NATIVES DESTROYED BY THE TIGERS. 503 



scorcliiiig heat, and even my Malay attendants com- 

 plained bitterly ; indeed, I find I can bear sucli 

 excessive heat better than they. From the tops 

 of the low hills I enjoyed fine views of the Barizan 

 or coast chain. The outline of many of its peaks 

 shows that they were formerly eruj^tive cones, but 

 now they are more or less washed down or changed 

 in form by rains and streams. As we came near this 

 village, Tanjong Agong, the road was filled with the 

 tracks and excrements of a herd of elephants that 

 passed this way yesterday or the day before. Two 

 days ago two of these beasts came into the sawas, 

 near this place, and the natives succeeded in shoot- 

 ing one. Tanjong Agong is a small village, of only 

 eighteen or twenty small houses, each of which is 

 placed on posts six or eight feet high. A ladder leads 

 up to a landing, which is enclosed by a fence and a 

 gate, to prevent the tigers from entering their houses. 

 The natives keep hens, and would have dogs, but they 

 are all destroyed by the tigers. These ravenous beasts 

 infest the whole region in such numbers, and are so 

 daring, that the rajah, who can speak Malay very well, 

 assures me that, during last year, jwe of the people 

 of this little village were torn to pieces by them 

 while working in the sawas, or while travelling to 

 the neighboring kampongs. No native here ever 

 thinks of going even the shortest distance by night, 

 except when sent on the most urgent business ; and 

 it is chiefly for this reason that I always commence 

 my day's journey so early. 



The house in which I lodge is built of bamboo, 

 and surrounded with a paling of sharpened stakes, 



