ful, and mortally
hate all Christians. The bay of Bantam is safe and pleasant, having
many islands, which still retain the names given them by the English,
who had a fine factory here, from which they were expelled in 1683.
The territory of Bantam is very fertile, abounding in rice, pepper,
fruits, and cattle. In the interior of the country the natives
sometimes find precious stones of great value, of which however the
Dutch rarely get possession, as the people fear they might be
induced to extend their conquests, by which they are already greatly
oppressed. The head of the factory at this place has the title of
chief.

Another Dutch chief resides at _Padang_, on that part of the coast of
Sumatra which is called the _gold-coast_. This chief has a council
and fiscal like all the rest, and his post is considered as both
honourable and profitable. Sumatra is a very large fine island,
separated from the continent of Asia by the Straits of Malacca,
and from the island of Java by the Straits of Sunda, and is justly
esteemed one of the richest and noblest islands in all India. The
Dutch have a factory at Palambaugan, about eight leagues from the sea,
on the banks of a very large river, which empties itself into the
sea by four different channels. The great trade of this part of the
country is in pepper, which the Dutch company wish to monopolize, as
they have done cloves, nutmegs, mace, and cinnamon; and are at great
expence in keeping several armed barks cruising at the mouths of this
river, to prevent what they are pleased to call smuggling. It must
be allowed, however, that they have a contract with the king of this
country to take all the pepper in his dominions, at the rate of ten
dollars the bahar of 400 pounds weight, which is a fair price.[5] They
have, however, a clause in the contract, by which half the price is to
be paid in cloth, at such rates as greatly reduce the cost.

[Footnote 5: Exactly five farthings and two-fifths of a farthing the
pound.--E.]

The interior of the island is very mountainous, but most of the
mountains abound in mines of gold, silver, lead, and other metals. The
company possesses some mines of gold, said to be very rich, and great
care is taken to secure and conceal the profits. Gold-dust is found
in great quantities in all the rivers and rivulets of the country,
especially when the western monsoon reigns, when the torrents roll
down from the mountains with great rapidity. Abundance of c