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This kingdom was once given by the Company to Radja Palacca, as a reward forthe great fervices rendered to them ; but, from default of male heirs, falling again tothem, it was afterwards confidered as a too important poffeffion ever to part with itagain, without the moft urgent neceffity.
It is governed by two native regents, who bear the title of Crain ; namely one whorules over Bontain, and one over Tompoboele, under whom there are feveral galarangs,or village-chiefs. All thefe, together with the ferjeant who commands at the Com-pany’s pagger, or palifadoed fort, are under the authority of the refident, wliofe juris-diction likewife extends over Boele Comba, which was alfo anciently a feparate king-dom, but was brought under the yoke of the Macaifers in later times.
It ftretches from the river Kalekongang, which divides it from Bontain, to Bera,or rather to the river Banpang, which runs between them ; to the north of it lie themountains of Kyndang, which feparate it from Boni, or rather from the highlandersof Touraayo ; to the fouth it is walhed by the fea.
This province is likewife one of the conquefts of the Company, and its inhabitants^re, therefore, their fubjects; and they have, together with thofe of Bontain, the fameduties to fulfil, and enjoy the fame privileges, as thofe who dwell in the Company’snorthern provinces.
Two head regents are in like manner appointed to rule over this diftri£t, namely,Crain Gantarang and Crain Oedjonglowe, who have feveral galarangs under them.
The land is fertile in rice, and abounds in game and extenfive forelts; but the tim-ber is not adapted to the conftruction of houfes.
In the weft monfoon, the road before Boele Comba is dangerous for fhips; fmallv eflels, however, can run into the river Kalekongang at high water. At or near themouth of this river Hands the Company’s palifadoed fort Carolina, in which the refi-dent, who is a junior merchant, has his abode.
To him is equally entrufted the fuperintendence over Bera, which province reachesfrom the river Bampang eaftward along the fea-coaft to the point of Laftem (calledLaffoa in our charts), and thence northward to the point of Cadjang; on the land-fide it borders upon Boele Comba, Tourang, and Kadjang, belonging to Boele-boele.
The whole of this country was ceded to the Company by the treaty of Boni. It isbarren and rocky, and yields to its inhabitants nothing but ocbee* in the room of riceor bread; if they want paddee, they mull have recourfe to Boele Comba, or Bima.It has fome woods, from which the inhabitants, and thofe of Boele Comba, obtain
r
or anchoring. The higheft land in fight is called Bontair, Hill; and when a (hip is in the offing, at the1 tance of two or three miles from the land, (he fhould bring this hill north, or north half weft, and thenr un ' n with it and anchor, in this bay there are fevetal fmall towns ; that which is called Bontain liesln the north-eaft part of it, and here is a fmall palifadoed fort, on which eight guns are mounted, that= a jT a ball of about eight pounds weight: it is juft fufficient to keep the country people in fuhjediion,n is intended for no other purpofe j it lies on the fouth fide of a fmall river, and there is water for a (hip toa ° me c I°fe to it. Wood and water are to be procured here in great plenty ; likewife plenty of frefli provifions,j^. a rea fonable rate : the beef is excellent, but it would be difficult to procure enough of it for a fquadron.t i 1Ce ma y be had in any quantity, fo may fowls and Fruit: there are alfo abundance of wild hogs inand F;n. 0 ^ S ’ ma y be purchafed at a low price, as the natives, being Mahomedans, never eat them ;
Th d cau Sbt with the feine. The latitude of Bontain Hill is five degrees thirty minutes fouth.
and^n CS ? re ve, T regular ; commonly it is but once high and once low water in four-and-twenty hours,
* v> eTS - ’ s ^ e ^ om fix feet difference between them. Tr.x antcum corvi.
H H 2
middling