154 GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES IN MALAYSIA AND ASIA, 



.side of the dividing range. The avi-fauna manifested a marked 

 approach to that of China, and a slight variation from the Malayan 

 sub-province of the oriental region. 



The geology of the eastern Bide of the peninsula was also souie- 

 what exceptional and remarkable. Instead of the universal 

 prevalence of the granites und palaeozoic schists, slates, and lime- 

 stones of the western side of the divide, I found rather extensive 

 outcrops of andesitic traps at about 70 miles from the coast, 

 giving rise to subsidiary ranges of volcanic character and of 

 moderate height ; that is, from 1,500 to 2,000 feet. The physical 

 features of the country were not only much modified by these 

 ranges, but also, I believe, the flora and natural history as well. 

 The gold mines were found to be geologically similar in age ami 

 character to those of Australia. The gold had been found 

 originally in alluvial gravels, but latterly was derived from the 

 breaking up and washing of large quartz reefs. 



The flora did not differ materially from the general character 

 of the Malayan vegetation, but the collections were not surliciently 

 extensive to determine whether there was a larger proportion of 

 Chinese types than are usually met with on the west side of the 

 divide. The species of forest trees, generally speaking, did not 

 dift'er from those of Singapore, Malacca, ifcc, that is with a preva- 

 lence of rig-trees, fJipterocarptw, Dryobaianops, Shorea, Hopea, 

 Fagrtm, Artocarpus, Eugenia, Jambona, StercuUads, palms of the 

 genera Arenga, Licuala, Pinanga, Eugeissona, Borassus, Caryota, 

 Areca, and Nipa. Some of these are only cultivated. The river 

 flora, moreover, seemed to be such as prevails throughout the 

 whole Archipelago. The fresh- water moll usca differed but slightly 

 from that of the western rivers. Unto sub-trigonus and Unto 

 detphuius are as common in the river Pahang as at Malacca, and 

 in both places are used considerably as articles of food by the 

 natives. 



