the interior, from four to six dollars per head; they are generally Battaks from the vicinity of Battu Bára, on the opposite coast of Sumatra, and average twenty annually. They fetch a price from 20 to 60 dollars each; according to age, condition, and sex; a higher value being set on the females.

In addition to these imposts, the chiefs of Súngie Ujong formerly enjoyed the division of a premium paid annually by the Chinese and other merchants of Malacca for the tin monopoly, amounting, it is said, to 2500 dollars; 1000 of which went to the Dattu Múda, and 100 each to the three elders of Lingie; 800 to the Klána of Súngie Ujong, and the remaining 400 to the Rája adhi Rája.

The deputed Menangkabowe prince, it is affirmed by the Rumbowe people, had the right of levying a duty, at Sempong, on the Lingie river, of two dollars per bhar, on tin passing that settlement from Súngie Ujong, which was afterwards given up as a subsistence to their Iang de pertúan Múdas. In consequence of the disavowal of this claim by the Súngie Ujong and Lingie chiefs, and other causes too long for detail, a war ensued in 1833, and a consequent blockade of the river by the Iang de pertúan Múda, SAYED SAABAN, at Sempong, still existing, and by which the trade of Súngie Ujong has suffered very materially.

Government.-Súngie Ujong was ruled, under the Iang de pertúan Besár, by a Panghúlú, three Súkús, and a Rája adhi Rája. The Panghúlú, as has been already remarked, owes his title, Klána Putra, to one of the kings of Johor. He now refuses to acknowledge the control of the Iang de pertúan Besár.

BANDAHARA SEKUDAI is supposed to be the first chief invested with this title; and regarding his origin, a long tradition was related to me by the present Rája adhi Rája, the abstract of which amounts to this, viz. “In ancient times, one of the princesses of Súngie Ujong having had the presumption to laugh at the naked state of a Batin of the Jacoons, incurred his resentment, and was forcibly compelled to follow him through thicket and brake, until moved with compassion, this sans culotte maître de danse broke the spell and married her.

"The offspring of this sylvan union is said to be SEKUDAI: from whom descend the Panghúlús of Súngie Ujong."

In all popular traditions of rude nations, there is more or less of truth to be gathered; and in absence of written and other historical evidence, such testimony ought not to be entirely neglected, and set aside as valueless; though frequently ridiculous, and mingled up with matter known to be incredible and void of truth. We need not instance here the works of the early poets of Greece and Rome.

It is certain, that to this day, in Súngie Ujong, Johole, and Jompole, the twelve Batins, or chiefs of the savage tribes, have a considerable share in the election of the Panghúlús of these states, though there is not now apparent any permanent mark of connexion, either social or religious, between the Malays and these aborigines.

As Kafirs and infidels they are despised by the Malays, but superstitiously dreaded. Converts are made to Islám; but slavery, as far as my observation extends, is their lot..

A few years ago, the late Panghúlú of Súngie Ujong, Klána LEHER, died, leaving two nephews, KAWAL and BHAIR. It is an ancient custom prevailing in the interior, and, I believe, generally throughout Malayan nations, that when a chief dies, his successor must be elected on the spot, and previous to the interment of the corpse, (which is not, unfrequently, protracted through the observance of this usage to a considerable length of time,) otherwise the election does not hold good*.

The following are the traditional lines, or Serápa, in which this custom has been handed down in Súngie Ujong.

هندق بر قبور دتانه میره قبوردتانه

,Sahari hilang, Sa-hari bertannam هاري هيلغ سهاري بر تانم

. Sa-hari ber-tamboh, Sa-hari palihari سهاري بر تمبوه سهاری فلیهرا

Short has been his life, though long his stride!

When the will of God has arrived,

The

grave shall be dug in the red earth:

In one-day lost, in one-day planted,

In one-day sprung up, in one-day cherished.

Now it happened that KAWAL was absent at the time of Panghúlú LEHER'S death. The three Súkús and one of the twelve Batins took advantage of BHAIR's being on the spot, elected him, and buried the body of the deceased chief. Against this proceeding, the Rája adhí Rája, and the remainder of the elective body, the eleven Batins, protested; a war ensued, which terminated in 1828, pretty much as it began. KAWAL, however, by virtue of the suffrages of eleven out of the twelve Batins, and by the support of the Rája adhí Rája, is generally considered the legitimate chief.

* In consequence of this custom, the present Sultán of Johor's younger brother was elected during the absence of the elder brother, whose claims were subsequently acknowledged by the British.

He resides at Pantoi, a village on the left bank of the Lingie river, about 40 miles from the village of Lingie. I had an interview with him at the latter place in 1833.

His features are regular and pleasing; but their expression conveys an idea of indecision and imbecility, probably increased by the immoderate use of opium, to which he was formerly much addicted; the whole tenor of his conversation and manner evinced plainly how completely he was in the leading strings of his adviser, the wily KAATAS, the Dattu Múda of Lingie, who accompanied him.

His dress manifested a disposition to finery, consisting of a gaudy red baju, or surcoat, flowered with yellow; a broad crimson sash thrown round his waist, suspending several weapons of Malayan fashion; a Battik handkerchief, with the bicornute tie, and a plaid silk sárong, resembling the tartan worn by the Highlanders, descending to his knees; underneath the plaid he wore short embroidered trowsers. In the left-hand slash of his close vest of purple broad cloth, which was lined with light-green silk, and adorned with silk lace and small round buttons of gold filigree, lay a watch of an antique shape, to which were appended a gold chain and seals. He wore his hair long, and it was very palpable to two of the five senses that he, like DEMOSTHENES in the composition of his orations, had not spared the oil in the arrangement of his tresses.

Rája adhi Rája.-Next to the Panghúlú ranks the Rája adhí Rája. The jurisdiction of this officer is confined to the river, and its navigation. The office and title, as would appear from the inscription on the seal, were renewed or granted to his ancestors by MUHAMMED JALIL, Sultán of Johore, A. H. 1211. (A. D. 1796-7)

The present Rája adhí Rája is a young man, of an extremely prepossessing address and person.

Súkús. There are only three Súkús in Súngie Ujong. The Rája adhí Rája may be perhaps considered as occupying the place of a fourth Súkú in councils.

The functions of the Súkús are similar to those already described, as possessed by the former Ampat Súkú of Naning*. Their titles are Dattu Mantri Jumahad, Dattu Mendalika, and Dattu Maharája Inda. The tribes, of which they are the heads, are those of Sa Melongang, Bodoanda, and Tannah Dattar.

Lingie. The village of Lingie proper, in contradistinction to the settlement of Qualla Lingie, which is within the Company's territory, at the mouth of the river, is a dependency of Súngie Ujong.

It is situated high up the right branch of the river, and consisted, * See page 298 of the present volume.-ED.

in 1832, when I visited the place, of a straggling collection of upwards of 100 houses. The Pankalangs of Pemátang, Passir, Cúndang, Dúrian, and Mángis, may be styled the wharfs of this little entrepôt, for the produce of the Súngie Ujong mines, and the articles brought up for barter. Many of the houses have been pillaged and burnt in the subsequent disturbances.

The establishment of Lingie is of recent date. Between 50 and 60 years ago, six individuals, subjects of Rumbowe, (but originally from Rhio,) removed from Rumbowe to a place on the Malacca coast, between Tanjong Kling and Qualla Lingie, called Kubu Achi, (the fort of Achin;) where, according to local tradition, the Achinese erected a work during one of their expeditions against the Sultán of Malacca. Be that as it may, they had commenced the clearing of the jungle, when one of their number was crushed on the spot by the fall of a tree.

This his companions regarded as a supernatural prohibition to settling there, and quitting the place, passed up the river to the present spot; where, with the permission of the Súngie Ujong chief, they finally established themselves. Their names were HAMAN, MAHMUD, JAHIUDDIN, LUBBYE, JUMAN, and KÁDIR ALI.

HAMAN was appointed head of the little colony, by the title of Dattu Múda, and his four companions, as elders. Of these only one now survives MAHMUD, who is a hale old man of 70.

HAMAN was succeeded by his son-in-law the present Dattu Múda MAHOMED AÁTAS, more commonly called KAÁTAS; and the three deceased elders, by Hájí Cásiм, HÁJI MUHAMMED, and INCHI SAliHUDDIN. This last chief was killed in the disturbances at the close of 1833.

KAATAS, the leading character in Súngie Ujong, is a bony, muscular personage in the prime of life; tall in stature for a Malay, and of erect carriage.

His features are harsh and decided; his dress plain and simple. In character, he is selfish, crafty, persevering, and gifted with some foresight; a quality by no means common among Malays.

He possesses unbounded influence over the weak and sensual Klána ; and it is said that his ambition extends to the undivided sway of Súngie Ujong, and the monopoly of the duties on tin. The opposition of the Rumbowe chiefs, with whom he is at present at deadly feud, and the Malay popular antipathy to innovation and deviation from ancient usage, or as they term it, the "Addat Zeman Dhúlú,” the "Addat Dattu Nenek," &c. will prove considerable obstacles in the attainment of his wishes.

KAÁTAS has, on various occasions, evinced an inimical disposition to

the English government.

The following are copies of the inscriptions on the seals of the present Panghúlú and Rája adhí Rúja of Súngie Ujong, and of the Dattu Múda of Lingie.

سلطان

سنه ۱۲۳۹

سلطان محمد عظاس محمد جلیل منوران محمد جلیل منور نکن كبسران تر جنجخ کغد كلان كبس وان ترجیع کغد دا تو انچي بندر فتراد مری سوغي او جغ مهراج درج د سوغی اوجغ

ترجنجغ

سنه | ۱۲۱

سده ۱۲۱۱

Seal of KAATAS.

Of the Rájá adhí Rája.

Of the Panghúlú.

From the dates and inscriptions on these seals, it would appear that the two first were originally granted, or more probably, renewed to their possessors, by Sultán MUHAMMED JALIL of Johor, in 1211 A. H. The last is of still more modern date (1239), and merely bears the date, name, and assumed title (Inchi Bander) of Kaátas.

III.—Journal of an attempted Ascent of the river Min, to visit the Tea Plantations of the Fuh-kin Province of China. By G. J. GORDON, Esq. Secretary Tea Committee.

May 6th.-Anchored in the evening in the Min river, a short way below a narrow passage, guarded on each side by a fort, and hence named by Europeans, the Bogue, as resembling the entrance to the inner river of Canton. We immediately hoisted out our boat, and prepared every thing for setting out, as soon as the return of the flood, which we expected would be about midnight, would enable us to do so. We determined on trying the western branch of the Min, as laid down in DU HALDE'S Map of the province of Fuh-kín. We took with us one copy of a petition, for permission to import rice, on the same footing of exemption from charges as is granted at Canton, and grounded upon the unusual drought of the regular season for planting rice. Another duplicate we left with Captain MCKAY of the "Governor Findlay," to be presented by him to any Mandarin who might come on board to urge the departure of the vessel from the river. As the subject of the petition would require reference to Pekin, we calculated, that sufficient time would thus be gained to enable us to accomplish our object. The copy in our own possession would be resorted to only in case of our being intercepted. The delay in its delivery might be attributed to the altered appearance of