A. M. Skinner

“ This may be considered the key to the geography of Perak in the North, just as the common source of the R. Muar and the southern branch of the R. Pahang is the key to the geography of the South of the Peninsula, and the knowledge of the country between the Northern branch of the R. Pahang and the R. Kelantan, is the key to the geography of the Interior of the Peninsula. ”

“ I have not succeeded in finding a copy of Loubère's Map, but Major McNair, who saw a copy in England, thus refers to it in his book "Sarong and Kris" (p.315) :—"In De La Loubère's book is a quaint but very correct Map of the Malayan Peninsula, prepared by M. Cassini, the Director of the Observatory of Paris in 1688, from which is gathered the fact that Perak then continued to be looked upon as second only to Malacca on the Western coast. The River Perak is not very correct in its representation, being made more to resemble a tidal creek. ”

“ S. Ujong and Sri Menanti were little better; Muar, Birnam, Perak, and Kurau could not then be named without an affectation of special, not to say pedantic knowledge. I do not believe that any person then knew of the true course of the R. Perak, or of the short route from Larut to Ulu Perak, which I have already called the key to the geography of that part; and as to which it has been seen that Captain Forrest ninety years before had possessed some information. ”

“ We had just come out of a narrow valley, filled with dense jungle and not very high bills on each side. Coming out of this, the valley now level and comparatively clear, widened out abruptly, so that it became an extensive plain. ”

“ In this respect it has a great advantage over the car, for each new push with the pole, holding as it does to the ground, hinders, or at least reduces to a minimum, the backward flow of the current. If, under these circumstances, one reckons the rate of advance at 1 to 11⁄2 miles per hour (which reckoning in any case is not at all too high) then the distance of Kwala Sungei Tamileng from the estnary of the Sungei Pahang (all bendings of the stream included) is about 70 to 80 English miles. ”

“ Two of these (vols. I and III) are introduced in general maps. But the sketch in vol. II is on a larger seale and is confined to the Straits. It is curions that while both the former represent the Peninsula as widening towards Malacca and Johor, the latter, though ten years earlier in date than the map in volume III, yet gives its true shape. But the names on this sketch are most perplexing, there being indeed but five that can be safely identified,—R. of Quedah, R. of Johore (the only Native States shewn) Malacca, R. Formosa and Straights of Singapore (round St. John's) . ”