FROM KOPAIYONG TO KABAX AGOXG. 501 



and various kinds of trinkets. The population of 

 this region appears to be only a small fraction of 

 what it is on the Padang plateau ; if it ^ere as large 

 and industrious, the upper valley of the Musi would 

 soon be transformed into one great garden, and Ben- 

 coolen, to which its products must be taken to be 

 shipped abroad, would immediately become a port 

 of the first importance. I had seriously contem- 

 plated undertaking the joui^ney from Solok to this 

 place, and if it had not been necessaiy for me to re- 

 turn to Padang, I should have attempted it, not^^-ith- 

 standing it would have been necessary to have trav- 

 elled the whole distance on foot, and to have met 

 constant hinderances and annoyances from the natives, 

 who are extremely jealous of all foreigners. Tlie 

 distance from Solok, in a straight line, is nearly two 

 hundred geographical miles, but by the zigzag and 

 circuitous route which I would have been obliged to 

 take, it would have been nearly three hundi'ed. 



The house of the controleur at this place is cov- 

 ered with an atap of bamboo splints, made in the 

 same way as the common atap of j^alm-leaves, but it 

 is much neater, and said to be far more durable. 



April 2oth. — As there are no white people at the 

 place where I am to lodge to-night, the controleur 

 was so kind as to send a servant yesterday with an 

 ample supply of eatables, and orders to the rajahs on 

 the way to receive me kindly when I reached their 

 respective villages. 



At 6 A. M. started with a guide and a coolie for 

 Kaban Agong, a distance of nine paals in a southeast- 

 erly direction, along the Musi, which, in this part of 



