ally averse
from submitting either to the Sumatran sovereigns or Europeans,
and have always defended themselves valiantly against both. All the
natives of Sumatra are much more inclined to the English than the
Dutch, perhaps because they are not under subjection to the former.
But the latter use every precaution they can to prevent the natives
from dealing with any except themselves. For a considerable time past,
the chiefs at Padang have been so unlucky as to have their honesty
much suspected, chiefly owing to their management of the mines, which
do not turn out greatly to the profit of the company, while all their
officers gain immense sums out of them, which the councils at Batavia
are much dissatisfied with, yet cannot prevent. For this reason they
change the chief very frequently, yet to little purpose.

SECTION XIII.

_Some Account of the Residences of Cheribon, Siam, and Mockha._

The chiefs of those factories belonging to the Dutch in India are
termed _Residents_, and correspond directly with the governor-general
at Batavia, and are not dependent on any subordinate governor or
director. The first of these independent residents is fixed at
_Cheribon_, on the coast of Java, at the distance of about forty
leagues from Batavia, where a very advantageous commerce is carried on
by the company in coffee, cardamoms, indigo, and cotton. The land at
this place is as fertile in rice and other provisions as perhaps any
country in the world. This district is of considerable extent, and was
formerly under the dominion of four great lords, who used to be
styled _pangerans_, but have now the titles of sultans, though their
authority is not much extended by these more splendid titles. One of
these is called the company's sultan, because always attached to the
interests of the company, though in truth they might all get the same
appellation, as they are all under the protection of the company, and
freed from apprehensions of the king of Bantam, who used formerly
to be continually at war with them, and must have reduced them under
subjection, but for the assistance of the Dutch. Since then, both from
gratitude for past favours, and in expectation of future protection,
they have granted great privileges to the company in their dominions.
The company maintains a fort at Cheribon, with a garrison of sixty
men, and has an excellent factory.

About half a league from the fort of Cheribon, the tombs of the
princes of Cheribon s