side of it is half woodland, with savanahs, and the other half cleared, with a streak of wood running down, in a serpentine line, from top to bottom. This is, now, almost the only place on the island where there are elephants. The destruction they make in the plantations having induced the natives to kill all they can meet with; and for this purpose they have instituted a grand hunting match, when their harvest is over. Dahon is a pretty high round hill, almost in the centre of the western peninsula; on the top of it is a large plain, where a town is built, and the mountain being steep, there are steps cut for the facility of ascending it. This situation very naturally influences the inhabitants to theft, as they have a secure retreat in their mountain; for the cattle they plunder from their more open, not more honest, neighbours. Between Dahon and Temontaugis, though nearer the fort, are several hills, very remarkable in the prospect they form, as expressed in the view from the bay; one of the two flat ones named Datto, was the retreat of the chief Sooloos during the Spanish invasion, when they established some forts on the island. The view also represents the other hills to Seenomaan better, than many words could describe them. Dakola is a small woody hill, detached from all others, and situated hear the bottom of Booal Bay. Urool, Taudoo, and the chain between them to the southward, are chiefly remarkable for the beauty and diversity of prospect. The country situated between the various hills, is not a dead flat, but waved plains cultivated in many places, verdant in all, well watered with streams, which disembogue themselves on every side, and well adapted for the produce of sugar canes, grain, &c. The soil is in general a stiff loomy black, or red, mould, though from the fort to Temontaugis, it is very shallow, and scarcely strewed over the iron stones, though even this part yields good pasture, and woods of teak, though generally stinted in their growth by burning the land, which is done here to entice the deer, by the young herbage that shoots up from the ashes. There are, besides many reeds, which would form excellent thatch for houses. The husbandry of Sooloo is very far from being adequate to the natural advantages; for want of a little assistance to nature, it often happens that their crops fail them in a dry season; whereas, were they to use the least degree of industry, to collect and preserve their water, they would never be in danger of famine, but in wet seasons would have crops, superior to now, and as good in dry ones, whereas now it sometimes happens a field is not worth reaping. The aptness of the soil to run into grass, is also another inconvenience they have to struggle with, for if they cultivate the same ground two or three years following, the grass choaks the paddy. This prevents them from grubbing up the roots of the trees, and the land having been burnt, the branches are left bare without leaves, which has the appearance of barrenness at a distance. There are many towns on the sea shore, though inland, they are chiefly in straggling huts. To the eastward of Sooloo, on the north coast, Patekool Heegassen and * Patekool is the name of a hill; the name of the town is Kow-nyan. Tagloebee: Tagleebeeon; Booal bay, Boonboon, Soo-ok, and some other towns, Booal Sapung, KarangKarang; on the S. E. Taudoo; on Saang bay, Patebooan; Maymboom on the south; Parang, &c. on the west; and on the N. W. Senogaan Kanjea, Bato-bato, and Matuda. 1st. Nosa Sale is a small low woody island, close to the point of Paraug bay. . 2. Toolean, a small though pretty, high rocky island, in shape like a slipper. There are here many painted snakes which crawl into their vessels that lie a night at this island. 3. Bankoongou is pretty high and covered with wood, but appears very rocky and barren. It has a fishing hut or two on the south side. 4. Panganak is merely a rock covered with shrubs. 5. Koohungan has no inhabitants, it appears like two islands, there being a low isthmus in the middle. It is very woody. 6. Toolgan is a high land, the hills form an amphitheatre with a large valley in the middle, to which two or three breaks between the hills form a passage, particularly on the south part, where there is a large plain, between the Peak-hill and the Grun-ridge, covered with woods. The island is not at present inhabited; but formerly it was, and had then many cattle, cocoanut and other fruit trees, which were destroyed by the Spaniards in their last expedition against Sooloo. The woods are not, in general, large towards the shore, they are of various kinds, and many of them good timber. The Alexandrian laurel is common enough, and by much the largest I have seen: one of them, growing on the shore, being above two fathoms in cir cumference. There are several Poot trees on the island; the leaves are dark green, pretty large and high ribbed: the Daumer is in general as white as milk, and has the consistency, and somewhat of the smell of turpentine; it seems to ooze entirely from the bark. The shore is, in some places, so steep, that a large ship may careen by it; but the island is but ill supplied with water. The bay is very commodious, and secure for a few ships. 7. Boolekootin, which forms with part of Sooloo, a harbour for small vessels, is a low woody island without water. 8. Kapool is inhabited, and produces considerable quantities of of Paddy; it is pretty high land, with woods of very large fine timber, and has plenty of deer. 9. Beeteenan is not so high as Kapool, but little different from it otherwise. .10. Saaug are several small rocky keys, which form a cove with the south coast of Sooloo, but whether there be depth within, or any passage through them, is uncertain. 11. Dong Dong is a long, low, woody island; at the S. E. end are several rocks above water. 12. Tamboolean is a small low woody island, which seems to have a riff all round it, 13. Pata is a pretty large inhabited island, off Saang-Bay. The western part is high land, the east low. It has a good stock of cattle, and it is said, one very old elephant. There are three pits of very white salt-petre earth, which yields of petre. 14. Dammookan is another small low woody island, close to the N. end of Pata. 15. Loomboocan, similar to the former, and close to it. 16. Pa 16. Patean is tolerably high; abounds with water, and is reported to have a cove, with depth of water for any ship, on the E. side which fronts the coast of Sooloo, and is, therefore, land-locked. 17. Tecoomabal is a low woody island. The Tapool isles comprehend N. and S. Kabing-aan, Talook, Tapool, Boolepong-pong, Sooladdé, Tara, Secassee, Nanka Lamenoosa, Parang-parangan, Leebeching, Karang Chena, Manoobol, Lapak, Pandamme, and Seerloom. 18. The Kabing-aans are two 19. low woody islands, with a chain of rocks, like hay-cocks, running from one to the other. 20. Talook is close to them, and is similar, all three are remarkable for plenty of fish. 21. Tapool is an high island, abounding with fresh water, and yams, being cultivated to the very top. The natives derived from the island of Sooloo, retain some peculiar laws and customs, though not very worthy to be imitated. 22. Booleepong-pong is a high island also, but appears more woody than Tapool. 23. Sooladdee is a low woody island, without fresh water. 24. Tara is nothing more than a high rock, with a few shrubs. 25. Seeassee is an high island clothed with woods, but cleared in many places. It is inhabited, and well supplied with fresh water, it yields many small Couries, and small Baat, named Seeasse. 26. Nanka is a small hummock, but pretty high and woody. 27. Lamenoosa has a beach of very bright white sand, but within seems entirely covered with wood, it is not high, though above the level of the islands to the southward, 28. Parang-paranga, Seebeek29.ing, and Karang Chena, are 30. all low and woody, with a sandy beach. It is very difficult, in passing them, to determine their limits or number, as great part appears a low sandy ridge, with tufts of trees here and there, which look like so many islands. Paran-parangau is very low, with some spots of bright white sand, which look like breakers, between it and Lamenoosa; there is a dry sand-bank named Noonoán. These islands form an harbour with Seeassee, but it is reported to be shallow. 31. Manoobol is a small low woody island. 32. Pandamme is described to be a small sand, with a few bushes close to Lapak. 34. And Seerloom, a small island adjacent to it. The Paugbotarau isles are Paugootarau Oobeeau, Teekool, Oosaddu, Kooneelaan, Bas-bas, Malepootbas, Paudookau, Koolapiau, Boobooau, Toobigan, Patakoonan, Teomabal, Taweetawee, Lahatlahat, Kaangau, Palleeangan, Tongtong, Maroongas, Soohoken-Bolod, Hegad, and Meenis. 35. Paugootaran, formerly settled by the Spaniards, who left a breed of large hogs, is about 10m: long, and at the south end where broadest, near half that in breadth; it is destitute not only of harbours, but even of shelter for ships, it being steep to a very small distance on every side. It is very well inhabited, by slaves and vassels of the sultan Oranky Malliek, &c. The chief town named Maglocob, is situated on the east side, a little from the shore, though there are some houses near the beach. There are several white coral and sand banks off this part of the island, with small channels through them, which, at high water, adinit large boats into the shallow lagunes formed by these banks and the shore, which are secure from all weather. The island is an entire bed of coral rock, with scarce any appearance of soil upon it, and every where so shallow, that the people who die here are removed to some of the other islands to be interred; however, although there be so little soil, there are plenty of fine timber trees, which are in general very lofty, and have many doves and other birds on them. The island abounds with cocoanut trees, which are very tall and fruitful; this is an infinite benefit to the inhabitants, as the island is destitute of good fresh water. In the dry season it is very salt, and is not to be drank by any but themselves, though they, it is pretended, like it better than other water: but in the rainy season it is only brackish. Notwithstanding this deficiency of water and want of soil, this island has plenty of cattle, which, though small, are very fat. They have also many fine goats, and plenty of fowls. The chief part of Maglocob's house was built, according to the eastern style, on posts; but for this purpose, instead of sinking them in the ground, which the nature of the country rendered difficult, and unstable, he had made choice of a spot where four trees grew at the distance required, and having lopped off their heads, upon them his palace was built, and perhaps something of this kind may have given rise to the reports of people living in trees. A little to the southward of Maglocob is Bayt-bayt, consisting only of two or three houses. The most remarkable thing here, is a cocoa-nut growing within a VOL. 6. large tree, the trunk being entirely concealed till the branches of the tree spread. 36. Oobeeau is the largest of the islands on the south side of the strait which divides them from Pangootaran. It is reported to be divided by several creeks, and about the middle has one tree distinguishably higher than the rest. 37. Teekool is the highest of these islands, but is without any hill, it is small and almost round, the east end is lowest. 38. Oosadda is also low and woody, the trees are highest in the middle, both ends being low, and looking, at a distance, like other islands behind it; the east side, particularly, is very smooth and low. 39. Koonelaan, and 40. Eas-bas, are both low woody isles. 41. Maleepotbas, is also low and woody, it has shoals all round, which extended above two miles to the N. W. 42. Pandookan, which is low and woody, is inhabited, and is reported to have a salt-water lake, in the interior part; off the south point are two spits of shoal water, and between them a bank with tolerable anchorage, within a quarter of a mile from the shore; the NE is shoal a good way, half a mile, there being only two fathoms, and for a little distance from the NW point of Pandookan, it is dry. 43. Koolassean is a low woody island, destitute of water and inhabitants. 44. Toobigau is a small woody island, with a little rising on the middle, it has fresh water, and it only, of all the islands from Sooloo to Pangotaran. 45. Teomabal is low and woody. 46. Patakoonan, is also low and * D woody woody near the west end; on the north side there is a large, and, to appearance, deep lagune; there are several sand-banks off the north coast, which are high out of the water, particularly near the east end of the island, and form several secure coves for boats; on the banks are so many sea fowl, that 14 were killed at one shot. 47. Booboaan, has a rouud hummuk on the north point, and in the interior part, a salt-water lake; it is very woody. There are some people on it. 48. Taweetawee is a small, low, woody island, 49. Lahat-lahat similar to it, is adjacent to the east part of Palleeangan, as, 50. Kaangan, still smaller, is to the north. 51. Pallecangan is a low woody island, the part fronting the SW is a long straight sandy beach; in the middle of the island is a salt-water lake. Off the western part is a little island, named 52. Tong-tong, separated from Palleeangan by a narrow channel, passable for boats at high water. 53. Maroongas is pretty high and rocky, except the eastern part, which is low and woody; there are some fruit plantations on it. 54. Sohokon-Bolod is remarkable for two hills on the south coast; the western and northern part of the island is chiefly low and flooded, which affords a conveniency for making much salt. 55. Hegad is a low woody island, as is 56. Meenis, which is steep very close to the shore, and then surrounded with shoal water. It is very difficult to land, being almost every where surrounded with beds of coral, dry at low water. Almost all these islands have great plenty of turtle. The following islands ought properly to come under the class of the Sooloo isles, but as their description is entirely from Bahatol's report, it appeared more eligible to speak of them apart.* is To the SW of Bas-bas 4 or 5m: a round island named Toobalooback; on the S side it is without trees. Between these two islands is the Sunken Island Apo-Lamboo; within the memory of man, it was above water, but is now, where shoalest, 4 fathom under the surface. It had a lake three fathoms deep in the middle, without any entrance through the bank of sand which surrounded it, and was covered with trees, which are all dead, being still visible under water. 58. Toogbabas is 5 or 6m: to the W of Toolbaloobook, and is similar to it, having no trees on the S side. To the westward are a cluster of islands about 10m: distant. 59. Keenekeehan, about the size of Toogbabas, covered with trees. 60. Dockan, a long low island, as is 61. Laparun, adjacent to it. 62. Karaoogan, round, and somewhat less than Keeneekahan, and to the E of them. 63. A rock like Feelean, without soundings, at half a mile distance, named Deolobato. To the southward of Toogbabas is another cluster of low islands, lying in a circle upon a bank, where they collect baat or sea slug, &c. they are named These islands I have since seen, but I think it most expedient to omit for the present the observations then made; though I must take notice, that the description here given appears to be inaccurate. |