OF THE SARAWAK RIVER. 395 



it lower down, give it, in many places a boisterous 

 and turbulent character. 



Dec 5th. Breakfasted a little above the village, in 

 one of the prettiest spots imaginable, and where I delight 

 to stay. It is a large bank of pebbles, on the left-hand 

 side of the river, overhung with beautiful trees and grace- 

 ful bamboos. Opposite me, the high mountain, Si Gigi, 

 comes sloping down until near the water, when it takes 

 suddenly a precipitous form, past the base of which the 

 river peacefully glides ; though a little above, where it 

 flows over a bed of large pebbles, a rippling disturbs its 

 surface, and causes a murmuring sound. The moun- 

 tain is beautifully wooded, and graceful palms and ferns 

 have sprung out of the crevices, and adorn the pre- 

 cipitous sides, which overhang the water. The moun- 

 tain before us is pierced with innumerable fissures and 

 caves, the residence of the pretty little mouse-coloured 

 swallow (Hirundo esculentaj, which is now flying over 

 our heads, catching its insect food. The nests of this 

 bird form a source of considerable profit to the Sempro 

 Dyaks of Sebayet and to all those tribes inhabiting the 

 limestone districts, in which alone this species of bird 

 builds, caves being most abundant in this formation. 



Having taken our meal, and enjoyed this delightful 

 solitude, disturbed only by the harsh notes of the horn- 

 bills from the neighbouring mountains, and a solitary 

 species from a Tapang-tree, close to us, at which I fired 

 without effect shot being useless for birds on these high 

 trees we started, and pushed on slowly up the stream, 

 several hornbills and pigeons being disturbed by our 



