228 MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. 



" Having breakfasted at Bukit Putus, the frontier police sta- 

 tion," we left Captain Murray and walked that afternoon to Sri 

 Menanti ; a hard walk ; we did not get our dinner till 9 P. M. 

 and slept in the former barracks of the detachment of H. M/s 

 10th Regiment, on Tunku Hantah's invitation. It is now 

 used as a kind of balei. 



" Next morning webreakfasted at the foot of GihiongPdsir. So 

 far the path is well-known ; and at least two gentlemen pre- 

 sent have followed it. We passed for instance an illustrious; 

 padl field, not unknown to fame, and in which one's thoughts 

 reverted to the distinguished traveller who lias just shewn us 

 the way to make our fortunes (Mr. Daly); but from Gunonc/ 

 Pnsir to Ratnbau it is different. 1 can only find one account 

 of a previous journey across Bukit Pabti, that of Mr. Charles 

 Gray in 1825, whose journey is described in the Indian Archi- 

 pelago Journal vol, VI.. and who is still well remembered in 

 Malacca from the circumstance of his death occurring a few 

 days after his return. He, however, Appears to have approach- 

 ed the pass from the Rambau side, and to Lave left it on the 

 Sri Menanti side, by different roads to those I pursued ; and 

 this short piece of country ( which Mr. Skinner pointed out on the 

 new Map) from Pabei through Sri Le/nak to Mesjid Nfrdsa 

 and Bandar, had not before been crossed by any European. The 

 journey from Bandar to Malacca is comparatively well-known ; 

 and I cannot help thinking that if it were also known that the 

 path from there to Sri Menanti were so good a one, firm and 

 dry, and in fact a bridle-path for several miles of the way — it 

 would more frequently have been used, particularly during 

 the recent military occupation of the NrL'ri Snnbilan. I 

 should add that it is well known to the Natives, and even to 

 the Sungei Ujong police Peons. I had the best proof of this, 

 for at the top of the pass {PZrherdian Tengah — about 1300 feet 

 high.) while resting to take breath we counted 30 souls : a party 

 of 11 or 12 Malays having come up from either side while we 

 were restinc?. We both passed and met many others ; and similar 

 parties had been passed goin^ in and out of Sunaei Ujong by 

 Bukit Putus Pass. No doubt the rice famine which is now be- 

 ing felt in Sri Menanti. explains the unusually lar^e numbers. 

 They are going " to buy corn in Egypt. 5 ' On the Rambau 

 side I was told they could buy 5 gantangs for a dollar ; in Sri 

 Menanti only 3 \ gantangs. Rambau is just now a favoured 

 land in other respects. The high price of Tapioca has been 

 made known ; and as so much of its waste lands are well-suit- 

 ed tor its cultivation, fresh clearings, even around Pabei, are 

 numerous, Many of these are in Malay bauds, cleared and 



