Vol. 69.] GEOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE MALAY PENINSULA. 345 



II. Present Configuration. 



The Malay Peninsula and the Malay Archipelago form together 

 ■a. very interesting portion of the earth. To quote Prof. Suess l : — 



' We have now arrived at one of the most instructive parts of the earth's 

 ^surface. Four elements combine to form it : the end of the Barman arc, the 

 southern branches of the virgation of the Philippines, the spurs of the great 

 cordillera of New Guinea, and, finally, the continent of Australia with the 

 cordillera which marks its eastern border and crosses Torres Strait.' 



Of the Malay Peninsula itself, Suess says (op. tit. p. 231): — 



' Fresh coulisses make their appearance in the south, and form the Malay 

 Peninsula .... In this way the mighty swell of the Altaides in Thibet 

 subsides and is dispersed. The whole continent becomes lower. Many 

 coulisses disappear. Only a few long branches are continued : on the east into 

 the cordillera of Annani ; on the west, always giving rise to fresh coulisses, 

 through the Malay Peninsula, and still further, to Java and beyond.' 



Again (op. tit. p. 233): — 



' East of this [Bandon] valley rises the second granite coulisse, likewise 

 tin-bearing. It emerges from the sea in the island of Koh Tau .... forms 

 "the hilly islands, Koh Pungum and Koh Samul . . . , and entering the Peninsula 

 becomes the Lakawn range, which thence onwards represents the axis of the 

 Peninsula. Still further south this long granite range breaks up into isolated 

 ridges and, associated with ancient sediments, reaches the sea near Singapore. 

 A series of cliffs and smaller islands reveals its continuity with the tin- 

 producitig islands of Banka and Billiton.' 



Unfortunately, the material on which Prof. Suess's description 

 is based is somewhat out of date, and consequently it is impossible 

 to agree with every point of it. I have dealt with the question of 

 the ' ancient sediments ' elsewhere, in connexion with another 

 publication. a There is good reason to believe that the Lakawn (or 

 Nakawn) Pange is distinct from the axis of the Peninsula ; and the 

 'long granite range' that forms this axis can hardly be described 

 as reaching the sea near Singapore. 



The accompanying sketch-map (PL XXXV) shows diagram- 

 matically the chief structural features of the Peninsula ; and, 

 although the States of Johore, Kelantan, Trengganu, and the 

 country between Kelantan and Singgora are of necessity left 

 almost entirely blank for want of information, it will be seen that 

 the greater part of the Peninsula has been covered. 



Xear the top of the map a range of hills will be seen trending 

 northwards from near Aior Star to Singgora. This range, which 

 has no distinctive name so far as I am aware, may be conveniently 

 referred to as the Kedah-Singgora Range. West of it the country 

 is low-lying and traversed by an earth road, by which one may 

 travel from Alor Star to the China Sea. This Kedah-Singgora 

 Eange, composed of quartzite aud shale, may be regarded as a 

 barrier cutting off the Peninsula proper from the Isthmus, and it is 

 "to the east of this range that the great main granitic axis of the 



1 ' The Face of the Earth ' vol. iii (1908) pp. 231-32, English translation. 



2 Greol. Mag. dec. 5, vol. vi (1909) pp. 330-32. 



2 A 2 



