. The earth and its inhabitants ... Geography. 110 AUSTRALASIA. the foot of Mount Merapi in tlie Again district. In case of foreign invasion this place would at once become the strategic and administrative centre of the whole island. In the vicinity is the Karbawen-gat Gorge, whose rocky walls have been excavated to a depth of 500 feet in the thickness of the plateau. Padang-Panjang, another large place, where most of the Dutch officials reside, occupies the edge of the plateau at the west foot of Merapi. On another slope are seen the ruins of Priangan, formerly capital of the Menangkabao empi
. The earth and its inhabitants ... Geography. 110 AUSTRALASIA. the foot of Mount Merapi in tlie Again district. In case of foreign invasion this place would at once become the strategic and administrative centre of the whole island. In the vicinity is the Karbawen-gat Gorge, whose rocky walls have been excavated to a depth of 500 feet in the thickness of the plateau. Padang-Panjang, another large place, where most of the Dutch officials reside, occupies the edge of the plateau at the west foot of Merapi. On another slope are seen the ruins of Priangan, formerly capital of the Menangkabao empire, Pf'Jn- Komho, capital of the "Fifty Kotas," lies much farther to the east on the opposite side of Mount Sago. This district is the Sumatran " earthly Eden," where the cultivated plants of the temperate zone flourish side by side with those of the tropics. Here were also situated the gold mines, which at one time made Sumatra famous throughout the East, but which are now abandoned. The deposits of magnetic iron, however, are still utilised, which occur in the neighbourhood of 41. -Highlands East of Padang. Scale 1 : 750, Solok;-- f IOO°20' Depths. 0 to .32 Feet. 32 to 160 Feet. 160 Peet and upwards. 12 Miles. Fort Van der Capellen. On the banks of the Umbilien, east of Singkarah, are extensive coal measures of excellent quality, the contents of which have been estimated at about twelve billion cubic feet. Mainly with a view to opening up these mineral resources, a line of railway has been projected to connect the plateau either with Padang or with the more southern Brandeirijn Bay. But the engineer- ing difficulties have hitherto prevented the execution of this costly undertaking, and it is now proposed to reach the coalfields from the opposite side of the island by the navigable river Hari, main branch of the Jambi, which flows within thirty- five miles of the locality. The slopes are crossed by excellent carriage roads, one of which conn
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectgeography, bookyear18
