FIVE DAYS IN NANING, 
37 
slopes are drenched with rain and every ravine sends down 
its tributary. At one place I heard water rumbling beneath 
our feet, and at another passed a deep isolated depression, 
where the ground had evidently sunk in from the exca¬ 
vation of the subsoil by the passage of water. In the next 
patch of low jungle we crossed the stream, which has here 
a channel six or seven feet in depth. The soil cut through 
by it is sandy clay, containing angular pebbles of quartz. 
We came upon the margin of the paddy valley again and 
shortly afterwards crossed a large stream, the Rambau, 
which forms one of the affluents of the river Lingie* Its 
channel is here from 8 to 10 feet in depth and is bridged 
over by the trunk of a tree. We rested for a few minutes 
in front of the fence of a cottage which faces the bridge. 
The cocoanut trees were still, to my surprise, tall, thick, 
and with considerable clusters of nuts. Some patches of 
luxuriant sago palms filled the hollows at the sides of the 
stream. The owner hardly vouchsafed any notice of us at 
first, and, cn our desiring to purchase some coconuts, raised 
difficulties, but, on one of my Malays offering to climb a 
tree, he proceeded, with apparent reluctance, to bring a long 
bambu armed at its extremity with a hooked stick, and 
detached a few coconuts. Iiis reserve wore off a little and 
he entered into conversation, but liis manner still remained 
dry and cold. 
We now entered on an extensive level tract covered 
with coconut and fruit trees, and crowded with cot¬ 
tages, each carefully surrounded by a neat fence. This 
place is called G£dong and is under H£ji Jaya, an officer 
who was improperly termed Panghulu by my informants. 
His proper official designation I could not ascertain. The 
few inhabitants whom we saw did not address us, and I was 
struck by the more formal and almost reserved air which 
not only they, hut their fenced cottages also, wore. In 
other Malayan countries where I have been, but particularly 
amongst the Malays of Kedah, everything seems to have 
an easy, careless, social look. The countenances and de¬ 
meanour of the people compel you to address them with 
a friendly salutation and tone. Their very cottages invite 
you to enter, and you are so sure of receiving a hospitable 
welcome that you almost come to look upon their co¬ 
conuts as purposely suspended outside for the use of the 
traveller, In N&ning there is a comparative deficiency of 
this genial spirit, hut still it prevails, and I scarcely ever 
came within hearing of a cottage, without some of the 
