258 A TRANSLATION OP THE KEDDAH ANNALS. 
close to the sea—unle*s a previous removal of the capital under the 
former name had taken place. But such is not stated to have 
been the rase. 
The liver is described also as being very tortuous, and as having 
high banks, features appertaining to it at the present day. Owing 
to the last peculiarity the country is subject to inundations, the 
slope being from the banks 
Traces of the wall of the fort of Srokam still exist, shewing that 
it was partly erected with the laterite found close at hand, and 
lining the north hank of the river. 
The mention of drink in the feasts shews that fermented liquor 
or ardent spirits formed a part of them. In respect to artificers, 
enough has been found by me to evince a fair degree of proficien¬ 
cy in the working up of iron. The articles composed of other 
metals, chiefly bronze, appear to me to have been manufactured 
in India—anti perhaps some of them by Siamese. 
The annalist tries to substitute the words “ play things” instead 
of tributary gifts ; in order to get rid of an unpleasant conviction ; 
for gold and silver flowers are at the present day the accustomed 
marks of vassalage and subjection, which the court of Siam exacts 
from its distant provinces. The value of these is very indefinite. 
It may range from ih.ee thousand to ten thousand dollars, 
There were no reciprocal gifts betwixt the Raja of Kedda and 
his son and daughter, respectively of Perak and Patani—because, 
as we may infer, he had no necessity for appeasing them. 
There is no mention either, of the decease of the three heads of 
the colonies thus sent forth. 
[11] Young Malayan princes emancipate themselves at an early 
age from parental authority, paying however at the same time a 
due respect to their parents. They are generally reckless spend¬ 
thrifts: Indeed in these days of the decline of the Malayan power, 
it is a rare thing to find a rich Malay under the rank of a Raja, 
while the richest of the Rajas, would be reckoned very poor were 
he an Indian one. 
In the text it will be seen that our author has fallen into another 
slight inconsistency, for if the Raja really held the belief that the 
Girgassi were evil spirits, how could he have taken the girl into his 
family.. He is very prolix and tautological in his accounts of 
royal births. I have omitted all such repetitions. 
Sungei Mas was explored by me. It is a small stream falling 
into the old channel of the Muda river. The appearance of bricks 
scattered about, tends to corroborate our author’s account of it. I 
excavated the ruins of a brick building without finding any thing 
to indicate its original use The Raja however did not finish his 
intended buildings at Sungei Mas as will appear afterwards. 
