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| PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON |

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The revenues of Langat are collected at the town, and consist of import and export duties almost precisely similar to those of Klang. The revenue is very small, but it is slowly rising, and next month there will be a considerable`quantity of tin coming from the interior.

The Langat river is navigable for some distance above the town for a gun vessel. The Jugra river is only safe for a steam launch and native craft, owing to the snags and windings of the river, and also to the fact that there is little more than three feet over the bar at low-water spring tides The river is, however, both widening and deepening year by year.

There is a considerable native trade between Langat and Malacca.

Going up the Langat river there are several large and flourishing Campongs on both banks, the soil here also appearing capable of cultivating almost anything that is planted in it. The last of these Campongs, named Toh Alli, is about twelve miles above Langat, navigable thus far for a small steamer. From this point to the interior, either Cherass or Kajang, there might be made a road which would be of the greatest utility.

Elephants might be most advantageously used in Salangore, especially here and in the interior from Kanching to Bandar, and, above all, about Qualla Lumpar and from that place to Damansara. Though there are numbers of wild elephants in Salangore there are unfor- tunately no tame ones, but they might be procured in Perak.

Some fifty miles above Langat is Qualla Labu, the mouth of the river running out of Sungie Ujong into the Langat river, and five days in a pulling boat above Langat is Ricko, then Kajang, Cherass, and Ulu Langat, each a day, going up stream, by boat from the other. At each of these four places there are rich tin mines and vast quantities of unopened land.

About twenty years ago a party of Americans opened a tin mine at Ricko, and having got a considerable quantity of ore they left, owing to some disturbances. Nothing now remains of their works but their mine, full of water. Chinese are working close to the same place, their houses on the very spot where stood the Americans' house formerly. A good road, made also by the Americans, but now partly overgrown, joins Ricko with its mines.

These four places are charmingly situated in the midst of low hills on the banks of The tin stratum, the Langat river, there a clear small stream, but navigable for boats.

varying from six inches to two feet thick, in these places is got at from five feet to twelve feet below the surface, usually at the lesser depth, often in the narrowest of valleys from ten to fifty feet across, between steep hills; all the mines are, however, near the river.

The interior of Langat is, so to speak, a new country; and besides tin there are quantities of gutta and rattans, all that is wanted here, as every where else in Salangore in money, and the riches, now lying neglected, but ready to men's hands, would be gathered, and for the jungle we should have campongs, for poverty wealth.

Thirty miles south of Qualla Jugra is the mouth of the Lukut river, and a few miles up the river, on the left bank, is the village of Lukut.

Lukut is at present in charge of Rajah Bôt, a son of Rajah Jimahat of Rhio. In the days when Rajah Jimahat was the chief authority in Lukut, that place was more prosperous than any other in Salangore, giving a revenue of over 15,000 dollars a-month, principally raised from duties on tin. When Rajah Jimahat died, Lukut was left in charge of his sons, Rajahs Yabia and Bôt, and almost immediately the revenue fell from 15,000 dollars to about 500 dollars a-month, and now it is little more than 300 dollars 8-month.

The reason for this is variously explained: by some, that all the tin was worked out; and by others, that the sons administered such unequal justice, and behaved so badly, that the Chinese left the place.

Both stories are probably true in part. Many Chinese have assured me that, having tried for tin in one or two places without finding it, they gave up work, and went to Klang or Salangore; whilst, on the other hand, tin is even now worked to a small extent in Lukut, and it is said that there is still much unopened ground containing the ore.

That the brothers governed badly, I think, is acknowledged by all, but probably more from absolute incapacity than from vice. With an intelligent man in charge, whether Raja or Pungulu, much may be done at Lukut, and I trust the work of improve- ment has been begun, in the settlement of another of the Rhio Rajas at Tanjong Gumok, near Lukut, where he is collecting a number of his own people, clearing the jungle between the Lukut river and Cape Rachado to lay out the land in gardens, and making prepara tions for the manufacture of wood-oil.

There are about 300 people in Lukut at present, and the revenue is raised on import

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duties on rice and opium, and an export duty on tin, wood-oil, salt fish, and damar. Formerly a considerable quantity of gold was found in Lukut, but that also is said to have been worked out.

From Lukut to the mines of Sungie Ujong is only some eighteen miles, and were the road which was begun some years ago finished, there is little doubt that over it would go by far the greatest part of the trade of Sungie Ujong, adding to Lukut's own natural resources, a perhaps greater source of prosperity, in being the port of Sungie Ujong.

Some twenty miles further down the coast is the Lingy river, which forms the southern boundary of Malacca,

Between the Lukut and Lingy rivers is Sungei Raya, where Toh Dowd is in charge. Lingy and Bongai The place has been but recently opened, and I have not yet been able to visit it, but I Payi understand there are about 400 Chinese there, principally engaged in growing gambier. The Lingy river is at present the highway to Rambow and Sungei Ujong, the upper part of this river forming what we call the Sungei Ujong river, the name itself (Sungei Ujong) meaning, "the end of the river."

Salangore territory, as I stated before, goes up the Lingy river to high-water mark spring tides, variously stated as "Pencallen Kampas," and "Sungie Udang."

Since I came to Salangore in August last, I have travelled over it for about 1,500 Garal. miles, principally by water. I went up the Langat and Labu rivers to the villages and mines of Sungei Ujong, in October, 1874. I visited Lukut, and thence by road to Sungei Ujong and back, in December, 1874. This year, in January and February, I went to Perak and back overland by Slim and Bernam, and I have but just returned, on the 6th instant, from a journey up the Langat river, all through the interior, down the Salangore river, and back here via Klang.

From Langat I went by boat up the Langat river to Ricko, thence to Kajang Cherass, and Ulu Langat, visiting the mines everywhere. From Ulu Langat I walked over a range of high hills in the interior, so far from the coast that, though it was a beautifully clear day, we could not make out the sea at all, down to Ulu Ampang, the interior of Qualla Lumpor, not a day's walk from Pahang. Thence to Qualla Lumpor, and from there to Kanching, Kanching to Bandar, and Bandar to Ulu Selangor. From Ulu Salangor to Qualla Salangor, and thence to Klang and back to Langat, I travelled by boat. Klang I visited frequently before Mr. Davidson's arrival, and I have been there several times since.

The interior of Salangore is doing extremely well, and everywhere there is an appear- ance of mines and villages reviving from all but total destruction.

Judging from my comparatively short experience in Salangore, and from constant intercourse with the natives of every class, I am of opinion that, to each principal country or district, an intelligent, energetic, and trustworthy head should be appointed by the Sultan, a Raja by birth, if such there can be found possessing the necessary qualifica- tions, and to him should be given the powers ordinarily conferred on a Datu. That, under him, a Punghulu should be placed in charge of each mine or village where the number of inhabitants, and their distance from their chief, necessitates a constant and immediate supervision.

Trifling cases, and the collection of local taxes, should there be any, could be placed in the hands of these Punghalus, who would send regular reports to their chief, to be forwarded to the Sultan or the Resident. These should be paid appointments, the holders being given clearly to understand that their tenure of office lasted only during their good behaviour, and not, like the ordinary Malay custom, once a Punghulu always a Punghulu. Travelling through Salangore, the question which has met me the oftenest has been, "should we have good ground for complaint, to whom should we make it? We have, in past times, had so many masters, that we cannot tell who is the real head, other than the Sultan, and he is a long way off. Give us a Punghulu to whom we may appeal.”

Great care must of course be made in making these appointments, and above all things, both the Punghulus and their chiefs must be constantly visited, or the best of them may be tempted to abuse his power.

Lastly, I think the greatest possible encouragement should be given to everyone who is willing to take up land for cultivation, and the necessary taxes, whether on the land or its produce, or on minerals, should be made as light as possible. A large revenue can only be raised from a large population, and as there is in Salangore no large resident, population like that of Perak, such permanent advantages must be held out as will induce immigrants to settle in the country.

The Sultan's Proclamation of September, 1874, should be sufficient to do this, and especially would it be so, if it were known that after the expiration of the three years

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