PALEMBANG, a district of Sumatra, on the northeastern coast, extending along the river Palembang, which rises within two days’ journey of Bencoolen, and runs nearly across the island. It is upwards of a mile in breadth opposite to the town of Palembang and the Dutch factory, and may be navigated by vessels which do not draw more than fourteen feet depth of water. In its lower parts, towards the sea-coast, the country is described as flat and marshy, and, with the exception of a few tracts, entirely unfit for cultivation. The produce of this country consists chiefly of pepper, rattans, gambir, silk, cotton, da-mor, ivory, cat’s-eyes, sulphur, salt, wax, rice, benzoin, indigo, tobacco, areca, buffaloes, and gold. The pepper trade is very profitable. The port is much frequented by trading vessels, chiefly from Java, Bally, Madura, and Celebes, which bring rice, salt, and cloth, the manufacture of these islands. With opium, the piece-goods of India, and European commodities, it is supplied by the Dutch from Batavia, and by interlopers. These in return receive pepper and tin, which were formerly monopolized by the Dutch East India Company to the amount of about two millions of pounds, one third of which was shipped at Batavia for Holland, and the remainder sent to China. The interior parts of the country are divided into provinces, each of which is assigned as a fief or government to the royal family, or to the nobles, who commit the management to deputies, and are little interested about the welfare of their subjects. The power of the monarch is unlimited; but not maintaining any permanent body of troops, his nobles often contemn his orders; and power in this case belongs to the stronger party. He has no revenue except what arises from his monopolies, and from the produce of the customs; but the amount of these, especially that arising from pepper and tin, is considerable. The population, with the present rulers, is,said to have come, a great portion of it, originally from Java; though, according to the opinion of the best authors, Palembang is the original country of the Malay race. The policy of the princes having always been to encourage foreign settlers, the city and lower parts of the river are in a great measure peopled with natives of China, Cochin-China, Camboja, Siam, Patani, on the coast of the peninsula; Java, Celebes, and other eastern islands. In addition to these, the Arabian priests are described by the Dutch as a very numerous and pernicious tribe, who impose upon and plunder the credulous inhabitants, and are nevertheless held by them in great reverence. The Mahommedan religion prevails throughout all the dominions of the sultan, with the exception of a district near the sea-coast, where the natives live in the woods like the brute creation. The natives are described by the Dutch as devoid of every good quality. But the Dutch are generally at enmity with the natives in their colonies, irritating them by their tyranny and oppression; and hence it is not unusual for others who treat them differently to find their characters exactly the reverse of the portrait drawn of them by the Dutch. They have, besides, little knowledge of their character, owing to the jealousy and alarm of the Palembang government at every attempt to penetrate into the interior.

In the year 1812 the kingdom of Palembang was conquered; and the sultan, who had made himself universally odious by his cruelties, having been dethroned by a handful of British troops under the orders of Colonel Gillespie, his brother was raised to the throne in his stead. The expedition which was sent against this tyrant, being detained in the river of Palembang in the ascent to the capital, and Colonel Gillespie learning that the sultan in his rage had come tothe resolution of putting to death all the wealthy Chinese and the other merchants, penetrated to the capital with a small party of about seventeen grenadiers, and, entering the oalace, fortified themselves until [7:16:738]the other troops arrived, and thereby prevented the intended massacre, and completed the overthrow of the sultan’s despotism.

Palembang, the capital of the above district, and a great emporium of inland commerce. It is situated in a marshy tract of flat ground, a few miles above the delta of the river, and about sixty miles from the sea. It is so intersected by the branches of the river, forminganumber of islands, that it has received the appellation of the City of Twenty Islands. It extends about eight miles along the banks of the river. The houses of the sultan and his son are square areas, surrounded with very high brick walls. Each of these palaces contains several detached buildings of the pavilion form, having portions of ground planted with fruit-trees and ornamental shrubs. In front of these palaces is an extensive battery facing the river. There is also a lower range of batteries; and between the two is seen the Maidan or Plain, at the extremity of which appears the hall where the sultan gives audiences to the public. The sultan, before the arrival of the British, had been engaged in the construction of a new harbour, for which he had found materials in the Dutch factory, which he had demolished. It joins the inner palace, but the buildings are still incomplete. A large reservoir of water, with pleasure-boats in it, occupies the middle of this area, which is surrounded by numerous detached buildings for the females of the court. The principal mosque is a pretty large building, nearly square; and adjoining it is a high octagonal tower, from which the muezzin calls the people to prayers. The houses of the common people are made of bamboos, with mats, and thatched. Some of the houses float on the river, to the banks of which they are attached. About two miles above Palembang the river divides into two large branches; that on the left leading to a country-seat of the sultan, consisting of several bungalows and gardens delightfully situated on a cluster of small islands. The inhabitants amount to between 20,000 and 30,000, and consist of Malays, Chinese, and Arabs. Long. 104.54. E. Lat. 2.58.51. S.

Palembang, the river on which the city of the same name is situated, rises within two or three days’ journey of Bencoolen, and falls into the ‘Straits of Banca. The river, with the exception of the bar at its mouth, on which there are two fathoms and a quarter, has a depth sufficient to carry a frigate as far up as the town. It is of considerable breadth, with low and woody banks.