123 
I was hospitably received at Salema by CHE KARIM, and 
met there the Colonial Secretary and the officers who had 
accompanied him. They had reached Selama on the pre- 
vious (Friday) evening. As I ascertained from Mr. BIRCH 
that there was no prospect of any occurrence in which my 
services or those of my Malays were likely to be called for, I 
left Selama on the following morning by boat, and returned 
to Butterworth. 
The route which I followed to Selama is not the best one. 
Instead of starting from Tasek, I ought to have started from 
Sungei Kechil near the boundary pillar on the right bank 
of the Krian, and so have avoided the route over the thirty- 
three hills. I am told that there is a good path from Sungei 
Kechil to Sungei Serdang; thence the route is as I have 
described it, but Selama would have been sooner reached if, 
instead of proceeding on foot from Dingin, I had gone by 
boat down that river to the point of its debouchure into the 
Krian, which is close to the Kwala Selama. The swamps 
and rivers are the principal obstacles to be encountered in 
making a good bridle-road from Sungei Kechil to Dingin, 
and the difficulties which they present are not serious, for I 
passed nothing except the Krian River which was not forda- 
ble. I saw no signs of stone suitable for road-making except 
in one place. After passing Sungei Trap, the present path is 
well defined in most places, but muddy and slippery in gene- 
ral and often blocked up by fallen logs. Leeches abound. 
I met only two parties of natives on the road in the whole 
distance, and I noticed fresh tracks of elephants and a tiger, 
showing that the road is not very much used. 
BUTTERWORTH, PROVINCE WELLESLEY, 
October, 1874. 
