Sumatra

Sumatra, an island of the Indian Ocean, upon the Equator, separated from the Malay Peninsula by the Straits of Malacca, and extending in a N.W. and S.E. direction. It is the next largest to Borneo of the Asiatic isles, and is 1,000 miles long by 240 broad, containing 140,000 square miles. The E. side is level, but the W. mountainous, there being two or three ridges almost parallel to the coast. The average height of these is in the S. from 2,000 to 3,000 feet, while in the N. they rise to 5,000 feet, receding from the shore still farther N., and declining into hills. The highest peak is Indrapura (12,000). There are some volcanoes in the island. Of the rivers, those on the W. are short mountain torrents, but those on the E. are long, and end in deltas. The chief of these are the Rawas, Jambi, and Indragiri. There are several lakes, the largest being Sankara, 12 miles by 4, and Dano, somewhat smaller. The temperature of the island is equable, but the S. is visited by heavy and almost continual rain. The geological formation of the island is trachyte, syenite, granite, porphyry, red sandstone, limestone, and some basalt; excellent coal is found, and iron, tin, copper are abundant. Vegetable life is varied and abundant. The forests are so dense that it is said an ape might traverse the island from N. to S. without touching ground. Among the trees are mangroves on the coast, palms, oaks - at a height of from 9OO to 6,000 feet above sealevel - the upas-tree, camphor-tree, Rafflesia, etc. A Dutch expedition in 1877 is said to have collected 100 varieties of useful timber. There are all kinds of gaudy flowers, all tropical fruits, especially the mangosteen and durian. Animal life is equally luxuriant: 120 species of mammals, 270 species of birds, and 40 different kinds of snake, including the python and boa, have been observed, and there are many varieties of beetles and butterflies. Among the larger animals are the rhinoceros, elephant, tiger, and ourang-outang. The domestic animals are chiefly the pig, cow, a small breed of horse, and the buffalo. The Dutch possess much of the island, and exercise a kind of protectorate generally. They make six divisions of their possessions - (1) West Coast (46,200 square miles), capital Padang; (2) Bencoolen (9,576), capital Bencoolen; (3) Lampong in the S. (9,975); (4) Palambang on the E. coast, capital Palambang (61,900); (5) East Coast farther N. (16,282); and Acheen, in the extreme N., only partially subdued. The population of the island is very mixed. There are Malays, Chinese, Arabs, Hindus, Orang Kubu, who are savages, and the Menangkabu, who are pure Malay. But the most curious native race are the Battah. They are short and sturdy, and closely resemble the Caucasian type. They have known writing from time immemorial, but they have the peculiarity of starting from the left and writing vertically upwards in successive lines. Their one vice appears to be cannibalism. The natives live in independent village communities, and have neither temple nor priest.