THE BIRDS'-NEST CAVES 



us. However, we were already so wet that it did not 

 make much difference, and after half an hour of such 

 rest as one can get under adverse conditions we started 

 again. Now monkeys innumerable seemed to have 

 assembled in our honour. The trees were alive with 

 little chattering fellows swinging themselves from 

 branch to branch. I watched them carefully, for I 

 was keenly anxious to see a specimen of the long- 

 nosed monkey, of which I had heard a great deal. 

 No specimen had ever been taken out of the country 

 alive, I was told ; more, even in the island itself no 

 one had ever succeeded in keeping a long-nosed 

 monkey in captivity. My guides had great hopes of 

 seeing some on this river, but we were doomed to 

 disappointment — at least for the present. 



It was close on sundown when we reached a little 

 hut belonging to the firm which leases the Gomanton 

 caves from the Government. The fact that a rent of 

 some twenty thousand dollars — the dollar is worth 

 2s. 4d. locally — a year is paid for the right to collect 

 birds' nests will give some idea of the importance of 

 the place. We were wet through when we landed, 

 and there was absolutely no hope of dry clothes of any 

 kind that night ; but, after all, we were well content, 

 for we had succeeded in keeping the cameras and 

 films dry. Nothing else seemed greatly to matter. 

 You can hang clothes out in the sun and put them to 

 rights, but it is not much use trying the same process 



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