The town of Pontiana stands on a low point of land formed by the confluence of two mighty rivers.

This particular spot is always held sacred in India, and is known under the Hindoo name of Sungum.

I suspect, however, that the Malays and other Mahometans, who inhabit the coasts of most of the Indian Islands, acknowledge no superstitious predilections for one spot more than another, and consider such things as mere prejudices unworthy of the followers of Mahomet, their great military prophet.

Probably the Sungum point has some local advantages belonging to it, as I observe it is generally appropriated by the strongest party in every country.
At all events, it has the advantage of communicating directly with both the rivers, by whose junction the Sungum, or solid angle, is formed.

In the instance of Pontiana, the Mussulmans had taken possession of it, though it was formerly a Dutch settlement, while the Chinese were left to occupy the corners opposite to the Sungum, on the right and left banks, respectively, of the river formed by the junction of the two streams.