CHAPTER III. 



VISIT TO JAHORE GUNONG PULOI. 



On the -way — Gambling — River-travel — In the Forest — Vegetation — A 

 Resting-place — Tropical Fruits— Breed of Dogs — On the summit — 

 WUd Animals — Wild Men — Sale of Women. 



<^ "^ This mountain lies about twenty-five miles north-west ^ /i^/ 

 of the native town of Jahore, and is a trifle over 2,000 

 feet in height. To reach it from Singapore, one must 

 take post-horses or the coach which runs daily to Krangi, 

 a police-station on the margin of the " Old Strait," and 

 thence little steam ferry-boats carry one on to Jahore, 

 from which place the mountaia is reached partly in boats 

 via the Scudai river, and partly on foot through the forest. 

 I had agreed to visit the Puloi mountaia in company 

 with the government botanist, and leaving Singapore 

 early, we reached Jahore about 3 p.m., after several little 

 stoppages on the way. The ride from Singapore to 

 Krangi was a very pleasant one to me, fresh as I was 

 from the " old country." The roads are remarkably 

 smooth, and of a bright red colour, their margins friaged 

 with orchards of tropical fruits or rows of betel-nut palms. 

 Here and there are patches of sugar-cane, tapioca, or 

 indigo, little plots of great-leaved bananas, while at in- 

 tervals one catches passing glimpses of neat white bun- 

 galows nestling amid tall cocoa-nut groves. Arriving at 

 Krangi, hot and dusty, we rested some time in a clean 



