MEMOIR OF THE LATE MR. WILLIAM JACK. 
extract is made, that Mr. Jack appears to 
have accomplished the task of reaching to 
the summit of Gunong Benko, or the 
Sugar-loaf Mountain, in the interior of 
Bencoolen, where it rises to a height of 
seven thousand seven hundred and ninety 
seven feet above the level of the sea, and 
of which he has given the following inter- 
esting account, in the second volume of 
the Malayan Miscellanies. 
“This mountain, which stands detached 
from the regular range of hills, forms, by 
its peculiar and remarkable shape, an ex- 
cellent landmark on this part of the coast. 
It lies about eighteen miles N. E. of Ben- 
coolen, but its exact position and distance 
have never been correctly ascertained. 
Two attempts had been made by Euro- 
peans, to ascend the mountain, but with- 
out success; and, a general impression 
prevailed, that it was utterly impracticable 
to gain the summit. Remarkable moun- 
tains, of this description, are generally be- 
lieved, by the natives, to be the residence 
Of spirits, and their summits are consi- 
dered as Kramats, or places of peculiar 
sanctity A Kramat of this nature was 
said to exist on the top of the Sugar-loaf, 
and it was reported that the natives some- 
times adventured to visit it, from motives 
of superstition. It was therefore resolved 
to make another trial, in the expectation 
that it might afford the means of correct- 
ing and extending the observations al- 
ready commenced on the coast, with a 
View to a more accurate survey of this 
part of the country. 
“A party of gentlemen accordingly pro- 
d from Bencoolen, on the 10th of 
June, 1821, for the purpose of effecting 
this object. They crossed the Bencoolen 
sin a little above Tanjung Agung, and 
oceeding through the Lumba Selapan 
district, halted the first night at Lubu 
Pooar, a small Rejang village on the 
> of a stream which falls into the 
y Lamow. Thus far the journey 
Was deecenpliah’ on horse-back, but it 
_ Was found impracticable to carry the horses 
_ ny farther, and the party p on 
.. foot to Punjong, a respectable village situ- 
141 
ated on the banks of the Simpang-ayer, 
and the residence of the Pasirah of the 
tribe of Marigi, the chief of the four, into 
which the Rejangs are divided; the others 
are called Bermani, Saloopu, and Joru 
Kallang. On the third day, they reached 
Rejak Bessi, the last village in the direc- 
tion of the mountain, where they rested 
for the night. It is situated on the Ayer 
Kiti, a stream which falls into the Sim- 
pang-ayer below Punjong. The journey 
from Lubu Pooar to this, might with ease, 
have been accomplished in one day in- 
stead of two, had the weather permitted. 
“The mountain was now to be at- 
tempted, and, in order to ensure success, 
it was arranged to pitch a small tent in the 
forest, in case the ascent could not be 
accomplished in one day. From Rejak 
Bessi, they proceeded over hilly ground 
gradually rising for about five miles, when 
they found their progress impeded by the 
increasing steepness of the ascent, and 
then halted under an over-hanging rock, 
where the tent was pitched, as it was im- 
possible to carry it any further, even if 
space could have been found to erect it 
on. e course from Rejak Bessi was 
through deep forests, which precluded 
them from seeing the mountain. 
view they had of it was at Rejak Bessi, 
which it appeared to over-hang, and whence 
they were able to form some idea of the 
difficulties they were likely to encounter 
from the steepness of the ascent, and the 
precipitousness of the declivities. Soon 
after quitting Rejak Bessi, they crossed a 
small river on a temporary bamboo bridge, 
thrown across a deep chasm between two 
rocks, which confined the stream within a 
narrow channel, after being precipitated 
over a fall of considerable height. A fine 
view of this fall was commanded from the 
bridge, which was itself suspended about 
one hundred feet above the stream, and 
the whole formed, with the surrounding 
forests, a beautiful and romantic scene. 
t About ten o'clock, they commenced the 
ascent of the cone, along the rocky bed of 
a mountain-torrent, until they arrived in 
front of a perpendicular face of bare rock, 
3 
