and on the north-east by the Straits of Malacca from the peninsula of
Malayo, to which, according to a tradition noticed by the Portuguese
historians, it is supposed to have been anciently united.

LONGITUDE.

The only point of the island whose longitude has been settled by actual
observation is Fort Marlborough, near Bencoolen, the principal English
settlement, standing in three degrees forty-six minutes of south
latitude. From eclipses of Jupiter's satellites observed in June 1769,
preparatory to an observation of the transit of the planet Venus over the
sun's disc, Mr. Robert Nairne calculated its longitude to be 101 degrees
42 minutes 45 seconds; which was afterwards corrected by the Astronomer
Royal to 102 degrees east of Greenwich. The situation of Achin Head is
pretty accurately fixed by computation at 95 degrees 34 minutes; and
longitudes of places in the Straits of Sunda are well ascertained by the
short runs from Batavia, which city has the advantage of an observatory.

MAP.

By the general use of chronometers in latter times the means have been
afforded of determining the positions of many prominent points both on
the eastern and western coasts, by which the map of the island has been
considerably improved: but particular surveys, such as those of the bays
and islets from Batang-kapas to Padang, made with great ability by
Captain (now Lieutenant-Colonel) John Macdonald; of the coast from
Priaman to the islands off Achin by Captain George Robertson; and of Siak
River by Mr. Francis Lynch, are much wanted; and the interior of the
country is still very imperfectly known. From sketches of the routes of
Mr. Charles Campbell and of Lieutenant Hastings Dare I have been enabled