186 THE HISTORY OF THE PENINSULA. 
whose chief was Laksamana, Nyiur Chondong. said by the 
~ rhapsodist to be in Malacca. These two tales of Muar, I was 
told by the rhapsodists, deal with events comparatively recent 
as compared with those of other peninsula tales. ~ 
Mr. Wilkinson finds more conclusive evidence of © ‘powerful 
Buddhist states like that of Langkasuka” in the North than 
of any permanent colonies in the South. The folk-tales per- 
haps bear out this theory. There are far more of them in the 
north than elsewhere, a number as yet uncollected. The hero 
in Awang Sulong is by origin. from Pati Talak Trengganu, 
whatever that may mean. , 
The “Tatap” and‘ ‘Prang Selampit ” are indisputably 
Kedah tales : and the tradition that ““ Lindangan Bulan” is an 
old name for Kedah has never been questioned by any rhapso- 
dist I have met, though it must be confessed that it is some- 
times the name of a princess also. I may add, that I have 
collected from Patani a tale ~ Raja Lotong” which like Sir 
William Maxwell “ Sri Rama” owes its source to the Ra- 
mayana, whose cycle provides the plots of that wa’ yang Kulit 
peculiar to the North. 
The boundary of the new Perak territory has brought into 
prominence a name of old-world fame, the river Langkasuka : 
it is to be hoped that the entrance of European officers into 
the states now taken over may. throw fresh light on the for- 
gotten history of primitive settlements in the peninsula. 
Meanwhile, I would urge, that the collection of simple folk- 
tales is not quite such an idle-cmploynent as it many at first 
sight appear. 
IT append a brief ae of various tales, giving the 
names of all the places to which allusion is made in them. 
Perhaps others may be able to identify places unknown to me. 
It is interesting to note how Bengkalis just across the 
Malacca Straits comes into several of the tales, northern and 
southern. 
Raja Ambong reigned ever Tanjong Bima. His cousin, 
a man of Linggi, lived at Kuala Limau Purut, seven days’ sail 
away but to be reached also overland by crossing a laut tawar. - 
Tour, Straits Branch 
