been anciently united.

LONGITUDE.

The only point of the island whose longitude has been settled by actual
observation is Fort Marlborough, near Bencoolen, the principal English
settlement, standing in three degrees forty-six minutes of south
latitude. From eclipses of Jupiter's satellites observed in June 1769,
preparatory to an observation of the transit of the planet Venus over the
sun's disc, Mr. Robert Nairne calculated its longitude to be 101 degrees
42 minutes 45 seconds; which was afterwards corrected by the Astronomer
Royal to 102 degrees east of Greenwich. The situation of Achin Head is
pretty accurately fixed by computation at 95 degrees 34 minutes; and
longitudes of places in the Straits of Sunda are well ascertained by the
short runs from Batavia, which city has the advantage of an observatory.

MAP.

By the general use of chronometers in latter times the means have been
afforded of determining the positions of many prominent points both on
the eastern and western coasts, by which the map of the island has been
considerably improved: but particular surveys, such as those of the bays
and islets from Batang-kapas to Padang, made with great ability by
Captain (now Lieutenant-Colonel) John Macdonald; of the coast from
Priaman to the islands off Achin by Captain George Robertson; and of Siak
River by Mr. Francis Lynch, are much wanted; and the interior of the
country is still very imperfectly known. From sketches of the routes of
Mr. Charles Campbell and of Lieutenant Hastings Dare I have been enabled
to delineate the principal features of the Sarampei, Sungei Tenang and
Korinchi countries, inland of Ipu, Moco-moco, and Indrapura; and
advantage has been taken of all other information that could be procured.
For the general materials from which the map is constructed I am chiefly
indebted to the kindness of my friend, the late Mr. Alexander Dalrymple,
whose indefatigable labours during a long life have contributed more than
those of any other person to the improvement of Indian Hydrography. It
may be proper to observe that the map of Sumatra to be found in the fifth
volume of Valentyn's great work is so extremely incorrect, even in regard
to those parts immediately subject to the Dutch government, as to be
quite useless.

UNKNOWN TO THE ANCIENTS. TAPROBANE.

Notwithstanding the obvious situation of this island in the direct track
from the ports of India to the Spice Islands and to China, it seems to
have