358 JOURNAL OF A VISIT 



fathoms in the shallowest part. On doubling the point 

 Tanjong Lallang, we had a fear of the large fishing 

 establishment of the Rejangs, a tribe of the Milanowe 

 race, who have houses at which they reside during 

 the bad monsoon at the town of Serekei. On each of 

 the houses, or rather ranges of houses, was displayed 

 a white flag, in token either of fear or welcome, probably 

 the latter, as they had, doubtlessly, heard of our arrival 

 at Kalekka, which is distant about sixteen miles from 

 Tanjong Lallang. We passed the village and sailed 

 about twenty miles up the river with a strong flood- 

 tide. The banks are well wooded, the trees, as in all 

 the other rivers, overhanging the water. Here the 

 wind failing, the ebb tide forced us to anchor at half 

 past six P.M. We were informed that about ten miles 

 further up the stream, is the mouth of the small 

 river Serekei, on which the town we intend to visit 

 is situated. 



April 21st. Having weighed early with the morn- 

 ing flood, we paddled up the river, the banks of which 

 were here a little cultivated by scattered farms, until 

 we reached the mouth of the Serekei. The town is 

 about five miles from its junction with the great 

 Rejang, which itself, about six miles further up, joins 

 the still greater Palo branch of this mighty river : the 

 banks of the Serekei are all clear of wood, having 

 been recently cultivated as Padi fields. We anchored 

 at seven A.M. about half a mile below the town, and 

 sent to inform the Patingi Abdulrahman of our arrival. 

 He immediately sent back some of his principal men to 



