694 
SUM 
cocks. These fight with great inveteracy, and endeavour to 
seize each other by the tongue. The Acheenese bring also 
into combat the dial bird, which resembles a small magpie, 
but has an agreeable, though imperfect note. These some¬ 
times engage one another on the wing, and drop to the 
ground in the struggle. The Malays have other diversions of a 
more innocent nature. Matches of fencing, or a species of 
tournament, are exhibited on particular days; as at the 
breaking up of their annual fast, or month of ramadan , 
called there the puasa. The Sumatrans, and more particu¬ 
larly the Malays, are much attached, in common with the 
eastern nations, to the practice of smoking opium. 
The native Sumatran of the interior differs in some re¬ 
spects from the Malay of the coast, being mild, peaceable, 
and forbearing, unless when roused by violent provocation. 
He is temperate and sober, his diet being mostly vegetable, 
and his only beverage water. Their hospitality is very 
great, with very simple manners; and they are, in general, 
except among the chiefs, devoid of the Malay cunning and 
chicane. On the other hand, they are litigious, indolent, ad¬ 
dicted to gaming, dishonest in their dealings with strangers, 
which they consider as no moral defect, regardless of truth, 
mean, servile, and though cleanly in their persons, filthy in 
their apparel, which they never wash. They are careless 
and improvident of the future, and make no advances in im¬ 
proving their condition. The Macassars and Buggesses who 
come annually from Celebes in their prows to trade at Su¬ 
matra, ate looked up to by the Sumatrans and Malays as 
their superiors in manners. They also derive part of the 
respect paid to them fiom the richness of their cargoes, and 
the spirit with which they spend the produce in gaming, 
cock-fighting, and smoking opium. 
Scarcely any traces now remain of the ancient religion of 
the Rejangs (the Sumatran race with which we are best ac¬ 
quainted), if they ever had any. There prevails, in general, 
a gross ignorance on this subject; and though Mahometan¬ 
ism be generally professed, many of its converts give them¬ 
selves not the least trouble about its injunctions, or even 
know what it requires. There is no public or private form 
of worship of any kind, neither prayers, processions, meet¬ 
ings, offerings, images, nor priests. They neither (says 
Marsden) worshipped God, devil, nor idol. They are not, 
however, without superstitious beliefs of many kinds, and 
have certainly a confused notion, though perhaps derived 
from their intercourse with other people, of some species of 
superior beings, who have the power of rendering themselves 
visible or invisible at pleasure. No attempts have been ever 
made at any time to convert the inhabitants of this island to 
Christianity. 
SUMAUN, a town of IJindostan, province of Agra, and 
district of Etaweh, belonging to the British. Lat. 27. 6. N. 
long. 79. 5. E. 
SUM AURA, an island formed by a large arm of the river 
Amazons. 
SUMBAWA, a large island in the Eastern seas, extending 
about 200 miles in the parallel of 9 degrees south lat. and 
separated from the island of Lombock by the straits of Allass. 
R is about 40 miles in average breadth. 
This island is divided into the different districts of Beema, 
Dompoo, Tambora, Sangur, Pekat, and Sumbawa, all 
governed by their respective chiefs, who were formerly all 
either allies of the Dutch East India Company, or under their 
protection, with the exception of the one last mentioned. 
Near the north-east end of the island, on a fine bay, which 
stretches seven or eight leagues south, is situated the town of 
Beema, remarkable for its excellent harbour, the sides of 
which are bold and high, and the approach safe; but the 
passage through is sometimes attended with inconvenience, 
from the strong current that generally prevails, and the great 
depth of water; as a hundred fathom line, though close in 
shore, will hardly reach the bottom. When, therefore, ships 
cannot pass through, they are obliged, for the want of 
anchorage, to return to sea, and there wait for a more fa¬ 
vourable wind. The batteries erected on each side of the 
entrance, and opposite to one another, are no longer capable 
SUM 
of defence, and are, in fact, gone to ruin. The channel, in 
some places, is only 150 or 200 yards across; but there is 
no danger whatever in the passage; and a ship of the line 
may sail along either side within thirty yards of the rocky 
mountains. These give a grand and picturesque appearance 
to the channel, which terminates in a safe and commodious 
basin, presenting one of the finest harbours in the world, 
both for capaciousness and security; extending a consider¬ 
able way inland, and encompassed by lofty mountains. On 
the east side of this bay stands the town of Beema. The 
landing here is very unfavourable, owing to a mud-bank, 
which extends three quarters of a mile from the town. The 
sultan of Beema is named Abdul Ahmed ; and the popula¬ 
tion is computed to be 80,000. The island furnishes sappan 
wood, rice, horses, saltpetre, sulphur, wax, birds’-nests, to¬ 
bacco, &c., though there is but little trade carried on now at 
this place. The island, however, has means of great im¬ 
provement, and would be highly productive, if the inhab¬ 
itants could be roused to exertion, and their labour turned to 
industry and agriculture. The number of horses annually 
exported under the appellation of Beema horses, is very con¬ 
siderable. The finest of these are procured from the small 
island of Gonong Api, situated at the north-east end of 
Beema harbour, about three or four miles from Sumbawa 
point, and forming the west side of the north entrance of 
Sapy straits. It is a large volcanic mountain, which termi¬ 
nates in two high peaks, and the soil is of great fertility. 
Another volcanic mountain on the north coast of Sumbawa, 
is said to be responsive to that of Gonong Api; an explosion 
of the latter being immediately answered by an eruption 
from the former; for which reason the inhabitants of 
Gonong Api are looked upon with a superstitious veneration 
by those of Sumbawa. The great depth of water here 
makes it dangerous for vessels, except prows, to approach 
the shore sufficiently near to find anchorage. Ships may be 
plentifully supplied with refreshments, as buffaloes, calves, 
sheep, fruit, and vegetables, both at Beema and the town of 
Sumbawa. This last place is situated on a large bay, open 
to the north and north-west, and a good harbour stretches 
inland, between the reefs at the west side of the entrance. 
Sumbawa is about 100 miles to the westward of Beema, and 
is governed by a chief denominated a rajah, whose name is 
Mahomed, but subject to the authority of the sultan. Tam¬ 
bora is the place mostly resorted to by the dealers in horses. 
Gold-dust is found in Sumbawa, particularly in the district 
of Dompoo, which also supplies teak-timber, and is the 
best cultivated district in the island. Pearls are fished 
for in the large bay to the westward of Beema bay, as also at 
Pekat. 
SUMBHOONAUT, a town of Northern Hindostan, 
province of Nepaul. It owes its prosperity to a very cele¬ 
brated temple, containing the sacred fire, reported to have 
been preserved there from time immemorial. It is a very 
ancient place, and said to have been built at a period when 
Nepaul was subject to the lama of Thibet. It is situated on 
the terrace of a lofty hill, and is distinguished at a great 
distance by the spires or turrets, which are covered with gilt 
copper. This temple is annually visited by innumerable 
pilgrims from Bootan and Thibet, and is a source of con¬ 
siderable revenue to the Nepaul government. Lat. 27. 33. 
N. long. 85. 38. E. 
SUMBHULPORE, a district of Hindostan, province of 
Gundwaneb, situated between the 21st and 22d degrees of 
northern latitude. It is a mountainous and woody country, 
and the climate very unfavourable to foreigners. The soil in 
the valleys is a rich loam, which produces sugar, cotton, and 
all kinds of grain; and in the mountains both gold and 
diamonds are found. But it is an acknowledged fact, that 
an equal extent of arable land would be more beneficial to 
the state. The diamonds are for the most part found in the 
rivers Hebe and Mahanuddy. As soon as the floods have 
subsided, the people employed in this business explore the 
beds of these rivers, for lumps of red earth which have been 
washed down from the mountains by the rains, and in which 
diamonds are frequently discovered. The gold is found in 
