Medical Topography of Malacca. 53 



activity in these pent-in forest jungle tracts. This, to the European, 

 or uninured native constitution, is fatal ; but to the Jakoon, or child 

 of the forest, whose breath has been drawn in with the same effluvia 

 for years, even from his infancy, it is innocuous. Dr. Oxley and his 

 party, however, could not boast this guarantee, and they suffered for 

 their imprudence. It is perfectly safe to visit Mount Ophir at any 

 time during the dry season; not so safe during the rains, were it 

 indeed practicable ; and unsafe and attended with imminent danger 

 to do so immediately after the rains. A month should be allowed 

 first to elapse, to evaporate the condensed moisture, &c. 



On advancing further into the interior, the country becomes 

 more mountainous, a series of elevations, these being covered with 

 dense forest ; trees of gigantic growth, and great beauty. The val- 

 lies are mostly converted into paddy fields, termed sawahs : occasional 

 partial clearances are likewise met with on the more elevated grounds, 

 near to the Malayan villages, these are sown with rice, and termed 

 ladungs ; of course less productive than the former, but requiring 

 less labour, and the Malay abominates extra labour. 



Within the territory of Malacca, three hot sulphurous springs are 

 met with, of these two are most deserving of notice. The first is 

 that in the Nanning district, situated two and a half miles beyond, or 

 to the north of Fort Lismone, and nineteen miles in that direction 

 from town. The other is situated in the opposite direction from the 

 town, viz. at Rheim, in Assahan, to the north-east, and distant sixteen 

 and a half miles. I have visited the former, tasted its water, and 

 bathed in it. It arises from several springs, dispersed over a surface 

 of some twenty yards square, forming a pond of this extent ; the 

 surface of which is continually covered with a dense vapour, and 

 bubbles of gas are here and there seen rising to the surface. Con- 

 tiguous to these, public baths have been erected by Government. 

 The individual spring from which the baths are supplied, is bricked 

 in as a well, 6 feet deep ; water clear, with possibly a shade of bluish- 

 green ; temperature 1 20° Fahrenheit, and evolving sulphuretted hydro- 

 gen. It contains sulphur and iron ; I however send a bottle of the 

 water for chemical analysis by the Company's Analytical Examiner at 

 Calcutta, as I am not aware* whether it has yet been subjected to as 

 critical an analysis as it seems to deserve ; and I hope to be favoured 



