IN THE E A ST Eli N ARCniPElAQO, 



161 



CHAPTER ITL 



SOJOURN Iir THE PALEMBAKG EESIDENCY. 



From B;itavia to Anjcr^ — liftnro to Telok-betong— Procee<l to Ifenoawang — 

 l^ve this for the bkku regioa — ^Camp M Sangiji— tJatiip in the 

 forest — I'hospliortscent dia[)lay — Caiup again in forest— Ilwich Bumi- 

 parlan^; — Paijs on to Batii-bralr— Description of the village — Move oa to 

 Kenali — Description of the village — Proceed to Houdiootrf;— Description of 

 the vilhige — Its tobacco industry — Its rice-fit^f^s— Plantiug and reapiag — 

 Superstitions~-<Joit re— Fauna and flora of the Beaagi volcano — Birda 

 and insects of the neighbourhood. 



Having despatched my collections to Eligland, in the middle 

 of December, 1 turned my steps once more to Sumatra, to 

 investigate the Highlands of the Bencoulen and Palembang 

 Kesideijcies. Just then, because of a break in the cable 

 between Anjet and Telok-betong, a Governjiient steamer was 

 plying to keep up commnnieatiun between the two stations, 

 which the authorities kindly allowed me to make use of, if I 

 should choose to proceed by that way. Accordingly, a day's 

 ride in a Kakar brought me to Anjer, where I renewed my 

 acquaintance with the beautiful view obtained from the 

 verandah of the little that was there, Alas ! that I should 

 have to write was ; for the cniel Krakatoa wave of dawn of the 

 23rd Anguat, 1883, washed away the village, and with it the 

 little inn and the kind Dutch landlady and her whole family. 

 Having crossed to Telok-betong, I proceeded after a sbort 

 delay across country to Beneawang at the top of the Semangka 

 Bay. As I was making for the slopes of the Besagi volcano, 

 the easiest route would have been to take steamer to Kroe, on 

 the west coa&t, and thence by road eastwards; but I was 

 desirous of seeing the scenery and the vegetation along the 

 valley of the Semangka rlver^ which, running south through 

 the Bawah Mountains, falls into the sea at the top of its own 

 bay. Although it wtis reported to be a very rarely followed 

 route, I decided to attempt the journey ; but it proved a more 



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