564 Sketch of the State of Muar, Malay Peninsula. [Sept. 



of Johore, Abdal Jalil Shah III. He settled at a place called Pantei 

 Layang on the banks of the river, and ruled till 114© A. H„ when he 

 died succeeded by his son Padu'ka Tuan ; who, on his proceeding to 

 the court of Johdre, on the occasion of his father's demise, was invest- 

 ed by the Sultan Abdal Jalil with the title of Tumungong Paduka 

 Tuan. He died A. H. 1175, succeeded by his son Burok or Ahok, 

 who was confirmed by Sultan Abdal Jalil Shah IV., then resident 

 at Rhio, whither he had removed from Johdre. Burok died dXBunga 

 Tanjong on the Miiar river in 1214 A. H. leaving two sons, Konik 

 and Ibrahim. The former went to Lingga to present himself to Sultan 

 Mahmu'd III. by whom he was acknowledged as third Tumtingong of 

 Miiar. 



Konik died in 1246, A. H. leaving a son named Syed, the present 

 chief, who succeeded him : he also left a daughter. Syed proceeded 

 to Singapore, where he was confirmed by the late Sultan, Hussain 

 Shah I., whom the English had recently placed on the throne of his 

 ancestors. From him he obtained the title Tumungong Dattu Syed. 



It would appear from what has been advanced above, and by the 

 subsequent Boundary treaties, that Muar has always been feudal to 

 the Sultan of Johore since the time of their ancestors, the ancient 

 sovereigns of Singapore and Malacca. The Dutch, however, when in 

 possession of Malacca, appear to have claimed Muar, as in the map 

 of Valentyn the boundary line of the Dutch territory is made to 

 extend so far be)<ond the Muar river as the Rio Formoso. 



The Tumungong 's sway is confined to the villages immediately on 

 the banks of the Miiar river and on those of the stream of Segdmet, 

 which empties itself into the Muar about 12 miles above Pankdlang 

 Kota. He appears to be popular from his easy temper, and the inha- 

 bitants feel alarmed at the idea of any change being made in the 

 government by the Sultan of Johore. We had an interview with this 

 Malay chief at a village, about 1 8 miles up the river, called Gressik. 

 He acknowledges himself a vassal of Joh6re, and sends annually to 

 the Sultan the amount of a duty levied on the houses of the settlers 

 at Padang (one dollar per house) and 200 gumpits of rice. 



Malayan Albino. — On landing at Gressik I was struck by the sin- 

 gular appearance of a Malay lad, an Albino, standing under the shade 

 of a tree on the river bank. His skin was of a reddish white, with 

 blotches here and there, and thinly covered with short white hairs. 

 The eyes were small and contracted ; the iris of a very light vascular 

 blue ; the lids red, and fringed with short white lashes ; the eyebrows 

 scant and of the same colour ; the pupil much contracted from the 

 light. On calling him to come near he appeared to be ashamed. 



