68 PEBAK TO SLIM. 



nth February. 



We stopped for the tide, but started again at 5 a.m., and got 

 another oar to work ; we had the tide well with us, and, at last, at 

 9.30 a.m. reached the launch at Tunku Itam's place, having come 

 eighteen miles this morning, one hundred and thirty-eight from 

 Tanjong Blit, and one hundred and fifty from Slim Proper. 



The launch could go, at least, seventy miles higher up the river 

 than Eaja Itam's kampong. 



Last night and this morning we passed a number of houses, 

 fifty or sixty perhaps, usually five or six in one place, and almost 

 all new, but they look lost on this river, where three men-of-war 

 might steam abreast of each other. 



I went on shore at 2 p.m., and saw Eaja^ Itam, his youngest 

 brother, and his father-in-law, and had a long talk with them. 



I was able to put Eaja Itam and his people right on several 

 matters, though at first he appeared rather stubborn. He, like 

 others, appeared to think Bernam belonged to him solely, person- 

 ally, an inheritance from his father, and not only the Selangor side, 



but the Perak side of the river also. 



i 

 Having been present when Sultan Abdtjllaji's permission 



was given that Eaja Itam should, at present, be allowed to occupy 



the Perak side, I was fortunately able to make the real state of 



the case quite plain to him. One brother of his. Eaja Ikdtjt, has 



just gone up to the interior to start some tin mines and to get 



specimens of the coal found there. These last they have promised 



to send to me when procured. 



As to my journey down the river, Eaja Itam tells me, 

 that I was very fortunate to get here in so small a boat, as 

 the river is famed for its crocodiles, and at his place they are 

 so fierce that they will knock a man off a boat's side as high 

 out of the water as the bows of the launch, that is, three feet ! 

 All the people's bathing-houses here are made very high indeed 



