INTRODUCTION. O 



very much time, but also a considerable and rather volu- 

 minous outfit, the removing of which is very expensive, 

 and a suitable place for preparing and storing up the ob- 

 jects , protected from moisture and other deteriorating in- 

 fluences, until a chance presents itself for sending them 

 off. Moreover the Zoologist must know his territory in 

 order to have it thoroughly explored. A temporary residence 

 in a native village will secure him the advantage of making 

 use of native huntsmen and children in his collecting work. 

 In making use of their original methods of shooting, snar- 

 ing and trapping mammals and birds, of fishing, and 

 collecting insects, many rare and interesting objects will 

 be obtained , which otherwise might have escaped the at- 

 tention of the collector altogether. 



The same rule has to be followed by the Anthropolo- 

 gist and collector of ethnographical objects, who will never 

 attain complete success unless he settles his abode in a 

 place peopled by natives, with whom it generally takes 

 some time to get on a certain footing of intimacy. 



After these general principles I will try to give my readers 

 a concise description of our field of exploration. 



The Kapoeas River ^) running in a westerly direction 

 right along the equator to the Indo-Chinese Sea , is 

 undoubtedly the largest of all the rivers in Borneo. With 

 its numerous tributaries it drains an area of about 1800 

 square geographical miles , and its length , as the crow 

 flies, is about 80 geographical miles , while , measured along 

 its windings , it has a length of 150 miles. The sources 

 of the Kapoeas and its most important tributaries are to 

 be found in the mountain-region of the far interior. In 

 the north-west we find the mountain-region of Sambas, 

 the most prominent peaks of which being Mount Nioet 

 (1701 meter) and Mount Semedoem (1118 meter) above 

 the level of the sea, feeding the Landak River which falls 



]) Another much smaller river of this name runs parallel with the Barito 

 River and westward of the latter, in Southern Borneo. 



Notes from the Leyden Museum, Vol. XIX. 



