688 SUMATRA, 
dense to a surprising degree; the extremities of it, even when 
near at hand, being perfectly defined; and it seldom is ob¬ 
served to disperse till about three hours after sunrise. On the 
west coast of Sumatra, southward of the equinoctial, the 
south-east monsoon, or dry season, begins about May, and 
slackens in September: the north-west monsoon begins 
about November, and the hard rains cease about March. 
The monsoons for the most part commence and leave off 
gradually there; the months of April and May, October and 
November, generally affording weather and winds variable 
and uncertain. It thus appears that this island is for one half 
the year deluged with constant rains. 
In this island, as well as all other countries between the 
tropics, of any considerable extent, the w r ind uniformly 
blows from the sea to the land for a certain number of hours 
in the four and twenty, and then changes and blows for 
about as many from the land to the sea; excepting only 
when the monsoon rages with remarkable violence* and 
even at such time the wind rarely fails to incline a few points, 
in compliance with the efforts of the subordinate cause, 
■which has not power, under these circumstances, to produce 
an entire change. On the west coast of Sumatra, the sea- 
breeze usually sets in after an hour or two of calm, about 
ten in the forenoon, and continues till near six in the even¬ 
ing. About seven the land breeze comes off, and prevails 
through the night till towards eight in the morning, when it 
gradually dies away. The land wind in Sumatra is cold, 
chilly, and damp; an exposure to it is, consequently, 
dangerous to health, and sleeping in it is almost certain 
death. Thunder and lightning are very frequent, especially 
during the north-west monsoon, when the explosions are 
extremely violent, the forked lightning shoots in all di¬ 
rections, and the whole sky seems on fire, whilst the ground 
is agitated in a degree little inferior to the motion of a slight 
earthquake. 
The soil of the western side of Sumatra may be spoken of 
generally as a stiff, reddish clay, covered with a stratum or 
layer of black mould, of no considerable depth. From this 
there springs a strong and perpetual verdure of rank grass, 
brush-wood, or timber trees, according as the country has 
remained a longer or shorter time uncultivated; and the po¬ 
pulation being in most places extremely thin, a great propor¬ 
tion of the island, and especially to the southward, is in con¬ 
sequence an impervious forest. Along the western coast of 
the island, the low country, or space of land which extends 
from the sea shore to the foot of the mountains, is intersected 
and rendered uneven to a surprising degree by swamps. 
The earth in Sumatra is rich in minerals, and other fossil 
productions; and the island has, in all ages been famous for 
gold, which still continues to be procured in considerable 
quantities, and might be greatly increased if the gatherers 
had a competent knowledge of mineralogy. There are also 
mines of copper, iron, and tin. Sulphur is collected in large 
quantities among the numerous volcanoes. The natives ex¬ 
tract saltpetre from the impregnated earth, which is chiefly 
found in extensive caves that have been long frequented by 
birds and bats, from whose dung the soil is formed, and ac¬ 
quires its nitrous properties. Coal, mostly washed down by 
the floods, is procured in many parts, particularly at Kut- 
taun, Ayer, Rami, and Bencoolen; but it is light, and not 
considered of a good quality. Mineral and hot springs, in 
taste resembling those of Harrowgate, are found in many 
districts. Earth oil, used chiefly as a preservative against the 
destructive ravages of the white ant, is collected at Ipu and 
elsewhere. There is scarcely any species of hard rock to be 
met with in the low parts of the island, near the sea-shore, 
in the cliffs along which various petrifactions and sea shells 
are discovered. Copper is found on the hills of Mucky, 
near the sea, between Analaboo and Soosoo, to the north of 
the English settlement at Tappanooly. The space affording 
the ore is considerable, extending above a degree in length, 
and farther east into the country than has been yet ascertained. 
A considerable quantity of rich copper ore is found on the sur¬ 
face of the hills, to which the natives at present limit their re¬ 
searches. On analyzation it is found to contain a considerable 
portion of gold. Here are also found various species of earths, 
which might serve for colours to the painter, and might be 
converted to other valuable purposes. The most common are 
the yellow, red, and white ochres. 
The most important article of cultivation in Sumatra, as 
indeed generally throughout the east, is rice, of which there 
are many different species, distinct in shape, size, and colour 
of grain, modes of growth, and delicacy of flavour. All 
those different sorts, however, may be ranged under the two 
comprehensive classes of upland rice, from its growing on 
high and dry grounds, and lowland or marshy ripe, from its 
growing in the low and marshy grounds. For the cultiva¬ 
tion of upland rice, the site of woods is universally preferred, 
and the more ancient the woods the better, on account of 
the superior richness of the soil; the continual fall and rot¬ 
ting of the leaves forming there a bed of vegetable mould, 
which the open plains do not afford, being exhausted by the 
powerful operation of the sun’s rays, and the constant pro¬ 
duction of a rank grass. The husbandman makes choice of 
a spot for the plantation of upland rice, on the approach of 
the dry season in April or May, and he proceeds to clear it 
of wood, which is a very laborious task. The plantations 
of low ground rice are for the most part overflowed in the 
rainy season between the months of October and March, to 
the depth of six inches or a foot. The produce varies ac¬ 
cording to circumstances. In very favourable circumstances 
it rises as high as 140 for one; but the common produce is 
only 30 for one. Mr. Marsden is of opinion that the soil of 
Sumatra is far from being fertile, being for the most part a 
stiff - red clay, burned nearly to the state of a brick, under the 
influence of a tropical sun. There are many parts of the 
island, however, which he states are entirely unknown to us; 
and the luxuriant woods with which the country is every 
where covered, do not certainly indicate a barren soil. The 
upland rice will not keep above six months, and the lowland 
rice not above twelve. The cocoa-nut tree may be esteemed 
the most important object of cultivation. Its value consists 
principally in its kernel, which is in universal consumption, 
being an essential ingredient in most dishes. The oil 
of the nut is also employed for anointing the hair, and for 
burning in lamps. There are also large plantations of the 
betel-nut tree and the bamboo. The latter is used in the for¬ 
tification of villages, as it grows so thick that it forms an im¬ 
penetrable mass. There is also the sago tree, and a great 
variety of palms. The sugar cane is very generally culti¬ 
vated, but not in large quantities, and more frequently for 
the purpose of chewing the juicy reed, than for the manu¬ 
facture of sugar, which is usually imported from Java. 
Maize, chilly pepper, turmeric, ginger, coriander and cumin 
seed, are raised in the gardens of the natives. There are va¬ 
rious other shrubs and plants, some of which are converted 
by the inhabitants to various useful purposes. Hemp is ex¬ 
tensively cultivated, not for the purpose of making rope, to 
which they never apply it, but to make an intoxicating 
preparation called bang, which they smoke in pipes along 
with tobacco. In other parts of India a drink is prepared 
by bruising the blossoms, young leaves, and tender parts of 
the stalk. Small plantations of tobacco, which the natives 
call tambaku, are met with in every part of the country. 
There are other creeping plants which are manufactured into 
twine, sowing thread, &c. 
No region of the earth can boast of greater variety and 
abundance of indigenous fruits than Sumatra; though the 
natives never appear to bestow the smallest labour in im¬ 
proving them. They are planted for the most part in a 
careless irregular manner, about their villages. We cannot, 
within the limits to which we are confined, give a full de¬ 
scription of all the various fruits and shrubs of this luxuriant 
island. The following, however, are the most remarkable : 
—The mangustin, which holds the pre-eminence among all 
the Indian fruits, is produced in great abundance. Its cha¬ 
racteristic quality is extreme delicacy of flavour, without 
being rich or luscious. It is a drupe of a brownish red co¬ 
lour, and the size of a common apple, consisting of a thick 
rind, somewhat hard on the outside, but soft and succulent 
within 
