fish; and a few changes of dress composed my wardrobe. Experience had already taught me all the difficulties attending such journeys, and that a good and comfortable supply of food and of clothing though very useful, would, under such circumstances, be more cumbersome than advantageous, on account of the difficulty of transporting them. So I took with me only what was absolutely necessary to support my own existence and that of the two persons who accompanied me for the space of one month, the supposed duration of the journey I was then undertaking.
My intention was to enter the Malayan Peninsula by the river of Johore, and, continuing the route by land through the jungle, with which the Peninsula is almost entirely covered, to direct my march in the direction of Mount Ophir, and from thence to Malacca; tracing from Johore to the latitude of Malacca, through the midst of the Peninsula, a line which had not been followed by any European, and perhaps by very few, if any, Malays. It will be seen hereafter, that several accidents prevented me from making the journey as I first purposed. My design was to visit the several wild tribes which were said to inhabit in great numbers the most interior part of the Peninsula, and to obtain respecting them, the most full and exact information which circumstances would allow me. I was also ordered by his lordship Dr Boucho, to ascertain if there would be a possibility of establishing a Mission amongst them.
My small boat, which left Singapore on the fith of September at five o'clock A.M., with a most favourable breeze, was at 10 o'clock between Tanjong Changry, the most eastern part of the Island of Singapore, and Pulo Tikong; doubling the western point of this small Island I reached a few minutes after, a small Malay village near Gunong Báu. The name of the village is Tikong.* It consists only of a few miserable Malay houses, and is governed by a Panghulu who was absent; I stopped there only a few moments and entered at once the Johore river. At half past eleven o'clock I reached another village called Pomatang where I landed. This second village is more considerable than the first, and is the residence of a Rajah then called Rajah Práng,+ who was absent. I tried to
- The village of Tikong is on the island called Pulo Tikong Besár. Gunong Bau is on the mainland. -ED
+ This village is also on P. Tikong Besar. Rájá Práng is not a Rájáh if by this term a king or ruler is meant. The Malay nobles and officials are fond of high sounding titles and cognomens (nama gelar). Many heads of Sukus subordinate to petty panghulus, are called Máhá Rájá. - ED.
