PALEMBANG, the capital of the kingdom and residency, is 52 m. from the Soensang (Sunsang), or principal mouth of the river Moesi (Masi), in 2° 59' s. lat., and 104° 44' e. longitude. The city is built on both banks of the Moesi, and other streams which fall into it, and is 5 W. iu length by m. in breadth. The river is upwards of 1.0.. 0 ft, broad, and from 40 to 50 ft. in depth, so that the largest vessels can sail up to the harbor. The native houses are raised on posts and neatly constructed of planks or bamboos; the Chinese, Arabians, and Europeans, chiefly living in floating houses called rakits, of which there are upwards of 500, and holding,communication with one another and with the natives by boats. The fort is built on the left bank of the river, and behind it are an institution for the blind and a splendid mosque. There is a school, where 30 European children are educated, a government elementary school for natives, and several good Chinese schools. Many of the natives can read and write, and in 1856 a-native printing press was erected by Kemas Mohammed Asahel.
Palembang is visited annually by upwards of 30,000 boats of various sizes, bringing produce from the interior, consisting chiefly of rice, benzoin, gum-elastic, gutta-percha, raw cotton, rattans, tobacco, pepper, wax, dragon's blood, resin; andgold-dust from the boundaries of the kingdom of Djambi, now included in the residency. These are
obtained chiefly in exchange for salt, cotton manufactures, earthenware, iron and copper wares, and provisions. The foreign trade is large, and chiefly carried on with Java, Baum, Singapore, China, and Siam. The colonial report of the Dutch government, pub lished iu 1875, gives the exports from Palembang for 1872 at £227,825, and the imports at £278,693. The natives of Palembang are good ivory carvers, gold and silver smiths, jewelers, cutlers, japanners, painters, boat-builders, bookbinders, etc., and expert at all the ordinary handicrafts. The women, in addition to cotton fabrics, spinning, and dye ing. weave silk stuffs embroidered with gold. Pop. 44,000, of whom 100 are Europeans, 3,000 Chinese, and 2,000 Arabians.