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TILIC.O. 882
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Reade noaded retaking.
Old roada.
Grasi inerzam of trafe in 1874.
Number of carts plying.
Roads metalled,
Outlay necessarily
great.
New roada.
Road to Kamunting.
Bridge on the Kamunting road
Ditto,
Road to British territory.
Road to Parak commenced.
Cost of roada.
Rivers of Larut.
Navigable by canosa,
Embouchures choked with débris and sand.
Formation of land.
108
128. These roads had been made by the Mantri, but were, however, in need of entire repair, or rather remaking. Had they been left to the natives, they would, in a year from the above-mentioned date, have become altogether impassable.
They were but a species of that kind of road known as "corduroy," having been con- structed simply of trunks of trees laid down side by side for a foundation into the swamp through which for the most part they ran, and over these trunks was placed a six-inch layer of clay topped with sand.
As the timber decayed,-a process which was materially assisted by the damp nature of the ground in which it lay,-it fell in, and the earth naturally went with it. Large holes, or, rather immense pits, were formed wherever the softer parts of the wood had first fallen. It was a matter of time before the whole road would have sunk into the swamp.
129. The failure of so fragile a construction was rapidly aided by the immense increase of traffic which took place immediately on the re-opening of the country.
130. The average number of carts passing from Ujong Tembo to Kotah Klian each month between May and December last year was 2,600.
the
131. It was therefore necessary, for the proper and secure repair of these roads, to take away the decayed wood and replace it with proper metal. For the latter purpose stone thrown out of the mines has been found to be well adapted. This work has been already done on the main road from Kotah to Ujong Tembo wherever these large pits had been formed, and a party of coolies are constantly at work, removing the timber and filling the holes as soon as the smallest sign of a break appears, so that in course of a short time the whole extent of road will be properly made.
132. I regret to say that this work has proved, however, extremely laborious and expensive, owing not only to the great distance from which the stones have had to be brought,-in many cases more than eight miles-viz, from the mines at the foot of the hills, but also to the broken state of the roads over which the carts had from the first to pass, rendering transit, even for the purpose of repair, by no means an easy task.
133. Besides the remaking of these highways, a new road has been opened up to the new towns of Thaipeng and Kamunting, a distance of an additional four miles.
134. The road to Kamunting, which is in the centre of the new mining district, has been cut principally through the spurs of the Assam Kumbang range, and in these hills, while making the necessary cuttings, several beds of laterite have been discovered. This mineral has been of great use in metalling the road. In this road, in the short space of two miles and a-half, it has been necessary to construct no less than ten bridges, owing to the numerous streams which come down from the hills and are utilized for mining purposes.
135. The average size of these bridges is 20 feet by 16. But, owing to the proximity of the streams to the hills, they are never of any great depth; consequently, the bridges seldom require to be raised above six feet frorn the surface of the water. The timber of which these bridges are made, is procured from the neighbouring forest, and sawn by Chinese workmen.
136. Besides these above-mentioned roads, one is being projected from the town of Kamunting to the River Rurao to meet a road from Province Wellesley, which is in pro- gress under the superintendence of the Colonial Engineer of Penang. By this means, a direct line of communication will, in all probability, before the end of the year, be estab- lished between Larut and Penang.
137. Deeming it important that there should be a proper road connecting Larut with Perak in order to facilitate the means of commerce of the interior of that country, I have commenced a road leading from Bukit Gantang to Qualla Kangsa, a distance of twenty- seven miles in an easterly direction, passing through the Brapit Pass.
The cost of these roads will be seen by reference to Appendix (H).
188. There are in Larut nine rivers: viz., the Kurao, Gula, Kalempang, Spatang, Larut, Limo, Trong, Jarummas, and Bruas.
139. The Kurao is navigable for canoes for a distance of 80 miles from its mouth; the Trong and Bruas for about 56 miles; while the Larut River is only navigable, even for such shallow craft, for 25 miles. These rivers are formed by numerous affluents consisting of the drainage of the hills.
The sea with
140. The embouchures of all are much choked up by the débris and sand brought down year after year from the hills and the interior of the country by the freshets caused by the periodical rains, as well as by the alluvial deposit from their own banks. 141. Land is daily being formed along the whole of the Larut coast, each succeeding tide leaves a deposit of silt and mud on the flat shores of the country, and thus thick banks are formed on which the mangrove and other marine shrubs quickly vegetate.
109
142. Land which has thus been formed within the last fifty years is now being culti. New land available vated for paddy, having in this short space of time from its being merely a mud deposit, for paddy. become available for agriculture.
143. Fish of all kinds is very abundant at the mouths of the rivers, and along the Abundanes of fab. whole of the sea coast, affording the principal subsistence of the seafaring Malays.
besting feb.
144. Several ingenious methods are used for netting the fish; the most common of Fisheries-method of these is the Kelong or Bilat. This is an inclosure in the shape of the letter V, made of bamboo stakes driven into a mud bank at intervals of four inches apart, to the depth of four feet of water at low tide. The broadest part of the V may be seventy feet from point to point, and the distance from each point to the lowest extremity is about 100 feet. Beyond this lowermost point (the junction of the two sides) there is another inclo- sure, about ten feet square, with a narrow mouth. Along the whole line of stakes, as well as across the broad entrance to the first-mentioned inclosure, a screen of split bamboo, closely woven, is fixed to the stakes beneath the water. As the tide rises and covers the screen, the fish swim over into the inclosure.
As the tide recedes, they discover that retreat through the wide entrance is cut off by the bamboo screen, and they accordingly endeavour to escape by the small opening leading into the little inclosure.
Again they are baffled in their attempt, for having entered this, they find there is no egress, owing to the passage being made of bamboo stakes, which point inwards, through which, from the outsides, they can push their way, but against which, owing to the points, they cannot return; and the fishermen are thus enabled to take them without difficulty by raising a net which has been previously laid down, and attached to the four corners of the square inclosure. In order to take advantage of both flow and ebb tides, a double trap, similar in construction to the shape of the letter X is sometimes used; this has an inclosure in the centre, and mouths at each end.
145. Another method of netting the fish is one called the "Jermal," but this is not Jarmal net. in much use in Larut, owing to the necessity of diving in order to adjust the nets; and as this is dangerous in localities where crocodiles abound, it is seldom resorted to.
146. The "Seine" net, similar to that used in England, is the one preferred by the Seiss net. Chinese, many of whom, principally men from the district of Ten Chin, gain their livelihood by fishing.
147. The fresh fish is sold by the fishermen to hawkers at the rate of 4 c. a catty, Prion of ah. i.e. 2d. per ib., who retail it in the interim at 6d. per lb., i.e. 12 c. a catty.
148. Throughout the Kingdom of Perak the buffalo is domesticated and used not Draught cattle, only for agricultural labour, but as a beast of burden.
The load is placed in panniers made of cane, which are slung on to the sides of the animals. This method of conveying goods is principally adopted by the Malays in the interior, where the absence of roads precludes the possibility of the transit of carts,
149. In Larut, however, wherever there are roads, as in all parts of the Strait Buffaloss yoked. Settlements, buffaloes are also used in carts: but invariably singly, as a pair cannot be yoked, on account of their widely-spreading horns, the points of which are often more than four feet from tip to tip.
150. Bullocks are, however, at present more generally used for draught cattle in Bullocks preferred Larut than buffaloes.
The vehicle for which they are employed is a two-wheeled cart, roughly made, the body of which is about 6 feet by 4, capable of holding about half a ton.
The bullocks are invariably yoked in these in pairs; the drivers are principally natives of Madras.
for traile
151. Elephants are employed by the Rajahs and Chiefs of the country for traffic. Elephants employed Strong panniers of cane, similar to those used for the buffalo, are fastened by strong ropes to their backs, and into these goods are packed.
Tin to the weight of half a ton can be carried by a full grown clephant, but rice, on account of its bulk, to only half that weight.
The elephant is also regarded as a princely possession. In fact, in Perak, 50 elephants form part of the regalia of the Sultan.
152. There is no doubt whatever that the dense forests and jungles of the country Natural history. afford homes to numerous kinds of wild animals.
I
The Malays who come from the interior bring assurances that such is the case, and indeed Europeans, though not as a rule having often penetrated far into the country,✨ have found no lack of evidence of the truth of these reports.
153. Herds of wild elephants roam at pleasure in the interior, and all those that Wild elephants. have already been tamed by the Malay Rajahs have been taken from the forests.
154. Two varieties of rhinoceros are common, also three species of tiger.
[541]
2 F
Rhinestores; tiger.
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