ÖÖI 8x 3 ^c- 0 - Acehbooks.org

.zoo S U M A T R A .
relinquifh his crown, and fly for protection to the fultan of Jambee*
Thither a number of armed praws were fent, with a requifition to the
fultan to deliver up the fugitive. That monarch, on the contrary, declared
his intention of fupporting the younger brother's claim, and captured
the vcflHs. The king of Pakmbang, apprehenfive that this hoftile
proceeding would be followed by an attack on his country, was, about
the year 1777, employed in collecting a large quantity of ftones, in
Order to block up two of the mouths of the river; obliging each of
the chiefs to contribute according to the number of their dependants;
and fortified the third. This relation I have on the authority of an intelligent
Malay.
Jambee was formerly a place of confiderable note, and both the Englifh
and Dutch Companies had eftablimments there. The town is fituated
about fixty miles from the fea, on a large river.* The trade confifts
in gold duft, pepper and canes, but it is now efteemed of little importance,
the gold being moftly drawn to the weftern coaft, acrofs the
country. There are many other petty Malay ftates, at every large
river on that fide of the ifland, but the extent of their refpective powers
are little known, their ports being feldom frequented except by the Cling
.(Telinga) or Moor velTels. Sometimes, but rarely, a private trading (hip
-from Bengal, endeavors to difpofe, at thefe places, of a few chefts of
opium, but the captains fcarcely ever venture on ihore, and deal with
fuch of the Malays as come off, at the fwords point; fo ftrong is the idea
of their treacherous character. They are generally at war with the inland
people, who confine them to the fea coaft, and in fome parts to the mere
rivers. The principal of thefe are Inde-geree, Siak and Battoo Bara.
The river Racan, fituated between the two latter, and which is confiderably
the largeft in the ifland, is defcribed to be fo rapid, and attended with
fo great a fwell, where it encounters the tide at the mouth, as to be
unfit for navigation. The country of Aru or Rou, often mentioned
by the Portuguefe hiltorians, borders on its banks.f Campar, another
kingdom once famous, is fallen into obfeurity.
* A Portuguefe fquadron, in 1629, was twenty two days employed in getting up this river, in
order todeftroy fome Dutch (hips that were flickered near the town. Fana y Soufa, vol. III.
f I fufpeft that the modern name of this river, Racan, or Arracan, as it is fpelt in fome
charts, is an European corruption of the word Aru. Mendez Pinto fays, that the town of Aru
flood