A visit to Siraf: an ancient port in the Persian Gulf
John Waterstradt’s 1902 account documents his multi-month expedition to ascend Gunong Tahan—the supposed highest mountain in the Malay Peninsula—via the Kelantan river system, driven by a desire to compare its fauna with that of Kina Balu in Borneo, which he had climbed a decade earlier. The narrative is that of a naturalist working with minimal resources, repeatedly thwarted by difficult terrain, unreliable coolies, fever, and the onset of the rainy season, ultimately reaching the summit region after seven months rather than the three he had planned.
Summary
Waterstradt departed Singapore in late April 1902 and arrived at Kota Bahru, the capital of Kelantan, a state then under increasing Siamese administrative control. He was received by the Rajah, a young man of about thirty-five installed by the Siamese in preference to the rightful heir, who provided boats and men for the upstream journey. Waterstradt chose the Kelantan route over Pahang because previous expeditions from the latter side had failed, largely due to inability to secure food supplies. His first attempt proceeded up the Lebeh and then the Aring rivers, reaching the village of Buntie—the last inhabited place in Kelantan—where he recruited Sakai guides and attempted to strike across country toward the mountain. He climbed a peak he believed to be part of the Tahan range but found it to be only 5,500 feet high and entirely disconnected from the true summit, which lay beyond a deep chasm with sheer rock walls.
Undeterred, Waterstradt returned to Kota Bahru and launched a second expedition up the Galas river, passing through the Chinese gold-mining settlement of Pulai. From there he attempted to approach Tahan via the Kateh river and the Tulang Rabong range, but the terrain proved extremely difficult, with precipitous descents, waterfalls, and dense thorny rattan jungle. After a further return to Pulai for provisions and additional coolies—many of whom repeatedly deserted him—he finally reached the summit region via the Relai river, a tributary of the Lebeh. He stayed eighteen days near the top, collecting birds and orchids in conditions of persistent rain, cold (nights dropping to 50°F), and dwindling rations. The descent was harrowing: his three men sent to fetch provisions from the Aring village never returned in time, his raft was destroyed by a fallen tree in a rapid, and he completed the final days barefoot, covered in leech bites, and nearly starving.
The account is valuable as a first-hand naturalist’s observation of the mountain’s structure, hydrology, and ecology, as well as a vivid portrait of early twentieth-century Kelantan under Siamese suzerainty, including its riverine communities, Sakai populations, Chinese gold-mining operations, and the administrative arrangements of the Rajah’s court.
Key Findings
- Gunong Siam, the peak Waterstradt first climbed believing it to be part of Tahan, measured only 5,500 feet and was separated from the true summit by a deep chasm with sheer rock walls (pp. 12–13).
- The actual Gunong Tahan consists of three parallel ranges running approximately east to west, connected at their highest points; the middle range is the highest (p. 20).
- Rivers sourced from the mountain include the Relai and two branches of the Aring on the Kelantan side, and the Kechau, Tahan, and possibly a branch of the Tembeling on the Pahang side (p. 20).
- The mountain is composed almost entirely of white quartz; streams originating above 4,000 feet have discoloured, swamp-like water, while those below that altitude are clear (p. 20).
- The best collecting ground for birds was between 5,000 and 7,000 feet; nocturnal temperatures near the summit dropped to 50°F (pp. 19–21).
- The entire expedition lasted seven months rather than the three originally planned, with Waterstradt spending eighteen days near the summit and enduring a descent of at least seven days with no food for the final stretch (pp. 21–27).
Conclusion
Waterstradt’s definitive historical takeaway is that the Kelantan side—specifically via the Relai or Aring rivers—offers the most accessible and practical route to the summit of Gunong Tahan, whereas the Pahang side is far more precipitous and logistically demanding, likely explaining the repeated failures of earlier expeditions from that direction. His account also corrects the geographical confusion between Gunong Siam and Gunong Tahan, establishing that they are distinct peaks separated by significant distance and terrain.
Context
- This is a contemporary colonial-era travel and natural history account written by a European naturalist operating in Siamese-administered Kelantan; the narrative reflects the administrative and social structures of the period, including the role of the Siamese Commissioner, the Rajah’s court, and the labour systems (coolies, Sakai guides) that enabled such expeditions.
- The article contributes to the early biogeographical literature on the Titiwangsa range and provides one of the first detailed physical descriptions of Gunong Tahan’s structure and hydrology from the Kelantan side.