208 
COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL 
consumption in Holland. The industry is in the hands 
of a few large companies, and is not permitted to Chinese 
capitalists, although Chinese labour is very largely em¬ 
ployed on the fields, the Battaks and Malays being less 
valuable as labourers. The export during the last 
decade has been very considerable. That of 1886 ex¬ 
ceeded 11,000 tons, and its estimated value was nearly 
£3,000,000, the crop averaging two shillings per lb. 
The sugar-cane is not cultivated. A great trade is 
carried on, on the east coast especially, in beeswax, cam¬ 
phor, gutta, dammar, benzoin, and other resins, rattans, 
gambir, cotton, and various sea-products such as beche- 
de-mer. 
The mineral wealth of Sumatra still remains for the 
most part undeveloped, although it is probable that, before 
long, the rich coal-fields of Ombilin, which are situated 
towards the head waters of the Batang Hari, will be 
opened. They were discovered in 1869, and have been 
estimated by M. de Greve to contain 370,000,000 cubic 
metres. The mineral is of the Tertiary period, as it is 
probable that most of the Sumatran measures will prove 
to be. Mr. Forbes found coal in the Palembang district, 
and it exists near Malabu and other places in Ache. 
South of Fadang, at Moko-moko, it is worked. Gold is 
even more widely distributed. The fields around Padang, 
which have been known for centuries, are now exhausted, 
but the Menangkabo placer diggings, which are equally 
ancient, are still in operation. The metal is found at 
Malabu in Ache, and at many places on the eastern 
slopes of the Barisan range, but the amount obtained is 
trivial, though, were a thorough exploration undertaken, it 
would probably lead to good results. Tin exists on the 
eastern side in the Siak district, and there are copper 
mines in the Padang “ bovenland,” near the Merapi 
