moft|y negle&ed; and the hopper is mingled with that metal. There
are excellent ores of' iron and fteeh: and that rare mineral, tin, is pne
of the chief sports, being principally found near| Palimb^ng on, , the
eaftein-fhore, a continuation-probably of the rich b^ds of Banca. pj^ojd
is. found near Bencoolen,. and in other places, but of inferior quality,.
The little ifland of Poolo Pifang, clofe.to the foot of mount Poogpog, is
moftly a bed oftrbck cryftal. The n a p p a l fe&ms a kind^ of foap j.ock i
and petroleum alfo appears. There are feveml volcariklmqi^tains in .
Sumatra, as in moft of the other iflandsof the oriental .§u£bip.elag(V hut
eruptions are unfrequent. After an earthquake^ rent was^ obferved in
the ground for a quarter of a mile, frotn which a, bituminous mattej&is
laid to haye fwelled.- On the.fhores are many ledges coral rocks, a
circumftance frequent in this quarter of the world. The, effeftSjOf the
furf are fingular, and have been minutely detailed by Mr. Marfden, xyho
afcribes them to the trade, o r perpetual, winds,. between the parallels,of
2p° north and fouth.
The inhabitants are vaguely divided into the< Mahometans of the
coaft and the inland Pagans: but our author has. confidgred the various
races, with more exa£k detail. The Malays,; no w( fq .calledj-;!feem to. he
recent fettlers, and their language a dialed; of a fpeech.mqft widely extended,
from Malacca* and perhaps the fouth .of Hindoftan,* nearlytas
fa r- as the weftera coafts of America, through the innumerable, iflands of
the; Pacific^ By the-acoountof Mr. Marfden there are-inland races, of
whom the Googoo are covered with long hair, and little fuperior to the
Ourang Outangs of Borneo. The chief native fovereignty is, that of
Menang Cabow, but the Rejangs feem to retain the pureft race and. manners.
They are rather fhort and flender : the nofes oft infants are flattened,
and their ears extended j but the eyes are dark and clear, and
among the fouthern women often referable the Chihefe. The complexion
is properly yellow, being without the red.tinggj waich confti-
tutes a tawney or copper colour: but the fuperior'clafs of women fair,
and commonly of not unpleaftng countenances, and the nails are-often
tinged red as in Mahometan countries. In the mountainous parts large
wens or goitres are frequent, as in the mountains of Hindoftan and
Tibet,
A S £A T I C ISLES. 443
Tibet,’^proceeding perhaps frormtll&dydfe mifts, whichfaffedthe. glands Sumatra.
c f therthr0at'and‘ &eea.lio^tulc,0'uM'fthat5|if^m‘the5'con'ftant repetition'of
the caufe'^be^menriemdykble. ’The' eM^r&pihdicm between the aa*
rives-and the Malaysof’thh coaft feems ifhatlthe formed are fairer
and^ftrbnger. "riThe original cldathing is made of the inner bark of trees, . ’
aS'4'n Gtalaeite; but the drefs of the Malays con£ifts'i'o£ a*veft, a robe,
ahd a kind of mantle* with a^gindje, in $ which daggqr.
They wear ftrort drawers, and there is*no ©ayerirfg^p the, legs pr-feef.:.
a fine -Cloth is wrapt round the head,, which cohered
with a’wide 'ftdt.'1 Both 'lexes1 j fife their- teeth, and fta-in‘A|fie^black.
The-villages-are; commonly* on hills,, and 'furro'unded Witft'friut trees, *
the balli, or ’ cotriih'bn hall, bdrig'hi’' the''Sfcnf^e|f^Tne Romfis .are o f
Wdod and bam bbos, r covered with leaves' ofgalW, Handrh^'Is^rSMrs^
and fcale'd.by a rude la d d e r .T h e ftjrh-torteis'Vf^urfd'^tp|eK'ah<Pthe-'
CtJmHlon food rice f fago, though common, feeing left ftftdfriaan in the
iflands further to the ’eaft. To r the agriculture*,--and other inter-effi'hg
circumftances, our author may be confulted, who obferves tha#tlfe Ma-.
lay^fe^htries, though beautiful fn appeara'hcC, are generally o f an Unfertile
Soil, wften applied to purjTOfes bf'hfeful raftivatibh : and"'the'fads
which h e ’ ihentions leem to leave no d'o'tlbt' o fm is ’unexpedfed truth.
The?hSrfes are fmall, but well made, and hardy: the .cows and Iheep
alfo’ diminutive, the latter probably from Bengal. Here are alfo1 found
the' elephant, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, tiger, bear,"otter-, porcupine,
deer, wild hog, civet Cat, with many varieties' the monkey. The
buffalo Is employed in domeftic labour. Among birds, the'Smnatrannr
Argus pheafant is o f diftihguifhed beauty. The jungk 'fowl, or Wild
poultry, alfp appear; and there is' a: Breed in tbdTb’uth 'o f remarkable
height, likewife found in Bantam on the w e ftf of Java, which-gives
name to the well known ftna.ll breed. The ’ hotife dizaftl will run oh
the,ceiling o f a room, being the largeft animal thlt; cah waik in an inverted
pofition ; and infedS fwarm, particularly the defiftidive terfpltes.
The moft abundant article is peppdr, the pfeje^'of our fettlement;
being produced by a Creeping plant '-refembling a vine. The white -
pepper is procured by ftripping the outer hulk from the ripe grains. '
3 l 2 Camphor