rts, gives employment to from eight to
ten Kling vessels, of a hundred and fifty or two hundred tons burden,
which arrive annually from Porto Novo and Coringa about the month of
August, and sail again in February and March. These are not permitted to
touch at any places under the king's jurisdiction, on the eastern or
western coast, as it would be injurious to the profits of his trade, as
well as to his revenue from the customs and from the presents exacted on
the arrival of vessels, and for which his officers at those distant
places would not account with him. It must be understood that the king of
Achin, as is usual with the princes of this part of the world, is the
chief merchant of his capital, and endeavours to be, to the utmost of his
power, the monopolizer of its trade; but this he cannot at all times
effect, and the attempt has been the cause of frequent rebellions. There
is likewise a ship or two from Surat every year, the property of native
merchants there. The country is supplied with opium, taffetas, and
muslins from Bengal, and also with iron and many other articles of
merchandise, by the European traders.

PRODUCTIONS OF THE SOIL.

The soil being light and fertile produces abundance of rice, esculent
vegetables, much cotton, and the finest tropical fruits. Both the mango
and mangustin are said to be of excellent quality. Cattle and other
articles of provision are in plenty, and reasonable in price. The plough
is there drawn by oxen, and the general style of cultivation shows a
skill in agriculture superior to what is seen in other parts of the
island.

MANUFACTURES.

Those few arts and manufactures which are known in other parts of the
island prevail likewise here, and some of them are carried to more
perfection. A considerable fabric of a thick species of cotton cloth, and
of striped or chequered stuff for the short drawers worn both by Malays
and Achinese, is established here, and supplies an extensive foreign
demand, particularly in the Rau country, where they form part of the
dress of the women as well as men. They weave also very handsome and rich
silk pieces, of a particular form, for that part of the body-dress which
the Malays call kain-sarong; but this manufacture had much decreased at
the period when my inquiries were made, owing, as the people said, to an
unavoidable failure in the breed of silkworms, but more probably to the
decay of industry amongst themselves, proceeding from their contin