MACASSAR, the chief town, is the residence of the Dutch governor and officials. It ' is situated on the strait of Macassar, which separates Celebes from Borneo, in 5° 10' s. lat., and 119° 20' e. long..; and is built upon a high point of land, watered by two rivers and smaller streams, surrounded by a stone-wall, and further defended by palisades and fort Rotterdam. Pop. about 20,000. The harbor is safe and convenient, but difficult to enter. Climate healthy, and all kinds of provisions plentiful. The exports consist of the various products of Celebes, which arc brought from the settlements to Macassar for shipment. The chief of these are rice, sandal-wood, ebony, tortoise-shell, gold, spices, coffee, sugar, wax, cocoa-nuts, tobacco, opium, salt, edible nests, etc. The imports from China are principally silk fabrics and porcelain; from the Netherlands, cotton and linen goods, fire-arms, opiutn, spirits, etc. A very large proportian of the export and
import trade is carried on between Macassar and the free port of Singapore, about a third part being with Java. The annual imports amount to about £400,000, and the exports to the same value sterling. No import or export duties are charged.
The Portugues3 first formed a settlement in _Macassar', but were supplanted by the Dutch, who, after many contests with the natives, gradually attained to supreme power. In 1811 .Macassar fell into the hands of the British, who, in 1814, defeated the king of Boni, and compelled him to give up the regalia of Macassar. In 1816 it was restored to the Dutch, and continues to eujoy a fair share of the mercantile prosperity of the Nether lands' possessions in the eastern archipelago.