146 



GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES IN MALAYSIA AND ASIA, 



rajahs was at the mouth of the Kangsa river at its junction with 

 the river Perak. To this there was a good metalled road about 23 

 miles in length from Matting. This road was made through a low 

 pass in a range of mountains running north and south, and 

 dividing the valley of the Perak from the sea~coast. Kuala 

 Kangsa was the residence of Sir Hugh Low. 



I remained a longer time in the native state of Perak than in 

 any other locality during the whole course of my travels ; but I 

 was not resident for more than a few weeks at a time, at each 

 place. Thaiping was my central point, returning to and fro as 

 each exploration was completed. When I say exploration,' I do 

 not mean the examination of places which Europeans had never 

 visited before, for this did not often fall to my lot, but the 

 geological and zoological exploration, as well as making botanical 

 and zoological collections in nearly every place where I stayed. 



It would be confusing if I were to attempt to follow a chrono- 

 logical order in the journeys made, so I must content myself 

 with merely stating what were the places or districts visited in 

 the course of my travels. 



One of the first expeditions was in a large canoe down the 

 river Pernk, as far as its junction with the Kinta, and then, by 

 means of this river, exploring much of the interior of the country 

 drained by tributaries of the Perak. There is a range of moun- 

 tains between the river Perak and the sea-coast, and both 

 the range and the river pursue a nearly north and south direction. 

 The eastern side of the valley of the Perak is a detached range of 

 mountains, dividing the Kinta from the Perak ; and where this 

 range terminates to the southward the Kinta joins the Perak, 

 and they form one stream for about 40 miles where the Perak 

 discharges into the ocean. Almost opposite to its mouth is the 

 group of islands known as the "Dindings," amidst which I 

 remained dredging for some time. 



I left my canoe at the junction of the Kinta, and proceeded up 

 the latter river in a small steam-launch belonging to the Perak 

 Government This effected a great economy in time, as the 



