The mountain system of the Malayan Peninsula (1884
This is a reprint of a letter by J. E. Tenison-Woods, originally published in Nature on 17 July 1884 (p. 264), describing the mountain systems of the Perak region of the Malayan Peninsula based on his field observations.
Summary
Tenison-Woods identifies three distinct mountain ranges in Perak: a main central range running north-south; a coastal series of detached granite ridges trending north-north-east to south-south-west (including Gunong Inas, Titi Wangsu, Gunong Hijau, and Gunong Bubu); and a smaller eastern range of granite with overlying limestone, bounded by the Rivers Plus and Kinta. He notes the geological contrast between the ranges—Palaeozoic schists and slates at the base of the first, limestone at the base of the second—and draws a parallel between the tin-bearing granite islands of Perak and similar formations in north-eastern Australia and Tasmania, suggesting they are remnants of a very ancient mountain system (p. 135–136).
He also corrects the persistent error in contemporary literature that Mount Ophir near Malacca (4,360 feet) is the highest peak on the peninsula, listing several Perak mountains exceeding 6,000 feet, with Gunong Riam reaching at least 8,000 feet (p. 136).