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JOURNAL
of the
Straits Branch
of the
Dye 1 Asiatic Society
-.- December, I9I1 ne SINGAPORE: __-* PRINTED AT THE METHODIST PUBLISHING HOUSE | ' 1911. . we A ,
Table of Contents.
Obituary.
Barretto de Resende’s Account of pialeces by W. Coe Maxwell zis fess ne nae Singapore old Straits and New Harbour, ee the Hon. Warren
D. Barnes :
An old Royal Cemetery at Pekan in Pahang, with three plates, by the Hon. Warren D. Barnes
An old Tombstone in Pahang, with two NTE Be the Hon. Warren D. Barnes
A Trip to a Source of the Sarawak River and pea one Mountains, by C. J. Brooks --. : :
The Gymnosperms of the ee: Foun, bs H. N. Ridlet uh COM.G., F.RS.
Head Pressing amongst the Milanos of Sarawak, with two plates, by John Hewitt, B.A., and A. HE. Lawrence, ...
A List of the Butterflies of Borneo with Descriptions of New
Species, with one Elyie, Ere dle (Ge me GaSe JED Geiser Aa se
Page.
69
73
Obituary.
The Society much regrets to have to record the death of one - of their most valued and promiment members, the Hon’ble Warren D. Barnes, Colonial Secretary of Hongkong, which took place in Hongkong on October 28th of this year (1911).
Mr. Barnes, born in 1865, was educated at King’s College School and Pembroke College Cambridge. He joined the S. S. Government service in 1888, held various appointments, chiefly in connection with the Chinese Protectorates in this Colony and the F. M. S., became Secretary for Chinese Affairs for the S. 8. and F. M.S. in 1904, Resident of Pahang in 1910, and then left here early this year on his appointment as Colonial Secretary in Hongkong.
Mr. Barnes was elected a member of the Society in 1893 when he was still in Penang, and his chief activity in connection with it was during the years 1908 and 1909 when he was Vice- President for Singapore, and in 1910, as Vice-President for the F.M.S. It was due to his initiative and supervision that a Catalogue of the Society’s Library was compiled and printed in 1909, and he also undertook the laborious task of compiling a most useful index volume to the Society’s Journal Nos. 1-50.
His own contributions to former Nos. of the Journal are:
A Trip to Gunong Benom, Pahang, No. XXXIX, pp. 1-10 Schmidt’s Sakai and Semang Languages, No. XXXIX,
pp. 38-45 Kern’s Sanskrit Inscriptions, Malay Peninsula, No. XLIX, pp. 95-101.
His three papers in the present Journal, viz. ‘Singapore Old Straits and New Harbour’”’ “An Old Royal Cemetery at Pekan in Pahang,” and “ An Old Tombstone in Pahang” were printed off some weeks before his death.
R. HANITSCH,
Actg. Hon. Secretary.
Barretto de Resende’s Account of Malacca.
By W. GEORGE MAXWELL.
Manuscript No. 197 of the Sloane collection of manuscripts in the British Museum is Barretto de Resende’s © Livro do Estado da India Oriental.’ The manuscript, which has not yet been published or translated, is divided into three parts. The first contains port- raits of all the Portuguese Viceroys from Franciso de Almeyda, the first Viceroy, to Dom Miguel de Noronha, the 44th, in A.D. 1634, with an account of the Government of each Viceroy.
The second part contains © the plans of the fortresses from the “Cape of Good Hope to the fort Chaul, with a detailed “description of all that is to be found in the said fortresses, ‘the receipts and expenses of each and everything that concerns “them.” In this part are a plan and description of the fortress of Sofala, a map and description of the rivers of Cuama, a description of the Islands of Angoxa; plans and descriptions of the fortresses of Mozambique, Mombassa, Curiate,“ Mascate, Matara, Sibo,$ Borca,$ Soar, Quelba,$ Corfacam, Libidia, MadaS, Dubo-doba and Mocomlim; a plan of the fortress of Ormus,“ a ‘description of the Congo; plans and descriptions of Bassora*, and the Island of Baren ; descriptions of Sinde* and the “ Kingdom of Cacha and Magana;” plans and descriptions of the fortress of Dio, Suratte, Damas, Samgens, Danu, Trapor, Maim, Agassym, Manora, Mount Aserim and Bassaym; descriptions of the Fort of Saybana, the Fort of Corangangens, Tana and its bastions, Mombayon and Caranya, and plans and descriptions of the mole of Chaul and of Chaul.*
The third part of the book contains “the plans of all the “ fortresses from Goa to China with a similar description and “contains also plans of other fortresses not belonging to the “ State, they being included as being situated on these coasts and “being of interest.” In this part are plans and descriptions of “the lands and forts of Bardes’’,-Goa, Rachol, Salsete, Onor, Cambolim, Barselor, Mangallor, Cananor, Cunhalle and Cranganor; a description of Balliporto; plans and descriptions of Cochim, Conlam, Negapatam, San Thome, © the Dutch town of Palleacate”’, Pulikat and the Island and Fortress of Manar; a plan of the island of Ceylon; plans and descriptions of the fortress of Jafnapatam, Colombo, Calleture, Negumbo, Gualle, Batecalou and. Triquilimale ;
* The accounts of these places will be found (in Portuguese) in the appendix to the fourth volume of the Hakluyt Society’s Commentaries of Afonso Dalboquerque.
§ Notes on the plans of these fortresses state that they were demolished and abandoned as being of no use after the book was written.
Jour. Straits Branch R. A. Soc., No. 60. I9II
2 BARRETTO DE RESENDE’S ACCOUNT OF MALACCA.
a plan of the Maldive Islands; a plan and description of the fortress of Malacca: plans of the isle and fort of Achem, © the Dutch fortress of Jacatra’’ (the site of the present city of Batavia ), the Malucco Islands and the Banda Islands; plans and descriptions of the Solor Islands and the town of Machao; and plans of the Island of Formosa and the Island and Province of Manilla. It concludes with notes on the size and extent of various islands.
The manuscript, which consists of 412 folios, sets forth on its first page that it was written by “Captain Pedro Barretto de Resende, Professed Knight of the Order of St. Benedict of Avis”, native of Pavia, in the year 1646.”
Writing in Kedah, J regret to be unable to obtain any account of de Resende’s life.
With two or three exceptions the plans are all coloured, and in addition to them the manuscript contains eight pen and ink charts signed :—
“Petrus Berthelot primum cosmographicum indicorum imper- ium faciebat anno domini 1635.”
Berthelot was born in Honfleur in A.D. 1600. He was for some time a pirate, and then became a barefocted Carmelite monk. He went to Goa, and in 1629 was appointed first pilot to a Portu- guese fleet sent to defend Malacca against the attack of the King of Acheen.
He greatly distinguished himself and was given the appoint- ment of Cosmographer Royal of the Indies. After this he made a number of voyages and prepared charts of the coasts he yisited.s He fell in a massacre, in which the Portuguese anbassador was also killed, at Acheen on the 27th November 1638.*
It would appear that the date, A.D. 1646, given by de Resende to his work is that of a year some years after the date of its having been written. The list of viceroys only goes down to 1638. Malacca is written of as a Portuguese possession, whereas it had been surrendered to the Dutch on the 14th January, 1641. There are notes on some of the plans ( referred to above ) to say that the fortresses of which plans are given had been demolished and abandoned “after the book was written.” Lastly Berthelot the cosmographer was murdered in A.D. 1635, or 1638. The pro- babilities would therefore appear to be that the account of Malacea was written at least before 1638.
* A military order of Cistercians in Portugal instituted by King Alphonso I,
in the middle of the twelfth century, to commemorate the capture of Evora from the Moors.
§ An account of Berthelot will be found in the Manuel de Bibliographie Normande—Vol I p. 336. (Frére, Paris 1850—1860); cited in the commen- taries of Afonso Dalboquerque ( Hakluyt Society ) Vol 2—Introduction page CXXI.
* The date of this Massacre is given in Marsden’s History of Sumatra (page 362) as 1635. 1638 is perhaps a misprint in the Hakluyt Society’s yolume,
Jour. Straits Branch
BARRETTO DE RESENDE’S ACCOUNT OF MALACCA. 3
Of the plans, charts, and portraits with which Barretto de Resende’s manuscript is embellished, six have been reproduced in the Hakluyt Society’s edition of the Commentaries of Afonso Dalboquerque. They are :—
The map of Arabia in Vol: ky p: 80 The plan of Ormus | 55 jee dll Ue The portrait of D. Francisco
Dalmeida So HUME Ton aks) The chart of Goa 55 p. 88 The plan of the fortress
of Malacca arene Loe The portrait of Diogo Lopes
de Sequeira fe p. 254
Gohindo de Eredia’s account of Malaceca—the Declaracam de Malaca e India Meridional dated A.D. 1613, and translated into French by Janssen in A.D. 1882, is the best known Portuguese work on Malacca, and as a comparison of his account and as Resende’s account is interesting, give in an appendix a translation of de Eredia’s first and fifteenth chapters entitled “ Regarding the city of Malaca”’ and “ Regarding Gunoledam” respectively. I have translated them from Janssen’s French, and not from the original Portuguese.
Description of the Fortress of Malacca.
The fortress of Malacca is situated on the east coast of Jun- tana ~ between the River Panagim * and Muar 2° 20' N. lat.
It was conquered and founded by the great Alfonso de Albuquerque on the 15th of August 1511. At the present day it is a city, containing a fortress, and surrounded by a stone and mortar wall twenty feet high, twelve palms thick at the foot and seven at the top. |
It contains six bastions, including the breastwork (couraca ), each one called by the name written on it. All the walls have parapets, and each bastion occupies a space of twenty paces and the one named Madre de Deos double that space, so that it can scarcely be defended and covered by the other bastions. The circumference of the whole wall is five hundred and twelve paces, including the space occupied by the bastions. From the _ bastion de Ospital to that of St. Dominic there is a counterscarp, as also from that of Sanctiago to Madre de Deos, with a ditch in the centre, the whole being fourteen palms wide. The bastions contain forty-one pieces of artillery of twelve to forty-four pounds iron shot. All are of bronze, with the exception of nine iron pieces, and there is sufficient powder and ammunition in His Majesty’s magazines for their supply. Twelve of the big pieces lie unmounted on the plain, destined for the fort in process of building on the Ilha das Naos, and some ‘of the remainder are broken.
R. A, Soc., No. 60, I911
folio 383.
folio 383d.
4 BARRETTO DE RESENDE’S ACCOUNT OF MALACCA,
There are in the town two hundred and fifty married whites * who would possess two thousand black captives of different races, all competent to carry arms, of which there is a sufficient supply ; as rarely is a married man without his supply of lances, and six, eight or ten muskets or flintlocks, with their aramunition. How- ever of these two hundred and fifty married white men, one hundred live on the other side of the river which gives its name to the land of Malacca.
With regard to the small space within the walls it is almost entirely covered by three convents, that of St. Paul, St. Dominic and St. Augustin; and the aforesaid married couples live in straw huts, ‘ so that there is a great risk of fire. There are in this place a number of fruit gardens and orchards of varied fruits. A number of married native Christians live outside Malacca, they are all very good soldiers, and use all kinds of arms, especially muskets, in the use.of which they are very skilful. In times of war they are very
ready and active: the majority of them seek a means of livelihood.
They are so hasty, for very little they will run a man through the belly with a cris, and there is little, if any, cure for the | wound, since these weapons, apart from being generally poisoned, ° are so fashioned, in an undulating shape, as to cause great injury: if the weapon is poisoned, it is only necessary to draw blood to cause death.
The fort within this town where the Captain resides is five stories high; the captain lives on the second storey, which is square like the tower, each wall being twenty paces wide. The other
apartments are set apart for the Captain’s guests, and for storing
ammunition. On the first floor four thousand candys” of rice were stored, but are no longer there. It is surrounded by a wall of the same height and thickness as that of the town. The Captain’s family lives in houses on a level with the second storey of the tower. The only artillery is that of the bastions already referred to. The town receives a duty of one per cent applicable to the works of fortification, of which those of the wall are now being completed.
The king of the interior of that country where the fortress of Malacea is situated is the King of Jor’ and Pam, a great friend of the Portuguese. He is lord of more than one hundred leagues of coast, but his lands do not extend far inland: at sea he also possesses a chain of islands situated in this vicinity, the majority being inhabited. The people are Malays, and profess the creed of the Moors. They can put twelve thousand men cf arms into the field; they fight with artillery, muskets, assegays,’ saligas,° or darts of fire-hardened wood, swords, shields, bows and arrows, crises beforementioned, and sumpitans’ or very small poisoned arrows, which they blow through tubes, and if they draw blood death will ensue. There is no Christain Settlement in their lands. Up the river beyond Malacca, the married men own many very fertile orchards, with a great variety of fruit, as the land produces
Jour. Straits Branch
BARRETTO DE RESENDE’S ACCOUNT OF MALACCA, 5
very good fruit of many kinds, besides all those to be found in Tndia, and it is remarkable that the town, though nearly below the line, has a salubrious climate’ and excellent water, the soil being fertile for any seed that is sown: it rains nearly every day and night. The married men of Malacca possess many leagues of land, extending on one side as far as Cape Rachado and on the other to River Fermozo”™ and also many leagues in the interior, but all uninhabited with none to cultivate the land, though it is fertile and would yield much rice. Inland the land borders on that of the Manameabos, ” Moors of a land called Rindo, ® vassals of the King of Pam, and, close by live five or six thousand of the same Manameabo Moors, vassals of His Majesty, under the Government of a Portuguese married man of Malacca called Tamungam,”™ an office conferred by the Viceroy. To him they owe obedience and should one of these Moors die without heirs, the said Tamungam inherits his property, and if there are heirs he makes an agreement with them and receives ten per cent upon such goods as he thinks fit. At the present day a Portuguese holds the office for life. These Moors cultivate extensive lands by which they maintain themselves. They especially cultivate the betre.*" They purchase tin’ from the inhabitants of the interior and bring it to Malacca. The river of this city, and the port of Malacca is of fresh water and is a stone’s throw in width. At low tide the bar has a palm and a half of water, and in conjunction with the fresh water there is four fingers of water only, which barely covers the mud which forms the bottom. At high water there is one fathom four palms of fresh water and five or six palms of salt. At a little distance from its mouth the river becomes narrower, and is three or four fathoms deep; and in some parts there is always one fathom whether at high or low tide. There are many large carnivorous alligators, for which reason, and because of the mud, it cannot be forded. Along the river and inland there are many orchards belonging both to the married Portuguese and the natives: the men live here with their families cultivating the land to great profit. There are many tigers” which before they were exorcised by a bishop were very fierce, but are now less so. All these married men have their weapons. Half a league up the river a log of wood is thrown across the water at night, the chain being padlocked to a sentry-box where stands a Portuguese provided by the city, which pays him six cruzados” a month. This is to prevent any forbidden merchandise being smuggled out or in from the large vessels lying at anchor beyond the Ilha das Naos. For the same reason, order has been given to build a fort on the said-island, which does not actually face the city, but lies a little lower down at a distance of one thousand five hundred paces from it. The channel in between is small and not navigable to large ships at low tide: the water is very shallow, and the bottom is of mud. Further out to sea, lies another sand-bank, and, between it and the island, is a channel six fathoms deep. The island is nearly the shape of a
RwA; Soc., No. 60, £911.
folio 384.
folio 384).
6 BARRETTO DE RESENDE’S ACCOUNT OF MALACCA.
horseshoe, and is sixty bracas in circumference, its length is one and a half times greater than its width. It contains a mountain four or five bracas in height.
The fort which is being built here, for the foundations are already laid, is small, being thirty paces square. It is to be square, to allow space for the artillery to be separated. Its purpose is to defend the large vessels which cannot lie under the artillery of the fortress. As yet only the foundations are laid; the materials are being gathered together at Malacca so that the whole building may be finished at once, because if it were built gradually it might fall into the hands of the enemy and, once occupied by them, it would be a great danger to Malacca.
The bridge shown in the plan has two abutments, each one being two and a half bracas in height, and the same in length and very narrow, so that there is no danger, as has been suggested, of them affording the means of an attack upon Malacca. The bridge above them is composed of large strong planks, which can be cut down when necessary.
Fifty to sixty soldiers are drawn from the garrison every year to equip a fleet of three, four or five jaleas” to cruise along the coast. They set sail in May for Pulopinam™ or whatever place is decided on, to await the ships from Goa, to inform them of the position of the enemy and to assist in discharging the cargo. In September they go to Junsalam™ to await those from Negapatam, St. Thome and also from Goa; and in December they go to the Straits of Singapore to await those from China and Manila for the same purpose.
The Captain Major receives an allowance of one hundred cruzados, but the soldiers and the captains of the jaleas receive nothing whatever beyond their food; but are quite satisfied. The captainship of these jaleas is a much sought after and coveted post, because in the many losses caused to our ships, from all parts, by the Dutch, the jaleas get the best of the booty: but the worst is that they do not return it to the owners. This applies especially to the ships from China, because of the great value of the salvage, being gold, silks and musk. Neither can it be denied that these jaleas save many vessels, and much merchandise; but it is very ~ necessary that they should be in the hands of persons very disinter- ested and conscientious, a virtue rare among soldiers. The sailors are the chief expense of these jaleas, as they carry over fifty, about twenty-three being required to take the oars on either side, besides the two at the helm and stern, the extra men being required to replace those who may fall sick or become fatigued. Hach sailor receives one para” of rice, a little over an alqueric,”® per month, and a cruzado of four hundred and sixty reis the whole time that they are on board. A jalea is the swiftest vessel at sea, being about fifty palms long, and four palms deep, and rowed by forty-six oars. They are of great use in carrying news and relief, and can evade the enemy; so that the more there are the better service
Jour. Straits Branch
BARRETYTO DE RESENDE’S ACCOUNT OF MALACCA. a7
they may render. Other vessels are sent out from Malacca with advices such as bantims,”’ very much smaller than jaleas the only | expense being, as aforesaid, the sailors, and the provisions for the soldiers. The latter, who receive their pay on shore at rare intervals, embark with much good will; because, at times, when they put in at a certain place such as Pera, and other ports, they can earn a quartel” from the merchants. They are not discharged from the fortress when they thus go to sea, neither do they lose their pay; but, while away from the fortress, they are masters. But for this no soldier would remain in the fortress for the King’s pay is very small and the country very dear. Even as it is, it is a source of wonder that any soldiers are found who will remain there.
One thing may be said of the married women of this land which is greatly to their credit; and that is that there is not one who would ask for any help from her husband towards the expenses of the home, which really is their support; for they themselves supply the household money by making eatables which are usually sold in the streets by their slaves, and their houses take the place of inns in the town. Their daughters are brought up from child- hood to the same custom, so that there is no girl who has not her own fortune put aside in this way in her father’s house; and thus, as in India, girls are not afraid of their husbands not being able to support them; for this reason too persons of much merit are satisfied with a small dowry. This custom has greater effect in this country than in India.
As regards the merchandise in the fortress of Malacca very little is of the country, and the greater part is imported. The chief products of the country are tin, some bezoar stones,” porcupine quills” and wild agallochium.” <A certain quantity of Japam,®” or red wood, for dyes, of somewhat less value than that of Brazil, is brought from the interior. All the southern commodities and merchandise from China and cloths from Cambay and the Coro- mandel coast are imported. All the southern tribes were wont to come here to buy in exchange for other merchandise so that the commerce was very extensive, and profits no less; but now it is almost entirely extinct, for never or rarely do any natives come to Malacca to seek anything: having all they require from the Dutch. But nevertheless voyages are still undertaken from Malacca to many parts, China, Manila, and Cochin-China being the principal points of destination and the less important voyages being to Patane. As Siam is now at war, communication with Camboja, Champa and those parts, which would otherwise be very frequent, is interrupted. The ships bear to the South to avoid the windy season which in Malacea is from April to end of August.
The merchandise carried to these places is as follows :— To Patane, **’ stuffs from Cambay and all the Coromandel coast, according to the stuffs in use, as every southern tribe follows a different fashion. From Patane, patacas, * some gold, good bezoar
R, A, Soc., No. 60, I91I.
folio 385b.
8 BARRETTO DE RESENDE’S ACCOUNT OF MALACCA.
stones, rice, meats, vegetables, black cane sugar, oils, all kinds of provisions and the best fowls and capons of all the southern lands.
This kingdom of Patane is governed solely by a woman in accordance with a very ancient custom.” It is “one hundred and fifty leagues from Malacca along the coast and can be reached without encountering the northern monsoon, more especially if the voyage is made in baloons*’ (which resemble ships of war being wider but not so long, having oars, two masts and two helms called camudes ) or in Malay galleys (which are smaller than our panchelois, * and which are really neither galleys nor baloons, but more closely resemble the latter than the former) and in bantims of the size of a manchua,*’ which are very swift vessels with oars and masts. The last are the vessels most in use along the coast of Malacca; they are manned by Christian Malays of Malacca, who carry their guns and powder flasks.
The King of Camboja, where there is a church and fathers of the Society, is very friendly to the Portuguese. There is here a quantity of very thick angely wood; *’ and very good benzoin ** and almond milk *? and excellent lac** are brought in, and a quantity of rice better and cheaper than that of Bengal. The majority of the inhabitants are Japanese and Chinese Christians of bad character who have been expelled from Manila by the Spaniards ; and therefore they are the bitterest of our foes. In this kingdom there is an abundance of calambac ** and agallochium.” There are two or three ports on the coast of Champa where the Portuguese go to trade taking black cattle from China and some gold thread, which they exchange for black wood much bigger and better than that of Mozambique. There is here a church and Christian Settle- ment with a father of the Society.
Beyond lies the kingdom of Cochin China and at the entrance to its port is situated an island where the fathers of the Society have a Christian Settlement. It is called Pullo Cambim. Within
the said port, too, the same fathers have a church and a Christian
Settlement.
Besides this island there are two ports in this kingdom frequented by the Portuguese for commerce. In one resides the King, and the other is called Turan. The Portuguese had a better welcome here than anyone else and quantities of stuffs are brought here. The contract is however now broken through the violence of the Captain of Malacca and only ships from China go there. Some calambac, ** an abundance of agallochium,® and a quantity of copper is obtained from the said kingdom, it is carried there by Malays and Japanese.
The shortest voyages Taken from Malacca are those to Pam, a port eighty leagues from Malacca. It belongs to the aforesaid. king, who is very friendly to the Portuguese and is lord also of Jor and the maritime islands. Any ships may come to this port from Malacca without hindrance. They bring stuffs and opium in exchange for gold dust” of the country and gold coin, bezoar
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BARRETTO DE RESENDE'S ACCOUNT OF MALACCA. 9
stones, porcupine quills, a quantity of rice, agallochium from the coast, and also some wares which have been brought here by the southern natives who will not go to Malacca. In the same land there are two rivers *° belonging to the same king, where the Portuguese go to trade in the same merchandise. Facing this place to the sea lies the small mountainous island of Pulo Timo” thickly populated by Malays. Pigeons are plentiful, and there is a certain kind of animal called palandos,* which resembles a deer and is very good and fat. There are very fine fresh water fish, rivers of excellent water, and an abundance of figs* and tar.” The anchorage close in to land is in 25 fathoms.
Port Jor lies inland from Point Romania. It is once again becoming inhabited,” and many galleys and other vessels are being built there. There is an abundance of provisions, agallochium and tar.
On the other side, in the chain of islands called Bintang, lies the town of Bintang, which is once again inhabited. It is thickly populated, and has many fortifications for fear of Achem. This King of Jor and Pam has other inhabited but unimportant islands in this vicinity.
Here close to the Straits of Singapore, is the port of Bulla, thickly populated with Malays and frequented to excess by numbers of merchants from all the southern tribes, who come here to sell their wares, from which the King of Pam receives great profit. They come here rather than go to Malacca because of the great abuses committed by the captains of that fortress, who buy their merchandise at a price much lower than the current price of the country and also compel them to accept their money: a thing which is very usual in all the towns and fortresses of the Portu: guese State; and which causes as much misery as the Dutch themselves. To such an extent is the abuse carried that even when Christians come to these ports of Malacca to trade in certain kinds of merchandise the captain seizes their wares, assessing them at a price below their real value and using much abuse: and for this reason some merckants bring their wares to the customs house at night time in order to pay duty to the customs official in secret. All this is the cause of great losses to Malacca.
On the other side of the island on the coast of Sumatra lies the port of Jambi, on a deep and rapid river, which contains a large body of water. The Dutch are much welcomed here and have a factory and a large trade in pepper. Further on, a little distance from this port, towards Malacca, is the large river Andregy,” where the Dutch also procure a quantity of pepper. There are other rivers from which pepper and agallochium are exported, of which no special mention is made because they are unimportant. The port of Siaca,” also inhabited by Malays, is close to the Island of Sabam, which is nearer to Malacca. Here at every new and full moon great fairs are held where all the merchandise of the south is sold, gold, precious stones, bezoar stones, agallochium, calambac,
R. A. Soc., No. 60, 1911.
{0 BARRETYO DE RESENDE’S ACCOUNT OF MALACCA.
provisions and many other things. From this port up a river which empties itself opposite Malacca is the Bay of Bencalis,” in Sumatra on the other side of Malacca where a similar fair is held eyery full moon, where, besides the aforesaid wares, a Quantity of fresh and salt. pork is sold, and the roe of shad fish, which they call trubo, great quantities of which are exported from Malacca to all ports. Here in the Bay of Benealis is the river das Galles,”’ all of which is under the dominion of the King of Pam, who has always been Emperor of the South. The Straits of Singapore, before referred to, is the place where the Dutch lie in wait for the Portuguese ships coming from China, Manila, Macassar, and all the Malueco Archipelago. It has many channels so narrow that in places the branches of the trees on shore touch the ships; and the currents are very strong. The water, though deep, is so clear that the fishes can be seen swimming about in it. Fish is brought by the mer- chants of the ships from the Saletes, ”” or inhabitants of the Straits, who live in very swift baloons”*® with their families. They catch the fish by spearing them in the water, and then sell them. These Saletes are a wicked people and especially so to the Portuguese. They are evil-hearted and treacherous, and the best spies the Dutch possess. Wherever, of the many places in this vicinity, our ships may be, they immediately inform the Dutch and lead them there; so that most of our losses are due to them. This is because the Dutch give a great share of all thus seized. And thus it is very necessary that our fleets of jaleas** and ships that go to these straits to wait for the said fleets should make war as much as possible on these Salletes, and drive them from these parts.
The most important voyages undertaken from Malacea are, as beforementioned, those to China, all the southern merchandise being exported there from Malacca, but now nothing but a little pepper is exported and little, if any, cloves; our trade and the rest is in the hands of the Dutch, who are lords of the Ilhas de Banda, from whence they drove out the natives; who wander homeless throughout the southern lands, waiting some opportunity of revenge and of regaining their lands. The other exports to China are the same as those which come from India, and as regards Manila what is brought from there has also been already stated. It is a law of Malacca that no boat coming from the region of the said straits, shall pass without putting in at Malacca and paying duties on all the cargo, the rate being ten per cent and further two per cent to the town for the fortification and artillery. And it has happened that some vessels which have passed without putting in at the fortress have been supposed to be lost.
There is communivation also between Malacca and Macassar, au island three hundred leagues west of Malacca, belonging to a Moorish King who knows the Portuguese tongue very well, and has many Portuguese in his lands and is very friendly to them. Stuffs only are taken there in exchange for the merchandise brought to the place by the southern tribes. The land yields an
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BARRETTO DE RESENDE’S ACCOUNT OF MALACCA, 11
abundance of provisions of tortoise shell, and Malacca receives its chief supplies from. it. All parts of the state are in communication with this island. It has churches and fathers who administer the sacraments to the Portuguese residents and visitors. This King has promised not to receive the Dutch in his lands, but he has Danish and English residents. When this king and all his people were heathens, he sent to Malacca for a priest to instruct him in the Christian creed, which he intended to adopt if it pleased him. It is said that there was more delay than there should have been in such an important matter, and that a sailor, a Moor called Lucar, arrived at the country in the meantime and taught his creed to the King, who considered it so good that he immediately adopted it.
From Malacca to Pera is a distance of forty leagues of coast to the east. The King of this place was for many years a vassal of His Majesty and paid in tribute a large quantity of tin. Three years ago he refused the tribute saying that only if His Majesty would deliver him from the King of Achem he would be His Majesty’s vassal and pay tribute. He said that the numerous fleets from Achem, which throng these seas, frequently attacked his lands devastating them and taking the people captive. He well knew, he said, how much more important it was to be His Mayjesty’s vassal than to be vassal of the King of Achem. He said that he had no power however to resist the tyrant and his great forces, and that if His Majesty did not supply the means, he himself must seek a remedy in his own kingdom by becoming a vassal of the King of Achem, and paying to him the tribute he formerly paid to His Majesty. In spite of this, he was abie to resist our fleet when it was sent chastise him.
There are great tin mines in his kingdom, the metal of which we hhave already spoken, and thus five or six quintals”’ of tin are yearly extracted from them. The greater part of it formerly came to Malacea, but now not a third part is sent there. The rest is taken by the Dutch to Achem, and thence they carry it to India with great profit.
The factory possessed by the Captain of Malacca at Pera was one which at one time yielded greater profit than any other. But now it yields nothing, and for this and other reasons the. fortress has become so ruined that in the year 1633 no one could be found willing to fill the post of captain; and a captain was appointed and sent by the viceroy.
a)
NOTES.
A corruption of the Malay words wong, end, and tanah, land— literally ““land’s end’: it is the name applied to the lower part of the Malay Peninsula. Ujontana or Ujantana are the more common forms in the Portuguese accounts: thus de Barros (in A. D. 1552) writes, ““ you must know that Ujantana is the most
R. A. Soc., No. 60, 1911.
folio 3860.
iL, Juntana.
2. Panagim,.
3. ‘* Married Whites. ”’
6. Candy.
(pond Krone
i2 BARREtTO DE RESENDE’S ACCOUNT OR MALACCA.
southerly, and the most easterly point of the main land of the Malacca coast which from this point turns North in the diree- tion of the Kingdon of Siam.”’
Godinho de Eredia in his Declaracam de Matnees e India Meri- dional invariably wrote it Ujontana, thus VJONTANA—-which Janssen, in his French translation has rendered throughout as Viontana. Pinto (A. D. 1614) has Jantana.
Marsden in his ‘‘ History of Sumatra” (p. 345) writes of the “ King of Oojong Tana (formerly of Bintang)”’ and is obviously refer- ring to the ruler of Johore.
The map in the M. S. shows this to be the Linggi River—Godinho
- de Eredia also gives the northern and southern boundaries of Malacca as the Panagim and the Muar Rivers.
The Portuguese “married man” formed a distinct class in Portuguese. There was the governing class, whose duty it was to administer the settlement, the military class whose duty it was to defend it, and the “ married man” whose duty—like that of the colonists of early Greece, it was to populate it. The Malacca Portuguese of the present day are the descendents of the married men. Godinho de Eredia says © in the interior of this fortress there are, exclusive of the garrison, three hundred married men with their families. ”’
Straw huts: in other words, atap houses.
Poisoned weapons were used with considerable success in the defence of Malacca against Albuquerque. The Commentaries after referring to the © blowing tubes with poisoned arrows ’”’ (which nowadays are used only by the aborigines) say :—
‘Of the men struck by the poisoned arrows on the first day, none escaped but one Fernao Gomez de Lemso, who was burned with a red hot iron directly he was struck so that ultimately God spared his life.”
Poisoned chevaux de frise—the Malay ranjaus, sharpened stakes stuck point upwards in the ground, are referred to in Albuquerque’s account of the fighting on the second day of the defence of Malacca.
A weight used in South India: it varies (as do all weights and
-measures) in different places, but may be put at 500 pounds.
Yule and Burnell’s Glossary coutains the following :—
_ “The word is Mahratta Khandi, written in Tamil and Malayalam Kandi. The Portuguese write it Candil.”
Among the passages quoted in the Glossary is this one from van Linschoten (A.D. 1598) : “ candil is little more or less than 14 bushels wherewith they measure Rice, Corn, and all grain.’
Whitaker's Almanack gives among the Indian weights :—1 candy = 500 lb.
Johore. (Although the “papers upon Malay subjects” published by direction of the Federated Malay States Government have adopted the spelling—-Johor, I venture to take this opportunity
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BARRETTO DE RESENDE’S. ACCOUNT OF MALACUA. RS
of recording that instructions for the adoption of the spelling— Johore—were issued by the Government of the Straits Settle- ments in Government Gazette Notification No 377 of 1899.)
Pahang. Pam is the form in which the name is most commonly found. Purchas in His Pilgrimes has variations Paam and Pan.
A throwing spear. It would appear that the Portuguese found this word in use in South Africa, and applied it generally through- out the east. (Yule gives its derivation as the Berber word zaghaya with the Arabic article prefixed, and adds an interest- ing list of quotations of its use by early travellers). Godinho de Eredia in his account of the “army” of Malacca also writes of the assegay.
The author’s equivalent © darts of fire-hardened wood ”’ is correct.
The word is Malay—seligz. Malay boys generally make the head of a seligz of bamboo, out to a razor-edge in the shape of a _ spear- head, and use it for spearing pelandok and napu. In the days when the Malacca Malays used poisoned weapons, a_ seligi was of course as dangerous as any spear.
Both in Malay and in Javanese, the bow is called panah, and the arrow the bow’s child”. The use of these weapons, which is unknown to the Malays of the Southern end of the Peninsula, would appear to have been borrowed from the people who thronged there in the days, immediately before its capture by Albuquerque, when it was the meeting place of the trade of the Indian and the Pacific Oceans.
The sumpitan (sumpit—to blow) is the tube, and not the dart which is known as the “anak sumpitan.”” It is still the principal weapon of the aborigines.
Godinho de Eredia writes thus of the climate of Malacca:
* The air in this region of Malacca is very fresh and very healthy ; the opposite of what had been thought by the ancients, notably Aristotle and Ptolemeus who affirm that the part of the world between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn is very hot and burning, and that the atmosphere there is torrid. This land of Ujontana is truly the freshest and the most agreeable in the world. The air there is healthy and vivifying; well suited for keeping the human body in good health, being at the same time hot and moist. Neither the heat nor the humidity are however excessive: for the heat is tempered by, and counter- acts the humidity which results from the rains which in this region are frequent throughout the year, especially at the changes of the monsoon.”
This description, doubtless, savours of hyperbole, but as the early Chinese travellers condemned the climate of Malacca as unwholesome,’ and as this condemnation is repeated in Whiteway’s © Rise of the Portuguese Power in India ”’ (page’ 5) it is well to record a more favourable opinion.
The Batu Pahat river was known to the Portuguese as Rio Fermozo. (Crawfurd’s Descriptive Dictionary: Article Malacca). Captain
R. A. Soc., No. 60, 1911,
8. Pam.
9. Assegay,
10. Saligas.
11. Bows and Arrows
12. Sumpitan
13. Climate of Malacca.
14. River Fermozo.
15. Bounda- ries of Malacca.
16. Rindo.
17. Tamung- am.
18. Betre.
19. Tin,
20. Tigers.
21. Cruzado.
92. Jalea.
14 BARRETTO DE RESENDE’s ACCOUNT OF MALACCA,
Sherard Osborn in a map of the Malay Peninsula in his book ‘“Quedah”’ (A.D. 1838) shows a Mount Formosa south of Malacca. A Formosa bark is shewn at the mouth of the Batu Pahat river in this Society’s map of the Peninsula dated 1898.
The boundaries are given in their proper order: North, East and South. “The land of the Menameabos”’ (i. e. Menangkabau men) is Rembau, one of the Negri Sembilan on the North. “ Rindo”’ is the district washed by the Endau river, which flows into the sea on the East coast of the Peninsula, and forms the boundary between Johore and Pahang. Tamungam (i.e. Temenggong) is Johore.
Endau. Vide supra.
Johore was governed by a Temenggong subject to the Sultan of Dai, and Pahang was governed by a Bendahara also subject to the Sultan of Dai. The Malay expression is Baginda di Daa, Temenggong di Johore, Bendahara di Pahang.
This is the Portuguese form of the word we generally write as betel.
The native name (Malayalam) for betel-leaf is vettila (the para or simple leaf).
Garcia de Orta (Goa 1563) writes thus in his colloquies:
“We call it betre, because the first land known by the Portuguese was Malabar............... all the names that occur, which are not Portuguese are Malabar, like betre.”’
Tin is mentioned in a Chinese account of Malacca dated A.D. 1416. It is thus translated by Groeneveldt. (Miscellaneous Papers relating to Indo-China. Second Series Vol. I page 244.)
‘Tin is found in two places of the mountains, and the king has appointed officers to control the mines. People are sent to wash it, and after it has been melted, it is cast into small blocks weighing one cati eight taels or one cati four taels official weight: ten pieces are bound together with rattan and form a small bundle, whilst forty pieces make a large bundle. In all their trading transactions they use these pieces of tin instead of money.”
A fuller account of the exorcition of these tigers by the bishop is eiven by Gordinho de Eiredia in a chapter of which a transla- tion is given in the appendix.
The tigers of Malacca had long been famous. In the Ying-yai Sheng Lan” (A.D. 1416) there is mention of a “kind of tiger which assumes a human shape, comes into the town and goes
among the people.’ The commentary gravely adds that “when it recognized it is caught and killed.”’ The Malay
superstitious regarding were tigers are too well-known to require repetition here.
A silver coin (formerly gold) now equivalent to 480 reis, or about two shillings of English money. It was worth much more relatively in the seventeenth century.
A kind of galley much used by the Portuguese. It carried a number of fighting men.
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BARRETTO DE RESENDE’S ACCOUNT OF MALACCA. jus)
There is the following mention of a jalea in the Storia do Mogor
(Vol. I page 370.)
eilhe kine of Arakan...2.....5.......0..:. sent him back to his father with a number of boats called jalzas, which are small galleys commanded by Portuguese subjects of the said King.” The word is connected with “ galley’ and with “‘jolly-boat:”’ see the very interesting article “ Gallevat’’ in Yule and Burnell.
Penang. Lancaster’s visit in the “ Edward Bonaventure”’ in 1592 is, | believe, the first recorded landing in Penang, but the present account would make it appear probable that the Portuguese scouting galleys called at the island before his time. May is the month ir which the South-West monsoon sets in, bringing the sailing boats from India. In December the North- East monsoon, which brings the Chinese trade down to Singapore, is in full force.
Junk-Ceylon. The corruption of Ujong Salang, (see article Junk-
Ceylon in Yule and Burnell). It is now better known as Tongkah. In September or Oxztober, the fair weather, along the West coast of the Peninsula, begins with the breaking of the North-Kast monsoon.
I do not know this word. In the connection in which it is used it does not appear to have anything to do with ‘bahar’ or ‘bhara.’
An alquerie is said by Vieyra (quoted in Albuquerque (Hakluyt) Vol. IV, page 88) to be the equivalent of “one peck, three quarts and one pint of English measure.”
Godinho de Eredia deseribes a bantim as being a kind of skiff, a smaller vessel than a jalea, carrying oars and masts, and rud- ders on both sides, and as being used for sea-fights. Wilkin- son’s Dictionary gives banting as a native sailing boat with two masts. Crawfurd leaves it as ‘a kind of boat.” Wan Eysinga in his Malay-Dutch dictionary has bantieng, soort van boot met twee masten.
No book of reference, to which I have access, gives this word.
Coneretions found in the stomachs of certain animals and supposed to have marvellous antidotal virtues. The Portuguese gener- ally called them pedra di porco, but in Borneo they are, I believe, most often found in a species of monkey, and in Pahang in poreupines. Pahang is still famed for its porcupines’ bezoar stones. ;
The reference would tend to show that the bezoar stones referred to immediately above were probably those of porcupines.
Eagle-wood, or kayu gharu: see the article eagle-wood in Yule and Burnell.
Sappan-wood or Brazil-wood. nell.
Patani was from its position on the east coast of the peninsula a very important trading centre, and when the East India Com- pany issued instructions to its agent in the east in 1614 (circa)
R, A.!Soc., No. 60, 1911,
See both articles in Yule and Bur-
23. Pulo- pinam.
94. Junsal- am.
Pe arar
26. Alquerie.
27. Bantim.
28. Quartel.
. Bezoar stones.
30. Porcu- pine quills.
31. Agallochi -um.
32. Japam- wood.
33. Patani.
34. Patacas.
35. Queen of Patani.
36. Baloons.
37. Camudes.
38. Panchel- loi.
39. Manchua.
40. Angely.
41. Benzoin.
42. Almond Milk. AS}, JORKOs
44, Calam- bac.
45. Pahang. Gold.
16 BARRETTO DE RESENDE’S ACCOUNT OF MALACCA.
[vide an article in Journal No 54,| it selected, as the four prin- cipal stations, Surat on the west coast of India, Coromandel on the east coast of India, Bantam in Java, and Patani in the Malay Peninsula. “The command of him at Patani was to stretch over Siam, Cambodia, Cochin-China, Japan and Borneo ; and the places thereabouts. ”’
Water-melons: see the article pataca in Yule and Burnell.
There are very interesting accounts of the queen of Patani and of the custom of the country in the ° Calendar of State Papers, Colonial Series, East Indies, China and Japan” Volume I.
Godinho de Eredia has the following account :—
“The vessels used by the inhabitants of Ujontona are not great. They have balos, vessels used for freight, with oars and carry- ing sails like those of a frigate. The body of the boat is of hard wood, and the frame is made of branches of the nypeira palm and of canes laced together to keep out the water. They have one or two masts, and the ropes are made of rattans The sails are made of a kind of palm known as Pongo. At the stern are two rudders one on each side.”’
De la Loubere (Historical Relation of the Kingdom of Siam A. D. 1888) gives a long account of the © balous”’ of Siam, (page 41) and has four engravings of highly ornamental and elaborately carvel barges, with lofty poops and bows, used by the king and by high officials on state occasions. I venture to think that the derivation which Yule and Burnell suggest for tor this word in their article “ Baloon”’ is incorrect, and that the pro- bable derivation is from the word ballam, or vallam, used for dug-out canoes in Ceylon. See Emerson Tennant’s Ceylon Vol. II Page 549.
The Malay word kamud1, a rudder.
I do not know this word.
Manii is the Malayalam word for a large cargo boat with a single mast and a.square sail much used on the Malabar coast. The Portuguese made manchua out of the word.
Perhaps another form of the word agila, i.e. eagle wood—vide Note 31 supra.
Or benjamin: kemennyen; the resin of the styrasa benzown: for a derivation of the word, and an account of the resin, see the article in Yule and Burnell. See also the article in Crawfurd.
I do not know what this may be.
The resinous incrustation produced on certain trees by their puncture by the lac insect [coccus lacca.| For an interesting account of this resin, and of stick-lac, seed-lac, and lacquer, see the article lac in Yule and Burnell.
Eagle-wood—See the article Calambac in Crawfurd.
The “gold mountains”’ of Pahang, i.e., the land in Ulu Pahang, are mentioned in the history of the ming dynasty. (Vide Groene- yeldt p. 256,)
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The two rivers are probably the Rompin on the South, and the Kuantan on the North.
Pulau Tioman, off the Pahang Coast. It belongs to the State of Pahang.
Pelandok; the mouse-deer, or chevrotain (tragulus javanicus.)
Plantains or bananas (musa paradisaica) ‘the fig of Paradise’”’ or sometimes the apple of Paradise.’ The Portuguese always called the plantain ~ the Indian fig,” and in the West Indies the common small variety of plantain is still called a fig.
i.e., damar.
Johore was repeatedly ravaged by the Achinese during their succes- sive attacks upon Malacca, of which the last took place in A.D. 1628, when the Achinese fleet was practically annihilated in Malacea harbour by the Portuguese.
An insight into the meaning of de Resende’s grim expression that Johore was once again becoming inhabited” is afforded in Marsden’s History of Sumatra (p. 364) where there is the following passage regarding the King of Acheen.
“ The disposition of this monarch was cruel and sanguinary........., The whole territory of Acheen was almost depopulated by wars, executions and oppression. The King endeavoured to repeople the country by his conquests. Having ravaged the
- Kingdoms of Johor, Paham, Queda, Pera and Delhy, he trans- ported the inhabitants from those places to Acheen to the number of twenty two thousand persons. But this barbarous policy did not produce the effect he hoped; for the unhappy people being brought naked to his dominions and not allowed any kind of maintenance on their arrival, died of hunger in the streets.”’
Indragiri.
Siak.
I am afraid that I cannot follow this account. The Siak river empties itself into the Straits opposite Bencalis Island. It is difficult to understand what the other river is (unless it is the Kampar) and what island Sabam is.
The terwbok fish : clupea kanagurta. This excellent fish, which is like a herring in taste, is common on the Kedah coast, but practically unknown in the Penang market. The dried roes are however commonly used throughout the Straits as a sambal with curry. For a full account of the fish and of the industry connected with its capture, see Crawfurd (article Trubo) where several references to early travellers are given.
I cannot indentify this river.
These are the celebrated “orang laut,’ or Sea-Sakies”’ of the Malay Peninsula, of whom the boys that dive off the mail steamers at Tanjong Pagar are the descendants. A few still survive at Jugra, in Selangor, and in places along the Pahang coast. There are considerable numbers of them along the coast near, and north of Tongkah.
RD
R. A. Soc., No. 60, I9II.
46. Pahang Rivers. 47. Pulo Timao. 48. Palando. 49. Figs.
Ose ar: 51. Johore.
52. Andregy. 53. Siaca. 54. Benealis.
Na, Abra wY ave).
56. das Galles. 57. Saletes.
58. Quintal.
18 BARRETTO DE RESENDE’S ACCOUNT OF MALACCA.
Godinho de Eredia gives this account of them: ~ Before the found- ing of the town of Malacca, the place was inhabited by Saletes, a race of fishermen, who settled themselves under the shade of the Malacca trees there. They used pointed javelins called Saligi and pursued fishes with such address that they could transfix fishes in the depths of the sea, and they used no other weapon. They were a wild, cannibal race.’
Most of the early travellers have interesting accounts of this extra- ordinary people. See the article “ orang-laut”’ in Crawfurd.
Saletes is the Portuguese name for these people. It is a corruption of ‘orang selat,”’ selat being a Strait, and used then, as now, with particular reference to the Straits of Singapore.
In the Metric system, a quintal (or cental) is one hundred kilograms, and according to Whitaker’s Almanack the equivalent of 1.968 ewt. Inold tables of weights and measures, a quintal, or cental, Avoirdupois, is shewn as being a hundred pounds.
The following is a table of weights:
1 quintal — 4 arrabas 1 arrabo = 32 arratels 1 arratel = 9 marcos 1 marco = 8 oncas. APPENDIX.
A translation of Chapters I. and XV. of Gardinho de Eredia’s ‘‘Declaracam de Malaca.”
Regarding the City of Malacca.
Malacea is a word which means Mirobolan or Monbain, the fruit of a tree which grows on the banks of the Aerlele, ( Ayer Leleh ), a stream which flows from the slopes of Bukit China to the sea, on the coast of Ujontana. It was on the banks of this stream, on the South East side, that Permicuri, the first monarch of the Malays, founded the town of Malacca, which to-day is so well-known throughout the world.
It is situated in 2. 12’ of north latitude, in the torrid zone: and the longest day consists of 12 hours 6 minutes. Ptolemy makes no mention of Malacca, which is modern and was given to it by the monarch above mentioned, who founded the town, in the year 1411, in the time of Pope John XXIV. when King John II. reigned in Castille and King John I. in Portugal.
Before the founding of Malacea, the Saletes, a tribe of fisher- men, congregated in this place, in the shade of the trees which bear the mirobolans. These fishermen used pointed javelins called ‘soliques,” i.e. seligi, and threw them with such skill that they could transfix fishes at the bottom of the sea. They employed no other implements of fishing. They were inhabitants of the coast of Ujontana, in the southern sea, and a wild and cannibal race.
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An old and very narrow isthmus started from the point of Tanjon-Tuan, now called Caborachado (Cape Rachado) and crossed to meet another pcint called Tanjon-Balvala, on the coast of Samatta, or, by corruption, Samattra (Sumatra).
It was by this isthmus, which extended between two seas, one lying on the North and the other on the South, that the natives from the main land of Ujontana crossed over to Samatta.
This name of Samatta means Peninsula, or Chersonese; and it is this peninsula that Ptolemy mentions under the name of the Golden Chersonese. We shall have occasion to return to this further on.
Permicuri chose this place because he considered it capable of being placed in a state of defence. This monarch had to protect himself from the ruler of Pam (Pahang), a territory in the interior of Ujontana.
This ruler made occasional armed attacks upon Permicuri, for he sought vengeance for an act of treachery, of which Permicuri had been guilty towards a relative of his, the “ Xabandes’”’ (Shahbandar) of Singapore, whom Permicuri had assassinated in spite of the proofs of friendship he had received from him, at the time when Permicuri pursued by his father-in-law, the old Emperor of Java, had sought a refuge in Singapore.
Permicuri therefore fortified himself on the crest of the hill, in a strong position where he was free from the fear of being taken by his enemy. MHe evinced great energy and zeal in enlarging his territory, which he extended beyond the river Aerlele; and he developed his new State by encouraging commerce and traffic with the surrounding tribes, who all came to Malacca to fish for the “ Saveis”’, a kind of shad, whose eggs placed in brine formed a much sought-after dish. Later, when the port had become frequented, the merchants of Coromandel, chiefly the Chelis (Chulia i.e. Klings) came over with stuffs and clothing; and they thus attracted thither the inhabitants of the surrounding islands, who helped to populate and to bring custom to the port, by bringing merchandise and exchanging their gold and spices for the stuffs of Coromandel.
This is the origin of the wealth of Malacca, which became one of the richest and most opulent States in the world. At this period the natives were possessed of much ingot gold, and the prosperity of the country continued under the reign of Permicuri’s successors who were Xaquemdarxa, (Iskandar Shah) the Sultan Medafarxa, the Sultan Marsusel, the Sultan Alaudim (Ala-ed-Din) and lastly the Sultan Mohameth (Mahmud) who was conquered by Afonso d’ Albuquerque, who captured the whole country, a little more than a hundred years after its foundation, on the 15th of August, 1511.
After conquering Malacca, the invincible Captain constructed a stone fortress at the foot of the hill on the sea-shore, to the South- East of the mouth of the river, where the Sultan Mohameth had built the palaces where he had kept the treasures with which he
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2© BARRETTO DE RESENDE’S ACCOUNT OF MALACCA,
escaped after crossing the river, and taking refuge in the interior of the country. Mohameth, after passing through the country of Pam, intrenched himself at Bentam, whence he proposed to make expeditions against Malacca. But Albuquerque had by this time finished the work of fortification of this<town; his commanding position, his artillery and his powerful garrison made him the terror of the Malays and always maintained the authority and honour of the Crown of Portugal. Malacca was victorious in repelling numerous attacks by Malay Kings and other neighbouring rulers.
The fortress forms a square each side of which measures 20 yards, it is 80 yards high (sic), and is protected on the east by walls built of stone and plaster; and in the interior there is a spring of water. In time of war or disturbance the inhabitants can be given shelter and provision there. The castle, or the tower, is as high as the hills. It was not built on the hill because it was preferable to place it lower down, in the sea itself, to ensure re-victualling in ease of war. When this had been done, wooden walls were erected around the groups of Malay dwellings.
Two walls, built of stcne covered with plaster, started from the angle formed by the sea to the west in two lines: they followed the shore and turned at right angles when they reached the height of the ground where the hospitals and the Brotherhood of Merey were built; and thence the two lines turned, the one to the North for a distance of 260 yards as far as the angle of the rampart of St. Peter, at the mouth of the river opposite the castle, and the other to the East for a distance of 150 yards at the turn of the coast by the gate and rampart of St. James. Another wall, which was built at the same time, extended from the rampart of St. Peter as far as the gateway of the Alfandega, and thence, for a distance of 300 yards, followed the river to the North East as far as the acute angle formed by the rampart of St. Dominic. From the gateway here, a wooden wall extended to the South East, for a distance of 200 yards, to the obtuse angle at the end of the Avenue of the Mother of God. Another wooden wall extended from the gateway of St. Anthony for a distance of 200 yards towards the South East beyond the rampart of the Virgins as far as another gateway on the rampart St. James. The total length of the walls was thus 1310 yards of five palms to the yard. In later days the architect in chief, Joao Baptista, by order of the King, prepared amended plans of the fortress. He made a new and enlarged plan of the walls in the South and in the waste land which stretches from the rampart of St. James to that of St. Dominic. His idea
was to build new walls of stone and plaster instead of the wooden
palisades, but his project was never carried out. Although there were four gateways pierced in the walls, two only, that of the Alfandega and that of St. Anthony, were generally used, and were open for ordinary traffic. In the interior of the enclosed area are the Castle, the Governor’s Palace, the Bishop’s Palace, the State Council Hall, the Hall of the Brotherhood of Merey, five Chur-
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BARRETTO DE RESENDE’S ACCOUNT OF MALACCA. 21
ches—our Lady of the Assumption, the Cathedral with the chapter and episcopal throne, our Lady of the Visitation and of Mercy, our Lady of the Annuciation (in the College of the Company of Jesus, at the very crest of the hill), the Church of St. Dominic in the Convent of the Dominicans and the Church of St. Anthony in the Convent St. Augustine—and two hospitals.
Outside the walls are three suburbs, the first is that of Upe (Upeh) on the other side of the river; the second is that of Yler (Hilir) on Tanjonpacer (Tanjong Pasir) on this side of the river; the third, that of Sabba, lies along the bank of the river. Of these three, the principal one is Upe. It is also called the “Tranqueira’’ or the “ Palisade,’ because of the palisade, or wooden wall, which has been built there parallel with the bank. It is 1400 yards from the mouth of the river. From its extremity a wooden wall extends 120 yards to the East towards the gate of the palisade as far as the “ Wooden Cavalier.” Thence, following an obtuse angle, another wooden wall stretches across the marshy and muddy ground of the interior, as far as the gate of Campon China which touches the river. In this way, the suburb of Upe, with its country houses and gardens, is well protected from the attacks of the © Saletes.”’ Nevertheless, when preparations ave being made for war, this suburb is entirely depopulated and dis- mantled, its whole population taking refuge in the castle within the walls.
This suburb is divided into two parishes; St. Thomas and St. Stephen. The parish of St. Thomas is called Campon Chelim (Kampong Kling) ; it stretches along the bank of the river, from the Javanese Bazaar towards the North West and ends at the stone rampart. In this part live the Chelis of Coromandel who must be the Chalinges”’ of which Pliny writes in Chapter XVII. of Book VI. ;
The other parish, St. Stephen, is called Campon China and stretches from the strand of the Javanese Bazaar, for a distance of 800 yards, along the river side to the wooden wall of the palis- ade at the mouth of the river, and extends, beyond the swampy part of the river, to the plantations of Nypeiras (Nipahs) and of “Brava” palms which grow beside on the brook called “ Parit China.” In this part of Campon China live the “ Chincheos’’ descendants of the “Tocharos” of Pliny, foreign merchants and natives occupied in fishing. The two parishes of St. Thomas and St. Stephen contain 2500 Christians, men, women, and children, beside the other heathen inhabitants. The houses are all built of timber and are covered with tiles to preserve them from the risk of fire. Stone buildings are, for reasons of defence in case of war, not allowed. At the mouth of the river, on the terrace of the Alfandega, there is a stone bridge on which a sentry mounts guard at night. On the bank, at the place called the Javanese Bazaar, at the entrance to the river, are sold the victuals, rice and grain which the Javanese merchants bring daily in their sailing boats,
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22 BARRETTO DE RESENDE’S ACCOUNT OF MALACCA.
The second suburb, that of Yler, is situated on the other side of the river towards the South East, and through it wooden huts covered with thatch (atap) extend for ‘a distance of 1200 yards from the river Aerlele towards the fields of Tanjonpacer, when there is a © banjacal”’ or guard-house which is its only defence. In this suburb there is a parish Church dedicated to our Lady of Pity, which serves a parish of 1300 Christians, without counting the heathen.
From the Aerlele river, or stream, another row of wooden dwellings stretches eastward for 1000 yards as far as the well of Bukit China, which supplies excellent water springing from the foot of the hill, on whose summit rises the Chureh of the Mother of God and the Convent of the Capuchins of St. Francisco.
Further to the North there is another hill called Bukit Piatto, and all round there are fields and swamps as far as Bukit Pipi, and Tanjonpacer to the South East and South.
The last suburb, that of Suppa, extends from the moat of the rampart St. Dominic. Its houses are made of wood and built on piles, right in the middle of the water. This ground, being swampy and damp, is well suited to the calling of the fishermen who live in this suburb; they tie up their boats and fishing nets along side their houses, and float in the water the timber and forest produce of the interior of the country in which they deal. In this suburb is the parish Chureh of St. Laurence which serves a population of 1400 Christians and other very numerous natives who live in the swampy eround where the ° Nypeiras”’ or © Brava’”’ palms, from which they distil the nypa wine, grow. JBesides these three parishes extra muros there are three parishes in the interior of the country; St. Lazarus, Our Lady of Guadeloupe, and Our Lady of Hope. They are situated on the bank of the river and contain a population of 9200 Christians and heathen natives or vassals who live inland in farms where they raise cattle and farmyard animals. In the eight parishes alone in the jurisdiction of Malacca the Christian popula- tion reaches 7400 souls, without counting the heathen and the vassal natives.
The State is administrated by a Governor elected for three years, by a bishop and by other dignitaries of the episcopal see assisted by City Magistrates organised in the same manner as the Tribunal of Evora of the Fathers of Mercy, and by royal delegates for the financial and judicial departments.
The State further supports mendicant orders, a Convent of the Company of Jesus with its schools and colleges, the convents of the order of St. Dominic and of St. Augustine, capuchin monks of St. Francis, and ministers of the Christian religion. Inside the fortress live, besides the garrison for its defence, 300 married Portu- guese with their families. There are in all four religious houses, eight parishes, fourteen churches, two chapels of the Hospitalers, and some hermitages and oratories.
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Regarding Gunoledam (Gunong Ledang’,, or Mount Ophir.)
The mountain of Gunoledam, like Mount Atlas, where sybiline eaves are found, is a high mountain. It is half a league in height, and a little more than a league in circumference at its base: it is quite isolated. If one believes a story, which is widely spread among the Malays, the queen Putry, the companion of Permicuri, who founded Malacca, retired to this mountain, and, by enchant- ment (for by magic she became immortal) lives there still. Her home is on the heights of the mountain in a cave, where she lies on a raised bed which is decorated with the bones of dead men. She is clad in silk and gold, and looks like a lovely young girl. Round this cave are planted thick rows of bamboos, in which one hears harmonious voices and sounds of music. It is something like this that Marco Polo describes when he writes in the 44th chapter of «this first book of the music of duleimers which was heard in the desert of Job.
At a certain distance from the eave and the bamboos are groves of fruit trees full of delicate fruit and singing birds, and not far from them are the forests where roam the tigers who guard this enchanted Putry, this new Circe of Thessaly.
This story is probably not true, but the natives firmly believe in it. They further assert that on this mountain is a cave like that of the Pythians and the Sibyls, and that the forest-dwelling Benuas here learn their magic arts and hold intercourse with the devil. Here, without seeing any one, they hear mysterious voices which reveal to them not only the qualities of plants and of miraculous and medicinal herbs, but the art of preparing medicines, both beneficial and harmful. In order to get this iaformation, the Benuas employ a herb called Hrba vilca, which is found on Gunole- dam as well asin America. By drinking a decoction of this herb, they put themselves in communication with the devil or with Putry, who like the Thessalian witch Erichto, and like the enchan- tress Circe, takes the form of animals and hides.
These forest-dwelling Benuas in the same manner, and by means of the same practices and words would take the forms of tigers, lizards, crocodiles or other animals. They then had supernatural power, and could hold conversation with people in remote places, like the sorceress of Tuscany, who could show to those who consulted her things that were happening at a distance.
While speaking of this subject, I ought to make mention of the first bishop of Malacca, Dom Georges de Santa Lucia, whose merits should be always exalted. He wished to put an end to the harm caused to the country by these forest-dwelling Benuas, who in the shape of tigers used to enter the town of Malacca, and kill unresist- ing women and children.
He wished to excommunicate them and had public prayers made in the cathedral. Then, at issue of the Grand Mass and after the procession of the feast of the assumption of our lady, the pro-
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24 BARRETTO DE RESENDE’S ACCOUNT OF MALACCA, i
tectress of the fortress, he solemnly excommunicated these tigers. Since then they have never entered a village, nor killed a man, woman or child. For this Christians gave thanks to God. This miracle astounded the natives and as a result, many of them and many Cheli (Kling) idolators were converted in 1560.
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Singapore old Straits and New Harbour. By WARREN D. BARNES.
It has long been a tradition that the old straits of Singapore were the Sélat Tébrau between the Island and the Johore mainland and a new tradition is now springing up that the passage through New or Keppel Harbour was discovered by the late Admiral Keppel. The object of this paper is to show that both these traditions are without foundation of fact and that the old Straits of Singapore are none other than the present Keppel Harbour.
It is unnecessary to point out in detail how ill-adapted are the Johore straits for sailing vessels making a passage; the western entrance is by no means easy, the distance is long and ships using the channel would be exposed to strong tides, be liable to be be- ealmed and, most important of all, beat the mercy of the pirates who haunted these waters for centuries. On the other hand the passage through the New Harbour is short and not particularly difficult. If it had not been used in former times some explanation of so singular a fact would have to be found.
The most convenient way of examining the question will be to deal in chronological order with the principal historical references to these Straits.
A. D. 1486. Hsing-ch’a Sheng-lan (W. P. Groeneveldt, Notes on Malay Archipelago and Malacea in Essays relating to Indo-China, Second Series Vol: I. page 203). The strait of Lingga is situated to the North-west of Palem- bang (San-bo-tsai), high mountains face each other as the teeth of a dragon and between these the ships pass. (Earlier than 15th century ) Charts from Wu-pei-pi-shu with sailing directions (The Seaports of India and Ceylon by George Phillips) China Branch R. A.S. New Series vols. XX. and XX1I.) Starting from Malacca with a course of 120° to 135°, in five watches the ships will be off Arrow-shooting Hill; then with a course of 120° to 135° in three watches Pulau Pisang will be reached and with a course of 135° in five watches more Carimon. Thence with a course of first 100° to 120° and later 120° Long- waist Island is reached and the ship comes out of Dragon-teeth Gate left. From Dragon-teeth Gate with a course of 75° to 90° in five watches the ship will reach Pedro Branca.
The words Léng-gé-mtiy ( Amoy dialect ) translated by Groen- eveldt ‘the straits of Lingga’’ mean dragon-teeth gate; strait, or passage and in the Amoy dialect ‘‘dragon-teeth” is the name given to the two upright pegs in the bows of a ship through which the cable runs. The passage in question cannot be the Straits of Ling-
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26 SINGAPORE OLD STRAITS AND NEW HARBOUR
ea which lie much too far away for the second quotation and I suggest that it is the New Harbour. The western entrance to this harbour has been altered since old times, as is evident from the quotation below from “Prisoners their own Warders.” I suggest that owing to the similarity of names the Chinese accounts confuse the island of Lingga with the dragon-teeth passage. A. D. 1598
Linschoten. I translate from a French translation “Le grand Routie de Mer,’ Amsterdam 1619 pp. 40-42.
In Chapter XX. Linschoten gives sailing-directions from Malacca to Macau. Having brought his mariner down to Pulau Pisang and Tanjong Bulus he says :—
“At a league from this Cape is a river [ Sungei Pulai | and a short league further another river [Sélat Tébrau] with a large mouth in which lies a little island called Sincapura [a mistake for Merambong | where the bottom is good and clean. This river empties itself at the port of Iantana [ Ujong Tanah, Johore | the place where Antonio de Meno went once by mis- take with a ship of eight hundred ‘casses,’ each ‘easse’ being three and a half quintals Portuguese weight, and got out again. From this river the land trends to a point to the South and at this point begins the entrance to the first straits |Selat Sembi- lan | through which you must pass. On the North of this bay the land lies higher than on the South, where it is low and uneven, with a tree covered hill showing above its surroundings. This is the end of the land. For on the East you find islands and rocks stretching first to the South and then to the East in the form of a bay. From the above mentioned Cape of Tanjamburo [ Tanjong Bulus | to the entrance to these straits the course is due East and the depth seven or eight fathoms.
“ Any one wishing to sail to China by Sincapura [Singapore] should if he comes by Pulo Picon | Pulau Pisang | at the begin- ning of July keep close to the island of Carimon; for the Java monsoon which is on then always blows from the coast of Sumatra. Also if you keep on the Carimon side when you leave it you come right on to the entrance of the straits. The depths differ on this course and when you come from the Tan- jong Bulus side the country at the entrance of the strait ‘a Vapparence d’un trone’ which is a certain sign of the said entrance. Here you should tack (tiendrez vostre course en louvant) so as to make the entrance easier.
“These first straits | Sélat Sembilan | have at their entrance two shoals | Basses | which come from the Cape one on each side. On the South side at the beginning of the straits is a long range of islands stretching to the East which forms the straits. To enter you must all the time keep closer to the South side than tothe other. At first entrance you will find twelve ten and nine fathoms and when you have got so far in that the land to the South, that is the islands mentioned, are in
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SINGAVORE OLD STRAITS AND NEW HARBOUR. 250
one, you will see in front of you on the other side a cape with a little red hill. You will do well then to bear over a little to that side until you have passed the first island [ Pulau Pesek | between which and the second [Pulau Ayer Limau] lies a shoal which can be seen sometimes at low water and which stretches half way across the channel; however you will be careful always to have the lead in your hands to know where you are. Having come close to this cape and hill bear off again to the right, for this is the only shoal between these islands, and in this way you will carry on to the East for about half a league with this same depth of eight or nine fathoms. Thence this range of Islands along which you are sailing trends to the South-east and immediately afterwards you will see a little further on to the right of these islands a round island stretching a little behind from one to another, {the French is not clear| you will carry on along this leaving it on your right. You will always have eight or ten fathoms with a muddy bottom. On the left hand, that is on the North side, the land has many bays among them a large one which trends to the South. On this South side is another round island which you will leave on the same side. You will beware of this North side as it is full of shoals and will hold on your course on the other or right hand side. When you come close to the above mentioned small round island on the right hand side you will see straight in front of you, that is to say, at the end of the range of islands along which your are coasting, another small low island with a few trees and a shore of white sand |? Cyrene shoal]; this is directly opposite the East and West straits of Singapore. You
will bear down on this island and when you come close to it
you will see the straits, towards which you will steer keeping off a little both to avoid the shoals and reefs to the North and also so as not to be carried by the tide to the South side of the entrance of the straits. On the North is a sandy beach | Pasir Panjang] about a cannon-shot long having a kind of bay at the end of it where fresh water can be got. The whole way along this beach you will find a good bottom fit for anchoring if necessary. Coming up to the beach you will find currents which will earry you down to the entrance of the straits but you can avoid them by keeping off. You will do well also not to pass the end of these straits on the North side as there are reefs and banks there. “The entrance of the straits is about a stone’s throw across between two high mountains and runs a cannon-shot length to the East. The least depth in the straits is four and a half fathoms. At the entrance at the foot of the Northern mountain is a rock which looks like a pillar. It is commonly known as Varella del China [Lot’s wife]. A little further on in the straits and on the South side is a bay in the middle of which is another rock below water and a shoal with reaches from this
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28 SINGAPORE OLD STRAITS AND NEW HARBOUR.
rock to the middle of the channel. About an arquebus-shot further on, on the same South side, is a passage reaching to the sea on the other side thus making an Island [Sélat Singkeh]. It is too shallow for any but small craft (petites fustes) to use. In the middle of the bay opposite the opening of this passage is a rock or rocky shoal two fathoms under water which reaches a little out of the bay to the middle of the channel. When you are up to this bay you see a straight hill which forms a cape at the end of the straits. Having doubled this cape you gee a red hill near which the bottom is good and clean, after which the land trends to the South-east.
On the North side of the straits there are in all three bays, of which the first two are small and the third, which lies opposite the cape of the red hill at the end of the straits, large. This
third bay has a bank of rock which is uncovered at low water and reaches from headland to headland; care must be taken of it. Everything on the North side outside this bay is through- out the channel clean and good from one headland to the other.
At the exit from the passage are two reefs, one of which is . opposite to the mouth of it about a cannon-shot away (a la portée d’une piéce de fer) running North and South; the other | is to the South of the mouth and a short cannon-shot away (a la portée d’un canon mediocre) stretching to the Hast so that the |
;
two make a cross; both can be seen at low water. The channel between them has barely four fathoms with a muddy bottom ; outside the channel the bottom is sand whereby many ships have come in danger of shipwreck. If therefore you have to go that way take care when leaving the channel not to steer due Kast, and if you wish to anchor bear to the South, for if you stop in the current of the straits you may lose an anchor or two through the violence of the ship’s motion.
When clear of the straits bear to your right along the land but not coming closer to it than a depth of four fathoms, and when you have passed the first beach, together with a hill and a rock at the end of it, and a bay which lies opposite the hill, and have reached half way to another hill, which is at the other end of the above mentioned passage from the straits, you should then shape your course to the East, not coming within four fathoms on either side for fear of falling on banks and shoals. The bottom of the channel is muddy. You must always have the lead in your hand until you have got a greater depth, which you will soon do. It is safest to use a small boat to sound the channel. When you have reached twelve or fifteen fathoms beware of the South side until you are a league to the East of the Straits, for from fifteen fathoms you would get ten and then would find yourself on some shoal, for there
- are many shoals and sand banks just there.
These Straits (of Rumenia) have six small Islands [Pulau
Lima] on each side of Jantana [Johor] which is on the North
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SINGAPORE OLD STRAITS AND NEW HARBOUR. 29
of it and along which the course is East and West (the French
is not clear). They are about eight leagues distant [from the
Singapore Strait]. You will beware of passing between two of
them. The sea near here, that is for half a league to the South,
is quite clear and fair with a sandy bottom in fifteen fathoms.
Half way between the Straits [of Singapore] and the said
Islands is the river of Iantana which has a very wide mouth,
the entrance to which lies on the East side where large vessels
often enter. On the West side, where there is a hill of red earth [Tanah Merah on Singapore Island] just beyond the
mouth of the river, is a sandbank which stretches to sea for a
league and a half and has been touched by many ships, you
should beware of it. At the end of the said islands a reef
[Rumenia shoals and North Patch] stretches for a full two
leagues to sea Hast-North-Hast over which in fair weather only
a little foam can be seen but where a heavy sea breaks in
rough weather.
Between this reef and the islands is a large channel with a rocky bottom; the greatest [? smallest] depth which I have found is five and a half fathoms, from that seven and a half and again six and eight and a half are found. The width of the channel is a good cannon-shot across. If you wish to use this channel you must turn off your course half a league from the islands without coming closer to them for fear of coming on the banks as happened to Francisco Daginer who nearly lost his ship. Two leagues to the South-East of these islands is another small island which is a reef or rock of white stone and hence called Pedra Branqua {Pedra Branca and Horsburgh Light] and near and to the South of it are other rocks and
reefs. To the South also lies the island of Bintcn”’ | Bintang].
_ In the above translation the remarks in square brackets are tiy own. These sailing directions are wonderfully clear seeing that they are a translation from the French of a translation from the Dutch of a translation from the Portuguese and there can be no doubt that the route which Linschoten taught to his fellow ecountry-men lay through the Sélat Sembilan and Keppel Harbour. It may be of value to note that Linschoten never visited the Further East; he arrived in India in 1583 and left it in 1589; his account of che passage from Malacca fo Macau must therefore have been drawn from Portuguese sources and it is evident that some of the Portuguese pilots had a competent knowledge of their profession.
Ae Dik 9 9: Viaggi di Carletti vol. 11. 208-9 quoted in Yule’s Hobson-Jobson”’ s. v. Singapore.
In this voyage nothing occurred worth relating...... except that after passing the straits of Sincapura...... between the main- land and a variety of islands...... with so narrow a channel that from the ship you could jump ashore or touch the branches of the trees on either side, our vessel stuck on a shoal.
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This is a very fair traveller’s description of a passage through the narrows of New Harbour but it is not applicable to one round Singapore Island. That a traveller should not have appreciated that Singapore is not a part of the main-land needs no explanation. Linschoten regarded the Sélat Tébrau as a river.
A. D. 1604 Emanuel Godinho de Hredia in his Declaracam de Malaca, written in 1613 and published with a French translation by M. Leon Janssen at Brussels in 1882, gives three sketch maps of the end of the Peninsula.
The one on page 61 is headed Discripsao Chorographica dos - estreitos de Sincapura e Sattam Ano 1604, and gives the following places: Tanion buro (Tanjong Bulus) Pulo Cucob, Rio Pule (Sungei Pulai), Salat Tubro (Selat Tebrau), Pulo Ular, blacan mati (Blakang Mati), estreito novo (new straits), estreito velho (old straits), Xabandaria (on Singapore island probably near the mouth of the Singapore river, meaning Shabandar’s i.e. Harbour Master’s office), Tanjon Ru, Sune bodo (Sungai Bedoh), Tana meva (Tanah Merah), and Tanjon Rusa (at Changi). Additional names are given on the other sketches as follows:— Estreyto Sincapura (Sin- gapore Straits in the same position as estreite velho above) Siquijam (Pulau Sakijang St: John’s Island), Pedra Branca (Horsburgh light) Rido de Jor (Johore River), Cotabatu (Kota batu), Batusawar, and Ponta Romania.
The sketches clearly show that three passages were known :— the old and new straits and the Selat Tébrau and that the old strait was New Harbour and the new strait the present main straits. It should be noted that no place names are given near the last, whilst on the South of Singapore are noted the residence of the Malay official and the places where wood and water were obtainable. Val- entyn (J. S. B., R. A. S. Vol: XV p. 134) says “on the 5th of May (1606) two prahus of the king of Johor with the Shahbandar of Singapore Seri Raja Nagara reached our fleet,” and it is in- teresting to note that in the Sejarah Malayu ( page 250 Shellabear’s Romanised edition 1910 ) we are told of the stout defence offered by the “ penglima raayat Raja Nagara batin Singapura,’ against at- tacks by Portuguese from Malacea. The presence of a Shahbandar implies visits by foreign ships and traders.
AvoD wots Bocarro 428. Yule op: cit: s.v. Governor’s Straits.’
1615. The Governor sailed from Manilla in March of this year with ten galleons and two galleys...... On arriving at the straits of Sincapur...... and passing by a new strait which since has taken the name of Estreito do Governador, there his galleon grounded on the reef at the point of the strait and was a little grazed by the top of it.
The Governor came to grief in the present Singapore straits.
A Dt 700 A new Account of the East Indies by Captain Aiexander Hamilton... ...who spent his time there from 1688 to 1723...... Edinburgh 1727.
Jour. Straits Branch
SINGAPORE OLD STRAITS AND NEW HARBOUR. 31
Vol II. page 93
Johore has the benefit of a fine deep large river which admits of two entrances into it. The smaller is from the westward called by the Europeans the Straits of Sincapure but by the Natives Salleta le Brew (Sélat Tébrau). It runs along the side of Sincapure Island for 5 or 6 leagues together and ends at the great river of Johore.
Wel. page 123. -.
Upon the East side of the great Carimon is the entrance of the straits of Drions [Durian! and between the small Carimon and Tanjong bellong | Tanjong Bulus] on the continent is the en- trance of the Straits of Sincapure before mentioned and also into the Straits of Governadore, the largest and easiest passage into the China seas.
This is probably the ‘locus classicus’ whence the tradition that — the Sélat Tébrau forms the old straits of Singapore was. derived. It would seem that between 1600 and 1700 the passage through Keppel Harbour fell into such complete disuse by European vessels that its very existence was forgotten. It was probably convenient for those ships only which could be worked with sweeps or towed with reship’s boats in case of lack of wind, and hence as the size of shipping increased it went out of fashion.
1826 Singapore Chronicle August 1826 (quoted in Moor’s Notices of the Indian Archipelago Singapore 1827, page 276 )
These (remarks) are from the Notes of Captain Rous and the officers of H.M.S. Rainbow and may be relied on as correct. | After a recommendation to stand closer in shore from Formosa Point to Pulau Pisang than Horsburgh approves of, the passage continues.| On reaching Singapore straits if a vessel is unable to weather Barn Island with the wind to the Southward she should bear up for the passage through the Selat Sinki or New Harbour. This will be found safe and expeditious for vessels under 600 tons burden but for ships of a larger size it is narrow and confined. The entrance to the passage bears E.N.E. from Sultan Shoal and is bold on each side, the only danger being a two fathom bank on the South side. After clearing the narrows and opening Singapore Harbour steer along Trumba Trumbaya reef a cable’s length off and when well to the Southward edge away for the anchorage.
The passage above described was effected with success by H.M.S. Rainbow, the first vessel that has ever come through in- tentionally. The ‘ William Parker,’ a free trader passed through by mistake some time ago and it was generally considered a very dangerous experiment. The enterprise of Captain Rous has how- ever established its practicability and these notes and observa- tions which were taken with great care will render the passage easy and safe for navigators. In these operations we understand
R. A. Soc., No: 60, I9II.
32 SINGAPORE OLD STRAITS AND NEW HARBOUR.
that Capt. Rous was ably assisted by Mr. Bernard, Agent of Lloyd’s, who came in the Rainbow from Malacca and whose practical knowledge of the Straits and Islands made his sugges- tions and information highly useful in exploring this unfrequent- ed track. It will be noted that the name New Harbour was in use in 1826. 1841. “ Horsburgh ” 5th edition vol: ii. 264. Singapore Strait called Governor Strait or New Strait by French and Portuguese. The name Straits of Singapore was first applied to Keppel Har- bour then (see Hamilton above) to the Sélat Tébrau and lastly to
. the Straits now so called.
1843-4 Voyage of H.M.S. Samarang by Sir Edward Belcher, London 1848. Vol: Eh pageahso:
Upon a cursory examination of the Chart of this Channel (constructed by Mr. Thompson in 1842) I observe that a safe and short channel would be available by night and day provided that a light were established on the hill above the Malay village. That a leading mark seen clear of the point of Blakan Mati would bring a steamer from the fairway fork (to either Channel) into the New Harbour by a direct course of twelve miles. |
It will be noted that in 1842 Keppel Harbour had been sur- veyed.
1848. ‘Prisoners their own Warders,’’ McNair and Bayliss, London 1899 page 66.
In the year 1848 we find that the Indian convicts were em- ployed in blasting some considerable part of a mass of rock known to the Malays as Batu Belayer or “stone to sail to’ and by Eu- ropeans as © Lot’s wife.” It was a dangerous obstruction to navigation being situated on the Singapore side of the Western Entrance to the New Harbour. It is reported as known to old navigators, of these seas and was shown on old charts over two hundred years ago.
The Government evidentiy took in hand in this year the im- provement of this channel, which they had caused to be surveyed by Mr. Thompson in 1842.
1848. An anecdotal History of old Times in Singapore. C. B. Buckley Singapore 1902. page 4938.
It was in May 30th of this year (1848) that Capt. Keppel wrote in his diary on board the ' Maeander ”’ :
“On pulling about in my gig among the numerous prettily- wooded islands on the Westward entrance to the Singapore River I was astonished to find deep water close to the shore with a safe passage for ships larger than the “Maeander.” Now
Jour. Straits Branch
SINGAPORE OLD STRAITS AND NEW HARBOUR. 33
that steam is likely to come into use this ready-made harbour as a depot for coals would be invaluable. I had the position surveyed and sent it with my report to the Admiralty. As it was, a forge was landed and artificers employed under commo- dious shades all under the eyes of the officers on board.”
These repairs on the Maeander were therefore the first re- pairs done in New Harbour... *so it was Keppel who first sailed through New Harbour* and Singaporeans often said that it should not haye been called New Harbour, which meant nothing, but Keppel Harbour. This was eventually done on the 19th April 1900 when the old Admiral was on a visit to Singapore.
A visit to the Indian Archipelago in H.M.S. Maeander Capt. the Hon. Henry Keppel, London 1853, page 16,
While preparations were making [May-August 1848] for the establishment at Labuan the Maeander refitted in the snug and picturesque New Harbour which appears to have been over- looked in selecting the first points of settlement; the only objec- tion to it as a harbour is the intricacy of the Eastern entrance; a difficulty which by the introduction of steam has become of little consequence. No place could be better adopted for a coal depot ; and as a harbour for a man-of-war to refit it is most con- venient. The forge can be landed, boats repaired and artificers employed under commodious sheds and all under the immediate eye of the officers on board. It has another great advantage over Singapore Roads, in the latter anchorage a ship’s bottom becomes more foul than in any other [ know of, perhaps from the near prox- imity to the bottom; this is not the case in New Harbour in which there is always a tide running. Although it has the appearance of being hot and confined, surrounded as it is by high land we did not find it so in reality ; generally there is a current of air inside while the ships in the stagnant and crowded roads are becalmed.
It will be seen from the above quotations that the gallant Admiral made no claim to have been the first to sail through New Harbour He doubtless know of the number of ships which had used the passage and he does not even say that he used it himself on this occasion. In fact it appears probable that he did not.
AED 1857. Anecdotal History of Singapore page 649.
- On the 19th of March H.M.S. Raleigh Capt. Turner bearing the broad pennant of Commodore Keppel C.B., sailed into New Harbour... As the old admiral was in Singapore when this chapter was being written he was asked .. . if he remembered how it came about that he sailed the Raleigh into New Harbour instead of into the Reads. He said that it was because he had surveyed New Harbour while he was in the Maeander and had the same Master (navigating officer) with him in the Raleigh who had
* The italics are mine.
R. A. Soc., No. 60, I9TI, -
24 SINGAPORE OLD STRAITS AND NEW HARBOUR,
surveyed it with him so he felt quite confident about it although
others had been afraid to go in.
There can have been no difficulty in sailing into New Harbour
in 1857 seeing that P. and O. offices there were opened in 1852 (Anecdotal History page 566).
AceDe 1900; Singapore Free Press 3.1.00.
It was Sir Henry Keppel who first of all in H. M.S. Raleigh in 1856 sailed from the Westward through the new channel which his examination and recommendation created as the New Har- bour Singapore.
This is an absurd mis-statement. Hundreds of ships must have passed through New Harbour before 1856.
Straits Settlements Government Gazette Extraordinary 19.4.00. Notification No. 401.
In order to perpetuate the remembrance of the fact that the capabilities of the New Harbour at Singapore as a passage for ships of the deepest draught and an excellent Harbour were first demonstrated by the Hon. Capt. Keppel, R.N. of H.M.S. Dido now Admiral of the Fleet Sir H. Keppel G.C.B., D.C.L.
It is hereby notified for public information that the New Harbour will in future be called and known by the name of Keppel Harbour Singapore.
Singapore 19th April, 1900.
Keppel Harbour is a good name and the late Admiral deserved all the hono 1rs conferred upon him, but the reasons given for bestowing this particular one are very uncorvincing. Captain Keppel was here in the Dido in 1842-1844 but it was not till his next visit in the Maeander in 1848 that he discovered all that he himself ever claimed to have discovered namely that New Harbour was an excellent place wherein to lay a ship up to refit and afforded great natural advantages for a coaling station.
The tradition that the Johore straits are the old Singapore straits will probably never die, but the new legend that Admiral Keppel was the first person to take a good sized ship through Keppel Harbour has got so short a start that it should be possible to overtake it. |
Jour, Straits Brench R. A. Soc. No, 60. 1011,
An old Royal Cemetery at Pekan in Pahang.
By WARREN D. BARNES.
(With three plates.)
The plates to this paper are from photographs of the “ Makam Chondong” at Pekan which lies at no great distance from the Istana of His Highness the Tungku Besar. The name ©“ Makam Chon- dong” should in strictness mean the graves with a leaning shrine over them and it is very probable that the graves were once roofed in and that the building over them fell into decay and became out of the perpendicular. No trace however of such a building is to be seen. The local explanation of the name is that the surround- ing trees all “ chondong” to the “ makam’’ doing obeisance to it.
The graves are on a platform of earth about 50 feet square, three or four feet high, and surrounded by a shallow ditch.. On one side is a large hollow from which the earth to make the mound was perhaps obtained. It appears probable that the sides of the platform were once vertical and faced with bricks. A number of these bricks are still to be seen; they are really flat tiles measuring ten inches by five by two and a half. All the graves are on the Northern side of the platform, the rest 1s unoccupied.
His Highness the Tungku Besar informs me that he has a distinet recollection of visiting this cemetery about twenty years ago and finding on one of the stones the name Mahmud”’ in gold letters. His Highness says that he took particular care to turn the stone over with the inscription downwards. The inscription has however disappeared and an examination of the photographs will - show that the names on all the stones have been chipped away, doubtless to obtain the gold used to make them.
IT am told that about twenty or thirty years ago a herd of wild elephants did a good deal of damage to the graves.. Mr. J. B. Serivenor the Federal Geologist to whom I submitted a fragment from one of the stones said that 1t was a fine grained sandstone of no particular interest.
Tt will be seen that two of the large graves are male and one female. ‘To the west of them and only shown in the small scale photograph is a grave with two plain stones; it is probably a female grave. In the centre of the platform are the fragments of two large grave stones similar to those shown in the larger scale photographs. It is probably on one of these that the name Mah- mud was found. Alongside them is an unimportant female grave. My suggestion that the most important person would be buried in
Jour. Straits Branch R. A. Soc., No. 60. I9II,
_far from the Makam Chondong and Makam Nibong. The grave
36 AN OLD ROYAL CEMETERY AT PEKAN IN PAHANG.
the centre was negatived by a native authority who objected that in that case the subsequent and less important persons buried here would have their feet on his head. Difficulties of this nature have not however troubled the present royal family whose graves at Kampong Marhom near Kuala Pahang have no particular order or arrangement.
T believe that a careful examination of the undamaged ar ots of tha stones might lead to the detection of other names. I how- ever failed to read any and no one whom I consulted had been more successful.
The only other clue to the indentity of the occupants of these graves is a tradition of doubtful value that in the large female grave is buried one Che Puan Layang who is herself nothing but a name. I could hear of no other traditions.
It is certain that Sultan Mahmud was one of the early rulers of Pahang. He is mentioned in the Séjarah Malayu, where it is said that the Sultan Mahmud who lost Malacca to the Portuguese married his daughter, and he is also mentioned in the Bustanu- s-salatin’ list of Pahang rajas as being the son of the first raja Sultan Muhammad Shah and himself the fifth ruler. His posthum- ous title is given as Marhom di-hilir, 7.¢., the late ruler down- river. If one of the graves is really his, its date would be about the beginning of the 16th century.
There are at least two other old cemeteries at Pekan. The ‘““Makam Nibong” which lies within a few hundred yards of the ‘“Makam Chondong” is also on a platform. There are on this a number of graves but all appear to be female. On one is a clear inscription in Arabic. It is carved however in a lapidary’s style which batfles the few persons in Pekan who claim to read Arabic. I could hear no traditions as to the date of these graves or as to their occupants.
Another well known grave is that called Ziarat Raja Raden. It is near the river bank within the Sultan’s reserved area and not
stones are of similar type to those of Raja Fatimah a description of which has already been published in this Journal. An inscription in Arabic which has been read for me consists of praises of God, and a difficult specimen of Arabic writing at the foot of one of the stones was recently determined to contain the name Abdulalil. A local Malay student of history decided that the grave must be that of Sultan Abduljalil of Johore who succeeded the mad Sultan Mahmud Shah IT of Johore (Mangkat dijulang) in about 1700 and was himself known as Marhom Kuala Pahang. (see Wilkinson’s History pamphlet pp: 53-55). This however is pure guess-work ; there is no local tradition on the subject. It may be noted that Raja Raden is the name given by Godinho d’Erédia to Sultan Alaedin Riayat Shah III of Johore, the Sultan who died at Acheen in about 1615. It is therefore a possible popular name for a ruler.
Jour. Straits Branch
Se. Rt.
: ber WS Sn3 AY ie A Ses
Aon sees
OLD CEMETERY IN PEKAN.
—---
OLD CEMETERY
IN
PEKAN.
OLD CEMETERY
IN
PEKAN.
An old Tombstone in Pahang.
By WARREN D, BARNES.
(With two plates.)
In May, 1910, His Highness the Tungku Besar of Pahang was visiting Kuala Lipis, and among the presents brought to him by the local Penghulus was a gravestone which was reported to have been found some time previously in the Pahang River near the Peng- hulu’s landing stage at Tebing Tinggi. The stone was carved with an inscription in Arabic characters which baffled the local scholars. A transcription of it was subsequently made by the Mufti at Pekan, Haji Osman bin Senik. It proved of great interest, as the stone was the gravestone of Raja Fatimah who died in A. H. 901. 7. e. A. D. 1496 or fifteen years before Albuquerque captured Malacca. I propose to give a description of the stone which now lies in the Istana of His Highness at Pekan, and to discuss the identity of Raja Fatimah.
The plates which accompany this paper show the shape of the stone. Its height from its top to the bottom of the carved foot is 992 inches; its width across the carved foot 14 inches, and across the face 9+ inches; its thickness in the thinner portion 5 inches.
The following description has been given me by Mr. J. B. Serivenor, Government Geologist, Federated Malay States, of a chip from the bottom of it :-—
“This is an excellent example of a basic lava. The base is cloudy but is evidently composed to a large extent of felspar micro- liths. The felspar phenocrysts are fresh and beautifully zoned in some cases. The extinction angles are not very high and point to the felspar being andesine. Augite, almost colourless in section, is common and there is a deep brown, strongly pleochroic mineral with nearly straight extinction that occurs chiefly in prisms with strongly marked black rescrption borders. This mineral is most probably basaltic hornblende, but it cannot be proved from this slide. There is one large crystal of biotite much altered.”’
“It would be interesting to compare this rock with the grave- stones in the Raftles Museum, Singapore. They appeared to me to be of the same nature.”’ .
“ This rock, which may be called pyroxene-hornb!ende-andesite, might have come from some outcrop of the Pahang Volcanic Series, but I do not remember seeing anything exactly like it.”
May, 1910. dig 135 Tsk
R. A. Soc., No. 60, 1911.
38 AN OLD TOMBSTONE IN PAHANG.
The carving on the stone is surprisingly fresh, and as patches of ““jadam” or black varnish still remain visible on the stone it- self—they are clearly shown in the photographs—it is probable that the story that it was found in the river is correct. It isin much better preservation than many stones of much more recent date. It appears likely that the whole stone was once covered with black varnish and very possibly the name on it was picked out in gold.
The photographs show :— A. The whole stone; B. One flat side; C. The opposite flat side; D. One narrow side. The transeription of the inscriptions as given by our local authority at Pekan is as follows :— (i) B. The heart-shaped inscription above :—
Al ghafur, meaning The Lord most forgiving.
The inscription below :— Al-hejrat al-nabi salla Allahu alaihi wa’s-salam sembilan ratus sa tahun lima belas hari.”
(ii) C. The heart-shaped inscription above :—
Al-jalil meaning The Lord most great.
The inscription below:—bulan shawal malam isnin Raja Fatimah kembali ka-rahmat Allah.
The translation of the two inscriptions is :—
On the eve of Monday the fifteenth day of the Moon Shawal in the year 901 cf the Hejira of the Prophet, to whom may God give peace, Raja Fatimah returned to God’s mercy.
(iii) D. The heart-shaped inscription above :—
Al-’ala, meaning The L-rd most high.
The inscription below :—Arabic words meaning Death is a gate and all men go in thereat.
(iv) On the other narrow side :—
The heart-shaped inscription above :—
Al-aziz, meaning The Lord most powerful.
The inscription below :—Arabic words meaning Death is a cup and all men drink thereof.
(v) On the flat top of the stone :— Arabic words the meaning of which has not been clearly made out.
The identity of this Raja Fatimah is fairly certain, although the early history of Pahang is not clear. The authorities are the Sejarah Malayu and the Bustanu-al-Salatin, of an extract from which His Highness possesses a copy. According to the Séjarah Malayu (Shellabear’s Romanised Edition, 1910, pages 82-86) Pa- hang with its capital Pura, z.e. the city, 2.e. Pekan, was at one time under the rule of “Siam” and was governed by Maharaja Dewa Sura who belonged io the family of the ruler of that country. This “ Siam’’ was probably not the present Thai Kingdom. It had previously sent an abortive expedition against Malacca which would appear to have followed the well-known route down the Tem- beling and the Pahang and up the Bera and Serting over the ‘Penarekan’ to the Muar.
Jour. Straits Branch
AN OLD TOMBSTONE IN PAHANG. 39
In reply, Sultan Mansur, who, according to Mr. Wilkinson’s “ History ’’ pamphlet, 1908, page 24, came to the throne about A.D. 1459, sent a naval expedition against Pahang which captured the country and its ruler as well as the ruler’s daughter, Putéri Wanang Séri, whom the Sultan subsequently married. By this marriage he had two sons, Raja Ahmad Muhammad and Raja Muhammad. Raja Ahmad Muhammad was the Sultan’s favourite of all his sons and was nominated as his heir. He lost favour, however, owing to the murder by his followers of a son of the Béndahara who, when playing “raga,” had inadvertently so kicked the ball that it knock- ed off the Raja’s head-dress. The Sultan accordingly banished him to his mother’s country of Pahang, of which he had him installed as Sultan. under the title of Sultan Muhammad. The new Sultan married the grand-daughter of the Raja of Kelantan and had three sons, Raja Ahmad, Raja Jamil, and Raja Mahmud, and a daughter who married her cousin Sultan Mahmud of Malacea—the Sultan whom Albuquerque ejected in 1511. According to the Bustanu-al- Salatin, Sultan Muhammad was succeeded by his son Sultan Ah- mad, who by a non-royal wife had a son Raja Mansur. The Sultan abdicated in favour of this son who married Raja Fatimah the daughter of Sultan Ala’edin Riayat Shah of Malacca who was the son of Sultan Mansur and the father of the Sultan Mahmud just mentioned. I believe that the gravestone found is that of this lady.
She would appear to have had an unhappy time in Pahang as her husband died without children being “ murdered by all his warriors.”
His uncle Raja Jamil succeeded and was rapidly followed by the other uncle Raja Mahmud who contrived to establish himself on the throne. He seems to have married a cousin, the daughter of his uncle Raja Muhammad, and his daughter married Sultan Ala’edin Shah of Malacea, Sultan Mahmud’s successor.
Apparently civil war followed on the death of the first Sultan of Pahang. The omission in the Séjarah Malayu of any reference to the murder of Raja Mansur might be ascribed to the author’s theory that “Malays never rebel,’ but other inconsistencies bet- ween his account and the detailed genealogy of the Bustanu-al- Salatin must be ascribed to inaccurate information and confusion between rulers of different generations who bore the same or simi- lar names.
Tébing Tinggi, the place where this stone was found, is not known to have been a residence of royalty, but it is not far above Lubok Pélang to which, according to the Séjarah Malayu, Sultan Abduljamal of Pahang retired after his abdication, and where he is said to have died.
As far as I am aware, this stone is the oldest dated gravestone in the Peninsula,
R. A. Soc., No. 60, 1911.
OLD
TOMBSTONES,
PAHANG.
«
OLD TOMBSTONE
PAHANG.
y
A Trip to a Source of the Sarawak River and Bengkarum Mountains.
bY (Ce J BROOKS:
At the end of September, 1908, I had the opportunity of making a jungle excursion and decided to follow the main stream of the so-called right hand branch of the Sarawak River to its source, cross the watershed to the upper waters of the Sambas River, visit Bengkarum Mountain, and return to Sarawak by Jagnay. As far as lam able to ascertain much of the country I passed through had not been visited by a European, certainly the ascent of Bengkarum Mountain had not been made, this together with the highly interesting botanical collection obtained makes a_ short account of the trip of sufficient interest to place on record. The start was made from Bidi on the Twenty-first of September, where I engaged eight Dyak coolies to carry necessaries and collecting materials, with a Malay to act as Mandor. The path taken was that over Gonong Tran through the old village of the Krokong Dyaks. Here we stopped for a few minutes to adjust the various loads ; this village had two years before been completely abandoned as a bad epidemic of smallpox broke out there: the Dyaks are now returning and a number of new houses are being built on the old site in spite of the insanitary conditions which exist; the hill top having become a perfect midden from the accumulation of refuse dropped through the floors of the houses. I once tried with a ten foot iron probe (used for prospecting) to reach the hard ground but this I was unable to do anywhere in the immediate neighbourhood of the houses. Descending on the further side of the hill and taking the path to the river where the new village has been built, then through undulating country covered with new jungle to the B’down river which we forded, and then following for some hours a belt of old jungle, we finally forded the main stream at Tebang or Pangkaln Gumbang, which we reached at two o’clock. Here is a flourishing Chinese Kampong with several pepper gardens, the situation is extremely picturesque as the houses are interspersed with groups of cocoanut palms and the surrounding country is mountainous and rugged. To escape a heavy shower which com- menced just as we arrived I took shelter in a Chinaman’s house, my host, with the usual Chinese hospitality offered me a cup of tea; its fine flavour caused me to enquire where he had obtained it, | found that it was of his own cultivation: this is not unusual, many up country Chinese growing their own tea plants. On leaving Tebang our path followed the river in which we had to wade for some distance—the stream was shallow and fast running with large boulders among the Krangan. Here in the clear space
Jour. Straits Branch R. A. Soc., No. 60, 1911.
42 A TRIP TO A SOURCE OF THE SARAWAK RIVER
between the river banks were flying several specimens of the Leaf Butterfly (Kallima inachus buxtoni, More.) a great rarity in Sarawak; I was fortunate enough to capture two specimens while both of them were at rest; contrary to Wallace’s observations in Sumatra they were quite easy to see, for one had alighted on the trunk of a large tree against the sky line, the other on a leaf over- hanging the water. The guide missed the path leading from the river, taking us some miles in the wrong direction. The hills were now becoming very steep and following each other in constant succession as the road crosses the ranges at right angles to their direction. At dusk we entered a new clearing for a paddy field; this the coolies hailed with delight as the Teringos house for which we were making could not be far distant; the path where it entered the jungle again forked, which caused some hesitation but on my guide assuring me that cither led to a house the choice was im- material. After climbing a steep hill, the house came in view. In the dusk we could see that it was now a mass of ruins and had been abandoned for some time. Night closed in before we regained the road so that walking was now a difficult matter, becoming a succession of slips and scrambles down the hill: before going far we met a Dyak who was returning home with some bamboos filled with ‘Ive Noor,” the slightly fermented juice of the sugar palm; this the coolies seized even before enquiring the way, which we now learned was only a short distance, and in a few minutes we were enjoying the welcome shelter of a house with rest and food after a tramp of nine hours. The next morning I decided to follow the river to the Teringos falls and if possible further. The river scenery is very beautiful, the banks in places rising in steep or precipitous cliffs covered with luxuriant vegetation, the river bed filled with enormous sandstone boulders breaking it into a series of cascades, in other places almost completely hiding it from view as it flows between them, I collected a number of interesting orchids and ferns, insects were rather scarce: only a few were taken, among them was a specimen of Melanitis zitenius, Herbst. Several others were observed and unlike Melanitis ismene were flying in the bright morning sunshine, their high and strong flight made them difficult to capture. To obtain if possible any interesting specimens of fish which might occur in an upland river, I exploded dynamite ear- tridges in two of the deep pools but with no result: nothing rose to the surface and a Dyak who dived assured that there were none at the bottom. A succession of minor fails were passed before reaching the chief, of which the total height must be over one hundred feet, it is broken into two cascades about twenty feet from the top: there was little water running now but after heavy rain when a large river is flowing the fall must be a magnificent sight. The path led to the face of the cliff which formed the water- fall and continued over it by a series of steep ladders, these are of the usual Dyak type, small tree trunks with deep notches cut forming steps. Above the fall the river has excavated a deep valley
Jour. Straits Branch
AND BENGKARUM MOUNTAIN. 43
in the sandstone rock the sides of which are very steep, and the path follows a ledge somewhat below the summit, which in many places is broken by clefts and gullies bridged by battangs. After proceeding for some distance a very heavy storm broke compelling us to return to the house. The houses here are not of the type usual among land Dyaks, as each family has a detached building with a space of a few feet intervening between the houses, but they are connected by the usual bamboo platform—the roofs are ex- tremely high pitched with ordinary flap windows, the internal arrangement is such that the space in front used for paddy pound- ing, ete., is often separated by a large outer door, thus dividing a house into two separate rooms.
I could learn nothing here of the route to Bengkarum, but most
of the Dyaks were certain that from Trebong direction could be obtained, so I decided to proceed thither the following day. As the coolies were rather heavily loaded, I engaged the services of two more Dyaks: after allotting them their packages and starting I was somewhat surprised to see that one had transferred his load which was not a light one to a small girl of about eight years of age, his daughter, she, wishing to pay a call at a house which we should pass, accepted the “privilege”? of Dyak women of carrying the men’s load. By a short cut we joined the path at the falls and - proceeded practically from the place where we had returned the day previously ; after walking for Jittle more than an hour we des- cended the ridge and crossed the stream to a fairly level tract of country surrounded on three sides by mountains: near by in a large open space were several Dyak houses. As the sitnation was so pleasing and the country promised well for collecting I decided to spend the remainder of the day here; we accommodated ourselves and baggage in the house belonging to the head man. A series of moans from the adjoining house attracted my attention; on entering I found a young woman suffering from a severe colic. I ordered her Dyak friends to apply two bottles filled with hot water and for her immediate relief I administered a tabloid of Warburg Tinct. On returning in the evening I found the patient had not had the bottles of hot water. 1 enquired the reason and to my surprise learned that they had not yet ht a fire to cook their rice and could not think of doing so before their evening meal, although they had no doubt but that the hot water would be beneficial. It was not long before those Dyaks had a fire lighted and heated the water, before cooking the rice. I now followed the course of the river in the bottom of the valley which I found to be a splendid collecting ground; my atten- tion was immediately attracted by a beautiful scarlet orchid Dendrobium cinnabarium, growing plentifully on many trees and flowering freely, closely resembling in habit the Pigeon orchid; many other rare orchids and ferns occur here and a large nepenthes of elegant shape; insects were rather scarce, but among the few taken was a fine specimen of Ornithoptera Brookeana.
R. A. Soc., No. 60, I9II.
44 A TRIP TO A SOURCE OF THE SARAWAK RIVER
In a house near my sleeping place were several large jars of salted Durien—the jars being very porous, the juice was oozing out and the scent was almost intolerable, I asked to have them removed and had great difficulty in getting this done as the Dyak owners could not apparently understand how such a luxury can be ob- jectionable. During the evening a number of Dyaks came in to have a chat-chat, each bringing a small present of rice and eggs, I disappointed them when I refused their invitation to stay another night so that they could call their friends together and give a dance in my honour. By means of a boiling point thermometer I took the altitude and found it to be about fourteen hundred feet.
A good start was made the next morning at eight o’clock: the path now descending on the opposite side of the watershed was in some places extremely steep with deep gullies crossed by tree trunks felled so as to form bridges. As the heavy dew of the pre- vious night had rendered them slippery care was necessary in crossing ; for some hours we passed through new jungle which had been cleared within the last five years for paddy farming, and after fording a fair sized stream we climbed a ridge of old jungle and followed it for many miles, then descending and crossing an omah we arrived at Kapot at four o'clock. This is a large Dyak Kampong well situated on the bank of a rapid wide flowing river, and judging from the number of large fruit trees and palms growing here, it must have been an old settlement; the houses are all detached as at Teringos and of the same type, which gives it more the appearance of a Malay rather than Dyak Kampong, but the high pitched roofs present a striking contrast to both—all the houses are connected by the bamboo platform. On ascending we were immediately surrounded by a large crowd of Dyaks who expressed undoubted annoyance at our intrusion—my first enquiry was for the Orang Kaya, who at once came forward, and at my request for lodging, shewed us to the head house, which we entered with as many Dyaks following as the house would hold—the general cry was what do you want?” to which I answered that Iam a Tuan from Sarawak, taking a walk to Bengkarum collecting flowers and insects, I am not a government official tax collecting, and after shewing them some of my specimens, they appeared satisfied and most of them left the house, which gave us room to open and arrange our things. My coolies were very frightened at so suddenly coming amongst a strange and somewhat wild people speaking in a dialect which was unknown to them, and stood shivering in their wet clothes half inclined to try and persuade me to take the road home again. After having changed my clothes, and drunk a welcome cup of tea, I proceeded to explore the extent of the Kampong, at one end of which I came upon a large group of Dyaks dividing a fine catch of fish which they had just made and one of which had been previously given to me. The division is made, after removing the viscera, by chopping the fish into small pieces about an inch cube, then on a large mat one cube is placed for each family, and so again and again,
Jour. Straits Branch
AND BENGKARUM MOUNTAIN. 4:5
until all the pieces have been equally distributed; I counted fifty- three portions, then a further division was made from a vessel containing a most objectionable semi-cooked mass, which I was informed was the viscera. Each recipient having provided himself with a banana leaf twisted into the form of a cup, it was ladelled into these in small quantities at a time. At the finish it was a most disgusting sight to see a number of small children licking out the trough. I noticed that an unusually large number of the natives here were attacked by Corup and many of the women had stained their entire bodies with turmeric root—they state that this cures it, or perhaps only allays the irritation: the women were extremely frightened, and whenever I appeared, beat a hasty retreat, being the first white man they had seen. After my evening meal a large number of the natives came to see me, each bringing a small present of eggs or rice; among them was the Orang Kayah and his wife, the only woman who dared to come near or speak to me during my stay with them: they were both dressed in state costume, which consisted, in the case of the former, of a high crowned military cap with broad band of silver lace and button to match, given to him by the Dutch Government: the lady was wearing a gaily coloured bead cap about eight inches high and tapering con- siderably, together with a blue cotton jacket, the edges trimmed with beads: we discussed politics which were not considered to be in a very satisfactory condition here, paddy, and many other mat- ters, and I was pleased to learn that Bengkarum or Krum, as it is ealled here, was at no great distance; and I heard that a Malay who represented the government was resident here and would call upon me in the morning; my visitors stayed until a late hour, I heard them talking long after 1 had retired to my curtain.
The next morning on descending to the river to bathe, I was surprised to find that the Dyaks of both sexes were bathing in a state of nudity. I understand however, that this is customary among Dyaks who are quite out of contact with Chinese or Europeans. The Malay official called while I was breakfasting, he was very polite, and offered any assistance that he could give me: as the coolies were tired after the long tramp of the previous day, I decided to let them rest, while I spent the time collecting in the neighbourhood, which did not prove very productive. From the summit of a hill I had a splendid view of Bengkarum Mountain which could not be more than ten miles distant. In the evening we had but few Dyaks to visit us, of these, two were men who had been most enthusiastic to accompany me, and had told me they knew the road to Bengkarum ; they now explained that the purpose of their visit was to enquire if I really intended to go; if so, although previously having promised to go with me, they refused, and then with a great deal of talk I was given to understand that no one else would, in fact no one did go, there was no road, the mountain was quite unclimable and the place was so full of Antus (spirits) that something unlucky would happen; however, after
R. A. Soc., No. 60, I9II,
46 A TRIP TO A SOURCE OF THE SARAWAK RIVER
repeatedly telling them that now I had come so far, if I could not set from this place, I would from another, they withdrew. I was much annoyed at this, and of course the coolies were much up- set, half inclined to believe that the Antus had already started some mischief—they spent a very restless night, hardly any of them sleeping. In the morning I interviewed the Orang Kayah, he in- formed me that this information was in part correct, as the Dyaks here did not extend their excursions as far as this mountain ; but from the next village I could most likely get directions and he would send a coolie to take me there. After waiting for some time for the promised coolie, I decided to apply to my Malay friend who immediately directed a Dyak to act as my guide.
We commenced the journey by wading for some distance down the river and then began an extremely trying and severe ascent of Gonong Trebong: the road although good was exposed to a glaring sun at a very steep incline, it was nearly two hours before we gained the top of the ridge on which the house is situa- ted, immediately below it is a spring of deliciously cold water issuing from a crack in the sandstone; the Dyaks told me that however dry the season this springnever fails. This house Lawang is extremely dirty and erected on the top of a very narrow ridge, the rocky sides of which are so steep that the only possible ascent is by ladders for the last fifty feet. We were greeted by a few women and children who directed us to the head house, which was barely large enough to accommodate all the coolies ; it was annoying to find that all the men, or any who could direct us, were away in the jungle and not returning till sundown, so that this necessitated a wait until the following day; the view from this house is impos- ing; on one side of the ridge Mount Bengkarum stands out clearly against the sky, on the other a fine stretch of country as far as the eye could see looking towards Sarawak with ranges of hills in succession. The Dyaks here area most unhealthy crowd, it was difficult to find a man, woman, or child, who was not affected with some form of skin disease or festering sores, despite the fine healthy situation of the house (which I found to be about two thousand feet above the sea level;) my Malay Mandor told me that he considered it due to the fact that their hill paddy is poor stuff and that they consume the entrails of any animal they kill.
There were a few heads hung in the apex of the roof of the head house and immediately below was constructed a broad shelf on which any youth sleeps who may wish to shew his courage; a conspicuous object in all head houses of this district is the “sekardoo,” this is a large hollow wooden cylinder formed from the trunk of the Lune or other fairly light wood, varying from fifteen to twenty feet in length and about two feet six inches in diameter: over one end is tightly stretched a green hide from which the hair has been removed, they are slung at an angle below the floor of the head house, above which the hide covered end pro- jects a few feet the one in this particular house was certainly over
Jour, Straits Branch
—————— ee ee ee ee ee oe
AND BENGKARUM MOUNTAIN. 47
twenty feet long and slung so that 1t was parallel with the slope of the hill. I understood that when beaten it could be heard at Gumbang, a distance of over twenty miles; formerly they were used to warn the district of head hunting raids, they are now going out of use. J was much amused in watching a number of young- sters constructing a head house for themselves, building on slender posts jammed into the crevices of the rocks on the steep side of the hill over which it hung most perilously. .
There was no difficulty in finding a coolie to conduct us the next morning although they were not certain of the whole route, this we should learn at an intermediate house. An early start was made ; from this altitude a heavy mist on the lowlands presented a somewhat curious effect, all the ridges and hill tops standing out clearly above it and isolated from each other like islands in a sea of white silent billows; about noon we reached a very dirty and dilapidated Dyak house, whence we obtained complete directions to Bengkarum, the way being through varied and hilly country; we soon commenced to ascend the lower slopes of the mountain ; at four o’clock we reached Kampong Temong, a large Dyak house on a spur of the mountain; we accommodated ourselves in the head house, a very high awkward structure, but its airy position gave it a decided advantage over the usually low building, in that it was well above the most unpleasant association of a Dyak village, the scent of the pigs! My first visitor was an elderly gentle- man who obviously wished to impress us with his importance; this was somewhat suddenly interrupted by the appearance of the Orang Kaya himself, a fine, well made man; he told me on enquiring, that the ascent was an easy matter and that near the top was a large lanko (shelter ) in which we could pass the night, as the ascent and descent could not be accomplished on the same day; he also arranged to have coolies ready for me to start the next morning. During the evening the elderly gentleman called, to say that he had decided to go with me and asked what provision we had made for water; as this seemed rather a serious matter, I told him that we could carry enough with us in bamboos; at this he gave a grunt and smile of superiority to which Dyaks at times give way, I found later in the evening that it was his little joke, there was plenty of water on top.
_ At eight o’clock the following morning all stores were packed and with my friend as guide we commenced the ascent ; for some distance we followed a small stream and on its widening out into a good clear pool, I was astonished to see the elderly gentleman who was leading, stop and divest himself of the few clothes he was wearing. At my protest, he answered that it was a good place for a bath and he had not been there for some time. The ascent is steep but nowhere difficult, for a short distance the path is on a ridge formed by a sandstone bed, which has been thrown over at right angles to its plane of bedding. As it is not more than two feet wide and either side is a drop of fifty to eighty feet, the passage across
R. A. Soc., No. 60, 1911
48 A TRI? TO A SOURCE OF THE SARAWAK BLiVEh
requires careful walking; the lanco was found to be commodious and in good condition, thatched with split bamboo and arranged in the usual manner; here we deposited our baggage and proceeded to the summit, which was only a short distance.
Bengkarum Mountain, from the isolated position of this enor- mous mass of sandstone, its sudden rise and the long ridge of suinmit gradually increasing in height to terminate with precipitous abruptness at its eastern extremity 1s a conspicuous feature in the landscape for a radius of many miles; in plan it is roughly shaped like a capital Y, the two ridges which form the fork bearing towards the west; the ascent was made from the base of the southernmost of these; the summit at this end which is the lower, I found to have an elevation of 3,500 feet. It is a plateau of some width, the surface being very irregular, worn into deep gullies and depressions which in the overgrown jungle was well nigh impossible to travel over; for some distance I followed a small stream which forms the main drainage and flows to the fork, descending in a series of cascades; the banks ave rich in filmy ferns and on a nearly submerged sandbank was growing a small fern which proved to be of considerable interest; being a new species which necessitated the formation a new genus. The Dyaks here collect large quantities of teardammar, these trees were very numerous and of large size. As usual at this altitude the ground was cuvered with Sphagnum, while the trunks and brushwood were also covered with other species of mosses.
As I was about to descend from the edge of the summit the magnificence of the view at once caught my attention; in the foreground was the further limb of the mountain covered with its deep green, the base thrown into deep shadow as the sun declined, while the stream as it cascaded down the mountain side gave life and contour; then beyond was range after range, in many places irregular and broken, lit by the full sunshine and as the dis- tance increased the green gave place to blue with the final haze of the horizon. The conical summit of Mt. Nach could be seen to the south-west well above all intermediate ranges.
While taking my evening meal the elderly gentleman asked for the chicken bones and much to the general amusement scrunched and swallowed them as well as any dog: the body of a small bird which I had skinned he stewed in a long bamboo, adding various herbs gathered in the neighbourhood. Some little excite- ment was caused by his difficulty in recovering it from the depths of this vessel, as he refused to split it. The night was bitterly cold with rain and wind which made sleep quite out of the question for the coolies, who had no extra clothing and tried as wellas they could to keep warm by sitting over the fire, while I in woollen garments was in nearly the same plight. The following morning was spent collecting on the slopes and a fair number of insects were captured before the sky clouded and the whole mountain was covered in mist—which decided me to return to the Dyak Kampong.
Jour. Straits Branch
AND BENGKARUM MOUNTAIN. 49
As my collections were now in excess of the botanical paper I had brought with me, I resolved to make as hasty a return as possible to Bidi by way of Siluas. The next morning on making our way through the Dyaks paddy field, at the far entrance I came upon a splendid trophy which these Dyaks had erected as an offering to the spirits who guard the growth of their crops; it consisted of small sized wooden models of all the implements they use in agriculture as well as jars, parangs, and the common utensils of a Dyak house. As part of the journey to Siluas has to be taken by water from Pankalu Bobong, I was much disappointed on arriving there to find that the only boat which would hold my coolies and collections had left early that morning; a Malay trader here provec to be an old acquaintance of my Mandor and kindly ordered his son to try and hire one from a Dyak house a few miles distant; after waiting two hours I was only able to procure a small boat capable of holding four people, and as it was uncertain whether another would be procurable for some days, I decided to proceed in it, leaving my coolies to follow as soon as they could.
A fair amount of Coffee is in cultivation here, doing well on the alluvial soil, the trees are healthy and full of berries. At dusk when nearing Siluas we overtook an old Dyak, whom I recognized as having worked for me at Bidi. At his suggestion I decided to stop the night at his house at Ire Lickie, which was convenient for starting the next day; this was a far more comfortable structure than is usual to find Dyaks living in-—it had three separate com- partments, the best of which was at once cleared for my use, while fresh eggs and rice were offered to me; as there were two other Dyaks beside my old coolie resident in the house I expected to obtain carriers easily the next morning, but on rising my hopes re- ceived a check as two of the men were prostrate, with high fever. This they told me was very prevalent in the neighbourhood of this river. After much persuasion I induced the remaining coolie to ac- company me to the next village which we reached after two hours walk. This house Teberau consists of one long building and although low, is commodious; the Dyaks are of a type strange to any I had before met; it was more marked in the women who are of short stature and decidedly pretty, in feature akin to Tamil women. Without exception each woman was wearing a small plaited straw cap about six inches in height, tapering slightly, decorated with highly coloured geometric designs; in casual appearance there was little difference between these caps and those worn by the © Bombay”’ shopkeepers at Colombo. The Dyaks were in rather an excited con- dition as a Patrol of Dutch police had spent the night here and were at this late hour about to make a start; they were conducting back a Malay prisoner who had escaped from Sambas to Sarawak ; here my coolie left me and it was only by promising the exorbitant sum of two dollars each that I could persuade two others to take his place as far as Bidi.
R. A. Soc., No. 60, I9QII.
50 A TRIP TO A SOURCE OF THE SARAWAK RIVER
At two o'clock we reached Pankalu Babong; from here the distance was too great to reach Bidi the same day, which was annoying after a comparatively short day’s walk, This was a large well built Kampong, the Dyaks, some of them big strapping men, are of the Jaguay type to which tribe they claim kinship although they are Dutch subjects. A great deal of noise was being made in the head house, caused by beating of gongs and gindans. On en- quiring the reason I heard that some six months ago they had ob- tained a heal, having been called out by the Government in an expedition against some rebellious tribes at the ulu of the Sambas river; the festivities with which they had feasted the head were still being kept up by the younger members of the house; on ins- pection I found the head had been divided, having been shared with another house. It was lying in a small shelter which had been mae to receive 1t, containing various offerings placed near it, eggs, tobacco, etc.
At about nine o'clock I was very pleased to see my coolies arrive. They had constructed araft and were thus enabled to follow me quickly. I could now dispense with my engaged help at my own rate of pay. An early start the next morning brought us to Pangkalm Tipong at one o'clock and to Bidi an hour later.
I should like to conclude by saying a word respecting my ex- cellent Malay Mandor Mahomet who was at all times ready to carry out my wishes and assist in every possible way to the desired end, and to Madoo the best of Krokong Dyaks.
A List of the more interesting ferns collected at Mount Bengkarum and elsewhere.
Cyathea Sarawakensis, Hooker. Among the rocks by Tringos Falls.
Matonia pectinata, R. Br. This is probably the form deseribed by Mr. Copeland, as M. Foxworthyi. Mt. Bengkarum at 3,500 feet, growing in large masses.
Gleichenia vestita, Bl. Mt. Bengkarum summit.
Nephrolepis acuminata, (Houtt) Kuhn. Mt. Bengkarum at 3,000 feet terrestrial.
Didymochlaena lunulata, Desv. Mt. Bengkarum at 2,500 feet.
Dryopteris calcarata, O. Ktze. Banks of Sarawak River near Gumbang.
2 penangiana var. Calvescene, Christ. Mt. Bengkarum at 3,000 feet.
i mindanaensis, Christ. Mt. Bengkarum at 2,500 feet.
83 athyriocarpa, Copeland. Mt. Bengkarum at 2,500 feet.
Jour. Straits Branch
AND BENGKARUM MOUNTAIN. 5
Davallia pedata, Sm. Mt. Bengkarum at fron 2—38,000 feet. <A common epiphyte on trunks. A somewhat unusual form, occuring also at Mt. Penrissen Sarawak.
. ciliata, Hooker. Mt. Bengkarum, epiphytic on trunks at 2,500 feet.
“a contigua, Swartz. Mt. Bengkarum at 3,000 feet. <A common epiphyte.
Protolindsaya Brooksw, Copel. Genus et spec. Nov. Philipp, Journal Se. Vol. 5. No. 4. Mt. Bengkarum at 3,000 feet, growing on Sandbank in small stream.
Plagvogyria pycnophylla, var integra, Copel. var. Nov. Philipp Journal Se. Vol. 5, No.4. Newto Borneo. Mt. Bengkarum at 3,500 feet, growing in large clumps, seldom fertile.
Blecknum Blumzi, Moore, or near it. Mt. Bengkarum summit.
Asplenium subaquatile, Ces. Ire Lickie River, on trunks over- hanging stream.
a persicifolium, J. Sm. Mt. Pengkarum at 3,000 feet.
- trifoliatum, Copel, Sp. nova. Philipp Journal Se. Vol. 5. No. 4. On moist rocks in old jungle. Sambas near Tringos.
ia filuceps, Copel, Sp. nova. Philipp Journal Se. Vol. 5. No. 4. Tringos, epiphytic on trunks over river.
Syngranma Hookeri, C. Ch. Mt. Bengkarum at 3,000 feet.
Vittar.a longicoma, Christ. Tringos on trunk over river.
Polypodium Zippel, Bl. Sarawak River Tringos, on shady bank. New to Borneo.
e incurvatum, Bl. Mt. Bengkarum at 2—3,000 feet. <A common epiphyte.
Dryostachyum splendens X Polypodium heracleum, probably a hybrid of these, see Philipp Journal Se. Vol. 5 No. 4. Mt. Bengkarum at 3,000 feet. A large clump fallen from a tall tree.
Elaphoglossum petiolatum (Sw.) Urban. Mt. Bengkarum at 3,000 feet. New to Borneo.
Jour. Straits Branch R. A. Soc., No. 60, 1911.
. o aes 4 . te: sen } F } We a C : it 5 : eS i a ¥
The Gymnosperms of the Malay Peninsula.
By iE. NoeIpLEY, M.A., F.RS.
The three existing groups of the Gymnosperms, Coniferae, Gnetaceae and Cycadeae are represented in the Malay peninsula but not by any means abundantly nor do any forin a conspicuous feature in the flora.
The Conifers, more abundant in temperate than in warm cli- mates, are almost confined to the group Taxaceae. We have one species of the Araucarieae, Agathis, and of Taxaceae including the sroup Podocarpeae, seven species of two genera, Dacrydium and Podocarpus.
_ Now the geographical distribution of these conifers is of some interest. In the forests of the low country up to nearly 1000 feet we have only three species; Podocarpus Wallichianus, P. neriifolius and P. polystachyus, the latter two closely allied. The two first are natives also of Khasiya, and the tropical Himalaya. This section of Podocarps with yew like leaves is widely scattered over the whole of the tropics of both hemispheres descending into colder regions of the south Chile, Australasia, Japan, South Africa.
When we get to the mountain regions we have Agathis (or Dammara), Dacrydiwm elatum, D. faleiforme and D. Beccarii and the very distinet Podocarpus cupressinus, with foliage of two forms very unlike anything in the Indian region. All these occur in Borneo, and in other islands to the east, but are absent from the Hima- layan or northern region; one or two do get as far as Burmah and Cambodia, but there they disappear. Thus our conifers appear to have invaded the yeninsula from two directions. The lowland ones from the north, the mountain ones from the east. All the latter occur in Borneo also with the addition of two more Podocarps P. imbricatus Bl. and P. Teysmanni and another genus, Phyllocladus P. hypophyllus, Hook fil.) of which the other known species come from New Zealand, Tasmania, the Philippines and New Guinea. There is one more genus which we might expect to find in the Peninsula, but which certainly has not yet been seen, and that is the northern genus Pinus of which one species, Pinus Merkusii Jungh. occurs in Tenasserim, Sumatra and Borneo.
In all our conifers except Agathis the ovule when ripe is dru- paceous and red in colour and these are swallowed and so dispersed by birds. Agathis like the pine trees has winged seed that can drift to but a short distance so that its dispersal over the large area it covers must have taken a very long time. It belongs to the group of Arauearieae which includes the genera Araucaria of South America, Polynesia and Australia; Agathis in Australasia and Poly- nesia and up through the Eastern Malay Archipelago to Penang and Cunninghamia and Sciadopitys of the Japanese and Chinese region,
Jour. Straits Branch R. A. Soc., No. 69, 1911,
54° THE GYMNOSPERMS OF THE MALAY PENINSULA,
CONIFERAH,
Trees or shrubs usually evergreen, with coriaceous ovate, linear or acicular leaves sometimes reduced to scale leaves. Flowers unisexual usually on distinct trees, Perianth none, Males in catkins of scales bearing two or more anther cells, Females in catkins of scales each bearing one or two winged seeds, or solitary terminal ovules, on a seale leaf. Ovules naked, erect or decurved, winged, when in cones; drupaceous when solitary.
Distribution whole world chiefly in temperate climates.
Leaves ovate, fruit a cone Agathis
Fruit drupaceous, Ovule erect, Dacrydium
Ovule decurved adnate to the scale. Podocarpus AGATHIS.
Big tree with coriaceous ovate leaves. Male cones cylin- dric of numerous scales bearing ten or twelve pollensacs, Female cone large more or less globose of large scales spirally arranged imbricate with broad tips. Ovuliferous seale thin and confluent with the scale. Ovules 1 or 2 adn’ate to the scale. Seed 1 compressed winged, albumen fleshy, cotyledons 2.
A. loranthifola, Salisb.- Trans. Lion Soe. VIII. 312-4. 995 44:
rhomboidalis, Warburg Monsunia J, 184 t. VIII. « A. Danmara, Rich. Conifer 83.-t. 19. Dammara alba, Ramph. Herb.Ambon II. 174 t. 57. D. Onrentalis, Lamb. Pin. Ed. OF ting Coe ks
A lofty straight-stemmed tree with flaky bark very resini- ferous. Leaves in pairs stiffly coriaceous, lanceolate, elliptic lanceolate or ovate obtuse, base very shortly narrowed, 2 to 3 inches long, 1-14 inch wide with a decurrent petiole ¢ inch long. Male spike cylindric obtuse, 2 to 24 inches long. Seales ; inch long, oblong, obovate with a straight claw, apex broadly rounded. Pollensacs 10 or 12. Female spike cylindrie obtuse 2 inches long. Cone sub-globose, flattened at the top.
Pahang, Gunong Tahan (Robinson). Selangor, Bukit Kutu: Semargkok Pass, track to Sempang mines. Perak Waterfall Hill Taiping (Wray} Common at Maxwells hill and upwards. Penang Hill 2500 feet (Curtis), (Fox 12706) Kedah, Gunong Jerai (Ridley).
Distrib. Malay Archipelago. ~ Poko Damar Minyak.”’
Warburg. le. broke up the Agathis of the Malay region into a number of species very imperfectly described. The Malay peninsular one of which he seems only to have seen a specimen from Lambert’s collection of doubtful origin, but probably Penang, he describes as A. rhomboidalis. The differences in his various species seem to be so slight, and probably either
Jour, Straits Branch
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THE GYMNOSPERMS OF THE MALAY PENINSULA. 55
local or due to some slight variation on a branch or tree that I think it inadvisable to adopt them. Specimens from Gunong Tahan differ from the common Malay form in the much thick- er and rounder leaves.
DACRYDIUM.
Trees often attaining a great size, unisexual. Leaves aci- cular, linear or scale-like. Male cones small, scales lanceolate with 2 anther cells. Female flowers solitary on the ends of the branches. The ovuliferous scale broad rounded free, Ovule erect the micropyle pointing upwards. Ripe seed drupa- ceous small.
Leaves of two forms, in young plants acicular. In adults
seale-like. D. elatum., Leaves of one form acicular D. Beccarii. Leaves linear falcate D. falciforme.
Dacrydiwm elatum, Wall. Cat. 6045. Hook. fil. Flora British India V. 648. A big tree 80 feet or more tall and 2 to 3 feet.in dia- meter. Bark reddish brown. Leaves of two kinds. (1). Those on young trees, or shoots of older ones, acicular angled, acute appressed, 2 inch long, appressed to the stem. (2). Those on the fertile branches, and on all adult trees, close imbricate scales, very small, | m. m. long, dark green, bluntly lanceolate.
Trees unisexual. Male cones on short branches 3 inch long oD?)
cones cylindric, yellowish green, ¢ inch long, blunt Seales ovate, triangular green with a scarious edge, anther cells glo- bose white. Female flowers terminal on the fertile shoots, up- permost leaf (bract) ovate 2 m. m. long above a broader semi- orbicular truncate scale. Ovule ovoid, obtuse, obliquely placed on the apex of the shoot, $ inch long and as wide at the base. When ripe bright red.
Common at high altitudes above 2000 feet elevation in the mountains of the Northern part of the peninsula, Pahang, Gunong Tahan (Robinson, 2354 and 5380) Telom (Ridley), Penang Hill (Curtis, 2880), Kedali Peak (Ridley).
Distribution Tonkin, Tenasserim (Fl. Brit.) Ind Sumatra, Borneo, Philippines and Fiji islands.
The tree is known as Ru Bukit (it. Mountain Casuarina) from its resemblance to a Casuarina. It has long been eulti- vated in Singapore from Penang hill plants, and there forms a large cone-shaped bush, flowering in June. The _ locality Singapore Schomburgk,”’ given in the Flora of British India is from one of these garden plants. The young tree till it is about 14 feet tall, has only the needle like leaves, and is very handsome resembling a young spruce fir; full grown trees have only the scale leaves, except where pruned on the old wood when they produce branches of acicular leaves.
R. A. Soc., No. 69, 1911,
56 THE GYMNOSPERMS OF THE MALAY PENINSULA.
D. Beccarii, Parl. Dec. Prodr. XVI. 2 294 Pilger, le. 52.
A dwarf bushy tree about 15 feet tall or less, leaves all acicular, half-an-inch long in barren stems, 4 inch long in fertile branches, angled and groved. Male cones not yet known. Female flowers ovule ellipsoid, ovoid, blunt, § inch long, one or two on a short branch with numerous short
acicular leaves.
Malacea, Mt. Ophir (Hullett, Ridley 3155) Perak, Bujong Malacca at 4000 feet (Curtis 3302) Selangor, Mengkuang Lebar at £800 feet (N. Dennys) Also Borneo on Mt. Poe (Beccari. Foxworthy.)
A very distinct species in its dwarf habit and absence of any scale leaves. The ovules are much bigger than in D. elatum. It seems to take the place of this latter in the southern part of the peninsula.
falciforme, Pilger. Pflanzenreich 1V. 5 Taracee 45 Pi, 4 Podocarpus falciformts Parl. Dec. Prod. XVI. 685.
A big tree with dark colored bark leaves, distichous, obliquely linear sigmoid coriaceous, flat,acuminate, mucronulate, midrib grooved, inconspicuous, 1 to 1% inch long ¢—#% inch wide. Male’cone cylindric half-an-inch long, scales very small, ovate acute, or cuspidate. Female flowers forming a very short branch, scales numerous, triangular, acuminate, keeled, ovule 1 terminal, pedicel very thick, concave above the base, when further advanced the branch becomes thicker and the scales fleshy.
Selangor, Semangkok Pass towards the Sempang mines (Ridley 12068). Also in Lingga island on Gunong Dai at the foot of the hill up to 1000 feet (Hullett 5695) and in Sarawak top of Mt. Matang (Ridley 11669) and reported from the Philippines.
I have seen no female flowers. The tree attains a height of about 80 feet with a trunk girth of 10 to 12 feet.
PODOCARPUS.
Trees usually unisexual. Leaves of one form ovate, acuminate, or linear, or of two forms acicular and linear, dis- tichous on the same bvanch. Male inflorescence a catkin, scales numerous, lanceate, acuminate with 2 anther cells. ' Female flowers solitary, axillary or several in a short raceme. Bracts one or more forming a fleshy peduncle. Ovule adnate to the ovuliferous scale, reflexed with the micropyle below, Seed large or small, globose or ovoid, drupaceous, red or purple on the thickened fleshy peduncle. Species 40 Tropical and soxth temperate regions of both hemispheres.
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Leaves all similar ovate P. Wallichianus. Leaves all similar linear
Male spikes solitary or in pairs P. nervfolius. Male spikes numerous P. nolystachyus. Leaves dimorphic P. cupressinus.
P. Wallichianus, Presl. Bot. Bemerk. (1844) 110 Pilger Pflanzen- reten. OF. -P. latifolia Wall. Pl. As.. rar. 26 t. 30: (non Thunb) Parl. Dec. Prodr. XVI. 2. 508.
A medium sized tree wita opposite or sub-opposite leaves, the pairs inch apart, the leaves are coriaceous ovate or lanceo- late ovate, caudate, acuminate, narrowed at the base, 4-7 inches long, 12-24 inches wide. Flowers male and female on the same branch 5 to 9, the males at the top. Male spikes crowded about 6 together on a peduncle about an inch long with several bracts at the base of the spikes. Spikes white nearly cylindric, about # inch long, anthers very numerous, scale acuminate (ensiform © cuspidate) cells elliptic 2. Female flowers solitary on peduncles as long as those of the males on a thickened fleshy receptacle, bearing about 6 short leaves. Fruit large globose, half an inch through, purple.
Singapore near Changi and Krangi: Johor Mt. Austin; Bukit Soga (11223 Ridley): Negri Sembilan, Gunong Angsi: Dindings, Gunong Tungul; Perak, Kinta (Wray.)
Distrib. India, Burmah, Sumatra Sungei Kelantan.
I have never been able to find a full sized tree or fruit or flowers of this plant. Wray’s specimen has however, traces cf fruit. It occurs in lowlying deep and dense forests in the plain country. The description of flowers and fruit is taken from Wallich’s figure and description.
P. neriifolius Don Lamb. Pin. Ed.i 21 Parl.-Dec. Prodr. XVI. 2. 514 Pilger Pflanzenr. Ic. 80. P. bracteata Bl. Enum. Pl. Jay. 88 Rumphia III 214.
A very variable tree from 60 to 100 feet tall. Leaves coriaceous, linear, long and gradually acuminate, 4-6 inches long by ¢ to 4 inch wide, gradually rarrowed to the base, petiole s inch long or less. Male spikes short, half-an-inch long rather thick, solitary or two together on short peduncles with several short, ovate, thick polished scales at the base. Anthers crow- ded densely with a short point. Female flowers solitary or in pairs axillary on the upper axils of the branches, pedicel 4'5 inch long, receptacle cylindric, rather longer, ovule ellipsoid.
Usually on hill forests from 1000 to 5000 feet alt. and very variable in height and form of leaf.
R. A. Soc., No. 60, I9II,
58
THE GYMNOSPERMS OF THE MALAY PENINSULA.
Johor, Bukit Banang, Batu Pahat (Ridley 11192). Immense trees over 100 feet tall and thick in proportion. The leaves I got of this are 6 inches long by # inch wide, broadly linear and abruptly acuminate at the tip. No flower procurable.
Pahang, Gunong Tahan (Robinson 5452) at 5-6000 feet. A form with very thickly coriaceous leaves rather narrow. Malacca Mt. Ophir, Padang Batu (3158 Ridley and 10016) 3000 feet alt. Moderate sized tree with stiff leaves 1esembling specimens from Nepal (Wallich). Selangor, Bukit Hitam (Kelsall 2000) Penang Government Hill, (Curtis 3079) and Balik Pulau, a tree about 50 or 60 feet with thinner and in adults
rather shorter leaves, resembles a plant from Tayabas, Luzon (Merrill 1992.)
The distribution of this species is recorded by Pilger from Nepal and Khasiya, China, Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Celebes, Batehian, and New Guinea.
P. polystachyus, R. Br. Mirb. Mem: Mus. XIII. 75. Bennett
Horsf. Pl. Jav. 40. Parl: Dec. Prodr. X V1. blo. Eseries:
A rather short much branched tree about 20 to 40 feet tall, with flaky bark. Branches spreading sub-whorled densely leafy at the tips. Leaves lanceolate, linear, narrow, narrowed at the tip and still more at the base, blunt, coriaceous, dark ereen, witha prominent midrib, 3 inches long, + inch wide, petiole ‘5 inch long, trees unisexual. Flower spikes male, very numerous, crowded in axillary tufts, yellow, 1-14 inch long, % inch through, anthers densely crowded. Female flowers seve- ral together or solitary in the axils of the upper leaves, pedun-
cle very short, zo inch long, receptacle swollen, cylindric,
¢ inch, with a longitudinal groove and a single short, conic, acute leaf. Ovule club-shaped. Ripe seed red, ¢ inch long,
ellipsoid.
Common in mangrove swamps; Singapore Kranji, Changi (Ridley 165) Serangoon (3367); Pahang, Rumpin river and Kwala Pahang (Ridley 1441); Johor. Also in Sumatra.
Native name S’tada, Sintada.
A curious form from the Changi beach No. 6001 of my collection, has longer leaves, 6 inches long and 4 inch wide
with very slender spikes 1 to 2 inches long with remote anthers.
Podocarpus cupressinus, R. Br. Mirb. Geogr. Conif. in Mem. Mus.
XITI. 75. -Bennett.:R. Br. Pl. Jav. rar. 1. 35 t 0s same Rumphia TTT, 248.t 172 f.-2; 172 B. f. 9) Pariseiceanene XVI. 2 521. P. embricatus, B1. Enum. Pl. Jay. 89. Pilger le. 56.
A tall tree about 60 feet high rather straggly in forest, forming a compact cone-shaped tree when in the open, much branched, Bark smooth on the branches, reddish brown,
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THE GYMNOSPERMS OF THE MALAY PENINSULA. 59
flaking off here and there on the trunk. Leaves of two forms (1) on the branches linear terete, decurrent, mucronate, $ inch long, appressed, or at length longer with a broader base and more flattened, dark green. (2) leaves on terminal shoots distichous, flattened, 4 inch long, mucronate, glaucous, green. Trees unisexual, male cones axillary on the branchlets below the terminal distichous leaves, on a peduncle ,'5 inch long, covered with short subterete leaves, cone cylindric, obtuse #% inch long. Antheriferous scales about 40, lanceolate, acute, with 2 ovoid globose yellowish white anther cells. Females. Ovules solitary borne on the ends of short branches, 4 inch long, covered below with very short thick, mucronate leaves, those at the tip surrounding the flower longer, $ inch long. The ovule is supported on a yellow papillose peduncle bearing two or three terete slightly clubbed fleshy leaves. The ovuli- ferous scale is adnate to the decurved ovule which is reddish brown and § inch long. The ripe seed is very small and bright red.
On hills from an altitude of about 1000 feet and upwards.
Johore, Gunong Pulai (3716 Ridley). Selangor, Bukit Hitam (Kelsall 1984), Semangkok Pass (Ridley 8635, Burn Murdoch 11964). Pahang, Kluang Terbang (Barnes 10907). Penang Hill (Curtis). Kedah Peak (Griffith).
Distrib. North Burmah, Hainan, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Celebes.
The tree flowers more or less most of the year, but chiefly in June. Though never met with at a lower elevation in a wild state than 1000 or 1500 feet, it grows very readily in Singapore, where it forms a very handsome bushy tree.
GNETACEA.
The Gnetacee comprise ‘three genera now existing extremely dissimilar, of which the only genus in our region is Gnetum of which there are upwards of twenty species distri- buted over tropical Asia, Africa one species, Polynesia one and South America.
All our species but two are stout woody climbers. One Gnetum Gnemon Li. is a tree of some size, the other a small shrub, G. Brunonianum —G. Gnemon known in the penir sula as Maninjan is occasionally to be seen in Singapore and more abundantly in Penang in gardens where it is more or less planted for its pleasantiy tasted nut-like seed. Itis not a native of this region but is said to have been introduced from Java. It is given in the Flora of British India (where how- ever it is confused with the very distinct G. Brunontanwn) as a native of Khasyia and Munnipore. It attains a height of about fifty feet and a diameter of trunk about 6 inches or more,
R. A. Soc., No. 60, 191].
60 THE GYMNOSPERMS OF THE MALAY PENINSULA.
The climbing species generally attain a great size and form often conspicuous lianes in the forests. The bark is tough and used for tying by the Malays.
GNETUM.
Woody climbers, or rarely erect trees or shrubs unisexual. Leaves opposite, coriaceous, ovate, lanceolate or oblong, penninerved petiolate. Inflorescence spikes of circular saucer shaped bracts containing sessile flowers usually surrounded by multicellular hairs, spikes solitary or panicled axillary or terminal. Male flowers minute of a tubular clubbed perianth and a single stamen with two celled anther. Kemale flower of an ovoid or globose ovule, the inner tegument prolonged into a slender exserted tube. Seed thinly drupaceous, pink or red.
Species about Pacific-islands, Malay Archipelago and Peninsula, Northern India, Africa and South America.
A big tree, G. Gnemon. A low shrub, G. Brunonianum. Woody climbers
Seed sessile, not narrowed into a stalk at the base, spikes simple.
Seed blunt at both ends Spikes long. Seed half an inch long.
en)
. microcarpum. Spikes stout, very woolly. Seed half an
inch long G. macrostachyum. Spikes slender not woolly 6 inches long. Seed 1 inch long G. penangense. Spikes a foot long whorls distant G. longispica.
Seeds few, large, acute at the tip, brown, corky G. edule. Spikes branched.
Seed 2 inches long fusiform _G. latifolium Seed stalked. A stout woody climber r. funiculare. A slender climber with thin leaves G. tenurfolium. GNETUM. TREES.
Gn. Gnemon, L. Mant. 125. A big tree known in the Straits as
_ “ Maninjau”’ cultivated occasionally in Penang and Singapore
and said to be introduced there from Java. The seeds are eaten and taste like hazelnuts,
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THE GYMNOSPERMS OF THE MALAY PENINSULA. 61
G. Brunonianum, Griff. Lindl. Veg. Kingdom 233. Trans. Linn. Soe. XXII. 308 t 55 fig 9-20 and t 56, 27, 28, 41, 43, 44—47.. Notulae 30 Kurz Flora LV 349. G. Griffrithi Parlat. De. Prodr. XVI ii 349, 352.
A low erect shrub 2-5 feet tall, rarely much bigger, stem slender, pale green. Leaves lanceolate to oblong lanceclate, thinly coriaceous, base cuneate, apex acuminate, drying pale, nerves about 10 pairs, thin elevate keneath 4-6 inches long, 1-24 inch wide, petiole §-4 inch long. Malespikesin axillary pairs, peduncles 4 inch long with a pair of connate, subulate bracts, 75 inch long, pedicel shorter, spikes slender cylindric 4 4-4 inch long glabrous with a pair of subulate, connate bracts at the base. Cupular bracts rather remote, flat orbicular, bearing a mass of short hairs in which are imbedded the male flowers mixed with some females. Perianth short, broad, entire, oblong, half as long as the filament, anther cells globose. Female spikes longer, peduncle $-{ inch long, subulate, bracts free to the base, whorls of ovules % inch apart or less in a spike of 1 inch long. Cupular bract rather broad ribbed. Ovules acuminate about 6 in a whorl of which only 2 or 3 develop. Ripe seed ellipsoid half-an-inch long, red.
G. Gnemon, besides being a big tree has much shorter spikes, the whorls closer set together, and thicker, the male flowers larger, with broader flattened perianth tube widely dilated upwards and laciniate at the tip, the anthers are larger, somewhat oblong and separate above. Ido not think that in the male trees the female flowers mixed in the whorls ever develop.
Distrib. the whole peninsula and Borneo, origina!ly col- lected by Griffith at Banlau in the Mergui islands; Johor, Gunong Panti (Ridley) ; Malacea, Ayer Keroh (Ridley 10752), Mt. Ophir (Hullett 767, 808; Ridley 3156 3157) Bukit Bruang (Derry 441, Goodenough 1338), Sungei Ujong (Cantley); Pahang Tahan river (Ridley 2330 5824), Kwala Tembeling; Telom (Ridley 13708). Selangor, Sungei Buluh (Ridley 13352) and Kwala Kubu. Perak Maxwell’s Hill (Ridley 2783). Penang Government Hill at the Chalet (Curtis 878), Borneo, Sarawak, Matang (Hullett and Ridley 12272), Serudang (Haviland), Puak ( Ridley.) ;
This little shrub which is not rare all over the peninsula in hilly forests up to an altitude of about 4000 feet has been confused with G. Gnemon L. in the Flora of British India from which it differs notably in its size, the latter being a tree of 60 feet or more tall with deep green leaves and longer spikes and larger. fruit, while G. Brunonianwn is a quite small shrub with pale green leaves and shorter spikes besides other differences in the flower.
R. A. Soc., No. 60, 191.
62
THE GYMNOSPERMS OF THE MALAY PENINSULA.
It is called by the Malays Poko Ekor B’lankas (King crab’s tail) and Pantat Ulat from the appearance of the male spikes. The fruit is sweet and eatable. There is some varia- bility in the leaves, those of the Penang plant being unusually narrow and lanceolate. The venation varies too, in many plants, the nerves are fewer and form very conspicuous extra marginal loops.
Climbers, seeds sessile.
Gn. microcarpum, Bl. Rumphia LY. 6. t 175 and 1.
Rather slender woody climber, stems occasionally as much as half an inch through, with rough dark grey bark. Leaves lanceolate, cuspidate, acute, more rarely oblong, base narrowed or rounded, coriaceous, dark shining green, drying brown, 2-4 inches long, 1-2 inches wide, nerves 6-8 pairs, not conspicuous inarching close to the margin, reticulations rather wide moderately conspicuous, petiole ¢ inch long. Male spikes in tufts on the stem, simple, cylindric, + inch long on shorter peduncles, cupular bracts cylindric, short, glabrous. Perianth oblong, truncate, flat, narrowed towards the base, apex blunt, entire. Stamen twice as long, filament slender, anther 2 celled club shaped. Female spikes in tufts from the stem, 1 inch long ou pedicels, t inch long or less with ovate, acuminate, acute bracts, connate at the base. Cupular bracts cup shaped but rather flat ribbed, whorls 1'5 inch apart of 5 or 6 sessile conic subulate. Ovules surrounded by a circle of short rusty brown hairs, a little longer than the bract. Fruit half an inch long, cylindric elliptic, sessile, pinkish flesh color, borne on spikes 2-3 inches long.
There are two forms of this plant, one a slender twining climber with narrow lanceolate leaves which grows abundantly in open places in secondary scrub which might be called campestris and a stronger lofty climber with a stout stem half an inch or more through, and broad elliptic leaves with a rounded base, 2 inches wide. var sylvestrins
var campestris.
Distrib. Singapore, Kranji (Ridley 5360), Changi (5863), Tanglin etc. Johore, Batu Pahat (Ridley 11219). Pahang, Kwala Pahang (1440.) Malacca, Mt. Ophir, Padang Batu (Ridley 10015), Ayer Panas (Goodenough 1560), Penang
Government Hill (Curtis 877), and Batu Feringi (1109). Selangor Sempang mines.
var. sylvestris.
Singapore Garden, Jungle; Seletar (Ridley 3958), Bajau (5864) and Pulau Tekong (5862.)
It is known as” Akar Jullah”’ by the Malays.
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THE-GYMNOSPERMS OF THE MALAY PENINSULA. 63
Blume’s figures and description of G. neglectwm and G. microcarpum are hardly sufficient to distinguish the two species. Hooker refers this species to his neglectwm with a? Judging by the colour of the seed, and its size and length of spike, I have little doubt that Blume’s G. mcrocarpum is intended for this species. G. neglectum is figured with larger seed on six inch spikes of a dark claret color, instead of the flesh coloured pink of microcarpum.
Gn. macrostachyum, Hook fil. Fl. Brit. India V 642.
A stout woody climber with rough brown lenticellate bark. Leaves stiffly coriaceous. elliptic or elliptic lanceolate, shortly cuspidate, blunt, base rounded, or occasionally shortly narrowed 7-8 inches long, 3-4 inches wide, usually drying light brown, nerves nearly invisible above, slender, slightly elevated beneath, 4-6 pairs, reticulations fairly visible rather large and ir- regular, petiole rather thick, + inch long. Male spike (only seen young) 24 inch long on a short peduncle, $ inch long with a pair of ovate, acute, connate bracts, cupular bracts saucer shaped close together with much brown hairs between. Female spikes solitary or in pairs, one in each leaf, axil very shortly peduncled, cylindric, 3-4 inches long, 2-% inches wide, cupular bracts close set, saucer shaped, almost hidden in the dense brown wool surrounding the ovules of which it conceals all but the tip. Ripe spike about 4 to 6 inches long and #¢ inch through, densely woolly. Seeds crowded, oblong, ovate, shortly acute, half an inch Jong, a quarter of an inch through.
Singapore, Siglap (Ridley 9207), Changi (4822 and Hullett) Jurong (Ridley 5566) and Bidadari (8918): Malacca, Bukit Bruang (Ridley) ; Proy. Wellesley, Krian (Ridley 9383).
Gn. penangense 0. 8.p.
Gn.
Woody climber, Leaves elliptic to oblong cuspidate, coriaceous, drying black, nerves 4-5 pairs, base shortly narrow- ed, reticulations fine conspicuous beneath, 6 inches long, 23 inches wide, petiole half an inch long. Spike in fruit from the stem stout, 6 inches long, peduncle 1 ineh long, whorls + inch apart of about 6 ovoid acute ovules. Cupular bracts flat saucer like, a thin square mat of hairs below the ovule, and shorter than it. Ripe ovules oblong, 1 inch long, blunt at both ends.
Penang Government Hili (Ridley and Curtis 2223). Allied to G. microcarpum but with the leaves of G. fund- culare and very much larger spikes and ovules. longispica Ni. sp.
A woody climber £ inch through with warty bark. Leaves broadly lanceolate, narrowed almost equally at both ends, coria- ceous, drying light brown, 6 inches long by 3 inches wide,
R, A. Soc., No. 60, 191!
64
THE GYMNOSPERMS OF THE MALAY PENINSULA.
nerves 6 pairs inarching within the margin, reticulations small and inconspicuous, petiole stout, half-an-inch. Mature female, spikes a foot long with 24 whorls, ¢ inch apart, peduncles 2 inches long, cupular bracts, saucer shaped ribbed, containing about 10 acuminate ovules almost conzealed by thick brownish hair. Ovules httle over half-an-inch long, ellipsoid, blunt at each end, without covering $ inch long.
Selangor, Camphor forest, Rawang. Fruits dull brick red, (Ridley). Johor Kwala Batu Pahat, (Kelsall).
Allied to G. microcarpum, bat with much longer spikes. The fruit of the Batu Pahat plant is larger than that of the Rawang, one being ¢ inch long. The fruit otherwise resembles that of G. microcarpum. It may possibly prove to be a big form of that species.
Seed narrowed at the base not stalked.
. edule, Bl. Nov. Pl, Bam, 31 Vi_7. KRoumphe Vee
gnenvoniformis. Rumph Herb. Ambon.
A moderate sized woody climber, with reddish bark. Leaves stiffly coriaceous, shining lanceolate or oblong lanceolate, cuspidate, drying brown above, reddish brown beneath, nerves inconspicuous, 7 pairs, slender inarching within the edge, but almost invisible, reticulations obscure, very small, giving the under side of the leaf a papillose appearance under the lens, 5-6 inches long, 14-25 inches wide, petiole 4-5 inch long. Male spikes not seen. Female spikes solitary axillary on short ¢ inch, peduncles 5 inches long, whorls 4 inch apart, rachis ribbed, cupular bract very short, and flat saucer shaped, with light brown hair longer inside. Ovules acuminate 4 or 5 in a whorl. Ssed when ripe one or two only on the spike, 2 inches long, an inch through, elongate, ovoid, slightly narrowed at the base and bluntly, shortly acuminate at the tip, light brown corky warty, peduncle much thickened woody. Apex of seed acute, ribbed with many rather long fibrils.
Singapore, Toas, and Chan Chu Kang, (Ridley 6126). Pahang, Tahan river, (Ridley 2329), Pulau Rumput, Pahang river (2332). Perak, Sungei Kertai, Temengoh (14548).
G. edule, Blume was based by him on Rumphius figure and des-
eription of his Funis gnemoniformis, which shows the solitary seed of large size nearly sessile, and described by Rumphius as “Coloris hepatice’’ liver-coloured which fits this plant. Roxburgh referred this plant of Rumph to the Indian species Gnetum scandens which is described as having a fruit as large as a large olive and which according to Wight’s figure in the Icones Pl. 1955 under Gn. funzculare is utterly unlike our species or Rumph’s figure. G. scandens Rexb. seems to be con- fined to India. Blume however, included Roxburgh’s G. scandens in his description.
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THE GYMNOSPERMS OF THE MALAY PENINSULA. 65
Spikes branched.
G laisjolswm, Bl. Rumphia IV 5. Tab. 174.
_A moderate sized climber with oblong lanceolate leaves, deep green, drying black, apex acuminate, blunt, base cuneate, (the leaves are cften at least slightly inzequilateral) nerves about 8 pair, visible above, prominent beneath as are the reti- culations, 5-6 inches long, 2-3 inches wide, petiole + to nearly $ inch long. Male spikes cylindric, usually 5 together, 1 to 1% inch long. Bracts saucer shaped, green, approximate. Perianth wedge, shapel with a broad top nearly as long as the filament, anther cells separate. Females 2 or 3 in a tuft from the trunk, branched with few lax branches, spreading, whole inflorescence 6 inches long. Branches about 6, remote, over an inch apart, peduncles of spikes 1; inch long, spikes 2 inches long, whorls distant § inch apart, glabrous. Bract funnel shaped. Ovules 6-7 in a whorl ovoid, not beaked. Ripe seed on a spike a foot long, rachis much enlarged and thickened, zigzag seed 2 inches long, fusiform base abruptly narrowed into a cylindric stalk ¢ inch long, apex bluntly conic.
Pahang Telom (Ridley 13709) on a fallen tree by the stream.
Distrib. Malay islands.
Blumes’ figure is an excellent one and exactly suits the Telom plant.
A specimen distributed by the Philippines Bureau as Gn. latifolium, Bl. from Lamao River, Mt. Mariveles 1805, closely resembles this in foliage and inflorescence but the fruit is
- smaller and distinctly stipitate.
Species with fruit stalked.
G. -fumculare, Bl. Nov. Pl. Fam 32. Ann. Se. Nat. Ser. 2. V. 2. 106. Rumphia IV 7. Abatua indica Lour. Fl. Cochinch. 630. Poo Hi Brit. Ind. V: p.642.
A very stout woody climber with black bark, stem 2 inches through. Leaves thickly coriaceous, dark green, drying black polished oblong to lanceolate, oblong or ovate oblong, cuspidate or blunt, nerves 6 or 7 pairs, 5 to 6 or 7 inches long, 24 to 8 inches wide; petiole 4-4 inch long. Male spikes stout, cylindric, 1 inch long, densely crowded on knots on the trunk on pedicels half-an-inch long, green with yellow stamens. Cupular bracts overlapping circular, saucer shaped, containing abundance of brown multicellular hairs about as long as the bract. Perianth elongate, goblet-shaped from a narrow base, apex broad, # the length of the stamen. Stamen with a stout filament and 2 distinct globose cells. Female inflorescence of opposite pairs of pedunculate spikes on main peduncles, over on inch long. Bracts connate at the base, subulate, § inch long. Secondary
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66 THE GYMNOSPERMS OF THE MALAY PENINSULA.
peduncles ¢ inch long, spike # inch long. Bracteosles funnel shaped, wide. Ovules ovate, acuminate, 6 in a whorl, surround- ed by a dense tuft of brownish hairs. In fruit the spikes are 6 inches long. Seed ellipsoid, blunt at the tip, half-an-inch long, and nearly as thick, red on a stalk, ¢ inch long.
Distrib Singapore Garden Jungle (8074 Ridley), Kranji (Ridley 1612 and Tanglin 5688); Johor, Batu Pahat (Kelsall) ; Pahang, Tahan forests (Ridley 2329); Malacca, Ayer Keroh. (Ridley 107561), Selandor (Cantley) Negri Sembilan, Bukit Danan (Cantley! Selangor, Ulu Gombak (Burn-Murdoch). Perak the Cottage, Taiping Hills (with very small leaves); Penang, Government Hill (Curtis) by the Waterfall (3660).
It is also recorded from Assam, Pegu and Burmah in the Flora of British India.
The Natives call it ““ Akar Tutubo ’’ and Akar Suburus.
Gnetum tenuifolium, n. sp.
A slender climber turning over bushes, Leaves opposite, oblong, lanceolate, acuminate, with usually a long point, thin textured, narrowed atthe base, nerves 6-8 pairs elevated beneath, interarching well withinthe margin, reticulations inconspicuous, 4-7 inches long, 1-24 inch wide, petiole { inchlong. Male spikes solitary or 2 together on the stem unbranched, on peduncles, 1 inch long, slender with a pair of connate acuminate bracts 5 inch long, pedicel of spike $ inch long, slender , spike slender, 1 inch long, § inch through. Female spike solitary on a shorter and thicker peduncle, unbranched, 2-3 inches long, ovules in whorls of 8 to 10 $inch apart, surrounded by short brownish hairs with a cup shaped bract below. Seed spikes 4 inches long. Unripe seed acuminate and when dry narrowed at the base, ripe ellipsoid with a short acute point on a pedicel half an inch or more long, slender, seed ellipsoid acute, finely rib- bed, half-an-inch long.
Lankawi (8341). Kasum (Curtis 3244). This also occur in Malacca at Bukit Sadanen (Goodenough 1431) and Bukit Tampin (Goodenough 1918) Selandor and Chabau (Cantley), Negri Sembilan on Gunong Angsi (Ridley): Selangor at Kwala Lumput (Ridley 10213), Pahang, Tanjong Antan (2331 Ridley) ; Perak, Taiping (Ridley 14565); the Dindings on Gunong Tun- eul; Penang Waterfall stone quarry (Curtis) and Balik Pulau (32204) Kedah at Yan.
It is known as Akar Putat, and Akar Dagun and Akar Mantadu in Malacea and Negri Sembilan according to Cant- ~ ley’s collector who says that the Jakuns eat the fruits.
It is a very distinct plant in its thin twining stems only ¢ inch through and long pedicelled fruits and thin leaves.
Jour, Straits Branch
THE GYMNOSPERMS OF THE MALAY PENINSULA. 67
CYCADE.
Shrubs or small trees with a thick simple or branched trunk with a terminal crown of leaves. Leaves pinnate or bi-to tri-pinnate, coriaceous, large. Flowers dioecious. Males in a terminal cone of hard peltate or flat scales bearing numerous, crowded, | celled anthers, or pollen-sacs. Females of flat carpellary léaves (carpophylls) bearing several ovules on the edge, arranged in a whorl at the top of the stem. Ovules large. sessile. Seeds large drupaceous, albumen copious.
Distributed all over temperate and tropical regions. Only genus here Cycas.
Trunk rough. Carpophylls elongate, C. Rumphia
Trunk smooth white. Carpophylls short, broad pectinate C. Szamensis
Cycas Rumphiu, Miq. Bull. Sc Phys. et Nat Neerl 1839. Monogr. Zo wanalebot Lndoint. 5: 6: A & B. linnca.X VII 688, Hook (iio ind Voor. ©. crcinaws Roxb. El. Ind. in 744. Griff. Notul. VVI. Ic Pl. As. t. 361 (not of Linné) C. circinalis var. angustifolia Miq. Comm. 119. C. Wallichit Miq. Monogr. Cyc. 32. C. glauca Mig. Monogr. 30 C. macrocarpa, Griff. More iver terri As. t. COCELXIIT 12
Stem from 4 to over 20 feet tall, cylindric, brown, usually branched, and often emitting axillary buds usually about 1-2 feet through, covered with the rough leaf bases. Leaves simply pinnate 6 feet long and 2 feet across, very coriaceous; petiole 6 inches long armed with short thorns in the upper part, leaflets linear, acuminate, base decurrent on the rachis, 12 inches long, half-an-inch wide or narrower and shorter, midrib strong and prominent. Plants unisexual, Male cone about 1 foot long, orange colour, Antheriferous scales obcuneate apex shaped, broad with a long acuminate spine from a broad base, ¢ inch long, 4 inch wide at the apex, spine upcurved, half an inch long, pollen sacs very numerous, small, white, globose. Female carpophylls 9 inches long, petiole flattened, + inch across, gradually dilating into the hmb which is lanceolate and dilated at the end, 4 an inch across and shortly toothed, and ending in a long point, # inch long, all orange-woolly. Ovules 4-6. Seed ellipsoid globose orange an inch through.
Singapore Changi (Ridley 3940 and 4408), Pulau Tekong Tampenis river; Pahang Pekan, Rumpin river, on sea shores, Raub Track (Machado) in forest; Perak, Kamuning, Limestone rocks; Adang Islands, Tanjong Hantu, Rawei.
Distrib South Tenasserim, Mergui, Malay Islands to North Australia.
R. A. Soc,, No,’60, 191T,
68 THE GYMNOSPERMS OF THE MALAY PENINSULA.
Native Name “ Pakis Laut” on account of the circinate vernation of the young leaves. A starch is obtained from the trunk, and the young leaves are eaten as a potherb. Usually this inhabits sandy spots near the sea, or on the sea beach, but I have met with it far inland in forests, e.g. at _Kamuning. It is probable that in these cases, the plant has remained here since the formation of the alluvial flats now between it and the sea.
It was probably much more abundant on our sandy coasts but has disappeared except where isolated in gardens, owing to these spots being cleared and cultivated for coconuts.
The male cone has a strong odour of lady-birds, the pollen which is very abundant is said to be strongly narcotic.
Cycas Siame2nsis, Miq. Bot. Zeit 1863-334. Hook fil. Fl. Brit. India le. 647.
Stem about 15 feet long, cylindric, but swollen abruptly at the base, smooth nearly white. Leaves about 3 feet long and 8 inches across, coriaceous, light green, petiole 1 foot long, + inch wide, thorny in the upper part, Leaflets about 70 pairs naarow, linear, acuminate, 4 inch across, midrib slender. Male cone. © Antheriferous scales ¢ inch long with a slender point as long.’ Female carpophylls, petiole 3 inches long about ¢ inch | across, flattened, limb obovate with very long slender processes | about 30, one to two inches long, narrow, acuminate. Whole carpophyll orange, woolly. Ovules few 3 or 4. .
High up on limestone rocks. Terutau (Curtis 2427) Setul and Perlis
Distrib. Dry forests of the Prome district, Shan States and Cochin China.
Jour, Straits Branch R. A. Soc., No. 60, 1917,
Head Pressing amongst the Milanos of Sarawak. By JOHN HEwiTtT, B.A. & A. E. LAWRENCE.
With two plates.
In remote times the custom of head pressing in one form or another has been practised in many parts of the world. Nowadays however, the people who still hold to this remarkable habit are few in number and of local distribution. So far as the Malayan region is concerned, it appears to be confined to the Milanos of Sarawak, and to certain natives of Celebes. In all probability, the custom will die out amongst the Milanos at no very distant date: never- theless at the present day a great majority of Milano women bear on their heads the unmistakable evidence of the press. A few only of the men have been thus deformed, though apparently 1t was at one time a privilege bestowed on all; a privilege because the press is considered to impart beauty to the subject. |
The operation is performed during early infancy, the first application of the press being made when the child is only a week or two old: it is discontinued about three or four months afterwards. The apparatus employed is called a “Ja” at Mukah, an “Api” at Oya and at Bintulu a Tadal:” the press itself is exactly the same at these three places. A Ja’ is simply a board of hard wood, shaped as in the figure, attached by strings to a T shaped piece of cloth which supports the back of the head: the central part of the wood rests upon a pad which is applied to the infant’s forehead. The pad is made of folded up leaves or of cloth, and sometimes to increase its weight a flat stone or piece of wood occupies the interior of the pad. ‘The strings which cross the board from end to end pass through a coin which is ordinarily situated at the centre of the board : by twisting the coin round and round the strings are tightened as in a torniquet and thus the pressure on the head may be gradually increased. When applying the “Ja,” the infant is taken between the legs of the father or mother and the apparatus is gently fitted over its head. At first the strings are fairly loose and the inconvenience experienced by the child is slight: after a few minutes when her offspring is asleep, the mother carefully adds to the pressure of the Ja”’ by twisting the coin round a few times: this she repeats at intervals of about ten minutes until, as she judges, the maximum pressure consistent with safety is attained: when the child finally wakens, the ‘Ja’ is removed. This opera- tion then is conducted only during the sleeping hours of the child, commencing at about 9 a.m. and resuming again about 2 p.m.: at night time, the baby has a respite as the ' Ja”? demands too much trouble of the parent. It occasionally happens that too much
Jour. Straits Branch R. A. Soc., No. 69, I9II.
70 HEAD PRESSING AMONGST THE MILANOS OF SARAWAK.
pressure is exerted and the child dies, but this is a rare occurrence as the Milanos are very fond of their children and prefer to forego the pressing altogether if the child protests too much.
The most obvious result of this operation is a well marked depression of the forehead: there is presumably a corresponding uprising of other parts of the head, but being distributed more or less uniformly over the rest of the cranium this is not recognisable. Head pressed Milanos usually have a characteristic squint in both eyes and occasionally the base of the nose is depressed.
Whether this custom ordinarily affects their mental ability is not certain though some observers believe that it really has a prejudicial effect: the average Milano certainly is rather a dull person, but the same may also be said of the Land Dayaks, who have never practised head pressing.
No incantations or religious ceremonies are associated with this remarkable custom and apparently the only element therein which savours of religion is the charms which are always attached to the ja. The charm, called ‘Luan’ by Milanos, consists of a few flakes of soot scraped off from the family cooking pot: it is sewn up with cloth into tiny packets which are attached by strings to the ja. Similar charms are in use amongst the same people in other capacities : for instance such a charm is usually to be found tied to a Bayoh (medicine man) man’s drum.
In addition to the Luan every ja is provided with a large blue bead which is attached to the string that goes over the head: this bead also functions as a charm.
After it has once been used a Ja may not be given away: they are in fact kept in use through several generations. One’s neigh- bours are very fond of borrowing a lucky ja—one which always presses well—especially if it be an old one.
This custom is now falling into disuse for the very simple reason that it involves too much trouble: nowadays the housewife has to work hard to earn a living and it is very inconvenient to have to suspend the sago working every few minttes in order to attend to a sleeping baby.
So far as is known head pressing is not practised elsewhere in Borneo. Nevertheless it should be noted that heads are often enough unintentionally deformed slightly, we believe, as a result of the very hard pillow—of wood alone—on which the infant rests when sleeping. This fact may account for a characteristic flatness often noticeable at the back of a Land Dayaks head. In north-west Celebes where the natives flatten heads and breasts the language has, according to the Rev. B. Mulder, many words in common with Milano: and moreover they have very similar fairy tales. It is therefore quite possible that the two peoples have been neighbours or even that they are related : nevertheless it is almost certain that the Milanos have lived for some—probably many—centuries in Sarawak and if there is any relationship it must have been in very remote times. The following tables give a few statistics which
Jour, Straits Branch
HEAD PRESSING AMONGST THE MILANOS OF SARAWAK. 7]
have bearing on this custom. The head measurements were taken at Mukah in 1906: these measurements are alas only approximately correct as we had to content ourselves with primitive apparatus—viz large callipers.
Length of a ja 13 ins. Weight of same TS OZ: Weight of pad and contained stone 12 02.
Head measurements of a number of young Milano women. The length of the head was measured from the middle of the forehead: the breadth was taken at the widest part.
Length inins. SBreadth in ins. Length in ins. JBreadth in ins.
4 : 6 68 8 6x6 5$ 64 8 65 6 61 3 64 = 62 OR
6 6 63 68
63 64 | 68 t 6d
64 6 63 De £ 64 63 bt 8 63
Drawing of a model made by a Milano
to shew method of application of the Ja.
* Subject had not been pressed. 15 its been slightly pressed.
Jour. Straits Branch R. A. Soc., No. 60, IgII.
MILANO WITH COMPRESSED HEAD.
MILANO WITH COMPRESSED HEAD.
ee
hse
A List of the Butterflies of Borneo with Descriptions of New Species.
Eee Ce MOWETON, NES. HanS:5 E.2.8-, Curator of the Sarawak Museum.
Part III. (LYCAENIDAE).
Parts I and II of this list, dealing with the Nymphalidae and Lemontidae only, were published by Mr. Shelford in this Journal in 1904 and 1905 (Nos. 41 and 45). Mr. Shelford being unable to continue it, suggested that I should do so—a task I have gladly undertaken. This Part deals with the whole of the Bornean Lycaenidae, the most numerous of all the Families in Bornean Rhopalocera. The growth in our knewledge of the Lycaenidae of this country may be seen from the following figures :_-Mr. Distant? in his great work, Rhopalocera Malayana, gives 32 species of Lycaenidae from Borneo. Mr. W. B. Pryer® after some 9 years’ collecting in British North Borneo could only record 35. species (1887) ; “before that, Mr. Herbert Druce® had recorded 71 collected in the neighbourhood of Labuan by Sir Hugh Low (1873); a number, which was increased to about 220 by Mr. Hamilton H. Druce* (1895), who had examined a large amount of material in the Godman-Salvin collection together with the Kina Balu and Labuan captures made by Waterstradt and Wahnes. Mr. Druce? published a second paper in 1896 increasing the total to 262; since that date some of the genera have been monographed and some new species described ; including these and the species described for the first time in this paper, the total number of named forms and varieties now recorded from Borneo is 317; of which 300 are - regarded here as true species. In comparison with. these figures it may not be out of place to mention that de Nicéville and Martin® recorded 238 Lycaenidae from Sumatra out of a total of 756 Rhopa- locera; so we may regard our present list as having some preten- sions to completeness.
1. Distant, Rhopalocera Malayana, 1882.
2. Pryer, Annals and Magazine of Natural History, 1887. Bee riice, 700. Zool. sos. ond.. USie:
ee. Druce, Lros. Zool. Soc. ond., 1895.
9)
6
3
H. H. Druce, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1896.
e
. de Nicéville and Martin, Jowrn, As. Soc. Beng. Vol. LXIV, Part II, 3, pp. 357-555,1895.
Jour, Straits Branch R. A. Soc., No. 58, 1911.
no.
714 A LIST OF THE BUTTERFLIES OF BORNEO.
The system of classification followed in the first portion of this paper is that laid down by Col. Bingham in his volume on Indian Butterflies (/auna of British India Serles, Bulterflies, Vol. Il. 1907), which deals with five out of the seven Sub-Families occurring in this region. Of the remaining two Sub-Families, I have followed Mr. Bethune-Baker’s recent monograph for the Arhopalinae (“ A revision of the Amblypodia group of the Family Lycaenidae,” Trans. Zool. Soc. Lond. Vol. XVII. pp. 1-153 P1. I-V. 1903), and for the Theclinae, in the absence of any more up- to-date work, I have endeavoured to follow out the lines of class- ification suggested by Mr. de Nicéville in his Butterflies of India, Viol eso 0)
Mr. Shelford has kindly furnished me with a few field-notes, which I have added under his initials; and I am further indebted to him for much valuable advice and help received from time to time during the compilation of this paper. Dr. T. A. Chapman has kindly identified some of the Lycaenopsids for me, a difficult group unless one has devoted much study to its various species. ‘Yo Mr. G. 'T. Bethune-Baker I owe thanks for help with some of the Arhopalas. And lastly, it is with much pleasure | take this opportunity of recording my indebtedness to Mr. Hamilton H. Druce, who has continually placed his valuable services at my disposal. Doubtfully identified species have been sent to him on and off for the last two vears and without his help many little points would have still remained unrayelled. The Superintendent of the Indian Museum has kindly supplied details of the Bornean Lycae- nidae in the collections of that Museum.
Although the general system laid down by Mr. Shelford for Parts I and II, has been followed for this Part, I have considered it advisable to amplify it on one or two points. ‘Thus in quoting the literature for each species I have given the reference to the original description first, then the name and reference of any species “that has been proved synonymous; in cases where the original description being for one sex only, the other sex has been described elsewhere, J have given both references.
As Borneo is the third largest island in the world, it would seem superfluous to remark on the yagueness of “ Borneo” as a habitat for any species, although this has sufficed for many writers on the different branches of the Fauna of Borneo. However, care has been taken in this paper to give as many e.act localities as possible; so that by this means some traces of relationship may be indicated between the fauna of different parts of Borneo and the surrounding countries, and between the mountain fauna of Borneo and that, for instance, of Upper Burma and the Himalayas. The majority of localities are taken from the fine collection in the Sarawak Museum, and for that reason many of those names are of places in Sarawak. The same geographical order of names is always adhered to, viz. starting from Sandakan on the North-East coast, going round to the North of the island, then south-westwards
Jour. Straits Branch
en
Se ee \ ee
A LIST OF THE BUTTERFLIES OF BORNEO. 75
and taking in Mt. Kina Balu, through Lawas, Limbang, Brunei to the western limit of Sarawak territory: then south through Sambas, and Pontianak and so along the South coast to Bandjer- masin and Pulo Laut where Mr. Doherty collected many species.’
It is proposed to follow Mr. Shelford’s original idea of resery- ing a discussion on the geographical distribution of Bornean Butter- flies for an Appendix, to be added after the completion of the whole list. However, it will not be out of place to give here the following figures, which indicate some of the principal features of the distribution of Bornean Lycaenidae.
Out of the 300 species recorded, no Jess than 117 are at present confined to Borneo as far as we know. Of the remainder, 120 are common to Borneo and the Malay Peninsula (Burma to Singapore), 98 to Borneo and Sumatra, and 47 to Borneo and Java. The com- paratively small relationship with the Philippines, Celebes and New Guinea (including Australia) is shown by the occurrence of 41, 13 and 14 Bornean species respectively in those countries.”
Due regard has been paid to the importance of recording any
variations in all the forms, and the Sarawak Museum collection has been carefully examined for this purpose.
The following new species are now described for the first time. Those marked with an asterisk indicate that they were noted as new by Mr. Shelford, but not described, and I have re- tained his names for those species.
270. Allotinus strigatus 402. Arhopala incerta
272. Allotinus borneensis 428. Arhopala sarawaca "498. Charana? abnormeis 432. Arhopala tembaga 289. Logania drucei 451. Arhopala shelfordi
298. Neopithecops oskewa 452. Arhopala rajah 314. Lycaenopsis lingga 474. Tajuria sunta *3515. Lycaenopsis nigerrimus 486, Chiiaria balua 318. Lycaenopsis delapra = 497. Charana sple ndida *354. Lampides vyneri *498. Charana? abnormis *381. Poritia pastra 506. Horaga albistigmata Some of the Bornean Lycaenidae have been described from one sex only, and I am able to furnish descriptions of the hitherto- unknown sex of the following species :— 311. Lycaenopsis sonchus, H. H.