5-62 Sketch of the State of Muar, Malay Peninsula. [Sept. 



with fishermen, swarm with pirates. These remarks may be applied 

 generally to the whole of the peninsula under native sway, though to 

 Muar more particularly ; the whole of which country appears to be 

 one almost uninterrupted mass of jungle and swamp, if we can except 

 a few straggling villages and clearings. Cultivated rice grounds 

 have degenerated into barren marshes — an enormous forest, abound- 

 ing with wild elephants, overshadows a soil naturally rich and prolific ; 

 while the gaunt rhinoceros and uncouth tapir stalk unmolested over 

 spots which, if tradition belies them not, were once the sites of large 

 and populous towns. 



Such is the melancholy picture of the effects of misrule which this un- 

 happy country presents to the eye of the ti*aveller, who cannot avoid 

 being sensibly touched by this forcible, though silent, appeal for me- 

 lioration. 



The principal villages are Bokko, Langkat, Gressik, Ring, Segdmet, 

 Pagoh and Pangkdlang K6ta, the residence of the chief, on the river, 



Produce and Revenue. — The produce of the country consists of a 

 little rice, sago, ivory, ebony, gold dust, tin, wax, aloe-wood, gum 

 benzoin, camphor (small in quantity and of inferior quality), ratans 

 of the kinds Battu and Jagga, Dammer Battu, Dammer Miniak, 

 jaggery, Lakko wood, and Guligas, stones extracted generally from 

 the heads of porcupines, and in much repute among Malays for 

 medicinal purposes. 



The chief has been empowered by the late Sultan of Joh6re to levy 

 an impost upon every bhar of tin exported, of 1^ Spanish dollars. 



One hundred bundles of ratans, 1 do. do. 



One bhar of ebony, 1| do. do. 



One koyan rice imported, 2 do. do. 



One koyan salt ditto, ; 1 do. do. 



One katti of opium ditto, 20 do. do. 



On smaller articles he levies a duty of 5 per cent. He has the 

 power of exacting the gratuitous labour of his subjects, and deiives 

 some emolument from the fines he inflicts on them at pleasure. 



Government. — Muar is under the sway of a chief bearing the title of 

 Tumungong, who is a vassal of Johrfre. Under the Tamungong are 

 eight Panghtiltis, four of whom are styled Ampat de Ilir — the remain- 

 der, Ampat de Ulu. The former are the Panghulus of Gressik, Bukit, 

 Rdya, Liang Battu, and Ring ; — the latter, those entitled Besar, Tan- 

 jong, Daggang, and Muncal. There is nominally a mosque under each 

 Panghulu, but in that of Umbum alone is the Juma-ahad held. This 

 is in the jurisdiction of the Panghulu besar. The customs enjoined by 

 the code termed Undang Undang Maldyu ; and the Mahommedan law 



