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island of Sumatra is still but little known and will be so until it is either conquered or converted by Christian people. Which would be an easy matter if it were not for the unhealthiness of the climate. The isle is divided into Numerous petty kingdoms and Clans each at war with the other they take scalps sometimes after the Manner of our indians. The dutch have settled the south part of the island and have several large factories. they are nearly always at war with the natives. There is one man who is called king of the isle living at Acheen but his power does not extend further than gun shot from his fort. when the Malays kill any animal for food they never use fire arms if they can help it but turn its head towards Mecca and kill it. Most of them are Mohometans but there are Many who have no religion at all and others who are what the Christians call Idolaters tho not more so than the Christians for they all use emblems and the Christians being more refined makes a pretty one whilst the poor Malay paints or carves a hideous one. tho with the same intention one is said to worship god the other idols. and this is said by Christians who [?most?] the Malays call us idolators. Some distinguished divine wrote a Christian hymn saying the indian in his blindness bows down to wood and stone, where as they pray to god as much as Christians. And if a Hindu should come into a Catholic church would they not suppose we were Idolaters or in other churches would they not think we pray to nothing at all. The Malays use the poisoned knife on almost every occasion. The poison is the juice of a green pine apple. a slight wound from one of these knives is nearly always fatal in 3 or 4 hours. Every town on the sea coast builds one or more Pirate piroas. Some of them carry 10 or 15 guns and 50 or 60 men these fellows board unarmed vessels and put all to death neither giving or receiving quarter. some times they attack armed Merchant Men and are not infrequently successful. Pepper is the principal export of the island tho other articles of greater value exist. Nut Megs pine apples. Cinnamon. Gum Benjamin, cloves &c grow wild. rice is also raised in large quantities. Rice is to the east the same as wheat to the west to attempt to enter into an account of all the products of the isle or even a small part of them would be useless. [marginal note: 12th] We finally sailed on the 12th Jany from Sumatra. Sighted the Nicobar islands they lie in the Bay of Bengal, and are inhabited by Savages. A British transport ship got wrecked at this place and a number of her Men killed. They are of the Malay and Hindu races. but Most lamentably savage. The isle to the South' is called great Nicobar and has some very high mountains on it it is a very fertile isle and but very little known, beating up thro the channel between Nicobar passed immense quantities of sea weed. 14th Since leaving Zanzibar or rather Bembatooka I have not been well. At Zanzibar I first experience the disentary. and it has been hanging on me ever since at different times I have thought I was well but on going into the sun or taking the least exercise it would return, and at the period of which I am now writing I was so reduced as not to be able to walk. And really began to think