• Hutan Simpan Bukit Cherakah (1909-Kini)

Di dalam catatan-catatan panduan pelayaran sekitar kurun ke-15, sebuah bukit di sebelah utara Sungai Klang menjadi salah satu tanda panduan bagi para pelayar yang melalui Selat Melaka. Sebahagian pengkaji menyatakan kemungkinan bahawa bukit ini adalah False Parcelar (tanda panduan pelayar Eropah). Namun lokasinya secara tepat berbeza-beza menurut sumber catatan dan peta yang dapat diperolehi. Antara lokasi yang pernah disebutkan ialah Tanjung Karang, Bukit Jeram, dan Bukit Cherakah.

Di dalam catatan panduan pelayar Arab dan Cina, antara tanda panduan utama yang disebutkan, dan disepakati para pengkajinya, ialah Bukit Jugra. Catatan Arab menamakannya sebagai Pulau Basalar / Fulo Pasalar (Sidi Ali Selebi dari Istanbul menyebut “Fulo Pasalar”, di dalam karangannya Al-Muhit (Lautan, tahun 1554)), mungkin sempena rupanya yang seakan Barselor (Barkur) di pantai barat India. Manakala catatan Cina pula menamakannya “Mi Hua Su / Mien Hua” (Pulau Kapas). Mungkin di ketika itu, ia kelihatan sebagai sebahagian daripada gugusan pulau-pulau di pesisiran pantai Klang-Langat:-

“The present Bukit Jugra which is some 6 km from the coast was formerly known as Parcellar in Portuguese maps such as Eredia (1613). Nieuhoffin 1660 recorded that the cape of Barcelai is a high mountain near a point of the land. Earlier Peter Floris (a.k.a. Pieter van Elbing) in his 1611-1615 journal recorded that Pulo Parselar was a high mountain standing on a low point of ground and appeared to be an island from afar but it was firm land. This is the latest record to my knowledge of the hill being referred to as an island (pulau or pulo by Floris). The hill has been referred to as an island in all earlier Arab records such as Fulo Pasalar (Sidi Ali Selebi in the Muhit, 1553) and Pulau Basalar (Sulaiman in Kitab al Minhaj, -1511; Sulaiman in Umdat al Mahriyah, - 1511). In Admiral Zhenghe's Wu Pei Chih navigation charts of the early 15th century the place is called Mi Hua Su (Cotton Island). It would appear that the island merged with the mainland sometime post Merong Event, after 1553 but before the beginning of the 17th century, a timing somewhat similar to the merging of one of the Dingding islands with the mainland mentioned above. Increased sedimentation coupled with a small fall in sea level may have been some of the reasons.” (T.T.Khoo @ Geology Department, Universiti Malaya, 1999: “Keynote Paper IV: Coastal geomorphology of the Strait of Malacca area during the past millennium”: |Warta Geologi, Vol.25, No.3, May-Jun 1999, m.s.162-163).

“Sidi Ali Selebi (hereafter called Sidi Ali), of Constantinople, shipwrecked commander of the Turkish Indian Ocean fleet, in 1554 produced a Turkish book on Indian Ocean navigation, called al-Muhit, 'The Ocean'. For the most part, the book contains a translation of Sulaiman's Umda, with quotations from other works of Ahmad and Sulaiman; to which Sidi Ali adds some comments of his own. … In his fourth chapter, reproducing Sulaiman's Umda, Sidi Ali describes certain coastal voyages, mentioning 'Butang island', 'Fulo Pasalar' [Bukit Jugra], and 'Bor- nay islands'. … Pulau Basalar denotes Parcellar Hill, now called Bukit Jugra; the name Parcellar may have been given by Arabs or Indians who saw some topographica feature which reminded them of Barselor, now Barkur, on the west coast of India. … Mien hua ('Cotton') island is Bukit Jugra, once known as Parcellar Hill.”

Tanda-tanda panduan utama di Selat Melaka: Bukit Jugra dan Tanjung Tuan.

(Sumber: J. V. Mills, Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society Vol. 47, No. 2 (226) (1974): |"ARAB AND CHINESE NAVIGATORS IN MALAYSIAN WATERS IN ABOUT A.D. 1500", m.s.3-4, 16).

Menurut Paul Wheatley (1961) (ahli akademik geografi sejarawi, yang menjalankan kajiannya di Asia Tenggara), peranan utama Bukit Jugra (Parcelar) adalah sebagai tanda panduan bagi mengemudi kapal di kawasan beting pasir di sekitar pantai Selangor, sejak zaman pelayar Arab dan Cina lagi: “In the Malacca Strait Arab and Chinese sailing practice was similar, particularly in the negotiation of the dangerous shoals (Chinese==Cotton shoals; Arabic==Qafasi) off the Selangor coast, for which both used Pulau Jemur and Bukit Jugra as landmarks. From the Aroas the Arab pilots set course SE by E (the 120° of the Chinese) for about three hours, and then altered to ESE (the 110° of the Chinese). As Jemur sank below the horizon, so Parcelar Hill (Jugra) rose dead ahead and, steering for this, the pilot worked his way through the shoals with the aid of the lead.” (Paul Wheatley, 1961: "The Golden Khersonese; studies in the historical geography of the Malay Peninsula before A.D. 1500", m.s. 243).

Di samping Bukit Jugra (Parcelar), terdapat satu lagi bukit di sebelah utara Sungai Klang, yang menjadi tanda panduan dalam beberapa catatan pelayar Eropah sekitar 1800-an. Bukit ini dinamakan sebagai “False Parcelar”, namun lokasi sebenarnya berbeza-beza mengikut sumber catatan dan peta yang diperolehi.

Kebanyakan sumber catatan dan peta adalah dari sumber zaman kolonial Belanda dan British. Sebahagiannya berdasarkan sumber tempatan, namun kebanyakan sumber asalnya tidak ditemui sehingga kini:-

“It is a common misconception that it was only Europeans who engaged in mapping of Southeast Asia and map making. In fact, local mapping was extremely important to the development of the cartography of the region. Its significance is shown by the fact that many European cartographers - be they Portuguese, Dutch, French or English - reported in their notes that they were indebted to local pilots and cartographers. As mentioned in chapter two, the contribution of local sources to other cartographers can be implied, for example, to Francisco Rodrigues whose 1512 map covered parts of Southeast Asia he had never visited. In the 18th and 19th centuries, too, both Alexander Dalrymple, when he was mapping northern Borneo in the 1770s, and Henry Burney, during his embassies to the Malay Peninsula and Siam in 1826, credited local sources.

Most original documents by local cartographers have been lost. Competition from increasingly sophisticated European techniques led to the production of locally produced maps declining - and ultimately ceasing for more than a century - including those by sailors who had great knowledge of navigation but found it difficult to represent their knowledge in two dimensions. As such, the few remaining examples of work by Asian cartographers do not necessarily reflect the wide range or highest quality of maps and charts that they are likely to have produced. Also, it is generally only later versions, from the 18th or 19th centuries, which have survived, and these were already partly hybridised. Nonetheless, examining these maps still reveals many interesting features.”

(Sumber: Frederic Durant, Richard Curtis, 2013: Maps of Malaya and Borneo : Discovery, Statehood and Progress: the Collections of H.R.H. Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah and Dato' Richard Curtis, m.s.57).

Bagi lokasi “False Parcelar”, sesetengah catatan dan peta meletakkan lokasinya di sekitar Tanjung Karang (Cape Caran, di sebelah utara Kuala Selangor), manakala sesetengah yang lain menganggapnya sebagai Bukit Jeram, berdekatan pantai. Terdapat juga catatan dan peta yang meletakkan lokasinya di Bukit Cherakah (lebih 10km ke pedalaman). Sekitar tahun 1937-1970, seorang pengkaji peta Cina kurun ke-15, “Mao Kun”, J.V. Mills, menganggap bukit “Chi-na-ta shan” (“Chi-na great mountain”) yang ditandakan di sebelah utara Sungai Klang di dalam peta tersebut sebagai Bukit Panjang atau Bukit Cherakah, yang beliau turut rujuk sebagai “False Parcellar”. Perincian catatan dan peta yang berbeza-beza ini dijelaskan dalam bahagian-bahagian seterusnya.

Kiri: Peta asal d’Apres de Mannevillette (1745): False Parcelar tiada ditandakan: “Jean-Baptiste d'Apres de Mannevillette, Plan de Salangor et de la Cote de Malaye, Paris, 1745; 48.6 x 34.3 cm; This map is an early example of Jean-Baptiste d'Apres de Mannevillette's mapping of the Malayan coast and incorporates bathymetric depths and panoramic views of the coast. While little was known of the interior at the time, French geographers of the time were aware of existence of several mountains including Mount Selangor (probably Bukit Melawati) and Mount Parcelar (Bukit Jugra). They had also begun to give names to unknown relief features such as Mount “Fleur de Lys”, after the symbol of French royalty, which may to what was often marked on contemporary maps as False Parcelar, possibly Bukit Cerakah.” (Frederic Durant, Richard Curtis, 2013: Maps of Malaya and Borneo : Discovery, Statehood and Progress: the Collections of H.R.H. Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah and Dato' Richard Curtis, m.s.134).
Kanan: Peta Laurie & Whittle tahun 1796, berdasarkan peta asal Mons. d'Apres de Mannevillette yang dikemaskini. False Parcelar masih tiada ditandakan di mana-mana lokasi. Tanjung Karang ditandakan sebagai “Point Caran or Sommes Pt.”: “Plan of Salangor, and of the Coast of Malaya, from Point Caran to Parcelar Hill, including The Straits of Colong, by Mons. d'Apres de Mannevillette. Corrected and Improved from an English Draught. … London. Printed for Rob. Laurie and J. Whittle, No. 53, Fleet Street. March 1st 1796.” (Après de Mannevillette, Jean-Baptiste-Nicolas-Denis d' & Wellesley, Richard Wellesley & Stephenson, John & Heather, William & Horsburgh, James & Heather and Williams & Robert Laurie and James Whittle. (1799): The country trade East-India pilot, for the navigation of the East-Indies and oriental seas, within the limits of the East-India Company, extending from the Cape of Good Hope to China, New Holland and New Zeeland, with the Red Sea, Gulf of Persia, Bay of Bengal, and China Seas, m.s. 58). “Robert Laurie and James Whittle, Plan of Salangor and of the Coast of Malaya, London, 1796 (47 x 31.8cm). Robert Laurie (1755-1836) and James Whittle (1757-1818) were major English publishers of maps during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. They originally built a reputation as engravers of caricatures, portraits and sporting subjects in the 1770s. By the early 1790s, they had taken control of Robert Sayer's publishing house and became best known for their large, accurate maps and atlases. Some of their first maps, such as this one of the Selangor coast, reproduced with minor alterations Jean-Baptiste d'Apres de Mannevillette's nautical charts. But Laurie and Whittle increasingly began to incorporate in their maps information obtained from the numerous English voyages to the region.” (Frederic Durant, Richard Curtis, 2013: Maps of Malaya and Borneo : Discovery, Statehood and Progress: the Collections of H.R.H. Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah and Dato' Richard Curtis, m.s.134-135).

“During the first half of the 18th century, Dutch supremacy in Southeast Asia was not seriously challenged. Spanish attention was focused on the Philippines and the trans-Pacific trade while the British and French were fighting for control of India. … With a clear field to operate in, the Dutch had the opportunity to improve their mapping of Southeast Asia including the Malay Peninsula and Borneo. Notable among their cartographers were Francois Valentijn and Johannes van Keulen. Other key cartographical developments during this period were made by a Frenchman, Jean-Baptiste d'Apres de Mannevillette, and a Scotsman, Alexander Dalrymple.
…..
Accuracy improved markedly as a result of the work of French sailor and navigator Jean-Baptiste d'Apres de Mannevillette. He was one of the first mariners to use the octant, a precursor of the sextant, the invention of which is generally credited to the English mathematician and astronomer John Hadley in 1730. This new navigational device was used by d'Apres de Mannevillette to calculate both latitude and longitude from lunar distances. The octant remained a crucial navigational tool until the marine chronometer became widely used in the 1820s.

D'Apres de Mannevillette spent 10 years, from 1735 to 1745, remapping a major part of the coasts from Africa to China. Having gained the support of the French East India Company and the French Academy of Sciences, he compiled his findings in a new maritime atlas titled 'Neptune Oriental'. Published in 1745, the atlas was much more accurate than previous ones, and included charts of the coasts, ocean currents and prevailing winds. Ever pragmatic, d'Apres de Mannevillette also introduced a new method by which to update maps. This involved printing small paper patches for the areas about which cartographic knowledge had improved. These could be stuck over the outdated parts of existing maps, thus avoiding the lengthy and costly work of engraving an entire plate. His method also enabled new cartographic information to be incorporated quickly rather than having to wait for complete updated maps to become available.

The quality of d'Apres de Mannevillette's work is apparent on his large map of Asia (56), which extends from India to China. On it, the shapes of the Malay Peninsula and of Borneo have been significantly refined compared to the maps produced by Francois Valentijn 30 years earlier. His contribution to cartography is even more apparent in his chart of the Strait of Malacca (54). From Chinese maps and narratives, it had been known since the 15th century that the area was dangerous to shipping because of the existence of numerous islets, shoals and reefs. D'Apres de Mannevillette's map depicts these in great detail. Considerable errors can nevertheless still be observed such as the large island in a bay on the coast of Perak.

D'Apres de Mannevillette's work was used by Jacques-Nicolas Bellin, chief of the French Hydrographical Office in the 1740s, in original maps produced under his supervision (see 52). It was also used - together with the opportunities offered by the octant, and later on, the sextant - by the V.O.C.

While comparatively detailed, Jean-Baptiste d'Apres de Mannevillette's depiction of the Malay Peninsula on his 1745 chart of the Strait of Malacca contains a number of obvious errors (54).”

(Sumber: Frederic Durant, Richard Curtis, 2013: Maps of Malaya and Borneo : Discovery, Statehood and Progress: the Collections of H.R.H. Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah and Dato' Richard Curtis, m.s. 49-51).

“Robert Laurie and James Whittle published relatively good maps of the are, and particularly of the tip of the peninsula and the island of Singapore, in the 1780s and 1790s. These helped Raffles in his search for the best possible site. Laurie and Whittle's early maps explicitly mentioned that they are by Jean-Baptiste d'Apres de Mannevillette “with several improvements and additions”. On later maps, they introduced improvements such as depth measurements for the passage between Singapore and Batam Island. However, the erronious depiction of the size and shape of Singapore itself indicates that important knowledge gaps remained.” (Frederic Durant, Richard Curtis, 2013: Maps of Malaya and Borneo : Discovery, Statehood and Progress: the Collections of H.R.H. Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah and Dato' Richard Curtis, m.s.53-54).

Peta yang diusahakan oleh Laurie dan Whittle (dimuatkan dalam sebuah terbitan berjudul “The Oriental Pilot” (1799)), menandakan False Parcelar sebagai Cape Caran (Tanjung Karang). Namun setakat ini, tiada sebarang catatan ditemui yang menyatakan False Parcelar adalah Tanjung Karang. Mungkin ianya anggaran kasar atau salinan peta-peta anggaran sebelumnya, seadanya sahaja:-

Menurut peta tahun 1799 ini, False Parcelar ditandakan sebagai “False Parcelar or Tanjong Awat alias Cape Caran”, di tepi pantai di sebelah utara Kuala Selangor (Tanjung Karang kini). Di samping itu, gambar di sebelah bawah ialah pemandangan pesisir pantai Selangor dari “Road of Salangor” (jalan masuk dari Selat Melaka ke Kuala Selangor), termasuk “Salangor Hill” (Bukit Malawati): “Appearance of the Coast from the Road of Salangor” (Après de Mannevillette, Jean-Baptiste-Nicolas-Denis d' & Wellesley, Richard Wellesley & Stephenson, John & Heather, William & Horsburgh, James & Heather and Williams & Robert Laurie and James Whittle. (1799): The country trade East-India pilot, for the navigation of the East-Indies and oriental seas, within the limits of the East-India Company, extending from the Cape of Good Hope to China, New Holland and New Zeeland, with the Red Sea, Gulf of Persia, Bay of Bengal, and China Seas, m.s. 52).

“The Oriental Pilot; Or, East-India Directory: Containing a Collection of Charts, both General and Particular; for the Navigation, not only of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, with the China Seas, but of those also between England and the Cape of Good Hope; improved and chiefly composed from the last edition of the works of Mr. d’Apres de Mannevillette, with many additions and corrections; and the insertion of All the New Discoveries made by the English, Dutch, French and Spaniards, &c. The whole compiled from Draughts, Surveys, and Journals, communicated by the Officers, and Marine Surveyors of the East-India Company and others, being a useful selection, from the Complete East-India Pilot. A New Edition, Containing forty-six Charts. …
…
Published as a practical guide to navigators aboard ships of the Royal Navy and East Indiamen, and often taken to sea, all variants of Laurie and Whittle’s ‘Oriental Pilot’ are scarce and often found in a very used condition. The present example was originally owned by James Hepburn MacFarland RN (1769-1852), who has annotated a number of the charts in the atlas.

The magnificent and often very large charts in Laurie and Whittle’s ‘Oriental Pilot’ cover the entire sea journey from Portsmouth on the south coast of England to the East Indies and Australia. The work was published under several titles, each with a different complement of charts. Variants include: ‘The Country Trade East-India Pilot, for the Navigation of the East-Indies and Oriental Seas, within the limits of the East-India Company’, ‘The Complete East-India Pilot, or Oriental Navigator’, ‘The East-India Pilot, or Oriental Navigator’, and ‘The Oriental Pilot; Or, East-India Directory’ focusing on the most important charts used for the journey, as here.

This example of the atlas includes the formidable four-sheet chart of the Atlantic Ocean, the very large two-sheet charts of the ‘British Channel’, the south coast of England, and the Indian and Pacific Oceans, as well as individual and detailed charts of the waters surrounding South Africa, and particularly the Cape of Good Hope, India, Arabia, the islands of the East Indies, and eastern Asia. Of particular note is the rare and important map “A New Chart of the China Sea,…”, which shows the future sites of Hong Kong and Singapore.”

(Sumber: Daniel Crouch Rare Books Ltd: |"Rare 'Oriental Pilot' annotated by its original owner").

Kiri: Peta tahun 1806 oleh James Horsburgh, berdasarkan catatan-catatan Capt. Charles Christopher McIntosh dan para nakhoda kapal Bombay-China, menyoroti Selat Melaka di kawasan Selangor. False Parcelar ditandakan sebagai “Tanjong Awat or Cape Caran or False Parcelar”, di tepi pantai di sebelah utara Kuala Selangor (Tanjung Karang kini): “To Capt. Charles Christopher McIntosh; and Commanders of Ships Trading from Bombay to China, in testimony of the assistance afforded by a liberal communication of their Journals and Remarks; this Chart is Inscribed by their most Obliged. James Horsburgh.” (Après de Mannevillette, Jean-Baptiste-Nicolas-Denis d' & Wellesley, Richard Wellesley & Stephenson, John & Heather, William & Horsburgh, James & Heather and Williams & Robert Laurie and James Whittle. (1799): The country trade East-India pilot, for the navigation of the East-Indies and oriental seas, within the limits of the East-India Company, extending from the Cape of Good Hope to China, New Holland and New Zeeland, with the Red Sea, Gulf of Persia, Bay of Bengal, and China Seas, m.s. 53). “James Horsburgh, Strait of Malacca Sheet 1st, London, 1806 (61.4 x 78.2cm). This very detailed chart, published according to Act of Parliament, is of the central portion of the Strait of Malacca and shows bathymetric depths of the coast near Parcelar Hill (now known as Bukit Jugra). James Horsburgh dedicated this chart to Captain Charles Christopher Mcintosh. In referring to the debt he owed his fellow countrymen, Horsburgh confirms the close links established between cartographers and the seafarers whose lives depended on the accuracy of the nautical charts they used.” (Frederic Durant, Richard Curtis, 2013: Maps of Malaya and Borneo : Discovery, Statehood and Progress: the Collections of H.R.H. Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah and Dato' Richard Curtis, m.s.143). “A similar observation can be made of nautical charts published by James Horsburgh from 1806. His 'Directions for sailing to and from the East Indies' was the standard work for navigating in Southeast Asian waters for more than 40 years (see pp. 140-145).” (Frederic Durant, Richard Curtis, 2013: Maps of Malaya and Borneo : Discovery, Statehood and Progress: the Collections of H.R.H. Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah and Dato' Richard Curtis, m.s. 54).
Kanan: Peta kemaskini James Horsburgh yang diterbitkan pada tahun 1820, masih menandakan Tanjung Karang sebagai False Parcelar (James Horsburgh, 1820: |"Strait Of Malacca. Sheet 1st.").

Sementara itu, peta Belanda tahun 1820 juga turut menandakan False Parcelar di sekitar Cape Caran (Tanjung Karang):-

Kiri: Peta Belanda, 1820 (Signed by J.T. Busscher, 1820 @ National Archives of The Netherlands: |"Nieuw Kaart Van Het Inkomen Van Straat Malakka Strekkende Van Atjieh Tot Het Parcelaars Point (New Map Of The Strait Of Malacca Stretching From Atjieh To The Parcelaars Point").
Kanan: Peta tahun 1904 oleh W.T. Wood, sebagai perbandingan. Beliau menandakan False Parcelar sebagai Bukit Cherakah, beberapa km ke dalam dari Bukit Jeram (Edinburgh Geographical Institute, 1904 @ Yale University Library - Digital Collections: |"Selangor, Federated Malay States, 1904 / John Bartholomew & Co ; W.T. Wood, chief draftman").

Antara lokasi-lokasi yang ditandakan di dalam peta-peta di atas:-

Pada tahun 1785, seorang nakhoda kapal “Snow Little Nancy”, telah menyediakan panduan mengemudi kapal dengan selamat di sekitar kawasan beting pasir di pantai Selangor. Panduan tersebut berpandukan “False Parcelar” atau “Hill of Salangore”, yang terletak di sebelah tenggara kawasan beting pasir itu, dan dikatakan berdekatan dengan pantai (kemungkinan Bukit Malawati atau Bukit Jeram):-

“INSTRUCTIONS FOR SAILING INTO SALANGORE ROAD, COLONG STRAITS, &c. By the Commander of the Snow Little Nancy, Country-ship, 1785.

To run in for Salangore, and the Straits of Colong, called also Coolang and Collam, after you have rounded the Sambilans, steer away to the eastward, E.S.E. or E. by S. and rise the low land, coming no nearer than 8 or 9 fathoms, but do not rise the beach from the deck. As you lose sight of the Sambilans, you may discover the hill of Salangore, or False Parcelar; steer in for it, keeping the above depth, you will soon after make the True Hill, which appears like a grove of trees; when you come nearer you cannot mistake it, as it is the only hill near the water side. In observing these directions, you will not meet with the shoal of broken shells, that lies to the N.W. of Salangore, and those which follow will enable you better to avoid it.

When you can just discern Salangore Hill from the deck bearing S.E. by E. or S.E. by E. ½ E. you will have then 10 or 11 fathoms, green ooze, with small broken oyster-shells, at 5 or 6 miles from the nearest shore. The course along shore is about S. S. E. 14 or 15 miles. The soundings on the shoal are from 6 to 3½, 5, 4 and 6½ fathoms, with overfalls of 1,2,3 fathoms at a cast; as you deepen, you will have soft ground, and the contrary as you are shoaling. When you have sailed the above mentioned distance, allowing for the tides, Parcelar true hill will be seen from the deck bearing E.S.E. ½ E. distance from the nearest shore 7 or 8 miles, in 14 or 15 fathoms, soft ground.

You may make use likewise of the following instructions to go without this shoal. When you see the False Hill bearing S.E. by E. or S.E. by E. ¼ E. from the deck, steer off shore to the southward, until you lose sight of the white sandy beach from the taffarel; then steer to the S.E. along shore, taking care not to raise the white beach, and that will carry you clear without the shoal, in soundings not less than 8 or 9 fathoms. When you have run the above mentioned distance to the S.S. Eastward, you may then with safety raise the beach, or borrow on the shore; but come not under 8 or 7 fathoms, soft ground, as it shoals very fast from that depth until you are past Tanjong Awat.”

(Sumber: Joseph Huddart, 1801: |"The oriental navigator, or, New directions for sailing to and from the East Indies : also for the use of ships trading in the Indian and China seas to New Holland, &c. &c.", m.s. 339).

Menurut Alexander George Findlay (1878), False Parcelar adalah Bukit Jerom (Jeram). Beliau turut mencatatkan panduan pelayaran yang agak terperinci dari sebelah utara ke Kuala Selangor, melibatkan beberapa tanda panduan seperti Kepulauan Botel / Bottle, Pulau Angsa, dan False Parcelar:-

“The False Parcelar Hill, or 'Bukit Jerom', is close to the shore, and 7 miles from Salangore. It is sometimes called the 'Hill of Salangore'. In passing it, it scarcely seems higher than a clump of trees. Its sides are covered with cocoa-nut trees, and its summit by a grove of senna trees. Off it lies a line of islets and rocks, running to S.W. by S. for 3½ miles. They were formerly called the Botel (or Bottle) Islands. The innermost is Pulo Besar, and the outer one is Pulo Tekolo. At a mile, or further from it, is a rock, on which the Calcutta brig was lost. It bears S.W. ½ S. from it; and should not be approached too nearly; there are 5 fathoms water close to it.

From the outer reef (sometimes also called the Sail Shoal), Pulo Anzas, on the opposite side of the channel, bears W. by S. 3 miles. There are two of them standing upon the eastern edge of the shoal which limits the strait to the westward. (They are the Mudancoos, or Mud and Goose, of the old charts.) The bank and the islets are steep-to. The bank extends for 13 miles to N.W. by N. from them, and gradually shoalens from 2 and 3 fathoms up to Pulo Culong (or Callam), the North point of which is 10 miles S.E. by E. from the Pulo Anzas.

At 80 miles from the Sambilangs, and 30 miles from Salangore, is a projecting point, formed by the islands of Colong and Lamaut, formerly called 'Cape Caran', or 'Tanjong Awat', or 'Mud Point'. A shoal bank fronts it for 2½ miles from it, and therefore caution is necessary. This bank of sand and broken shells stretches for 15 miles to N.N.W., and is 6½ miles from shore. On its edge and between it and the shore, the depths are 5 and 4 fathoms, and as they decrease the bottom becomes hard. After the Sambilangs disappear, the False Parcelar, or Hill of Salangore, will come in sight to the S.E. by E., or rather more eastward. The ship will then be in 10 fathoms, green mud, and should steer along the coast to S.E. in not less than 8 or 9 fathoms. When Cape Caran bears East, the beach may be neared with safety, but should have a berth of 2 miles, after which the lead will be a sufficient guide.”

(Sumber: Alexander George Findlay, 1878: |"A directory for the navigation of the Indian Archipelago, China, and Japan, from the straits of Malacca and Sunda, and the passages east of Java. To Canton, Shanghai, the Yellow Sea, and Japan, with descriptions of the winds, monsoons, and currents, and general instructions for the various channels, harbours, etc", m.s. 119-124).

Menelusuri panduan belayar masuk ke Selat Klang dari utara, di dalam peta tahun 1796 oleh Mons. d'Apres de Mannevillette ini, sebuah bukit yang ditandakan di sebelah kepulauan “Bottle Islands” itu kemungkinan adalah Bukit Jeram. Namun ia atau False Parcelar tidak ditandakan di dalamnya: “Directions for the Straits of Colong: Laying in Salangor Road with the Hill E.N.E. in 6 Fms you see the Goose Islands S ½ E and the Bottle Islands S.E. Steer so as to keep in Mid-Channel in 8 or 9 Fms & work from 17 to 5 or 6 Fms on the Malay Shore taking care of a Reef of Rocks W ¾ S from Bottle Islands. When you are abreast of these Islands, the Mouth of the Straits hears S.E. by S which Steer for allowing for the Tides.”
Kiri: Peta tahun 1796 oleh Mons. d'Apres de Mannevillette: “Plan of Salangor, and of the Coast of Malaya, from Point Caran to Parcelar Hill, including The Straits of Colong, by Mons. d'Apres de Mannevillette. Corrected and Improved from an English Draught. … London. Printed for Rob. Laurie and J. Whittle, No. 53, Fleet Street. March 1st 1796.” (Après de Mannevillette, Jean-Baptiste-Nicolas-Denis d' & Wellesley, Richard Wellesley & Stephenson, John & Heather, William & Horsburgh, James & Heather and Williams & Robert Laurie and James Whittle. (1799): The country trade East-India pilot, for the navigation of the East-Indies and oriental seas, within the limits of the East-India Company, extending from the Cape of Good Hope to China, New Holland and New Zeeland, with the Red Sea, Gulf of Persia, Bay of Bengal, and China Seas, m.s. 58).
Kanan: Peta tahun 1904 oleh W.T. Wood, sebagai perbandingan. Beliau menandakan False Parcelar sebagai Bukit Cherakah, beberapa km ke dalam dari Bukit Jeram (Edinburgh Geographical Institute, 1904 @ Yale University Library - Digital Collections: |"Selangor, Federated Malay States, 1904 / John Bartholomew & Co ; W.T. Wood, chief draftman").

Antara lokasi-lokasi yang ditandakan di dalam peta-peta di atas, yang ada disebutkan di dalam panduan pelayaran masuk ke Kuala Selangor dan Selat Klang (dari utara) oleh Alexander George Findlay (1878):-

(Sumber catatan: Alexander George Findlay, 1878: |"A directory for the navigation of the Indian Archipelago, China, and Japan, from the straits of Malacca and Sunda, and the passages east of Java. To Canton, Shanghai, the Yellow Sea, and Japan, with descriptions of the winds, monsoons, and currents, and general instructions for the various channels, harbours, etc", m.s. 119-124).

James Horsburgh, ahli hidrografi Syarikat Hindia Timur Inggeris, ada menyebut tentang False Parcelar dalam memoirnya yang diterbitkan pada tahun 1805, tetapi tidak menyatakan lokasinya secara jelas: “Parcelar Hill is in latitude 2° 52'N. and 45 miles W. from Malacca; it bears from the Round Arroa E. 4° 15'N. 48 or 49 miles. It is easily distinguished from the other hills, by being situated much nearer the sea, and having a darker shade than the more distant hills: the summit is to the westward of its centre; and when elevated a little above the horizon appears thus: … the highest part is that generally set, in taking the bearings of the hill. The 2½ fathoms Bank bears W. 3° 30'N. to W. 4° 30'N. from Parcelar Hill, distance 7 to 8 leagues; and 13 or 14 miles from the S.W. end of Pulo Callam, and somewhat like it in appearance, generally called False Parcelar, bears from the 2½ fathoms Bank N. 45° 30'E.” (James Horsburgh, 1805: "Memoirs: Comprising the Navigation to and from China, by the China Sea, and Through the Various Straits and Channels in the Indian Archipelago ; Also, the Navigation of Bombay Harbour, Volume 1", m.s.10).

Pada 6 April 1806, kapal H.M.S. Blenheim telah tersangkut di beting pasir di sebelah barat kepulauan Klang. Beting pasir itu kemudiannya dinamakan “Blenheim's Shoal” sempena kejadian itu. James Horsburgh telah merekodkan catatan tinjauan nakhoda kapal, Captain Bissell, di lokasi tersebut, termasuk berkenaan False Parcelar. Namun lokasinya masih tidak dinyatakan secara jelas, hanya merujuk kepada bukit yang dapat dilihat dari Blenheim's Shoal selain “Salangore Hills”:-

“BLENHEIM'S SHOAL, in lat. 3° 3¼′ N., bearing about N. by W., 3 leagues from the Two-and-Half Fathoms Bank, and considerably to the eastward of the edge of the North sands, was not known until H M.S. Blenheim, of 74 guns, Admiral Troubridge, by standing far over on the sands, grounded, and was nearly lost; although this happened during neap tides, they were obliged to lighten her, by cutting away the masts, and taking out the guns, &c. before she could be hove off the shoal. Captain Bissell, of that ship, gave the following account of the shoal, dated H. M. S. Blenheim aground, April 6th, 1806: “Peak of Salangore Hills N. 56° E., another hill (probably False Parcelar) N. 66° E., Parcelar Hill E. 23° S., distant 8½ or 9 leagues, observed lat. 3° 3′ N. It extends E.N.E. and W.S.W. about 1¾ mile, having only 6 and 7 feet in many places at low water neap tides, consequently less on the springs.

TWO AND HALF FATHOMS BANK, in lat. 2° 53′ N., [lon. 101° 0′ E.], distant 5 leagues West from the south entrance of the Strait of Callam, may be considered the most dangerous part of the North sands, because it fronts the north side of the channel between the Arroas and Parcelar Hill. His Majesty's sloop [H.M.S.] Victor examined it with her boats in January, 1805, and found it to extend from N. N. W. to S. S. E. about 1½ miles, and about 1 mile from E. N. E. to W. S. W. When on it, Parcelar Hill bore E. [4]½ S., a hill called False Parcelar N. [45°] E., and the low land was just visible with the eye elevated 16 feet above the sea.”

(Sumber: James Horsburgh, 1808: |"The India directory, or, Directions for sailing to and from the East Indies, China, Australia, and the interjacent ports of Africa and South America: comp. chiefly from original journals of the honourable company's ships, and from observations and remarks, resulting from the experience of twenty-one years in the navigation of those seas, Volume 2, Fifth Edition (1841)", m.s.240-241. Versi teks (Third Edition, 1827): John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online).

Teks James Horsburgh yang sama, dalam edisi terbitan terkini (2014):-

“TWO and HALF FATHOMS BANK may be considered the most dangerous part of the North sand, because it fronts the North side of the channel between the Arroas and Parcelar Hill. His Majesty's Ship Victor, anchored close to it, and examined it with her boats in January 1805, and found it to extend from N.N.W. to S.S.E. about 1½ mile, and about 1 mile from E.N.E. to W.S.W. Whn on it, Parcelar Hill bore E. 4½° S. and a Hill called False Parcelar N. 45° E. and the low land was just visible with the eye elevated 16 feet above the sea. From 2½ to 3 fathoms were the depths found on it at low water, and it appeared very hard, the lead frequently slipping into holes, as from a rock, but brought up only fine sand; around the bank, the depths increase from 4 and 5 to 10 and 11 fathoms, mostly hard bottom, and eddies may be seen if the tide is strong, when crossing the spit that projects from its southern extremity into the Channel. If a ship in borrowing toward the bank with a northerly wind, get soundings on this spit or tail of the 2½-Fathoms Bank, she ought not to go under 10 or 11 fathoms, but must edge out to the southward. Several ships have grounded upon the bank at different times, by running in the night, or by borrowing too close in the day, and were in great danger of being wrecked. It is situated in latitude 2° 54'N. and distant about 5 leagues from the low land at the South entrance of the strait of Callam.

BLENHEIM'S SHOAL, bearing about N. by W. 3 leagues from the 2½-Fathoms Bank, and well in upon the North sand, was not known until His Majesty's ship Blenheim of 74 guns, Admiral Troubridge, by standing far over the sand, grounded, and was nearly lost; for although this happened during neap tides, they were obliged to lighten her by cutting away the masts, and taking out the guns, &c. before she could be hove off the shoal. Captain Bissell of that ship, gave the following account of the shoal, dated H.M.S. Blenheim aground, 6th of April 1806; “Peak of Salangore Hills N.56° E. another hill (probably False Parcelar) N. 66° E., Parcelar Hill E. 23° S., distant 8 ½ or 9 leagues, latitude observed 3° 03' N. It extends E.N.E. and W.S.W. about 1¾ mile, has only 6 and 7 feet in many places at low water neap tides, and consequently less on the springs.”

(Sumber: James Horsburgh, 1809-11 (Cambridge University Press, 2014): "Directions for Sailing to and from the East Indies, China, New Holland, Cape of Good Hope, and the Interjacent Ports, Volume 2", m.s. 156-157).

LATAR SUMBER (James Horsburgh): “As first mate aboard an East India Company vessel, James Horsburgh (1762-1836) was shipwrecked in the Indian Ocean in 1786 after faulty charts steered the ship onto a reef. Thereafter he devoted himself to the production of accurate charts of the eastern seas, keeping meticulous notes on extensive voyages, and carefully scrutinising the accounts and journals of other mariners. For his efforts, Horsburgh was elected to the Royal Society in 1806, and appointed hydrographer to the East India Company in 1810. The present work, reissued here in its two-volume first edition of 1809-11, remained a standard navigational reference for half a century (it was aboard the Beagle during Darwin's famous voyage). For given locations, it provides a description of the area and landmarks, and lists prevailing winds and currents, as well as any navigational hazards. Volume 2 covers mainly the seas between India and China, including those around Indonesia and the Philippines.” (Sumber: James Horsburgh, 1809-11 (Cambridge University Press, 2014): "Directions for Sailing to and from the East Indies, China, New Holland, Cape of Good Hope, and the Interjacent Ports, Volume 2").

Kira-kira 30 tahun selepas itu, di dalam peta James Horsburgh yang dikemaskini dan diterbitkan pada tahun 1840, lokasi False Parcelar ditandakan ke dalam sedikit dari pantai Jeram, iaitu sekitar Bukit Panjang atau Bukit Cherakah. Namun beliau menganggap lokasinya itu sebagai tidak tepat (“P.D.” - Position Doubtful):-

Kiri: Peta kemungkinan berdasarkan versi asal tahun 1808, diadaptasi dan dikemaskini oleh Captain James Horsburgh, berdasarkan carta Capt Daniel Ross, diterbitkan tahun 1840: “The hydrographic chart, mostly by Capt Daniel Ross and adapted by Capt James Horsburgh, is Admiralty Chart No 1355, published on 10 November 1840, showing soundings in fathoms in the Straits of Malacca, from Salangore River (Sungei Selangor) to Singapore Island and Riau Islands, coastlines of Sumatra, south-western Malaya, western Singapore and islands in the vicinity, hachures, vegetation in pictorial form along the coast of Sumatra, rivers, mostly named, Malacca (Town), Mount Ledang or Ophir, Salangore (Selangor), British Malacca, Johore, and others.” (Capt Daniel Ross, Capt James Horsburgh [Admiralty Chart No 1355], 10 November 1840 (Possibly based on 1808 publication) @ Maritime Museum (Singapore): |"The Strait of Malacca, Eastern Part").
Kanan: Peta tahun 1904 oleh W.T. Wood, sebagai perbandingan (Edinburgh Geographical Institute, 1904 @ Yale University Library - Digital Collections: |"Selangor, Federated Malay States, 1904 / John Bartholomew & Co ; W.T. Wood, chief draftman").

MAKLUMAT LANJUT: P.D. (Position Doubtful): “Features whose positions originate in the local notice to mariners, reported by unknown source, are usually charted with qualifying notations like position approximate (PA) or position doubtful (PD). The charted positions of these features, if they do exist, may be in error by miles.” (Scuttlebutt Sailing News, June 23rd, 2016: |"How Accurate are Nautical Charts?").

Peta Admiralty tahun 1860, berdasarkan tinjauan Lieutenant C. Y. Ward 1852-1855, masih mirip dengan peta tahun 1840 di atas. Antara perbezaan yang ketara di dalam peta ini ialah Bukit Jeram dan False Parcelar ditandakan dengan jelas, dan tanpa tanda “P.D. (Position Doubtful)”:-

Kiri: Peta tahun 1860, hasil kerja ukur Lieutenant C. Y. Ward 1852-1855: “The hydrographic chart, prepared from surveys of Lieutenant C Y Ward, 1852 to 1855, with additions, and published on 1 August 1860, is Admiralty Chart No 1355, showing soundings in fathoms in the Straits of Malacca, from Pulo Pandan (The Brothers) and Salangore (Sungei Selangor) to Singapore Island and Riau Islands, along the coastline Malaya and part of the coastline of Sumatra, in Reccan (Rokan) River and River Siak, and in (South) China Sea off Pahang and Johor in the vicinity of Pulau Varella and Siribuat Island, islands, estuaries, Gunong Ledang or Mount Ophir, Bukit Timah (Hill) and some other mountains and hills with heights in feet, Malacca, and others.” (London Published at the Admiralty, under the superintendence of Capt Washington, Hydrographer, 1860 @ Maritime Museum (Singapore): |"Strait of Malacca (Sheet 2) from the North Sands to Singapore, by Captain Washington").
Kanan: Peta tahun 1904 oleh W.T. Wood, sebagai perbandingan (Edinburgh Geographical Institute, 1904 @ Yale University Library - Digital Collections: |"Selangor, Federated Malay States, 1904 / John Bartholomew & Co ; W.T. Wood, chief draftman").

Peta Admiralty tahun 1879, disediakan untuk Sir William Cleaver Francis Robinson, Gabenor Negeri-Negeri Selat, masih mirip dengan peta tahun 1860 di atas. Sebagaimana sebelumnya, Bukit Jeram dan False Parcelar ditandakan dengan jelas:-

Kiri: Peta tahun 1879, disediakan untuk Sir William Cleaver Francis Robinson, Gabenor Negeri-Negeri Selat: “This is the bottom portion of the map (See the map of Reference Code SP002097_1 for the top portion), compiled from Admiralty Charts by officers of Her Majesty's Royal Engineer and Artillery Services and Royal Navy, and civil officers in the native states (for) Sir William Cleaver Francis Robinson, Governor of The Straits Settlements.” (The Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, London, 1879 @ National Archives of Singapore: |"Map of the Malaya Peninisula").
Kanan: Peta tahun 1904 oleh W.T. Wood, sebagai perbandingan (Edinburgh Geographical Institute, 1904 @ Yale University Library - Digital Collections: |"Selangor, Federated Malay States, 1904 / John Bartholomew & Co ; W.T. Wood, chief draftman").

Antara lokasi-lokasi yang ditandakan di dalam peta-peta di atas, yang ada disebutkan di dalam catatan-catatan James Horsburgh (1805-1811):-

(Sumber catatan: James Horsburgh, 1808: |"The India directory, or, Directions for sailing to and from the East Indies, China, Australia, and the interjacent ports of Africa and South America: comp. chiefly from original journals of the honourable company's ships, and from observations and remarks, resulting from the experience of twenty-one years in the navigation of those seas, Volume 2, Fifth Edition (1841)", m.s.240-241. Versi teks (Third Edition, 1827): John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online).

Pada tahun 1875, Sir Andrew Clarke, Gabenor Negeri-Negeri Selat, telah melantik Mr. Dominick Daniel (D.D.) Daly sebagai “Surveyor for the Native States”. Tugasan utama beliau ialah menjalankan tinjauan topografi di seluruh negeri Selangor. Pada Isnin, 8 Mei 1882, Mr. Daly, ketika itu pegawai superintenden Public Works and Survey, Selangor, telah menyampaikan laporan hasil tinjauan beliau di dalam mesyuarat Royal Geographical Society, yang turut dihadiri Sir Andrew Clarke. Di dalam peta-peta berdasarkan tinjauan tersebut, False Parcelar / Parselar ditandakan berasingan daripada Bukit Jeram, iaitu ke dalam sedikit:-

Kiri: Peta Selangor tahun 1876, berdasarkan kerja ukur Captain Innes R. E., J. W. Birch dan D. Daly, serta Admiralty Charts. Peta ini turut menandakan False Parselar secara berasingan daripada Bukit Jeram, iaitu ke dalam sedikit: “compiled from sketch surveys made by Captain Innes R E, J W Birch and D Daly, and Admiralty Charts. Lithographed under the direction of Lt. Col. R. Home C.B.R.E” (Royal Geographical Society, London; Royal Geographical Society (Great Britain), 1876: |"Map of Part of The Malay Peninsula").
Kanan: Peta Selangor tahun 1882, berdasarkan kerja ukur D.D. Daly: “Published for the preceedings of the Royal Geographical Society” (Royal Geographical Society, London, 1882: |"Map of The Malay Peninsula to accompany the paper of Mr D.D. Daly"). “The state of Selangor as depicted on D.D. Daly's 1882 Map of the Malay Peninsula (90). Tin is identified as a resource at five upriver locations in the state. “Damar Sara” (Damansara) is marked in the vicinity of what is today Section 23, Shah Alam. The “Good Road” marked between Damar Sara and Kuala Lumpur was in fact far from adequate for vehicular traffic, which was why it was decided in 1883 to build a railway from Kuala Lumpur to Klang which was completed in 1886.” (Frederic Durant, Richard Curtis, 2013: Maps of Malaya and Borneo : Discovery, Statehood and Progress: the Collections of H.R.H. Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah and Dato' Richard Curtis).

MAKLUMAT LANJUT: 1882-05-08: Peta Tinjauan Daly

Menurut N.B. Dennys di dalam kamusnya, “False Parcelar” merujuk sebuah bukit setinggi 936 kaki, 5 batu dari pantai Selangor, 12½ batu ke sebelah barat laut Klang, iaitu kemungkinan sekitar banjaran Bukit Panjang / Bukit Cherakah: “False Parcelar - Hill 936 feet high, 5 miles from the coast of Selangor, about 12½ miles N.W. of Klang.” (Nicholas Belfield (N.B.) Dennys, 1894: |"A Descriptive Dictionary of British Malaya, m.s. 118).

Di dalam peta W.T. Wood tahun 1904, serta versi kemaskini tahun 1910, False Parcelar ditandakan sebagai “False Parcellar (Bukit Cherakah)”:-

Kiri: Peta lokasi (1) Bukit Jeram dan (2) Bukit Cherakah / False Parcellar, 1904 (Edinburgh Geographical Institute, 1904 @ Yale University Library - Digital Collections: |"Selangor, Federated Malay States, 1904 / John Bartholomew & Co ; W.T. Wood, chief draftman").
Kanan: Peta lokasi (1) Bukit Jeram dan (2) Bukit Cherakah / False Parcellar, 1910 (Central Survey Office, Kuala Lumpur, Federated Malay States (F.M.S.)., 1910: |"Selangor, Federated Malay States 1910").

Di dalam peta Stanford's Geographical Establishment terbitan tahun 1912, “FalseParcella” ditandakan dalam kalangan kelompok Bukit Cherakah (dieja sebagai Chelaka), Bukit Panjang, Bukit Janda, dll, iaitu berasingan daripada Bukit Jeram di tepi pantai:-

(Stanford's Geographical Establishment, London, 1912: |"Map of the Malay Peninsula").

Perihal Stanford's Geographical Establishment: “Edward Stanford (1827-1904) was a prominent British mapmaker and publisher. A native of Holborn in the heart of London, Edward was apprenticed to a printer and stationer at the age of 14. After his first master died, he worked with several others, including Trelawny W. Saunders of Charing Cross. Saunders oversaw young Edward’s early career, ensuring that he became a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. Associations with the Society eventually brought Sanders much business and gave him a reputation as a publisher of explorers. As testament to this reputation, the Stanford Range in British Columbia was named for him by John Palliser.

Stanford briefly partnered with Saunders in 1852 before striking out on his own in 1853. He was an agent for the Ordnance Survey, the Admiralty, the Geological Survey, the Trigonometrical Survey of India, and the India Office. He also controlled the maps of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, another lucrative source of income. In 1857, Stanford founded his namesake Geographical Establishment, with Saunders and A. K. Johnston as engravers. Thereafter, Stanford was known for his “library maps”, particularly those of Africa and Asia.
…..
Stanford's work with Chief Cartographer John Bolton, including the 1858 Library Map of Europe, positioned the company as a leader in quality cartography during a time of exploration and colonialism. Their 1862 Library Map of London earned acclaim from the Royal Geographical Society. With the business thriving, Stanford purchased Staunton & Son in 1877 and, upon retiring in 1885, handed over the reins to his son, Edward Stanford II.

As sole agents for Ordnance Survey Maps, the company's influence and reputation grew, culminating in the Stanford’s London Atlas Of Universal Geography, which was presented to Queen Victoria in 1887. The transition into the 20th century saw further integration of retail, print, and cartographic operations at Long Acre.

During World War I, Stanford's became an essential publisher for the War Office. Edward Fraser Stanford took over in 1917, steering the company through the interwar period and innovations, such as the world’s smallest maps in 1922 and the Daily Mail Motor Road Map in 1926.”

(Sumber: Barry Lawrence Ruderman @ Antique Maps Inc.: |"ANTIQUE MAPS BY STANFORD'S GEOGRAPHICAL ESTABLISHMENT").

Peta Mao Kun merupakan panduan pelayaran yang penting bagi para pelayar dari Cina untuk belayar ke rantau Arab dan Afrika Timur, melalui Indo-China dan Selat Melaka, ketika era kegemilangan pemerintahan dinasti Ming sekitar kurun ke-15. Antara pelayar terkenal yang mengikutinya ketika itu ialah Cheng Ho (sekitar tahun 1405-1433): “At the other end of the Old World, Niccolo de' Conti's peregrinations coincided with the great voyages of Chinese Muslim Admiral Cheng Ho (Zheng He), which reached as far as the Indian Ocean and Africa over the course of seven expeditions from 1405 to 1433. Cheng Ho stopped several times in the port of Malacca on the Malay Peninsula. This led to the founding there of the area known as Bukit Cina (Chinese Hill). A narrative of Cheng Ho's voyages, compiled by his assistant Ma Yuan, still exists. However, the original maps, once held in the Forbidden City in Beijing, were destroyed in the second half of the 15th century when the Chinese decided to isolate themselves from the rest of the world. Fortunately, copies were preserved and were rediscovered in the 17th-century manuscript 'Wubei Zi'. The maps in the 'Wubei Zi' were initially drawn as a linear route, showing the way from China to the Middle East. They originally formed a single band of silk 5.6 metres long by 20.5 centimetres wide, which could be rolled for storage. This long chart was then divided into 40 maps with different scales. They were not topographic, however, but contained numerous nautical instructions as they were designed for the coasting trade of sailors engaged in cabotage. While, unsurprisingly, the maps are not very accurate compared to present standards, they reveal a fairly good knowledge of the Malay Peninsula and its surroundings and incorporate 30 named locations including Malacca and Terengganu, the estuaries of Klang, Kedah and Pahang rivers, and the islands of Penang, Singapore, Tioman, Redang and Perhentian.” (Frederic Durant, Richard Curtis, 2013: Maps of Malaya and Borneo : Discovery, Statehood and Progress: the Collections of H.R.H. Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah and Dato' Richard Curtis, m.s. 27-28).

Sekitar tahun 1937, John Vivian Gottlieb (J. V. G.) Mills telah mula menjalankan kajian terhadap peta Mao Kun ini, berdasarkan catatan Ma Huan (1451) berjudul “Ying yai shêng lan” (“Description of the coasts of the Ocean”), versi terjemahan dan suntingan Feng Ch'eng-Chun (1935). Antara penerbitan hasil kajian awal beliau ialah senarai padanan nama-nama di dalam peta itu dengan lokasi sebenarnya kini (1937). Ini termasuk suatu bukit di antara Sungai Selangor dan Sungai Klang yang ditandakan sebagai “Chi-na-ta shan”. Menurut beliau, bukit ini kemungkinan besarnya ialah Bukit Panjang, di sebelah barat laut Bukit Cherakah:-

Hujah-hujah J.V.G. Mills bagi menyatakan False Parcelar adalah Bukit Panjang / Bukit Cherakah, bukan Bukit Jeram:-

• Ia ditandakan agak ke dalam sedikit dari pantai: “it is represented on the chart as lying a little inland from the coast, between the Sembilan Islands and the Klang River.”

• Bukit Melawati di Kuala Selangor, dan Bukit Jeram di tepi pantai sebelah selatannya, tidak cukup tinggi untuk dijadikan panduan pelayaran: “There are a few hills in the alluvial coastal plain: the hill at Kuala Selangor and that at Jeram are scarcely high enough to be of much assistance to the mariner …”

• Tiada bukit lain di sekitar itu yang mencapai lebih 500 kaki, melainkan Bukit Panjang, North Hummock, dan Bukit Cherakah: ”… and within 15 miles of the coast there is no other hill as much as 500 feet high except (Bukit Panjang, 790 feet), North Hummock (741 feet) and Bukit Cherakah (699 feet). One suggests that False Parcelar is referred to in the Chinese chart, because (a) it is the highest, (b) by reason of its resemblance to Parcelar Hill, False Parcelar is of unusual significance to mariners, and “Parcelar” is a “seaman's” name.”

(Sumber: J. V. Mills, Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society Vol. 15, No. 3 (129) (December, 1937): |"MALAYA IN THE WU-PEI-CHIH CHARTS", m.s. 10 (10.1-10.3), 16).

Pendapat ini diulangi oleh Peter Borschberg (2015), ahli sejarah di National University of Singapore: “False Parcelar Hill or present-day Bukit Panjang…” (Peter Borschberg, 2015: "Journal, Memorial and Letters of Cornelis Matelieff de Jonge - Security, Diplomacy and Commerce in 17th-century Southeast Asia", m.s.567).

Namun di dalam penerbitan beliau pada tahun 1970 (terjemahan dan ulasan catatan Ma Huan “Ying yai shêng lan” (“Description of the coasts of the Ocean”) tersebut), beliau menyatakan kemungkinan bahawa “Chi-na-ta shan” adalah Bukit Cherakah. Tiada sebarang penjelasan dinyatakan:-

Sebahagian kecil daripada peta Mao Kun, menyoroti kawasan sekitar muara Sungai Klang (#53) dan tanda panduan utamanya Bukit Jugra / Parcellar (#60). Bukit di sebelah utara Sungai Klang (dalam peta, di sebelah kirinya) yang dikatakan Bukit Cherakah / False Parcellar oleh J.V. Mills, ditandakan merah (#58: “Chi-na-ta shan”). Antara tanda panduan lain yang berdekatan ialah (dari kiri): #121: Pulau Sembilan, #393: Kawasan beting pasir, dan #84: Tanjong Tuan / Cape Rachardo (Ma Huan (1433), terjemahan dan suntingan Feng Ch'eng-Chun (1935), dan John Vivian Gottlieb (J. V. G.) Mills, 1970: "Ying-Yai Sheng-Lan: 'The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores' (1433)", m.s.187, 189, 191, 207, 208. Sumber peta: Dr Andrea Nanetti @ Engineering Historical Memory).

Pendapat ini diulangi oleh Claude Guillot (2014), ahli akademik Perancis yang mengkaji tinggalan sejarah kuno Barus: “Dalam peta yang sama (Mao K'un) Chi-na ta shan “gunung besar Chi-na” terletak di Bukit Cherakah, sebuah tempat di utara kuala Sungai Kelang yang dinamakan “Parcelar yang tidak betul”, karena yang betul adalah Bukit Jugra di selatan kuala yang sama. (Mills, Ma Huan…, op.cit.,hlm. 187,285;”Arab and Chinese navigators…“,art. cit.,hlm. 13).” (Claude Guillot, 2014: "Lobu Tua Sejarah Awal Barus", m.s.104).

Pada tahun 1986, sekumpulan pengkaji Cina turut menyatakan persoalan yang sama mengenai lokasi sebenar “Chi-na-ta shan” ini, iaitu sama ada Bukit Panjang atau Bukit Cherakah:-

“Gunong Grah 《鄭和航海圖》吉那大山，馮承鈞《海錄注》沙剌我條云：”吉那大山疑指Gunong Grah，此為霹靂(Perak)北部最高之山，對音亦較合，蓋明人譯名，有時以剌作那也。”但據圖，吉那大山應在霹靂河 (Perak River)以南，若以Gunong Grah為吉那大山，則山當在河之北，且二者相距太遠，故此說不確。另有一說以為吉那大山是False Parcelar，即Bukit Panjang。Bukit，馬來語猶言山。此山高達七九０英尺，又與 Parceler HiII(Bukit Jagra)相似，故為航海者所注意。但亦有人以為不是False Parcelar，而是其附近之 Bukit Cherakah。”

Terjemahan (Google Translate): “Gunong Grah “Gunung Gina” dalam “Carta Navigasi Zheng He”, “Anotasi Hai Lu” Feng Chengjun Shara Wo Tiao berkata: “Gunung Gina disyaki merujuk kepada Gunong Grah, iaitu gunung tertinggi di utara Perak, dan fonetik sebutannya juga serupa , dan dua jaraknya terlalu jauh, jadi ini tidak betul. Teori lain ialah Gunung Jina ialah False Parcelar iaitu Bukit Panjang. Bukit bermaksud gunung dalam bahasa Melayu. Gunung ini setinggi 790 kaki dan serupa dengan Parceler HiII (Bukit Jagra), jadi ia menarik perhatian pelayar. Namun, ada yang berpendapat ia bukan False Parcelar, tetapi Bukit Cherakah berdekatan.”

(Sumber: Chen Jiarong, Xie Fang, and Lu Junling, 1986: "陳佳榮、謝方、陸峻嶺《古代南海地名匯釋》(Interpretation of Place Names in Ancient South China Sea)", "古代南海地名匯釋Part II(G)").

“The emperors of the Ming dynasty ruled China from 1368 to 1644, an important era displaying a picture of material prosperity and considerable cultural achievement. In particular, the first third of the fifteenth century constitutes a period of unusual interest in the story of Chinese overseas expansion. … For a description of this period, the Chinese authorities are invaluable, and the fullest and most interesting account was written by Ma Huan, a Chinese interpreter who accompanied the famous envoy Cheng Ho on three of his enormous expeditions. Ma Huan’s book was entitled Ying-yai sheng-lan, ‘The Overall Survey of the Ocean’s Shores’, and his latest observations date from the year 1433. (m.s. xi)
…..
After leaving Malacca Cheng Ho continued along the east side of the strait, passing Chia wu island (Cape Rachado), as far as Mien hua island (Cotton island, Bukit Jugra), and here Chinese navigators steered approximately west-north-west to take them through the east-west channel between the South sands and North sands, to the north of Chi ku island (Aruah islands), whence they kept to the Sumatran side of the strait, travelling between Shuang islands (the Brothers), passing Tan island (Berhala, 3° 46’ N, 99°30’ E), A-lu anchorage (Sungai Deli), Kan-pei anchorage (Kumpai roadstead), Tan-yang (Tamiang, 4°25'N), and Pa-lu head (Udjung Peureula), and giving a wide berth to Chi shui wan head (Udjung Djamboaje, Diamond point, 5° 15’ N), before turning approximately south-east to Su-men-ta-la (near Kuala Pasai), where Cheng Ho arrived on 12 September 1432, and stopped for six weeks. (m.s. 24)
…..
The map is a cartogram which performs at one and the same time the function of charts and sailing directions; it provides a pocket-size directory, specifying the courses to be followed, the principal land-marks, the time taken in sailing between them, most of the points along the coasts, and other matters which could be of importance to sailors, on the voyages from China to Persia, Arabia, and East Africa. Thus for the main voyage in view, that from Nanking to Hormuz, it might well be considered more convenient for the mediaeval sailor than the modern apparatus of directories, charts, parallel rulers, and dividers, which are necessary to ascertain direction, distance, and other desirable information. … The map indicates the approximate position of certain places bearing obsolete names, such as Langkasuka, Tumasik, and La’sa. It shows that the main route from China to the west lay through Singapore strait. The principal points on this route have already been specified,’ and it only needs to be mentioned that from Bukit Jugra the Chinese ships went over to the Sumatran side of Malacca strait, whereas the Arab ships followed the Malayan coast as far as Pulau Butang (6° 32’ N) before crossing the sea to the west. The map shows that the Chinese knew most of the important land-marks and places on the coasts; and in some cases their knowledge of detail was astonishingly accurate; … This is the earliest Chinese map to give an adequate representation of southern Asia, and the representation extends as far as Persia, Arabia, and East Africa.* The cartogram constitutes a real mariner’s chart, and must have been of enormous value to Chinese navigators, but Mulder has pointed out that it does not give directions for navigating in and out of harbours, and he thought that probably it was usual to employ a pilot for that purpose. Despite its merits, the map suffers from serious defects of commission and omission. It is distorted by extreme schematism. It includes features which have no real existence; for example, the long island off the west coast of Sumatra, or a hill in the flat extremity of Johor between Singapore and Pulau Pisang. In numerous instances, places are located in the wrong position; … Islands sometimes appear on the mainland, as is the case with the Daimaniyat islands. A hill, such as Bukit Jugra, may be called an ‘island’.” (m.s. 251-252).

(Sumber: Ma Huan (1433), terjemahan dan suntingan Feng Ch'eng-Chun (1935), dan John Vivian Gottlieb (J. V. G.) Mills, 1970: "Ying-Yai Sheng-Lan: 'The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores' (1433)", m.s. xi, 24, 187, 189, 191, 207, 208, 251-252).

Lokasi tanda-tanda pelayarannya agak tepat, walaupun terdapat beberapa kesilapan, antaranya “Bukit Jugra” dinyatakan sebagai “Pulau Kapas”. Namun menurut pendapat ahli geologi T.T.Khoo (1999), mungkin Bukit Jugra ketika itu adalah sebahagian daripada gugusan kepulauan pesisiran pantai Klang-Langat: “In Admiral Zhenghe's Wu Pei Chih navigation charts of the early 15th century the place is called Mi Hua Su (Cotton Island). It would appear that the island merged with the mainland sometime post Merong Event, after 1553 but before the beginning of the 17th century, a timing somewhat similar to the merging of one of the Dingding islands with the mainland mentioned above. Increased sedimentation coupled with a small fall in sea level may have been some of the reasons.” (T.T.Khoo @ Geology Department, Universiti Malaya, 1999: “Keynote Paper IV: Coastal geomorphology of the Strait of Malacca area during the past millennium”: |Warta Geologi, Vol.25, No.3, May-Jun 1999, m.s.162-163).

LATAR SUMBER: John Vivian Gottlieb (J.V.G.) Mills (1887-1987).

Setakat penerbitan beliau tahun 1970 itu, J.V.G. Mills berpendapat bahawa Bukit “Chi-na-ta shan” yang ditandakan di dalam peta tersebut adalah “False Parcelar”, dan menyatakan lokasinya sebagai di Bukit Cherakah. Namun koordinat yang beliau berikan (3°14'N 101°23'E) masih lebih hampir kepada Bukit Panjang (koordinat 3°14'N 101°24'E (1944), kini dirujuk secara umum sebagai jajaran Bukit Cherakah).

“False Parcelar: Mountain: 3 14 - 101 24 - at; Panjang, Bukit - at; Valsche Parcelar - dk; Faux Parcelar - ge” (Hydrographic Office, United States Navy Department, October 1944: "Gazetteer No.11 - Malay States", m.s.49).

Peta lokasi Bukit Panjang / Bukit Cherakah (False Parcellar) menurut koordinat yang dinyatakan oleh J.V.G. Mills (1970): “3°14'N 101°23'E”, iaitu kini berhampiran pertemuan Jalan Simpang Tiga Jeram dengan West Coast Expressway (WCE) bersebelahan Bukit Botak, berhampiran Bukit Panjang / Bukit Cherakah. (Google Maps).

Selain petikan dan sumber yang dinyatakan, rencana ini telah diusahakan oleh TMK Pulasan, di bawah kelolaan Syahrul Sazli Shaharir <sazli@pulasan.my>. Pengakuan penting: Kami bukan ahli sejarah! Sila klik di sini untuk penjelasan lanjut.