CROSSING THE STREAMS. 



a89 



and by the time we have come to tbe bottom of the 

 hill we have been mo\T:ng at a break-neck rate, which 

 has been the more solicitous for me, as I had never 

 been on the road, and did not know what unexpected 

 rocks or holes there would be found round the next 

 sharp turn. 



From Padang the road led to the northwest, over 

 the low lands between the sea and the foot of the 

 Barizan, or coast chain of mountains. In this low 

 region we have crossed two large streams^ which 

 come down from these elevations on the right, and are 

 now quite swollen from the recent rains. A long and 

 large rattan is stretched across from one bank to the 

 other, and a path made to slip over it is fastened to 

 one end of a rude raft. This rattan prevents us from 

 being swept down the boiling stream, while the na- 

 tives push over the raft with long poles. I began to 

 realize what an advantage it was to ride in the carriage 

 of the Tnam- Bim^ or " Great Man," as the Malays 

 all call the governor. As soon as those on the oppo- 

 site side of the stream saw the carriage they recog- 

 ni2ed it, and at once came over by holding on to the 

 rattan with one hand aud swimming with the other. 

 In their struggles to hasten and kindly assist, several 

 times the heads of a number of them were beneath 

 the water when they came to the middle of the 

 stream, where the current was strongest and the rattan 

 very slack ; but there was very little danger of theii* 

 being dro^vned, for they are as amphibious as alliga- 

 toi's. I had not been riding long over these low 

 lands befcre I experienced a new and imexpected 

 pleasure in beholding by the roadside numbers of 



