Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XV.djvu/485

 SUMATEA 465 are Banca and Eupat, the latter in lat. 2 N., extending about 25 m. each way, and separated from Sumatra by a narrow strait, only naviga- ble by small vessels. The large rivers of Suma- tra flow down the eastern watershed, and al- though there are many rivers on the W, coast, they all have short courses and are very rapid. The principal eastern watercourses are the Eakan, flowing northward from the equator ; the Siak, 200 m. long, in the native state of Siak ; the Kamper, still further S. ; the Indra- giri, having a general eastward course not far from the 1st parallel of S. latitude, and said to be 300 m. long ; the Jambi, in the country of that name ; and the Musi or Palembang, fall- ing into the strait of Banca, the largest river in Sumatra and navigable 200 m. inland. In the lower part of their courses these rivers are very sluggish, and they all have exten- sive deltas. Among the mountains in the west are several lakes, of which the best known is Sinkara, nearly 1 S. of the equator, at a height of 1,700 ft. above the sea. It is 10 m. long, 3 m. broad, and 1,182 ft. deep. The Manindyu lake, in the same region, occu- pies the elliptic crater of an extinct volcano, and is 6 m. long by 4 m. in width, with a depth of 2,060 ft. The climate of Sumatra is warm and moist, the thermometer ranging through- out the year between 76 and 93. There are about 200 days of rain in the year on the Padang plateau, 2,400 ft. above the ocean. During the N". "W". monsoon, which blows from November to January, the weather is exces- sively rainy; but from June to September, when the S. E. monsoon prevails, the rainfall is limited to showers. Except in the marshy districts, the coasts are moderately healthful. Sumatra is overspread with vast forests, rich in the most valuable products of the tropics. Much of the E. coast is covered with mangrove bushes. Further inland are found palms, and trees of gigantic growth, many of them being more than 100 ft. high. On the W. shore, besides the myrtle and several varieties of fig, all the fruit trees common to the archipelago abound, and most of the mountains are covered to their summits with jungle. In the forests are many valuable timber trees, immense tree ferns, bamboos, rattans, the camphor tree, caoutchouc, and benzoin. The parasitic Eaf- flesia bears a flower with a calyx a yard in diameter. The soil of Sumatra is remarkable for its fertility, and yields large and valuable crops of rice, coffee, pepper, and tobacco, and some cotton. The cocoanut tree, the betelnut, and the sago palm also afford important pro- ducts. There is a considerable export of coffee to the United States from Padang, where it is grown on the plateau. In Acheen pepper is the chief crop. The Sumatran fauna corre- sponds closely with that of Java and Borneo, the other great islands of the Indo-Malay group. Of the quadrumana it comprises 11 species, among them the siamang ape, and the orang- outang, whose sole other habitat is Borneo ; it is believed to be confined to the N. W. portion of Sumatra. The tiger, the two-horned rhi- noceros, and the elephant (E. Sumatranus) are all found on the island. Many elephants were tamed in former times, but no attempt is now made to domesticate them. Other mammals are the musk deer and great Malay deer, the tapir, the flying lemur, the Malayan sun bear, squirrels, and bats. There are many beauti- ful pheasants, parrots, partridges, woodpeck- ers, herons, and the large hornbill. Croco- diles and pythons are the most formidable reptiles. The forms of insect life are nu- merous and varied, including 21 papilionidce, among which is the leaf butterfly. In many parts of the island travelling is rendered un- comfortable by swarms of leeches and mos- quitoes. Buffaloes, horses, goats, and Chinese pigs are the common domestic animals. The inhabitants of Sumatra are of the Malay race, of which the island is supposed to have been the cradle. They are divided into several tribes, who speak languages that are considered as dialects of one common tongue. There are tribes in the interior whose origin is involved in obscurity. The people of the K part of Sumatra, about Acheen, are taller, stouter, and of darker complexion than the other tribes, and are supposed to have a considerable infu- sion of Hindoo blood. The Bataks or Battas, who occupy the country immediately S. of these people, are smaller and of lighter complexion, and in some respects a very singular race. (See BATAK.) Mohammedanism is the prevail- ing religion, but it is in a relaxed state, and the people of the interior cannot be said to be- long to any particular faith. Polygamy is not common except among the chiefs. The Malays round the coast appear to be collected from different parts of the archipelago, and it is esti- mated that more than 6,000 Chinese have set- tled in the Dutch possessions. Among the natives the ordinary dress is a turban and loose trowsers reaching to the knee ; the upper part of the body is commonly uncovered in both sexes, but a scarf is sometimes worn about the shoulders. The houses are raised on posts or pillars from 4 to 8 ft. from the ground, and in some parts of the country they are erected in trees. Those of the poorer classes are made of bamboo and thatched with grass, but the houses of the more wealthy are generally framed of wood and the sides enclosed by large sheets of bark. Agriculture is in a very rude state. The only important manufactures are of utensils and cloth for domestic purposes. Iron for na- tive use is now wholly imported. The trade of Sumatra is principally carried on with Java, Madura, Singapore, Malacca, Penang, and Brit- ish India. The chief exports are pepper, gold dust, camphor, nutmegs, cloves, mace, benzoin, gutta percha, copper, tin, sulphur, and coral. For administrative purposes the Dutch colo- nial possessions are divided into districts, each under a controller, who visits the various vil- lages from time to time. The native inhabi-