B en co olen.
N a t a l ,
“ north-weft on the American fide.” After encountering marry
difficulties, he anchored fafe in the Downs on September i ith
1603. Sir James acquired great wealth and reputation by this
voyage, which he lived thirty years after to enjoy, as he well
deferved.
We followed the advantages o f this enterprize. The Dutch
who had fettled themfelves in the ifland, entertained the highefi
jealoufy o f our riling commerce, and gave all poffible oppo-
fition ; they even once expelled us from Bantam, where we had
a fa&ory. We then turned our thoughts towards Acbeen, and
met there fome of the ifland chieftains in the year 1685, who
invited us to fettle on their lands; this, gave rife to our efta-
bliffiment at Bencoolen, which became the fupreme fadlory. The
fort called fort Marlborough was founded ; we are now the principal
traders in the ifland, and export from thence annually
twelve hundred tons o f pepper, the greateft part to Europe,- the
reft to China. This fettlement is unwholeiome, the air-full o f
malignant vapors; the mountains continually cloathed with thick
heavy clouds, which break out in lightning, thunder, rain, and
ffiort-lived ftorms; the fort is tolerably healthy during the fickly
feafon, and to that place the merchants ffiould make their retreat.
In. the year 1760, the French admiral D'EJlaign deftroyed
this fort, and all our other fettlements on the ifland, in order to
drive us from the lucrative pepper trade; but they were foon
re-eftablifhed, and our poffeffions fecured to us in 1763 by the
treaty of Paris,
On the coaft o f the Battas country are two fettlements, one at
Natal, and another on a fmall ifle in the noble bay of Tappanoly,
9 which
which penetrates deeply inland, and is capable of containing all
the navies o f Europe, fo as to ride fecurely in any weather,
with fuch a multitude o f harbors that a large ihip could remain
concealed fo as to elude allfearch. In this bay is found plenty o f
that enormous ihell the Keemo or Cbama Gigas *, it is often three
foot broad, and o f the weight o f five hundred pounds; and is
taken in deep water, by thrufting a long bamboo between the
ffiells while they are gaping, which clofe, and then are drawn
up; the ihell is quite white, and worked by the natives like
ivory. The fiffi weighs often thirty pounds, and is excellent
when ftewed.
Sumatra is divided into numerous little kingdoms, but that A c h e e n .
o f Acheen is the moft powerful. It once had aftrong and numerous
fleet, with which it contefted the fuperiority o f the fea with
the adjacent princes. Acheen was the great emporium of the
ifland, and the refort of the Arabs for the gold, camphor, benzoin,
pepper, ancl' all the commercial productions o f the country.
The government is entirely feudal, being founded on the Malayan
plan. As to the genuine Sumatrans they are called Orang
Ooloo, or countrymen; from their refldence in villages. The
Sultan o f the empire o f Menangecabow, for a long time reigned E m p ir e or _
. . . , . , i i M e n a n g e c a - lord paramount over all the other princes, who owned their ail- B0W#
thority to be derived from him: at prefent his real power is not
fuperior to that of a common Rajah ; yet ftill a fuperftitious regard
is paid to his perfon; he is fovereign pontiff; the opinion
o f his fanftity is fupported by the Mahometan priefts, and an
* Bonan i. 83, 84. Argenyille, tab. 23. fig, E.
D 2 air