rampei and Sungei-tenang people often come
this distance to catch fish, which they dry and carry back to their
country. At certain times of the year great quantities of the ringkis and
ikan-gadis are taken, besides a kind of large conger-eel. We frequently
had fish when time would admit of the people catching them. It is
impossible to describe the difficulties we had to encounter in
consequence of the heavy rains, badness of the roads, and rapidity of the
river. The sepoy officer and many men ill of fluxes and fevers, and lame
with swelled and sore feet. 24th. Military precautions. Powder damaged.
Thunder and lightning with torrents of rain. Almost the whole of the rice
rotten or sour. 25th. Continued to march up the banks of the river. No
inhabitants in this part of the country.

IRREGULARITY OF COMPASS.

The compass for these several days has been very irregular. We have two
with us and they do not at all agree. The road less bad. At one place we
saw bamboos of the thickness of a man's thigh. There were myriads of very
small flies this evening, which teased us much. Occupied some huts we
found on the eastern bank. This is Christmas evening; to us, God knows, a
dull one. Our wines and liquors nearly expended, and we have but one
miserable half-starved chicken left although we have been on short
allowance the whole way. 26th. Roads tolerable. Passed a spot called
Kappah, and soon after a waterfall named Ipu-machang, about sixty feet
high. Picked up a sick man belonging to the enemy. He informed us that
there were between two and three hundred men collected at Koto Tuggoh,
under the command of Sutan Sidi, Sutan Asing, and Pa Muncha. These three
chiefs made a festival, killing buffaloes, as is usual with the natives
of Sumatra on such occasions, at this place, and received every
assistance from the principal Dupati, who is also father-in-law to Pa
Muncha. They possess sixty stand of muskets, beside blunderbusses and
wall-pieces. They had quitted the Company's districts about twenty-three
days ago, and are gone, some to Koto Tuggoh, and others to
Pakalang-jambu. 27th. Marched in a north-north-east direction; passed
over a steep hill which took us three hours hard walking. The river is
now very narrow and rapid, not above twelve feet across; it is a
succession of waterfalls every three or four yards. After this our road
was intricate, winding, and bad. We had to ascend a high chasm formed in
the rock, which was effected by