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grown in Upper Perak, above Qualla Kangsa. But the land is well suited for tobacco along almost the whole line of the river, and, whatever may be thought by persons who have not seen the land of exaggerated accounts in my former reports of the agricultural capabilities of Perak, I feel sure they have not been in any way too highly spoken of. Had the planters who have lately so largely invested in Deli seen much of the Perak land, they would have preferred remaining here. One practical man only has visited the entire length of the river, Mr. W. Knaggs, and he is more competent to speak about it than I He has evidenced his opinion by recommending many of his friends to introduce capital at once.
am.
48. The present cultivation by the natives consists of sugar, tapioca, Indian corn, and coffee, which grow well; cocoanuts, which are remarkably fruitful for trees so far from the sea air; the jaggary palm, from which a good deal of coarse sugar is made; the areca palm, betel vine, brinjal, and sometimes in these plantations they cultivate pumpkin; but always the labu, a gourd which is dried, and is the common water vessel of the country.
49. Buffaloes are very plentiful indeed, but they seldom milk them. I have, however, secured some close to where I am now living, and they readily sell as milk and tyre daily. The Sultan has promised, when we are more settled, to give me over several of his, and the men of the Sikh guard will gladly take to making ghee.
50. There are no cows or bulls in the country. Goats are to be seen in all the villages, and flourish.
51. Ducks thrive remarkably well on these rivers, and are bred in large numbers by Fowls are the Malays. They readily sell them as well as their eggs; a duck is 50 cents. also plentiful, and rapidly increase, One can generally purchase very fair sized fowls at five for 1 dollar, and very good chickens at eight for 1 dollar; but it is very difficult to induce them to sell even one fowl's egg.
52. Jungle fowl are exceedingly numerous. The Malays always carry a game cock in each boat, and as he crows and the boat proceeds, jungle fowls are to be heard crowing in every direction. I have shot several by taking one of my own, and tying him to a peg in the opens between the bushes and hiding myself. The whistling teal are also in large numbers, as well as snipe, the golden plover. The argru pheasant is to be heard calling almost everywhere in the high country very early in the morning, and the sportsman very often comes across another pheasant of a purple colour and red head.
53. There is a good deal of large game, elephant, rhinoceros (two sorts), wild buffaloes, wild cattle, tapir, deer (three sorts), wild pig, tiger, leopard, and several of the cat tribe. There are also several varieties of monkey.
54. I have confined myself thus far to the Perak River and its tributaries, but to the south, distant about thirty miles, is a large and deep river, the Bernam. There is always over 12 feet to be got as far as Bernam, and I have not yet been higher. This river comes down from the back of the same range as that in which the Batang and Bidor Rivers rise, from a place called Slim, where are some valuable tin mines. This river forms the boundary between the kingdoms of Perak and Salangore.
56. Northward of the Perak River the coast trends in for some distance, and then branches out to a point under very high land. This is the Dindings lately given over to the British. Just on the Perak side of the boundary are some tin mines, and here I have established a police-station, which can communicate easily with the British station at Pankor, or with Kotastia, one of the main stations of Perak, where the customs are collected, to which a short road can be made.
56. Just beyond the newly ceded territory is the River Bruas, which comes down from the west face of the Gunong Bubo range. From a spot on it, to which you can go in boats, is a pathway to Blanja on the Perak river, and this, with the road by Qualla Kangsa, are the only outlets from the Perak river to the northward, until higher up, where it runs through Patani territory, and from thence there is communication to the head of the Krian.
57. On the Bruas river is some fine land, and this was worked formerly with success, but abandoned for want of funds.
58. Next to it, rising from rather lower ground than the Bruas, is the Sungie Hut, and beyond it the Sungie Tingie. The three are all connected by pathways with the Bruas and Blanja path at a place called Chindrong Klubi, and here I am establishing a police station to protect the traffic on these rivers and recover the dues.
59. The Jurumas is merely a tidal estuary, but further north are the Trong, and the Sungie Limo. Neither of them are remarkable for anything in particular, but the Bungie Limo appears to be well adapted to paddy cultivation, and there is said to be tin on the Trong river near the mountains.
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60. Next to Sungie Limo to the northward is the Larut river, the exit to the district of that name, which I shall hereafter allude to.
61. The Sipatang river, which is one of the net-work of streams about here, comes down straight from the hills, and with the Silensing, Klompang, and Gula, drain all the country as far as the Kurow, which is a very fine river coming down from the same range as the Larat and Bruas rivers, though much further to the northward. It is navigable for a launch drawing 44 feet at least forty miles from the sea.
62. I have visited all these rivers, the Bruas and Kurow, as well as the entrances of the others, but I went up to Kurow as far as a launch could go, and then for two days in a sampan to a place called Mandring Lemboh. About sixty miles from the mouth the river passes through a gorge in an inferior range of bills at a place called Bukit Barapit. Here, as well as at Mandring Lemboh, I intend to have police stations. The Datu himself told me that if these stations were established, he could bring in abundance of settlers, but they were afraid of the petty squabbles of the Mantri, Toh Muda Gaffir, and Rajah Yusuf, and of the marauding parties going about in the name of Yusuf, and some of them with the chop of Ex-Sultan Ismail.
63. The river is well fitted for paddy cultivation, and for sugar cane, and Indian corn, but in soil it is very inferior to Perak river, which runs behind to the eastward of the back bone of the Peninsula, whereas these other streams only come from this secondary range, and much smaller hills. Several tin mines have been opened on it, but are not now worked, though some new mines are being opened up.
64. Close to Mandring Lemboh falls in a stream called the Sungie Ara, and along this runs the road to Salama, which I shall be able efficiently to guard by a station here.
65. From this place 1 journeyed on elephants to the mines at Larut. The route was a miserable one, and for two days we encountered sun and open plains, and then incessant and heavy rain in dense forest. We struck the Larut mines at Kamunting. A new road is being opened out now from the Krian by the Kurow to Larut.
66. Captain Innes' party has brought it to Bagan Serai on the Kurow, and he has been good enough to allow his officers to continue the trace to Larut, as I found that the line which was being opened up from Larut at a width of 30 feet, and considerable expense would hit the Kurow many miles above Bagan Serai, As it is, it will keep lower down, and go through lands which are all likely to be taken up for paddy.
67. I have marked out a line of road for improving the communication from Qualla Kangsa to Bukit Gantang, where the Mantri lives, and which lies at the head of Sungie Limo, and is connected with Larut by a cart road. Coolies are now engaged on this road, which I have directed at first to be made 6 feet clear of drains, and jungle cut 12 feet, with strong bridges of durable jungle sticks and timber, so as to make it actually practicable for a pony.
68. I then propose to connect Bukit Gantang with Chindrong Klubi, which I have before referred to, as on the road from Bruas to Blanga, by the same description of bridle path; and as soon as I am able to spare time again to go to Blanga, I will mark out the road from there to Chindrong Klubi, and have the line cleared.
69. The Resident's guard of forty Indians has been formed, and they are all housed in temporary barracks close to the Sultan's and my own baleis, near the site of His High- ness's new residence.
70. The police stations at the following places have been completed, and are
occupied
1. Kurow Qualla 1 non-commissioned officer and 8 men.
2. Bruas
5
"
"3
"
3. Kotastia
4. Durian Sabatan
2 1
"
13
12 ""
3 13
»
5. Gunong Pondoh 1
"
>>
衄
6 +
71. The following are in course of erection, and the men are enlisted, and ready :—
1 non-commissioned officer and 6 men.
6. Teluk Batu
7. Kota Lumut
1
4
"
"
J
8. Bandar Bahru
2
"
11
10 (our residences).
9. Bidor
15
"
*
10. Batang Padang
1
5
"
"J
..
5
ม
"
J
5
**
"
1J
12
"
20
"
"
11. Tjong Piandang 1
13. M'dring Lemboh 1
13. Kwolla Kangsa 2
TITTI
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
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|ALLY WITHACALIT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
4
1
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :--
CO. 289
3 RECORD CRUCE LONDON ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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