pported by small
strips of bark to the stern, in which sat a naked Malay.

The Admiral proved a true prophet, for the deceitful sea-breeze
presently lulled, and it cost us a very hard row to accomplish our
purpose against the stream. The town of Pontiana stands on a low point
of land formed by the confluence of two mighty rivers. This particular
spot is always held sacred in India, and is known under the Hindoo
name of Sungum. I suspect, however, that the Malays and other
Mahometans, who inhabit the coasts of most of the Indian Islands,
acknowledge no superstitious predilections for one spot more than
another, and consider such things as mere prejudices unworthy of the
followers of Mahomet, their great military prophet. Probably the
Sungum point has some local advantages belonging to it, as I observe
it is generally appropriated by the strongest party in every country.
At all events, it has the advantage of communicating directly with
both the rivers, by whose junction the Sungum, or solid angle, is
formed. In the instance of Pontiana, the Mussulmans had taken
possession of it, though it was formerly a Dutch settlement, while the
Chinese were left to occupy the corners opposite to the Sungum, on the
right and left banks, respectively, of the river formed by the
junction of the two streams. Thus three considerable cities had been
built facing one another, and each displaying on the river a multitude
of boats and barges, canoes and proas, in crowds which would not have
disgraced the show at London Bridge, and, of course, indicating
considerable wealth and activity.

We came upon this grand view quite abruptly, and having no
expectation of encountering anything so magnificent, were taken rather
by surprise. Two enormous Chinese junks occupied the centre of the
stream, each of them rising out of the water nearly as high as the
poop of a line-of-battle ship. Along the shore, on both sides, lay a
fleet of eight or ten sail of junks, some of them very large, and all
bearing enormous white flags, in the centre of which sprawled huge
dragons and other monsters familiar to the eyes of all fanciers of old
China jars.

In the mean time, as there existed no dispute about the navigation of
the River Lava, we rowed up very peaceably towards the great city of
Pontiana. On our meeting a canoe with a Malay in it, the Admiral, who
had been studying Marsden's dictionary all the way, stood up in the
barge, made the men lie on their oars