S/4 GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OP THE ISLAND OF BANKA. 
island and neighbouring seas, most recently published for the use of 
navigators. The accuracy of this, though not infallible, has, accor¬ 
ding to my personal experience, assisted by the information collect¬ 
ed on the spot, appeared sufficient to form the outlines of a map of 
the island, explanatory of the following description, which is sub¬ 
mitted with due deference to the candour of those persons, who may 
be disposed and qualified by opportunities of practical information 
or professional pursuits to afford it improvement or correction. 
The form of Banka is irregularly oblong. Its general direction 
is from north-west to south-east, near ly parallel to the southern ex¬ 
tremity of Sumatra; the passage which separates these two islands 
is one of the most frequented in the Indian seas, and sufficiently 
known as the Straits of Banka. 
The northern and eastern shores of the island are surrounded by 
the southern extremity of the China Sea, and its southern boundary 
is the Java or Borneo Sea. The most northern point of the island 
is called by the natives Tanjong Krassak, and situated in the latitude 
of 1 degree and 28 minutes, and the southern point, Tanjong Sum- 
buang-dapur in that of 3 degrees and 7 minutes, south of the equa¬ 
tor. The extreme western point, Tanjong Batu-Besayab is situated 
in the longitude of 105 degrees 5 minutes, and the extreme eastern 
point, Tanjong Merrun in that of 106 degrees 56 minutes, east of 
London. 
The points of greatest distance in the north and south are Tan- 
\ 
Jong Pamudsha and Tanjong Merrun, a line drawn between these 
points, obliquely through the island according to its natural exten¬ 
sion from north-west to south-east, has a length of 146 English miles. 
The breadth of the Island from Tanjong Batu-Besayab in the west 
to Tanjong Raya in the east is 78 miles. 
Although the original inhabitants have given names to those dis¬ 
tricts in which they reside as well as to the establishments of the 
Malays and Chinese, to many of the rivers, points, mountains Sec., 
of the island, yet there is no general subdivision which ean facilitate 
the description. I have therefore adopted one which is pointed out, by 
