SUMATRA

[s. 727] : One of the largest and richest islands of the Dutch East Indian Archipelago. It extends 1,047 miles from northwest to southeast, lying between latitude 5° 40’ north and Its area is estimated at latitude 5° 59’ south. 160,000 square miles, and the population (1900) The island belongs to the at about 3,000,000. Dutch Government, tho some of the interior districts have not been brought under complete sub Throughout the whole length of the jection. island extends a range of lofty mountains, which nearer the western coast than the eastern; hence on the eastern slope there are several large rivers, but the watercourses on the western slope Sugar-cane, coffee, are comparatively short. rice, and spices are the principal products, tho much fine timber and many tropical fruits are found in abundance. The greater part of the lies population are Mohammedan in rehgion and STiniatra Sniiport of Mi ions belong to the Malay race, but it is probable that they have absorbed many aboriginal tribes, a few remnants of which are found in the interior, such as the Kubus, who seem to have a mixture of Negrito blood, and the Battaks. These latter are pagans and differ in many points from the Malay They are somewhat undersized, with type. broad shoulders and rather muscular limbs. Their eyes are large and black, with heavy brown eyebrows. These people inhabit a region running northward from Padang on the W. coast of the island to Toba Lake, and beyond, as far as Deli on the E. coast of the island. Their language contains words of Sanskrit origin, and has evidently been affected by Javanese, Malay, Maca ar, Sundanese, and Tagal influence. Another peculiar tribe are the Red jan gers, who use distinctive characters, which they cut on bamboo with their short kreeses or daggers. The po e ions of the Dutch Government in the island of Sumatra are divided into the Residencies of the West Coast, the East Coast, Benkulen (the extreme southwestern coast), Lampongs (southeastern coast), Palembang (southeastern and central), and Atjeh, the northern extremity. The principal towns are: Padang, on the west coast, about latitude 1° south, the residence of the governor, with a population of 14,000, including a Chinese settlement and a European quarter; Benkulen, the capital of the Residency of that name, with 11,000 inhabitants; Palembang, in the Residency of Palembang, has 52,000 inhabitants, with barracks, hospitals, one of the finest mosques in the Dutch Indies, and a tomb, said Included in to be that of Alexander the Great. the Dutch po e ions of Sumatra are various islands which are contiguous to it. On the west coast, under the Residency of that name, are the Banyak Islands, Nias, Butu Islands, Na au Islands, and Engano. On the east are Bengkalis, Rhio-Lingga Archipelago, and Banka. The latter is separated from Palembang by Banka Strait, and has an area of about 5,000 square miles and a population of 106,305. Mi ionary operations in the interior of Sumatra have been chiefly among the Battak tribes. The Battak tribes hold to a belief in demons, their religious rites showing traces of ancestor worship, and being accompanied by cannibalism. The BMS sent Me rs. Burton and Ward to Sumatra about 1820, but the mi ion was shortly afterward given up. The ABCFM attempted a mi ion among these people in 1834. The enterprise came to an end, however, with the murder of its two mi ionaries, Munson and Lyman. private enterprise in Ermelo, Holland, sent out mi ionaries in 1856, and the Netherlands Bible Society, in 1859, published a translation of the A Gospel of John in one of the Battak dialects. Two years later (1861) the Rhenish Mi ionary Society took up this enterprise, and has had a marvelous succe . It now has 32 stations in the Battak country (1903), 101 mi ionaries, men and women; 1,153 native workers, men and women; 207 outstations, 242 schools, and 51,585 profe ed Christians. The larger part of the converts are from the heathen Battaks, and the Sir in dung district is entirely Christian i zed. But the mi ionaries are pre ing forward among the Mohammedan Battaks, and some 6,000 of the number of converts given above have been won from the Mohammedans. Besides the Rhenish Societv, the Netherlands Mi ionary Society, the Java Committee (Holland), and the Netherlands 710 Men no nites have opened stations on the east coast and in the interior. 728