THE SOUTHERN BRANCH OF THE SARAWAK. 389 



who pass it on their trading expeditions to the Dyaks. 

 Here the limestone formation begins: the hills below, 

 such as Gunong Serambo, Singhie, and Suntah, are 

 of porphyry, as I am informed by Mr. Williams, 

 the geologist sent out by the Admiralty. Slate is 

 found at Gunong Matang, in the Singhie country, 

 and marble at the Santubong entrance of the river. 

 Granite has nowhere yet been discovered on the western 

 part of the island. 



At Landi, which is overhung by the leaves of a beau- 

 tiful species of palm and some large fig-trees, we cooked 

 our dinner, and slept, unannoyed by musquitoes or 

 sand-flies, though the former are found in numbers 

 a little way down the river, as I have proved on 

 many distressing nights; they do not appear to be 

 so numerous in the river beyond the influence of the 

 flood-tide, which at this season does not reach within 

 four miles of this place, though in the dry season it 

 sensibly affects the water four miles higher up. Landi 

 is about twenty miles from Sarawak. 



Dec. 2nd. Started again at daylight, and soon 

 reached Dampul, a temporary farm village of the Sempro 

 Dyaks, since abandoned. A mile and a half further 

 brought us to the mouth of the Suntah river, where we 

 stopped ; and walking about the same distance, we 

 reached the Bungalow, in the nutmeg plantation belong- 

 ing to Mr. Brooke. The nutmegs are neglected and 

 covered with weeds, but many of them flourish not- 

 withstanding. The house, which is now tumbling 

 down, was erected when the diamonds, which abound in 



