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A NATURALIST'S WANDERINGS 



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... . , . . 



CHAPTEK lY. 



SOJOURN IN THE PALEMBANG EESIDENCY — COlltinueL 



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I,eave Hoodioon^ — Denudation — Grrat Arnms — Snkan — Chiefs of tlie rt;in:iu 

 region — Taudjonix-djati on the Kanau Lake — The high temperature of tlie 

 water — TSirds, fishes, interest'ng insects — Banding Aaong — lo iLnaia 

 Daa — Throu2:h Kisani — Geolo^iail notes — Kisaia villages — Cuat of 

 arms — Writing, dress, religion uf Kisani people. 



Leaving Hoodjoong in tlie end of January, I proceGcled north 



eastward towards Mount 



Siminung 



and tlie Eanau lal^e 



* 



district ; repassing on the way Kenali and Eutu-brah, I crossed 



the Semangka river near its head- waters, as a small stream run- 

 ning in a very deep valley of soft sandstone. In descending 

 the face of the valley the gigantic results of denudation were 

 very striking, Avhere the rain of only one season had been 

 svifficient to excavate enormous ravines. Even the rain of a 

 few days had newly washed down thousands of tons* weight 

 from its slopes. From this cause the whole country Avas 

 exceedingly picturesque, sculptured out 

 ugged outlines, steep gorges and precipitous valleys. From 

 such a landscape one is able to picture faintly the effect of 

 this vast levelling agent working ceaselessly through cycles 

 of time, in carving and changing the face of the country and 

 in planing down the mountains and tabledands, even where 

 protected by virgin forest. 



From the crossing!: of the Semanirka river the road to the 



into singular and 



1 



northward rises to the watershed of the rivers ^vhich fall on 

 the one hand south to the Semangka Bay, and on the other 

 into the lake Ranau and thence eastward by an arm of that 

 immense river system which drains the whole eastern side of 

 the Barisan range for more than 200 miles due north, and dis- 

 charges itself into the Java sea below the queer half-floating 

 town of I*alembang. This mountain road, 3000 feet above the 



