349 
A GENERAL SKETCH OF SUMATRA* 
The population is distributed as follows: 
1 st, Malays of the mountain region. 
a. Menangkabau 
This is a parallelogram 60 miles from IV. W. to S. E. and 
50 miles broad, embracing all the upper branches and vallies 
of the Indragiri, including lake Sinkara and its feeders,—the 
watershed being on the western border. This small region, 
of which the surface is less than one fortieth of that of 
Sumatra, contains the highest mountains and most fertile 
and populous vallies. To the north of the plain the vol¬ 
canoes of Gttnong Singalang and Gunong Berapi rise to 
the heights of 12,468 and 13,195 feet, while to the north 
east of these Gunong Kasumba or Sago attains a consider¬ 
able but lower elevation. The principal feeder of Sin¬ 
kara has its source in Gunong Talang, which rises im¬ 
mediately beyond the southern boundary of the region 
to a great height. The population, the most dense in 
Sumatra and chiefly concentrated on a space of about 
30 miles broad, the southern and south eastern slopes of 
Berapi, is about 128 to the square mile for the whole 
region, but probably from 300 to 400 for the completely 
cultivated country around Pagar Uyong. This country. Sir 
S. Raffles writes, u as far as the eye could distinctly trace, 
was one continued scene of cultivation, interspersed with 
innumerable towns and villages shaded by the coconut and 
other fruit trees. I may safely say that this view equalled 
anything I ever saw in Java; the scenery is more majestic 
and grand, population equally dense, cultivation equally 
rich.” 
Luak Tana Datar.. 80,000 
Agam.. .. 80,000 
Sambilan Kota.... .... 20,000 
Lima pulo Kota,. 50,000 
Lintau.... .... 10,000 
T. Alam. 15,000 
Duo pulo Kota.... .... 100,000 
Batipu.. .... .... 12,000 
Dua bias Kota Matua.. .. 12,000 
Tuju Luras. 6,000 
- 385 , 000 * 
* Francis, Tijd. v. N. I. 2d y. p. 94. 
Sir S. Raffles estimated the population of a smaller tract, 50 miles square, 
at a million which would have been 400 to the sq. m, The disturbances that 
have since taken place, beginning with the renewed wars of the Padris and 
ending with the conqueat.of the country by the Dutch, mBy hare considerably 
lessened the population. 
