68 Account of Rumbdwe, one of the [Feb. 



stated that Dholl Sayad had a manufactory for gun-powder during his 

 late resistance to the Company's troops. 



Leaving Chirdna putih to the left, the path abruptly turns to the right, 

 over or rather through a muddy sdwah, and leads towards the foot of 

 Gdnong Tampin. Along the skirt of this mountain, through a dense 

 forest, the party had to travel in Indian file, the narrow foot-path being 

 in several places blocked up by large forest trees lying across to Qabar 

 Feringi, or the Frank's grave, which is a mere mound in the jungle. 

 This is one of the boundary marks of the Rumbdwe and Naning territo- 

 ries, and is traditionally said to be the grave of a Portuguese officer, 

 slain by the natives in one of those frequent skirmishes which took 

 place between the followers of the gallant Albuquerque and the " re- 

 bellious Menangkdbdwes." The path to Cdnddng, from Qabar Feringi, 

 lay through the jungle at the foot of the Rumbdwe range, and gradually 

 improved as we approached that village. Cdnddng is a populous hamlet, 

 the first in the Rumbdwe side of the boundary line, and is situated at the 

 foot of the mountain of Gdnong Rumbdwe, on whose steep sides, amidst 

 luxuriant forests, appeared singular patches of partially cleared ground, 

 and a few rude huts, the habitation of the lords of the woods and rocks, 

 the Jakdns. None of their sylvan eminences however, nor their 

 attendant Hamadryades, condescended to favor the party with their 

 appearance. 



From Cdnddng to Pddang Ldko, the forest decreased in size and 

 denseness, and here and there were traces of clearing and cultivation. 

 A few small verdant patches, not deserving the name of plains, and 

 two or three rivulets, were passed through. The distance from Cdnddng 

 to Pddang Ldko is about three miles. 



From Pddang Ldko to L'igon, the road is bad, passing for the most 

 part over heavy rice-grounds. The cultivation increased progressively 

 as the belt of forest, the natural boundary between Naning and Rumbdwe, 

 was left behind, until we reached the banks of the Rumbdwe river at 

 Ldgon. This stream was just fordable ; its waters muddy, and evident- 

 ly swoln by the rains. 



After passing by a miserable path over a very extensive and well 

 cultivated sheet of rice-ground, where the horses were frequently up 

 to the saddle flaps in mud, fording another stream, and crossing a 

 broad swampy plain, from the grassy tufts of which flew the startled 

 lapwing and whistling plover, the cavalcade halted before the mud fort 

 of Bander. From its gate issued a motley crowd of well-dressed 

 Malays, brandishing spears, muskets, pemurasses, (a sort of blunder- 

 buss,) and umbrellas of state, white and yellow, headed by the Muda 

 of Rumbdwe, and one of the sons of the Iang depertuan Besdr, Raja All 



