130 ON THE PATANI. 



sea, it is a conspicuous and imposing feature in the view. About 

 four miles from the idol cave lies Kampong Raja, or Jalor ; here 

 the Raja resides in a plain atap building. He is surrounded by 

 a goodly number of native huts, and there is a considerable popu- 

 lation. There are extensive padi-fields which are worked on a 

 very good system of irrigation. The Raja of Jalor, to whom I 

 am indebted for much kindness, is an oldish man ; he possesses a 

 goodly number of elephants from which he derives a considerable 

 revenue ; his country lies chiefly on the west bank of the river, 

 although he also holds on both banks. About the same distance on 

 the opposite side in a south-easterly direction, lies Kota Bharu 

 in Raman, the seat of the Raja of that province. Raja Raman is a 

 man of liberal ideas and exceedingly anxious to cultivate a know- 

 ledge of European manners and customs ; he is a fair artisan and a 

 Nimrod in the jungle. 



At his court, which, like that of Jalor, consists of a series of 

 atap houses, are workmen skilled in the manufacture of spears, 

 krises, parangs and other weapons ; there are also good carvers in 

 wood and workers in gold. The Raja himself makes very hand- 

 some liowdalis of fine wrought rotan for his elephants, of which he 

 has the largest number of any Raja in the provinces, as he is con- 

 tinually capturing and breaking in fresh ones. He made me a pre- 

 sent of a very handsome howdah wrought by his own hands ; he is 

 affable and courteous, and any European visiting Kota Bharu may 

 rely upon a hospitable reception. 



Leaving this portion of the river, we now commence to pene- 

 trate into the wild mountain country of the interior, and as the 

 river wends its tortuous way in and out amongst mountain ranges, 

 many vistas of surpassing beauty open out to delight the eye ; the 

 river becomes more rapid, and beneath its rippling current may be 

 seen clear gravel beds and sandy bottoms over which dart myriads 

 of the finny tribe ; occasionally bold rocky masses start out from 

 beneath a mountain of foliage, and sheltered by these lie deep and 

 silent pools, curtained with overhanging tapestry, wrought in all the 

 wealth of colour and design which the luxuriance of tropical foliage 

 so lavishly supplies. In many of these pools excellent fish are to 

 be obtained, and, although I ought perhaps to blush for the un- 



