(see BANCA, Encycl.) is noted throughout Asia for its tin mines. It lies opposite to the river Palambang, in the island of Sumatra, on which the sovereign of Banka, possessor also of the territory of Palambang, keeps his constant residence. This prince maintains his authority over his own subjects, and his independence of the neighbouring sovereigns, chiefly by the affluence of the Dutch, who have a settlement and troops at Palambang, and enjoy the benefit of a contract with the king of Banka for the tin which his subjects procure from that island. Such at least was the case in 1793, when Lord Macartney touched at Banka on his way to China. At that period the sovereign compelled his subjects, and probably does so at present, to deliver the tin to him at a low price, and sell it to the Dutch at a small advance, pursuant to his contract. Those miners, from long practice, have arrived at great perfection in reducing the ore into metal, employing wood as fuel in their furnaces, and not fossil coal, or coke, which is seldom free from sulphur as not to affect the malleability of the metal. It is sometimes preferred therefore to European tin at the Canton market; and the profit upon it to the Dutch company was, at the period mentioned above, supposed to have long been not less than L. 150,000 a-year. Into whose hands this trade has now fallen we know not; probably it is in a great degree neglected.