672 EEPORT— 1898. 



The absence of bones in the cave earth beneath tlie stalagmite is 

 singular, for Mr. Ridley's observations show that such bones were once 

 there, though they have almost entirely decayed. Whether this also is 

 due to the climatic conditions, the Committee cannot say ; but as the 

 further examination of these caves, where the destruction has been so 

 complete, is not likely to lead to any discovery of great importance, the 

 Committee do not ask to be re-appointed : at all events, unless a favourable 

 opportunity occurs for the scientific exploration of the much larger caves 

 than those of Selangor which are known to exist in the interior of the 

 Malay Peninsula, farther to the north. 



APPENDIX. 



Report by Mr. H. N. Ridley. 



The limestone rocks which contain the caves described in this report 

 form a roughly shaped mass of large size, situated at a distance of seven 

 miles to the north-west of Kwala Lumpur, the capital town of the native 

 State of Selangor, in the Malay Peninsula. 



On both flanks of the great central granite backbone of the Malay 

 Peninsula occur, at irregular intervals, detached masses of similar lime- 

 stone of various sizes, of which this is, as far as I know, the most southern 

 portion. Most of these limestone hills occur at some little distance from 

 the granite hills, but it is, I think, pretty certain that they were formerly 

 in absolute contact with them, and that they originally formed a con- 

 tinuous chain running up to the Lankawi Islands, off the coast of Siam, 

 which consist almost entirely of exactly similar rocks, and into the main- 

 land of Siam itself. Furthermore, there is a very marked connection 

 between the flora of the top of the Selangor rocks and that of Lankawi. 

 It is entirely different from that of the granite hills of Selangor, and even 

 from that of the plain country at the foot of the limestone, but reappears 

 in the Kota Glanggi Hills in Pahang, on the east side of the main chain. 

 I believe that, when thoroughly examined, the whole of this group of 

 hills will be found to bear the same flora, and probably also the same 

 fauna, as that, not only of the limestones of Siam, but also of those of 

 Borneo, showing a former connection between these places in the form of 

 a continuous stratum, of which the greater part has been swept away by 

 denudation, at least in the south of the Malay Peninsula. It must be 

 remembered that at present practically no geological researches have J 

 been made in the Malay Peninsula, or to any great extent even in] 

 Borneo or Siam, and in the peninsula even much geographical explora-| 

 tion needs to be made. 



The rock itself is very similar throughout, a white, more rarely blue,] 

 crystalline limestone, very hard in texture. The whole mass of hills con- 

 sists of vertical cliSs, except where denudation has thrown down piles of | 

 talus, and these and the upper parts of the cliffs are covered with a dense] 

 vegetation of shrubs and trees, often of considerable size. The top of thei 

 mass is split up into ridges with broken cliffs, so that ascent to the upper parti 

 is in most places quite impossible ; and the accessible spots on the top are] 

 of very restricted area, so that exploration of the upper parts of the ridgel 

 is very difficult. It is on these upper ridges that the wild goat {Nemorh(edus)\ 

 is said to occur, but I could find no trace of its presence. It is well! 



