GEOGRAPHY. 53 



be gathered, from the boundaries assigned to Province Wellesley, 

 that it was compiled by the Dutch authorities between 1800 and 

 1828 — probably during their brief re-occupation of Malacca. 

 This map is almost exactly reproduced, though on a smaller scale 

 and with fewer particulars, by that to which Mr. Moniot's name 

 is attached ; a fact which will sufficiently indicate how inade- 

 quate such a sketch must be at the present time. But it was 

 not till after the Perak War (June 1870) that any better, or in- 

 deed any other map of the whole Peninsula was to be obtained ; 

 and I have therefore had a copy made of it, as well as a copy 

 reduced to the same scale from the large map now under prepar- 

 ation. I had intended to contrast them in one and the same 

 sketch ; but on second thoughts it will be simpler to keep them 

 separate; and the later, and certainly more correct map, though 

 too small to give many names, may perhaps be useful for 

 reference. It marks roughly the outlines of the Malay States, 

 the mountain-chains, and the river systems, as known up to the 

 present time (1878) ; and also the routes of the principal journeys 

 in the interior of which we have any record. 



Having described at some length the only official map published 

 during the ninety years our Government had been paramount in 

 the Straits, prior to Sir A Clarke's intervention in the Native 

 States of the Peninsula, I may here refer more briefly to what has 

 been done since that time. Immediately after the Pang'kor Treaty 

 (January 1874) a party explored the route from Larut to Kwala 

 Kangsa, and thence down the R. Perak to the sea. This may 

 be considered the key to the geography of Perak in the North, 

 just as the common source of the R. Muar and the southern 

 branch of the R. Pahang is the key to the geography of the 

 South of the Peninsula, and the knowledge of the country be- 

 tween the Northern branch of the R. Pahang and the R. 

 Kelantan, is the key to the geography of the Interior of the 

 Peninsula. On both these latter districts much light was thrown 

 in 1875 by the journeys of Messrs. O'Brien and Daly and 

 M. de Mikluho-Maelay respectively. Thus within 18 months 

 of the Pangkor Treaty, our Government had obtained more 

 important information than had been collected during the ninety 

 years prior to that event. I will refer to these journeys at greater 

 length presently ; I only mention them here in explanation of the 

 two official maps published in 1870, which mark a great advance 

 in our knowledge of the country. The first in point of date, and, 

 strange to say, the most accurate in every respect, is one which 

 apparently owed its existence to the Perak war. It was publish- 

 ed by the Home Authorities in Blue-Book C. 1512 (June 1870) 

 and was " compiled from sketch surveys made by Capt. Innes, 



