A TRIP TO GUNONG BLUMtJT. $9 



pore, made their appearance, and the latter gave us quar- 

 ters in his house, a fine large one conveniently close to the 

 creek which forms the landing place. After dinner we pro- 

 duced the Maharaja's letter, and it was then agreed by the 

 Malays assembled that we must be helped on our journey, 

 and Dato' Derasap (the Penghulu) was to have the letter 

 explained to him next morning. 



Next morning, 23rd, we set off along a path passing first 

 through the kampong and then through the jungle for the 

 "Kangka" (settlement) of Tan Tek Seng the "Kangchu" 

 (river-head) of this district, which we reached after a walk 

 of about a mile. We found Tek Seng ready to sell us some 

 of his rice, and very civil ; he regaled us with tea, sweets, 

 and some splendid oranges fresh from China, which I never 

 saw the like of out of Gibraltar. From some rising ground 

 at the back of his house in a pepper garden he shewed us a 

 view of Panti and Mcutabak. Che Kasim vigorously denied 

 that the keel-like end of Panti was called Banang and the 

 far end Panti, (as I had been informed by an old experienc- 

 ed guide, Che Moa of Panchur, sent with me by the Maha- 

 raja on a former tripj, saying that Gunoiig Banang was in 

 a different part of the country; it is true that there are 

 hills of that name on the West coast of Johor near the 

 month of the Batu Pahat river, but it is so common for the 

 same name to occur more than once that I do not see in 

 that any reason for disbelieving the statement of Che Moa. 

 On our return to Kota Tinggi we heard that the steam- 

 launch was at Pcngkalan Pctei, and we were only kept from 

 paying it a visit by the still persistent rain. Meanwhile a 

 message came from Tek Seng inviting us to dine with him 

 at 4.30 p. m., and we were making ready to set off again for 

 the " Kangka," when a Malay boy brought word that a 

 " kapal api' ; was coming down the river ; so Ave ran down to 

 the landing-place paid after waiting a few minutes heard 

 tlie " puff- puff " of the launch long before we saw her ; we 

 " cooehed" and shouted " stop her" as loud as we could, and 

 had the satisfaction of seeing her turn round after she 

 had passed our creek, and make for it again, where she 

 Was fastened to a stake near the bank ; Hullett and I 

 went out to her ill a jalor, and made ourselves known to 

 Hill. We of course plied him freely with questions on the 

 subject of Blumut and the way to it, we gathered that we 

 should get there without great difficulty; not more than half 

 a mile of swamp on the way, The height was 3,190 ft. by his 



