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change is going on here as in the course of the dependent branch. During the tracking of the boats, we landed, as usual, in the morning, and rambled over the country. We passed one or two villages, whose appearance was as inviting, and indicated fully as much comfort, as those placed in more favourable situations. One with some trees adjoining to it was particularly pleasing in effect; and many of the huts not only displayed great neatness in their exterior, but bore marks of a certain portion of taste in their possessor. For the first time since leaving Calcutta, I saw here an enclosed piece of ground, forming a flower garden, as an appendage to one of the humble clay edifices, which contributed not a little to enliven the scene. I could perceive in this village also more attention paid to the cattle: comfortable sheds with enclosures, similar to those which surrounded the houses, being appropriated for their reception, and apparently kept so clean, as to impress one with a favourable idea of the inhabitants. What seemed rather extraordinary, last night was passed without our being disturbed by, or even hearing the cry of a jackall. These animals, which infest the villages and towns, and prowl from sunset to sunrise on the river bank in quest of a scanty pittance, cannot subsist themselves in a country where the thin population furnishes no superfluity of food, and the absence of jungle leaves them no place of shelter, to retire to during the day.

built, and with a greater attention to comfort than they are lower down the country; most of them have a low wattled enclosure surrounding the hut, which serves at the same time as an ornament, and a veil to conceal the inhabitant from the prying eye of his neighbour. Before leaving the more cultivated country this morning, I had an opportunity of observing the Indian mode of rolling the ground, which exhibits, in deficiency of better materials, a tolerable application of expedient. Stones, it must be remembered, are not to be found in Bengal, at least in this part of it; and iron, from its scarcity, is too dear to come within the reach of a poor Indian cultivator, whose whole wealth consists, perhaps, in a yoke of oxen, and a few cows and goats. Solid timber, fit for such purpose too, is not, I imagine, the growth of the district. To supply the deficiency, then, one would think a considerable exertion of ingenuity requisite: yet nothing can be more simple, and it may be said obvious, than that which the natives have adopted. It consists merely of a board two or three feet broad (or several pieces joined so as to make that breadth), connected in the centre with a projecting beam, which being fastened by means of a crosspiece to the oxen, in the manner of the plough, one, two, or more persons, according to the team employed, place themselves on the board, each grasping an ox's tail with his left hand, and holding firmly by it so as to preserve his balance; the animals are then pushed on with the right, while the weight of the men's bodies, as they are dragged along, breaks the clods, presses down the earth, and fixes the seed in the ground, as efficiently as could be done by the most perfect and ponderous European roller.

The boats anchored last night, not many hundred yards from the point of entrance into the Ganges, where the stream was not so powerful as we had experienced it to be on turning the angle formed by the junction of the rivers. Notwithstanding the rapidity of the current, and the less coherence of the soil forming the bank, we seldom observed the earth giving way in the manner that it did in the Hooghly, under the same circumstances; but from the rifts in the foot-path, and fragments of the bank that lay prostrate at the water's edge, it is evident that the same

After tracking along the banks of the Great River for a few miles, our whole suite struck off into a bye channel, which winds round an island of considerable size. This new course deprived us of the pleasure of surveying the opposite bank of the Ganges, whose scenery presented the only view that was at all agreeable in the country around; and we had nothing in return but a bare sandy beach, with a tuft of rushes here and there, which served as the haunt of alligators. As we were sailing slow along the right bank after dinner, one of the servants came and informed us that an alligator was seen lying on the opposite shore; and on reaching the top of the bank we beheld the monster, whose appearance realized all the expectations we had formed of his size and ferocity. He was lying on the bank with his head close to the water, and the jaws wide open, as

if in wait for his prey. The hinder part of the body was more elevated than the head, from the ascent of the bank, and somewhat curved towards the left, making an attitude of great apparent attention. He remained quite motionless for a long time; and we could distinctly see, with the assistance of a glass, the colour of his body, which was of a dark leaden hue, and the enormous array of fangs displayed in both jaws. The longest of these appeared at least two or three inches, and the smaller ones seemed to make up in number what they wanted in size. His greatest length might have been about fifteen feet. Some boats which passed on that side very close to him, did not in the least disturb him; and we could see his body, as long as the light enabled us, appearing exactly as described, like a bare trunk of a tree, or a low mud wall on the beach. With the spectacle of this leviathan of the river closed our day's voyage; and we soon afterwards came too for the night, on the same island in which we had seen the alligator. At the point of anchorage, great numbers of a large kind of swallow were flying about over our head, enjoying the cool of the twilight, and indulging their appetite with those myriads of the insect tribe, which never fail, when the sun goes down, to issue from the grass, to the great annoyance of the traveller. The inconvenience experienced from insects has increased very much since we came into the Great River. The shade surrounding the candle had hitherto protected it from these troublesome intruders; and by sitting at a short distance from the table, we could always obviate any personal inconvenience from their presence: but now a host of ill-savoured winged bugs fly into the budgerow, the moment the candles are lighted, and offend our

olfactories in a degree that is quite intolerable. The insect which emits this disgusting odour is about the size, when stripped of its wings, of a common bug, and resembles it so much in colour and appearance, as to be generally known by the name of the flying bug. Its colour is a deep reddish brown (werner), the head small, with very diminutive black eyes; six legs, the first pair consisting of two large joints and a small one (doubtful), and armed at the extremity with a stiff black incurvated claw; this pair is the shortest; the middle consists of two joints, terminating in a hairy extremity; the hinder pair terminate with a club (parva componere magnis), like the pair of an elephant; and to the inner side of the extremity of each pair is attached a delicate bristlewing, two complete-other two externally are only half membranaceous; the upper half is of the same nature as the elytrum, which is situated in the middle and protects the wings; these are very delicate and thin. On each side of the mouth there is a feeler of the necklace form (monclator), and a pointed proboscis protrudes from the mouth; the neck white, and under it at the top of the thorax are placed two small white points. So much for the description of this insect, which owes its interest not to any good, but to the disagreeable qualities it is gifted with. It would be curious to trace the purpose which such a property of emitting an offensive smell, serves in the economy of this diminutive creature: for doubtless, like that of sending forth light possessed by the fire-fly, so frequent an object of admiration in India, it must in some way or other contribute either to the preservation of the individual or of the species.—[Oriental Magazine.

DESCRIPTIVE ACCOUNT OF PALEMBANG.

THE kingdom of Palembang, which amongst the native states of Sumatra holds the first rank, occupies the portion of that island to the southward of the equator, which is included between the latitudes of 2o and 4o 30'. It is bounded on the north and east by the Straits of Banca; on the south by the Lampoong country; on the west and south-west by the ranges of

mountains which separate that state from Bencoolen and its dependencies; and ou the north-west its limits adjoin the territories of the Sultaun of Jambee.

The principal river, which is called the Moosee, upon which the town of Palembang is situated, runs through the whole extent of the country in a general direction from south-west to north-east, having

its source in the range of hills near to Bencoolen. With this river all the others have confluence; and the accumulated waters are disembogued into the Straits of Banca by four different mouths, which under the names of the Sali, the Open, the Soensang, and the Pontian, diverge from the main river at different points below the town of Palembang: the Sali being the eastern, and the Pontian the western mouth, or kwala, so called by the natives.

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The Soensang branch affords the most ready and the safest navigable communication with the town of Palembang, which, by the winding course of the river, is about seventy miles distant from the sea. nopin Hill, on the western extreme of Banca, bears nearly north-east from the Soensang entrance, whence it is distant about eight leagues; and from which, excepting in thick hazy weather, it is clearly discernible. The village of Soensang is near the mouth of the river, and is placed under the control of a Demang, whose duty it is to send a report to the Sultaun of Palembang of the arrival of every vessel of any consequence. From him, pilots may be obtained to conduct vessels or boats up to Palembang.

The town of Palembang is only accessible on the north and eastern sides, by the medium of the rivers above-mentioned: the whole coast of Sumatra, along the Straits of Banca, presenting nothing to the eye, but a low flat of interminable swamps and jungle. Very few villages intervene from Soensang to Palembang, the banks of the river on each side generally presenting the same forbidding aspect as the sea-coast; so that a stranger, until the town of Palembang opens to his view, might suppose he was travelling the river of an uninhabited country.

From Palembang to the sea, by the Soensang branch, the river is navigable for vessels of the largest burden. In some parts it is narrow, but generally of a noble breadth. About four miles, bearing nearly due north from the mouth of the river, a bar must be crossed to enter the channel of deep water through which to navigate to the river, the channel on each side having shallow water. At the highest spring tides, the bar has never more than three fathoms water upon it, so that the largest ships are obliged to anchor outside the bar.

Vessels making for the Palembang river, direct their course to the bar; and, from the direction, it is proper to cross it, in order to enter the channel for Soensang; the mouth of that branch of the river appears nearly closed by projecting land; the Pontian mouth, at the same time, exposing a wide and open view of that river: the latter, is therefore frequently mistaken for the navigable branch; and vessels committed to this stream have had their progress intercepted, and been necessitated to

return.

The river, through its whole extent, is much infested with alligators, which are very daring and voracious. The pantjallangs, or river passage boats, which are of various dimensions, according to the rank of the owners, and which, being cut from the solid trunk of a tree, are almost on a level with the surface of the water, expose the men who paddle them very much to the attacks of these monsters of the river. Some of the pantjallangs belonging to the Sultaun and his family are no less than forty-two feet in length, and ten or twelve in the greatest breadth, requiring twenty-four men to paddle them, who are ranged on each side. The trees from which these boats are formed are cut in the forests near the mountains, whence they are brought to Palembang with considerable labour. The Sultaun, who was very anxious at all times to manifest respect and kindness to the British Resident, always sent one of these boats to the mouth of the river to convey him up to Palembang, when he came from Banca to visit his Highness, and also to convey him back. I have seen, on two occasions, alligators raise their heads out of the water near the side of the boat, in the attempt to take one of the paddlers out of this large description of pantjallang. The boatmen, having plenty of room to move away, escaped their grasp; which was checked also by the height of the side of the boat from the water, though in this large pantajallang the deck at the centre, upon which the paddlers sit cross-legged, did not exceed nine or ten inches above the surface of the water. From the smaller description of pantjallangs, no less than seventeen paddlers were carried away by alligators during the time I was at Palembang. Two gentlemen, coming up the river to visit me in one of the smaller boats had provided

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themselves with a basket of provisions for their journey on their way an alligator raised himself from the water; the paddlers shrieked, and fortunately escaped; but the basket of provisions became a prey to its voracity.

These pantjallangs, which are peculiar to Palembang, are very commodious and quick in their passage. That above-mentioned, belonging to the Sultaun, had a space covered at the stern by a light covering, made of matted nipah leaves, sufficient to shelter the steersman, to allow a recess for sleeping, and a space in front to accommodate eight or ten persons sitting with a table in the middle.

The prow biduk is another kind of river boat, similar to the pantjallang boat, with its sides raised by additional planks. They are used for conveying baggage, and as a safer passage-boat in stormy weather.

The Sultan has a state boat of this description, called the prow naga, which has a large carved head of the fabulous dragon called Naga.

The distinctions of ranks are preserved in the equipment of these boats, with as much care as the colour of the payung, which here, as in other Malayan states, varies according to the several gradations from the Sultaun.

The town of Palembang is formed on both sides of the river Moosee, which is there twelve hundred feet in breadth. Some of the houses are erected upon large rafts of timber, anchored near the banks, and which rise and fall with the tide; behind these are houses built upon piles of timber, and which at high water become insulated: at the back of these again a third row of houses, built on the land, along the the banks, and on the sides of the several small streams which join the main river.

The palace of the Sultaun is a magnificent structure, built of brick, and surrounded by a strong wall. The houses of the principal chiefs are commodious and comfortable, though they have no pretensions to elegance. Many of these, as well as the houses of the wealthy Arabs and Chinese, have tiled roofs, supported by strong pillars of timber, and are divided into rooms by wooden divisions of plank.

The houses of the inferior classes are built of the light materials which are used for habitations in other Malayan countries.

Not more than three or four houses

have any communication one with another, excepting by boats. This does not proceed from a necessity arising out of the nature of the country, so much as from the habits and inclination of the people to have ready access to the conveniencies of the river.

The principal inhabitants, who

have their houses generally built upon the banks of the river, have piers constructed to the distance of low water mark, in order that they may at all times command uninterrupted communication with their

boats.

From one extreme to the other, the town may be estimated to extend at least three miles along each bank, and to contain a population of nearly twenty-five thousand souls, including about one thousand Arabs and Chinese.

The foreign trade from the town is carried on by the Chinese, Arabs, and natives, to Java, Malacca, Banca, Penang or Prince of Wales' Island, Lingen, Rhio, and the eastern coast of Borneo. Two large junks from China, one from Among, the other from Canton, and a small one from Siam, arrive annually at Palembang, with the N.W. monsoon in January, and depart with the S. E. monsoon in August.

The principal imports consists of woollen cloths, of which every man who has the means is anxious to have a dress; English chintzes and coloured cottons, their choice of which is principally directed by the pattern; Bengal and Madras piece goods; copper, iron and steel, with manufactured articles of these metals; teas, drugs, China silks, nankeens, earthenware, salt, and Java cloths.

The exports consist of Palembang produce, in pepper, cotton, rattans, bees'-wax, dragons' blood, benzoin, gambir, elephants' teeth, gold dust, kayoo laker, and birds' nests in small quantities.

Of the produce of Palembang, pepper, which is there called sahan, as also the common name of ladah, may be computed at fifteen thousand peculs annually, which was formerly sold at three dollars per pecul of one hundred and twenty-five Dutch pounds.

Of cotton there are two kinds: the common, called kapas, and the cotton, which is called kapok. The latter is only used for stuffing beds and pillows, which purpose it answers exceedingly well, being very soft and elastic. The produce of cotton has

been about four thousand peculs, sold raw, from two to four dollars per pecul, and cleaned, from eight to ten.

Rattans, about one hundred thousand, of one hundred to each bundle. The first sort, three fathoms long, sells at seventeen dollars per bundle; inferior, at ten, twelve, and fourteen.

Dragons' blood, called jaranang, and benzoin, called kaminian, sells at from fourteen to twenty-five and thirty dollars per pecul.

Elephants' teeth, if two to a pecul, sell for eighty dollars; if four, sixty dollars, and so on.

Kayoo laka is exported in considerable quantities by the China junks. It is used by the Chinese for burning in their houses and temples.

Gold dust varies in price according to its quality. The inferior sort is called mooda, or young; the most valuable being termed tooah or old. The former, when melted into bars, has a whitish dull cast; the latter bearing a brilliant yellow ap

pearance.

The Sultaun receives a certain amount from every vessel or prow entering the port of Palembang, according to its

measurement.

A large China junk pays about fifteen hundred dollars; a smaller one thousand dollars; and the Saimese junks, which are not of greater burden than eighty tons, pay about seventy-five dollars. The anchorage dues being paid, the cargo is free from all other imposition of duties.

Of all the Malayan ports, Palembang has been, and is considered by all native and European foreigners, the safest and best regulated. Once entering the river, the smallest prow, with ordinary vigilance and precaution, will be secure from violence or plunder. Outside the river, small pirate prows will sometimes lie concealed in the creeks, and under the shelter of the jungle along the coast, and he will prey upon the small trading prows entering the river; but such occurrences are not common, and are guarded against by every means in the Sultaun's power.

The controul of the port is placed under the authority of a native chief; he is appointed by the Sultaun, and his office is called the Shabundara. All disputes arising among the crews of vessels, or on

questions regarding trade, are adjusted by the Shabundar, assisted in cases of importance by other chiefs, who are deputed for the purpose by the Sultaun. Their decision, which is regulated by the application of acknowledged rules and customs of trade to the particular points in dispute, is duly submitted by the Sultaun, with whom it rests to confirm their adjudication, or to direct a further consideration of the question.

The jurisdiction of the town is administered by one of the chief Pangerangs, who, by virtue of his office, is called the Pateh. All the duties of a judge and magistrate devolve upon him; in the performance of which he is assisted by a Tumunggung, who holds an inferior and subordinate jurisdiction. In judical matters, the decisions of the Pateh are regulated by the common law or adut of the country; and in cases of magnitude or difficulty, the Sultaun deputes other chiefs to assist in the investigation. Before the Pateh orders the execution of any sentence or decree, he submits the case to the Sultaun, and receives his orders in confirmation, or otherwise. Disputes between the Chinese are commonly referred to the Captain China, or chief of the Chinese, for settlement, according to their customs; and in like manner the chief of the Arabs exercises authority over the Arab inhabitants.

Matters which concern the state and effects of deceased persons, with all other suits of an ecclesiastical nature, are adjudged by the Pangerang, Punghooloo, or Cazee, who is guided in his judgment by the laws and precepts provided in the Koran.

Controversies frequently arise upon the question, whether litigated points should be adjusted by the audit, or common law of the country, or by the Koran; the one party finding the strength of his cause to be favoured by the application of one rule, and the other party viewing his interests to be best protected by the other mode of adjuidcation. In these cases, the party who can command an influence with the same Sultaun, either personally, or by the intervention of his confidential advisers, will probably obtain the sanction of that law which is best suited to his purpose.

The usual punishments for offences are fines and imprisonment for short periods.

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