174 



A NATURALIST'S WANDERINGS 



CHAPTER IV. 



SOJOURN IN THE PALEMBANG EESIDENCY — COntinueJ. 



Leave Hoodjoong — Ueniiflation — Groat Anims— Sukau — Chiefs of the Eanau 

 region — Tandjons-djati on the Ranau Lake — The }iigh temperature of tlie 

 water — Birds, fishes, interesting insects — Banding Aeong — I'o Miiara 

 Daa-^Tlirough Kisam — Geological notes — Kiaani villages — Coat of 

 arms-^Writing, dress, religion of Kisani people. 



Leaving Hoodjoong in the end of January, I proceeded north 

 eastward towards Mount Siminung and tJie Eanau lake 

 district ; repassing on the way Kenali and Batu-brah, I crossed 

 the Semangka river near its head-« aters, as a small stream run- 

 ning in a A'ery deep valley of soft sandstone. In descending 

 the face of the valley the gigantic results of denudation were 

 very striking, where the rain of only one season had been 

 sufficient to excavate enormous ravines. Even the rain of a 

 few days had newly washed down thousands of tons' Aveight 

 from its slopes. From this cause the whole country was 

 exceedingly picturesque, sculptured out into singular and 

 rugged outlines, steep gorges and precipitous valleys. From 

 such a landscape one is able to picture faintly the effect of 

 this vast levelling agent working ceaselessly through cycles 

 of time, in carving and changing the face of the country and 

 in planing down the mountains and table-lands, even where 

 protected by virgin forest. 



From the crossing of the Semangka river the road to the 

 northward rises to the watershed of the rivers which fall on 

 the one hand south to the Semangka Bay, and on the other 

 into the lake Eanau and thence eastward by an arm of that 

 immense river system which drains the whole eastern side of 

 the Barisan range for more than 200 miles due north, and dis- 

 charges itself into the Java sea below the queer half-floating 

 town of Palembang. This mountain road, 3000 feet above the 



