359 
A GENERAL SKETCH OF SUMATRA. 
VIIL Orang Ache . 
The mast northerly race are the Achinese who amount, ac¬ 
cording to Francis, to 600,000, but this estimate evidently 
includes the Malays of the west coast as far as the Rakan. 
The exact southern limits of this race do not appear to be 
ascertained, their domination having formerly extended far be¬ 
yond their own range and being ill defined at this day* On the 
west coast the Dutch have encroached on their nominal ter¬ 
ritories, and on the east the small countries of Langkat, Bala 
China, Dili, Sirdang, Batu Bara, and Asahan, which the 
latest Dutch writers mention as part of Achin, have long 
been independent of it and are peopled by Malays. The 
surface occupied by the Achinese race appears to be about 
22,601) sq. m. The country near Achin is very populous, but 
in the interior it is probably the reverse. If we allow an 
average of 20 to the square mile, which is probably near the 
truth, the number will be about 45,000. 
Western Islands. 
The chain of islands stretching along the west coast of 
Sumatra at the mean distance of about 60 miles, parallel to 
the mountain range and here constituting the western margin 
of the great plutonic intumescence of S. E. Asia, contains a 
surface of about 5,040 and a population of 294,900 distributed 
as follows— 
IX. Orang Engano. 
This barbarous tribe, apparently Indo-Chinese, inhabits the 
Engano islands, having a surface of about 400 sq. m. Their 
number, if we take the rate of the next race, will be about 900. 
X. Orang Mantawei* 
The Mantawei, a tatooed race, occupy the Pagai and Pora 
groups having a surface of 2,240 sq. m. The smaller islands 
have about 2,200 inhabitants* and Si Biru probably somewhat 
more, 5,000 may be allowed for the whole. 
XI. Orang Niha or Niasi 
TJhis people inhabit the Pulo Batu group and Pulo Nias, 
possessing a surface of about 1,800 sq. m. and their number 
is estimated at 286,000. 
Crisp. As. Res, 
Si Bagan,, 
• a • * • t ft 
1,400 
S. Uban,. 
Si Por^,•««s& •• 
300 
■ . 
S I Ijcl b cl $ rn • • 
300 
2,200 
+ Francis, Oppe. In 1846 Lieut. Donlebin found 169,500 to be about 
the population of P. Nias (Tijd N, I. 1848 p, 174), We did not notice this 
in time to correct the text. 
