88 A TEIP TO GTTNONG BLtTMTJf . 



A mile further on is Tanah Seroh, (Sunken soil) the scene 

 of a terrible catastrophe said to have taken place long ago, 

 a sudden subsidence of the soil which buried the whole 

 kampong with its inhabitants. This calamity is attributed 

 to a tremendous fall of rain brought about by the unlucky 

 conduct of a boy in swinging a frog in a cloth like a child. 

 There is a similar legend prevailing about a kampong 

 named Kelebur in Pahang, which likewise met with sadden 

 destruction owing to the misconduct of two little girls. Not 

 far above this at a bend of the river on the same side Batu 

 Sawa comes into view, with red and white soil shewing on 

 the bank where the river has eaten into rising ground. 

 Just beyond is Tanjong Putus (severed Point) indicating no 

 doubt the spot which the river, as it of ten does during the 

 rainy season, has cut right across the neck of a bend and 

 made for itself another channel. A short way beyond on 

 the left may be descried with some trouble a tiny creek 

 which bears the name of Danau Sera, (Midge Lake) ; it 

 widens out a little way from the main stream into a lake, 

 which from its name may be supposed to rejoice in swarms 

 of a little stinging creature more minute than the redoubt- 

 able " agas" (sand-fly). Turning our eyes once more to the 

 right we find ourselves facing Pengkalan Rarnbei [Ranibei- 

 tree, (bearing a well-known fruit) Ian ding-place], not far below 

 Sungei Dainar (Pitch tree River) ; and close above this latter 

 is Kota Tinggi, once the residence of Royalty ; the only re- 

 maining marks of its former greatness however are slight 

 traces of a fort, and two cemeteries, one close to the kampong 

 surrounded by a low wall of laterite and containing the 

 tombs of the former sovereigns, and the other nearly a mile 

 off in the jungle which contains the tombs, some of them 

 handsomely carved, of the Bundaharas, the predecessors, it 

 is said, of those who took charge and ultimately became 

 the independent rulers of Pahang ; among these is also the 

 tomb of one Yam-Tuan. It is much to be regretted that 

 none of these tombs have any inscription or even a date. 

 Behind the kampong is Padang Saujana a wide plain the 

 further part of which is well stocked with cocoanut palms 

 and various fruit-trees ; this may be looked upon as a sign 

 of former prosperity, in fact it is frequently the only indica- 

 tion remaining of human occupation in places once well 

 peopled and highly prosperous. 



We reached Kota Tinggi at 5 p. in. and in half an hour the 

 Penghulu and Che Kasim, a Malay acquainted with Singa- 



