MY TRIP TO BKLUM. 119 



passed through some fine forest with good merbau trees. No 

 one cuts them, for no one has need of timber up here. We 

 kept the Perak river on our left, at a distance of about five 

 miles all the way and camped at 5 p.m., on the Singor river at 

 Kuala Bubong. The Singor is a fine river with a considerable 

 volume of water and may be compared for size to the Plus.- 



Our camp was on the habitat of semut api (a large black 

 ant), which bites painfully and is feared by Malays. A good 

 deal of sweeping and some kerosene oil drove them away. 



Just before we reached our camping ground, an accident, 

 which might have been serious but was fortunately only laugh- 

 able, occurred. Simmons and our Chaplain (Haji Hamat) 

 were riding on Meh Mas (the golden girl), and she was being 

 immediately followed by Bogek up a steepish bank. 



Bogek is a queer-tempered elephant, and as Meh Mas was 

 climbing too slowly to please him, he dug her in the rump with 

 his tusks and over she rolled. Her small gembala and the two 

 occupants of her saddle (rengka) were thrown out but luckily 

 without bruises. 



On the 29th, we broke camp at 8 a.m., and travelled on 

 elephants up the Singor river through pleasing scenery as far 

 as Pineris, which we reached at 10 a.m. Just before we got 

 there, we saw a most magnificent ara tree (ficus) on the 

 opposite bank. I have rarely seen a better specimen. 



All the people have left Pineris and moved to Banding on 

 the Perak river. It seems a great pity that a place so beauti- 

 fully situated and so well planted up should have been deserted. 

 There is padi land below it, but not sufficient water for regular 

 irrigation, and it has never been tilled. The settlement was 

 formed in 1904 to check the raids of Legeh men who came in 

 to look for kayu gakaru* and in that direction it was success- 

 ful. Berkeley gave the settlers poultry and seedlings, appoint- 

 ed an Assistant Penghulu, and built a halting bungalow and 

 school. But the first year locusts ate most of their crop of hill 



* This scented agila-wood is found in the heart of one or two trees 

 generally in the tengkaras (Malay) or depu (Patanij. 



R. A. Soc, No. 54, I9C9 



