Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (IA journalofstrait121878roya).pdf/80

 GEOGRAPHY OF THE MALAY PENINSULA.

Read at a Meeting of the Society held on the 8th July (see also p.5)

Some of the most interesting and valuable contributions to the Journal of the Indian Archipelago, more especially during the earlier numbers were upon the Geography of the Peninsula. Mr. Logan himself frequently returned to the subject during the years 1846-53. Those papers contain a fund of minute topographical details, the itineraries of at least six important journeys in the interior, and, in short, much of the rough material for a Map of the districts which lie nearest to our Settlements. To a fuller consideration of these records I will presently return; but first as to the Maps of the Peninsula. Unfortunately at that period of activity no such Map was compiled. Prior to Sir A. Clark's time, as far as I can discover, but one official map was produced—if a mere outline sketch can be so called. This was first published in 1862, apparently for the use of the Political Department of the Indian Government in connection with the publication of the "Treaties and Sunnuds (1863.)" It is now better known as the map bound up with our first Colonial Blue-Book (C.--465,1872) on the Selângor bombardment. Mr. Moniot, at that time Surveyor General of the Straits, prepared it; but he made little or no use of the information obtained ten years before. I was puzzled at first to discover what guide he had followed on the subject, much of the detail in his sketch being in express contradiction not only to that collected by Logan, but also to the notorious facts of the case. I think I have now discovered the original in an old Dutch Map of Sumatra, the Peninsula and the Straits of Rio, stowed away in the Survey Office, and bearing two dates, 1820 for the Straits of Rio, and 1885 for Sumatra. There is nothing to show to what date the "Peninsula" portion of it should be referred; but it may