Acheen, an independent sovereignty, comprising the X. W. portion of Sumatra; area, 25,500 sq. m. As early as 1509 the Portuguese visited this country, and in 1602 the English, in order to obtain a continuous supply of pepper, entered into a commercial treaty with the king. The East India company in 1659 established a factory at the capital; but it was eventually removed to Bencoolen, on the S. coast of Sumatra. Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819 secured to the East India company and the British government, by treaty, the right of freely trading to all the ports of Acheen. The government of Acheen is an hereditary monarchy, the power of the king or sultan being limited only by the power of his greater vassals. The kingdom is divided into 190 small districts. This part of Sumatra is comparatively healthy, but the interior is almost entirely unknown. The people are taller, stouter, and darker than the other Sumatrans. They are strict Mohammedans, and write in Malay characters. They manufacture a few silk goods, and a good deal of thick cotton cloth and striped and checkered stuffs. - Acheen, the capital, stands about a league from the sea, on a river that empties at Acheen head, the extreme N. W. point of Sumatra. The roadstead is good, being safely sheltered by several small islands.

A bar at the mouth of the river prevents all but vessels of three or four feet draught from entering it. Most of the houses are built of bamboos and rough timber raised on piles, to escape inundation. The city contains many tine buildings, among which are numerous mosques and other public edifices, and the fortified palace of the king. It had formerly about 86,000 inhabitants, but is now on the decline.