Messrs. Burton and Ward's Journey into the Bat ah Country, 487 



dimensions, covered with wood except in the vicinity of the villages, where 

 they were partially cleared for the cultivation of the sweet potatoe. Every 

 hill of the vast number within this compass appeared to give rise to a stream 

 or two of water. These variously winding round the base of the smaller 

 hills, descended to the middle of the valley between the two ranges, and 

 formed a considerable river, which passing rapidly over a bed of rocks in a 

 northerly direction, falls into the sea at Kolam, a village about twelve 

 miles to the north of Tappanooly. The soil of Pagaran Lambung may be 

 generally described as consisting of a friable, red, and sometimes greyish 

 clay, covered with a thin layer of black vegetable mould. The hilly nature 

 of the ground seems to have assisted the heavy rains in carrying off that 

 deposit of forest mould, which in the lapse of time must necessarily have 

 been formed on a more even surface. Vegetation, however, was luxuriant 

 and abundant in every situation ; and we doubt not that, under the direc- 

 tion of skill and industry, cultivation might be carried on to considerable 

 advantage. Camphor, gambir, and benzoin trees were plentiful, and in 

 great perfection ; and we observed a variety of singular plants, which would 

 have doubtless proved interesting to the botanist. The country seems to be 

 tolerably free from wild beasts, as we met with but a single track, said to 

 be that of a rhinoceros, during the whole of the journey. 



After pursuing our route with much fatigue for six hours, accompanied 

 by the chief of Parik Debdta, we rested for the night at a village about the 

 middle of the district. Early the next morning, being Sunday, we pro- 

 ceeded to a neighbouring village, and spent the day chiefly in conversation 

 with the people. On Monday morning we resumed our journey, and in 

 four hours passed Huta Tinggi* a village situated on an elevated part of 

 the second range, and forming the eastern boundary of the district of 

 Pagaran Lambung. Pursuing the path from Huta Tinggi over woody hills 

 and deep valleys for some distance as before, we at length entered a more 

 open country, where the hills sank to mere undulations, and table-land 

 covered chiefly with long coarse grass ; the ravines alone remaining woody, as 

 in the vicinity of Bencoolen. A rapid march of five hours from Huta Tinggi 

 brought us to a dirty hamlet, on a romantic spot at the foot of a lofty moun- 



• " The high fort." Huta is the Kota of the Hindus and Malays. In many other words, it 



may be observed that the pronunciation of i is changed to h W. M. 



Vol. I. 3 S 



