Hamilton’s account of the east indies. 447
Chap. XLII. — Gives an Account of the IJlands and trading Ports on the Weji Coaji of
AND now I leave Atcheen, and purfue my travels along the weft coaft of Sumatra .I.abon is the firft place noted for gold duft and camphire, but has no commerce withftrangers. Hog Ifland lies oppofite to it, about ten leagues off. This ifland takes itsname from the great numbers of wild hogs on it, who are the only inhabitants, asCocoa Ifland, clofe to it, takes its name from the great numbers of cocoa-nut treesgrowing on it.
Baros is the next place that abounds in gold, camphire, and benzoin, but admits ofno foreign commerce. It lies within the fouth end of Hog’s Ifland, about the famediftance from it that Labon is. This place fets a boundary to the kingdom of Atcheen.
Ayerbangie is the next place of notice. It produces gold and pepper, it lies aboutone degree to the northward of the equator, and has the advantage of a good fafe har-bour, but it is little frequented, becaufe of the treachery of the natives, who makefmallaccount of murdering ftrangers, if they can but get the lead advantage by it. Theharbour lies in a fmall but deep bay, and three fmall iflands lying before it, make it amoft excellent harbour ; and the channels between the iflands, and between the fhoreand the iflands, are clear of danger. The north end of Pullo-nayas lies about twentyleagues without it. The inhabitants of that ifland prove the bed; Haves in India , andare fold at an higher price in the Atcheen market than any others.
Padang is about twenty leagues to the fouthward of the equator, where the Dutch have a colony and a ftrong fort to defend it from the infults of the natives. It coft theDutch many men, and much treafure before they could force a fettlement there, thoughat laft they gained their point'; but being a country that produces only gold and peppa - ,the profits can hardly bear the charge. The ifland of Good Fortune lies about 20leagues without it.
Indrapura is the next, and lies about 50 leagues to the fouthward of the equator.
It was formerly an Englilh faciorv, but the Dutch infulted it in King William’s war with .Prance, and it has made but a forry figure in trade fince. Its commodity is onlypepper, but it affords great plenty of it, and very cheap. The ifland of Nafaw lies .about 15 leagues without it-
Bencolon is an Englilh colony, but the European inhabitants not very numerous.About the year 1690, the Eaft India Company built a fort there, and called it York Fort,but brick or ftone walls in that country cannot long continue firm, becaufe concuffionsof the earth are fo frequent by earthquakes, that folid walls are rent by the {Iraking oftheir foundations. It has the conveniency of a river to bring their pepper out of theinland countries, but great inconveniencies in {hipping it off on board the {hips, forthere is a dangerous bar at the river’s mouth, which has proved fatal to many poorEngliftunen. The road for {hipping is alfo inconvenient; for in the fouth-weft mon-foons, there being nothing to keep the great fwell of rolling feas off them, but a fmallifland, called Rat Ifland, the {hips are ever in a violent motion while that monfoon lafts.
The inland princes are often at variance among themfelves, and fometimes are trou-blefome to the trade of our colony, but as their wars are {hort, the Englilh are in littledanger by them. In the year 1693, there was a great mortality in the colony, thegovernor and his council all died in a lhort time, after one another, and one Mr. SoW-don being the eldeft fa&or, had his refidence at Prayman, or Priainan, a fubordinate