ON THE PATANI. 129 



These prahus are admirably suited for river traffic, and in some 

 instances carry about a hundred pikuls. 



From Patani to Kuala Nuchi the river's course lies for some 

 distance between extensive padi-fields, the banks clothed to a con- 

 siderable depth with the feathery bamboo, the graceful cocoa-nut 

 palm and other fruit trees ; at short intervals the brown atajps* of 

 the native huts peep out from amidst the redundant foliage, tawny 

 beauties gracefully draped in many-coloured robes gaze dreamily at 

 us as we pass along, and, combined with the. happy voices of 

 children add life and music to the scene. 



Further up the Patani lies Biserah, the principal river Tcampong 

 of the Jalor province, distant from the town of Patani in a straight 

 line about 25 miles, but double that, or even more, by river. 



Within a couple of miles of Biserah is situated a remarkable 

 idol cave to which I referred in my paper on Kota Grlanggi 

 published in this Journal (No. IX, June 1882). 



It did not occur to me at the time of writing that description 

 to state that the idols therein referred to are not carved out of the 

 rock as in the caves of Elephanta and others of note, but are built 

 of brick and stone and then plastered over. On coming to read 

 the article in print, however, when I returned to Singapore, it 

 struck me that it was an omission which might lead to erroneous 

 impressions, and therefore I take this opportunity of explaining : the 

 length of the cave, also, should have been printed 300 feet not 

 500. 



The hill in which this cave exists is the first of a series of 

 isolated cliffs which here begin to dot the plain and which are 

 but the outposts of a regular and connected series of limestone 

 ranges, precipitous, rugged and grand, which lie a little further to 

 the south. 



To the north-west, a bold mountain range with lofty peak rises 

 abruptly out of the level country, and is, I should say, not less 

 than 4,000 feet high, probably* more, but I have not ascended it 

 yet. It is known generally as Bukit Besar ; its base stretches over 

 a wide extent of country, and from all the plains around, for a 

 distance of twenty miles or more, and from some distance out at 

 * Palm-thatch. 



