JOURNEY ACROSS THR MALAY PENINSULA. 15 
im a journey down this rapid, where a good many fatal acci- 
dents have occurred, and even tried his best to make us walk 
to Pichong, but this we refused to do, and sending all our non- 
waterproof baggage, watches, &c. by land with the Sikhs, ew 
started again on the rafts. 
The river from Jeram Bésti to Pichong runs through a long 
winding gorge, and the channel of the stream passing con- 
tinuously between walls of bed rock and piles of immense 
detached boulders, is nothing but a series of more or less for- 
midable rapids which succeed each other with somewhat 
confusing speed, but it is an exciting amusement, which we 
would not willingly have missed. We reached Ptichong at 
12.45 p.m., very hungry indeed, and the coolies carrying our 
baggage arriving at the same time, we sat down on the high 
bank of the river as we could get no shade and made a rather 
uncomfortable meal. People were washing for gold in the bed 
of the river in several places below the last rapid. From 
Pichong nearly all the Séger people returned, and we started 
again at 2.20 p.m. with our own people doing most of the 
poling. Tou Kut however still accompanied us. 
At 2.45 p.m. we met the Orang Kaya Liris with a number 
of very small boats, a lot of men, and a Malay band, and when 
Gites, Lister and I had changed from our rafts into boats, we 
went on again at 3.35 p.m., and reached Pénjum at 6.30 P.., 
dark except for the hght of the moon now about fifteen days 
old. I went down with the Orang Kaya in his boat and as it 
leaked got wet through. 
A great reception awaited us at Pénjum; the high bank 
which rises from the river in three terraces was crowded 
by people some fifty of whom carried torches, their light 
strongly reflected by the river, here crowded with boats and 
rafts, made the effect very striking. As we hurried up the 
rough steps cut in the soil, a salute of many guns was fired, 
and the Orang Kaya, leading me by the hand, ushered us into 
a house which had been prepared for us, and made us as com- 
fortable as possible with the means at his command. The 
“band ” had played with great perseverance all down the 
river. 
The distance travelled to-day was about sixteen and a half 
miles, and the general direction N.N.E. We did not get dinner 
