130 MY TRIP TO BifiLUM. 



beautiful serigala (jackal) like a red fox, heard the cry of the 

 Argus pheasant {kuivang raya) several times, and was interest- 

 ed to watch about a dozen little birds (merbah) dipping down 

 repeatedly from low branches to take their bath in the river. 

 They were not after food but were just half diving into the 

 water. At 11 a.m., we reached the Seniang rapid, and as ours 

 was the leading raft, we stopped and took 20 minutes to cut 

 away overhanging branches. Then, we plunged through. It 

 was quite exciting. We reached Kuala Kedah at 12.20 and 

 landed at Haji Mudin's kampong at Banding ten minutes later. 

 This is the new settlement to which the people from Pineris 

 have migrated. It can be watered as far as Palut for irrigation 

 purposes from the Kedah it is said, but it should be thoroughly 

 examined by a Public Works Officer before these poor people 

 are induced to make a second settlement. With the help of 

 Haji Mudin and the Assistant Penghulu, I made a census and 

 found that there were 51 people of both sexes and all ages. I 

 walked through the clearings and met a number of Sakai of the 

 Kunchiau tribe (about 20 men, women and children), all with 

 short curly hair. One fine young fellow stood 5 feet 10 inches, 

 but the others were short though not diminutive. Three of 

 the women had tiny babes at the breast. They tried to run 

 away when they saw me, but we induced them to come back 

 and chat. In the old days the Eajas used to take their children 

 to be slaves, and sometimes, of course, the parents, if they 

 resisted, w T ere killed. W 7 e left Banding at 1.35 p.m., negotiated 

 the Palut rapid which is rather nice, passed Bukit Tali Kail 

 (hill of the fishing line) — the boundary laid down in the Siamese 

 Treaty of 1899 and marked with a stone — and went on to 

 Jeram Chenoh. We reached it at 3.15 and dashed through it. 

 It is a fine jump down one ledge, but the water did not wet 

 the rumah rakit. At 3.40 we passed the mouth of the Singor. 

 This fine river, which I have previously mentioned, empties 

 itself into the Perak at a rocky delta. The chief part of the 

 stream comes surging through rocks not more than 20 feet 

 apart. After having passed over 25 rapids, we stopped for the 

 night opposite Kuala Eengkam. It was 4.45, and the men 



Jour, Straits Branch 



