ACHEEN, the capital of the above state, is situated on a river at the north-western extremity of Sumatra, and about a league from the sea, where a road is formed, in which the shipping may be secure under the shelter of several islands. The town is indifferently built of bamboos and rough timber, and raised some feet from the ground on account of the overflow of the river in the rainy season. Its appearance and the nature of the buildings resemble the generality of the Malay bazars, excepting that the superior wealth of this place has occasioned a great number of public edifices, which do not however possess the smallest pretensions to magnificence. The sultan's palace, which is the chief public building, is a very rude and uncouth piece of architecture, designed to resist the force of an enemy, and surrounded with a moat and strong walls, but without any regular plan, or any view to the modern system of military attack. Several pieces of ordnance are planted near the gate, some of which are Portuguese; but two were sent from England by James I., on which the founder's name and the date are still legible. The river on which the town is situated is not large; and the stream being divided into several channels, is rendered shallow at the bar. In the dry monsoon it will not admit boats of any burden, much less large vessels, which lie without in the road formed by the islands off the point. The commerce has fallen off. The chief exports are, brimstone, betel-nut, ratans, benzoin, camphor, gold dust, pepper, and horses; the imports, opium, salt, piece-goods, muslin, &c. The town contains about 8000 houses. Long. 95. 45. E. Lat. 5. 35. N. Marsden's Sumatra, Forrest's Voyage, Hamilton's East India Gazetteer.