2 KELANTAN AND GUNONG TAHAN. 



one of them culled Taratchin, is divided from the other by a 

 branch of the river, and is chiefly inhabited by Chinese. Form- 

 erly nearly all the business was done in this place, but the ever 

 changing river silted up just there, and now nearly all business 

 is transacted hi the native town, a little farther up river, where 

 there is deep water close in to the bank. The Rajah at the insti- 

 gation of the Siamese is now making' fairly good roads in every 

 direction through the town. Just before I arrived, there had 

 been a tremendous tire in the Chinese village, half of which 

 was burned down one night, when most of the inhabitants were 

 attending a fete given by the Rajah on account of his marriage 

 with the Rajah of Siugora's daughter : and a number of young- 

 children who were left alone in the houses were burnt to death. 

 The Rajah used this opportunity to make a broad street right 

 through the whole village, where there formerly had been only 

 narrow crooked paths. During my stay in Kota Bahru, before 

 going up stream, I was the guest of the Siamese Commissioner 

 and was intioduc'ed by him to the Rajah, who immediately 

 offered to provide me with boats and men for the trip up the 

 river. The present Rajah is a young man of about thirty-five 

 years, and owes his position to the Siamese, who on the death of 

 the old Rajah installed him as such, in preference to the rightful 

 heir, on the supposition that he would conform to their wishes. 

 So far the Siamese have interfered very little in the internal 

 affairs of Kelantan, keeping only a Commissioner there, who 

 acts as a sort of adviser to the Rajah, and a small garrison; but 

 signs are not wanting that they want to get a more direct con- 

 trol of affairs, and probably before very long Kelantan will be 

 to all purposes, except in name, a Siamese province. The 

 Rajah's palace is just in the middle of the town, and every 

 forenoon from about 10 to 1 o'clock he holds his court there, 

 afterwards going for a drive out to his villa, that he has built 

 in a garden outside the town. I visited him there one 

 afternoon, and found workmen everywhere building cages for 

 wild animals, and the Rajah told me he intended to start a small 

 Zoological Garden there. 



It was the dry season when I arrived in Kota Bahru and 

 the heat was very intense, the thermometer seldom going below 

 loo i n ihc daytime and 90* at night. The Kelantan river. 



