GEOGRAPHY. 



a tidal creek. This is doubtless due to the information received 

 that the rivers to the north joined the Perak, which, in the 

 case of the Juru Mas and the Bruas, is very nearly correct." In 

 Dampier's Voyages (Ed. London, 17:29) I find three sketches of 

 the Peninsula. Two of these (vols. I and III) are introduced in 

 general maps. But the sketch in vol. II is on a larger scale 

 and is confined to the Straits. It is curious that while both the 

 former represent the Peninsula as widening- towards Malacca 

 and Johor, the latter, though ten years earlier in date than the 

 map in volume III, yet gives its true shape. But the names 

 on this sketch are most perplexing', there being indeed but five 

 that can be safely identified, — R. of Quedah, R. of Johore (the 

 only Native States shewn) Malacca, R. Formosa und Straights 

 of Singapore (round St. John's). The R. Perak is marked, 

 without being named, as a great estuary some 5 or 6 miles 

 wide, running for a distance of 30 miles N. E., with islands lying 

 in it of a larger size than Penang and the Dindings. It may 

 be conjectured that this is intended to represent the whole water- 

 system, including R. Kinta and Batang Padang. There is also 

 the same confusion with regard to a supposed connection between 

 the R. Perak and the rivers to the North, that Major McXair 

 noticed in Loubere's map ; the river Songi-bacoas (Baroas ?) is 

 represented as joining the Perak about 30 miles from the sea. 

 The later Dutch map, already referred to, makes the same mistake, 

 probably through copying these older maps. It is at the same 

 time possible that the Bruas was once counected, artificially or 

 naturally, with the R. Perak ; and this supposition is to some 

 extent supported by the unusual quantity of mud silted at the 

 " Kwala" of that river, which is out of all proportion to the size 

 of the present stream ef the Bruas. It is more probable however 

 that the supposed junction of the Perak and Bruas was intended 

 to represent the old connection between Larut and Kwala Kangsaj 

 as represented in the map I come to next, that of the R. Perak 

 by Captain Forrest compiled from his own surveys 100 years 

 later, in 17 S3, (voyage to the Mergui Archipelago, London 1792.) 

 This tracing gives the lower part of the river very correctly. 

 Col. Low who w r as sent to Perak on a political mission in 1826 

 acknowledges that it was by the help of this chart alone that 

 H. M. S. " Antelope/' 20 guns, got into the river (I. A. Journal 

 vol. IV. p. 4-99) . Above the Dutch Factory, which Capt. Forrest 

 refers to as being " re-established" at Tanjong Put us, the plan of 

 the river gets much confused . This portion of the journey was per- 

 formed " in a country covered boat in which the writer went up 

 ". to pay his respects to the King of Perak ;" and from this point 

 Capt. Forrest evidently found it more difficult to take correct ob- 

 servations. He seems to have met the King at Sayong, unless he 



