ate, but even to these I found that habit rendered me almost
indifferent;

Kala-jingking, the scorpion (scorpio), the sting of which is highly
inflammatory and painful, but not dangerous;

Sipasan, centipede (scholopendra), not so venomous as the preceding;

Alipan (jules);

Alintah, water-leech (hirudo); achih, small land-leech, dropping from the
leaves of trees whilst moist with dew, and troublesome to travellers in
passing through the woods.

To this list I shall only add the suala, tripan, or sea-slug
(holothurion), which, being collected from the rocks and dried in the
sun, is exported to China, where it is an article of food.

CHAPTER 7.

VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS OF THE ISLAND CONSIDERED AS ARTICLES OF COMMERCE.
PEPPER.
CULTIVATION OF PEPPER.
CAMPHOR.
BENZOIN.
CASSIA, ETC.

(PLATE 1. THE PEPPER-PLANT, PIPER NIGRUM.
E.W. Marsden delt. Engraved by J. Swaine, Queen Street, Golden Square.
Published by W. Marsden, 1810.)

PEPPER.

OF those productions of Sumatra, which are regarded as articles of
commerce, the most important and most abundant is pepper. This is the
object of the East India Company's trade thither, and this alone it keeps
in its own hands; its servants, and merchants under its protection, being
free to deal in every other commodity.

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE TRADE.

Many of the princes or chiefs in different parts of the island having
invited the English to form settlements in their respective districts,
factories were accordingly established, and a permanency and regularity
thereby given to the trade, which was very uncertain whilst it depended
upon the success of occasional voyages to the coast; disappointments
ensuing not only from failure of adequate quantities of pepper to furnish
cargoes when required, but also from the caprices and chicanery of the
chiefs with whom the disposal of it lay, the motives of whose conduct
could not be understood by those who were unacquainted with the language
and manners of the people. These inconveniencies were obviated when the
agents of the Company were enabled, by their residence on the spot, to
obtain an influence in the country, to inspect the state of the
plantations, secure the collection of the produce, and make an estimate
of the tonnage necessary for its conveyance to Europe.

In order to bind the chiefs to the observance of their original promises
and professions, and to establish a plausible and legal claim, in
opposition to the attem