144 
COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL 
the chief town. In population and commercial import¬ 
ance it surpasses the capital, its port being the best in 
the island. It is, in fact, with the exception of Chilatjap 
on the south coast, the only natural harbour that Java 
possesses, the others being merely open roadsteads. The 
Government dockyards and arsenals are situated here, and 
large sums have been spent on the fortification of the 
place. The river is navigable by boats far into the in¬ 
terior, and is the means of bringing down an enormous 
quantity of rice, sugar, and other products, the sur¬ 
rounding province being exceedingly fertile and thickly 
populated. A little to the north is Gressi, now almost 
deserted, but at one time a place of considerable import¬ 
ance, and of interest as being the chief town frequented 
by the Portuguese after their conquest of Malacca. 
Samarang suffers, like most of the ports of Java, from 
being without protection, and is a very dangerous anchor¬ 
age in the north-west monsoon. It is, nevertheless, one 
of the chief commercial cities of the island, and had a 
population of over 70,000 in 1886. It appears to be 
decreasing, for by the census of 1878 there were nearly 
80,000 inhabitants, but there is no great falling off in 
the exports. Its situation is ill adapted both for health 
and commerce, a mile or more of low-lying marshy 
ground intervening between it and the sea, which is only 
to be reached by a raised causeway. As at Surabaya 
and other towns the river has been canalised, and piers 
protect its mouth. In many ways, however, Samarang 
rivals the last-mentioned port. The buildings are finer, 
and the town has been arranged after the home model. 
Chilatjap possesses the best harbour upon the south 
coast. It is an open port both for export and import 
trade, and its favourable position has caused a wonderful 
increase in its consequence. It is in connection by the 
