355 
A GENERAL SKETCH OF SUMATRA. 
VL Orang Lampong. 
This race inhabits the most southern portion of Sumatra, 
including the termination of the great alluvial plain and the 
last ranges of the mountain belt. The whole comprises about 
8,280 sq. m. divided in nearly equal proportions between flat 
and elevated ground,* and the population amounts to 92,900 
or about II to the sq, m. 
the northern races, 
VIL Orang Batta . 
Next in place to the Malay region on the north is that 
of the Batta*. Their range extends from the country of the 
Kawa on the river Rakan on the east side, and Natal on 
the west side, as far north probably as the latitude of 
Diamond Point on the east and Gunong Abong Abong on the 
west, but the boundary line between them and the A chines© 
in the interior is either insensible or unascertained, and in 
our estimate of territory and population we shall take a line 
extending from G Lose to the northern boundary of Langkat, 
as their limit.*]- The only places where they extend to the 
sea are at JBila and Pani on the east coast and from Tabayang 
to Kalang on the west coast. Allowing for the country occu¬ 
pied by Malays, the length of the Bata region is about 240 m., 
the average breadth about 68 m-, and the superficies nearly 
17,000 sq. m. It may be properly divided into three parts, 
the first extending from the southern boundary to a line 
drawn from the mouth of the Bila on the east coast to the 
southern coast of Tapanuli Bay on the west coast. The 
Batta 9 portion of this, comprising nearly the whole, is a rhom¬ 
boid, 116 miles broad and 80 miles long, and with a surface of 
about 7,500 square miles. The middle division extends from 
this to a line drawn across the island from the mouth of 
S. Balagi on the east to the mouth of S. Singkel on the west, 
giving a length of 80 m., a breadth for the Batta* portion of 
65 m . and an area of 5,200 sq. m. The northern division is 
about 60 m. long, the Batta’ portion 50 m. broad and the 
surface 3,000 miles. The Battas appear to be the aboriginal 
race of the whole of Sumatra to the north of the river Ba- 
# This district includes the southern extremity of the Netherlands division 
of Bangkaulu as far as G. Pugun and a small portion of the division of Palem- 
bang. All this district and probably a greater portion of the Palembang 
division is inhabited by people of the Lampong race. The Lampong division 
contains 82,900 souls (Zollinger) and the southern district of the Bangkaulu 
Division, Kroe, 10,000 (Francis). 
t Marsden in bis map makes the southern branch of the Dili river the 
northern boundary, which is too far to the south. 
