1843.] ANCHOR AT KUCHING. 21 



of this native was remarkable; even by day I should 

 hardly have given him credit, for conducting a square- 

 rigged vessel of the size of the ' Samarang' into so narrow 

 a channel as that formed at the entrance by the shoals. 

 As he did not understand English, nor we Malay, our 

 communication was chiefly by signs ; a black board and 

 a piece of chalk were procured, and we intimated to him 

 our wish to know the direction and probable distance to 

 Sarawak. This he endeavoured to show, but suddenly 

 recollecting a black silk handkerchief around his neck, 

 which one of the officers had given to him, he immediately 

 rolled it up like a snake, and kneeling on the deck, shaped 

 it to represent the windings of the river ; giving us to 

 understand that Kapal Prahu (ship-of-war), was the 

 nearest end, and Kuching, or Mr. Brooke's residence, the 

 most remote. The intelligence expressed by his counte- 

 nance, and the playful manner in which he executed his 

 manoeuvres, formed an admirable specimen of savage 

 talent, affording us nearly as much information as might 

 be obtained from a chart ; of the distance, we were of 

 course unable to judge. 



Having advanced the ship as high up the river as I 

 thought our present knowledge of it warranted, she was 

 anchored in a safe berth, and I proceeded with my gig 

 in search of the town of Kuching, which we reached about 

 four P.M. I was received most warmly by Mr. Brooke, 

 and he immediately despatched Mr. Douglas, his naval 

 aide, to assist in piloting the ship up ; after touching on 

 one or two banks, she eventually found a safe berth off 

 the city of Kuching, nearly in the same spot occupied by 

 H.M.8. ' Dido,' Capt. the Hon. Harry Keppel, who had 



