ALONG THE EAST COAST 27 



are always cool, even to a greater degree than in Bandjer- 

 masln. Northeast Borneo and North Celebes have a 

 comparatively cool climate, but from Samarinda south- 

 ward it is warmer. I called on the assistant Resident, in 

 whose office a beautiful blue water-rail, with a red head, 

 walked unconcernedly about. He advised me that this 

 was the worst time for travelling, when the northwest 

 monsoons, which are accompanied by much rain, are 

 blowing. 



The peace and contentment among the natives here, 

 mostly Malays, impresses one favourably. They are all 

 very fond of their children and take good care of them. 

 The crying of children is a sound that is rarely heard. 

 It was my fortune to travel over two years in the Dutch 

 Indies; it is gratifying to state that during that time I 

 never saw a native drunk, cither in Java or Borneo. My 

 visits did not extend to the Muruts in the north of 

 Borneo, who are known to indulge excessively in native 

 rice brandy. Nor was I present at any harvest feast, but 

 according to reliable report, "strong drink is seldom or 

 never abused" by the tribes of Borneo. The Muruts 

 and the Ibans are the exceptions. 



Two days later, among mighty forests of nipa-palms, 

 we sailed up the Kayan or Bulungan River and arrived 

 at Tandjong Selor, a small town populated by Malays 

 and Chinese, the number of Europeans being usually 

 limited to two, the controleur and the custom-house 

 manager. It lies in a flat swampy country and on the 

 opposite side of the river, which here is 600 metres wide, 

 lives the Sultan of Bulungan. I secured a large room in 



