CHAPTER VII.
S t r a it S e t t l e m e n t s— P e n a n g— S in g a p o r e— B in t a n g a n d B a t a h—
B a n c a— L e a f a n d S t ic k I n s e c t s— S u m a t r a Co a st— F l o a t in g
I s l a n d s .
A m o n g s t the passengers were two bishops, one a
Protestant on his way to Australia, the other a Roman
Catholic bound for Batavia. The weather was fine,
and on the second day we passed the Nicobar Islands,
N. Lat. 7° 8 ', E. Long. 93° 4', consisting of two larger
and a group of smaller islands. The former are said to
contain about 6 , 0 0 0 inhabitants, principally Malays of
rather piratical propensities ; the shores are fringed
with cocoanut palms and plantains.
On the following day we sighted Sumatra. The
atmosphere became very close, eighty-eight degs. in
the shade during the greater part of the day, and as
we were passing the coast of Acheen, having sighted
“ Point Way,” the surface of the sea to our right presented
a very peculiar appearance in the shape of
ripples in endless strings, similar to the rapids on the
Danube, or those of the St. Lawrence near the Thousand
Islands. This phenomenon here, the captain explained
to me, is caused by opposing currents; it also occurs in
a milder form in the China sea, where sailors call it the
chow-chow waters. The Sumatra coast remained within
view until evening, and on the following day we
encountered a strong current against us, by which
fifteen miles were lost, and we did not reach the harbour
of Penang until seven p.m.
This island, properly called Prince of Wales’ Island,
the Pulo Penang of the natives, meaning Betel-Nut
Island, belonged to the King of Quedah, who owns the
country on the opposite shore, or part of the Malay
Peninsula. Its acquisition is connected with the
romantic marriage of a British officer, Captain Light,
to the daughter of the said king, who made a
gift of. the island to his son-in-law; but in 1786,
quite regardless of his previous promise, the above
potentate ceded it to the East India Company for an
annual payment of ¿ 1 ,2 0 0 , increased afterwards to
o 2