand, population equally dense, — cultivation equally 
rich. Here, then, for the first time, was I able to 
trace the source of that power, the origin of that 
nation so extensively scattered over the Eastern Ar- 
chipelago." From this interesting city and fine coun- 
try, the party commenced their return, and reached 
Padang, after an absence of fourteen days. 
Sir Stamford again arrived at Bencoolen, com- 
menced his official occupations with his wonted 
energy, — visited Calcutta and many of the neigh- 
bouring islands. In most of these excursions he was 
