294 THROUGH CENTRAL BORNEO 



and beautiful blue morning-glories covered the small 

 bushes growing in the water. Along the road were forests 

 of melalevca leucodendron, of the family of myrtacece, from 

 which the famous cajuput-oil is obtained. It is a very 

 useful, highly aromatic, and volatile product, chiefly 

 manufactured in the Moluccas, and especially appreciated 

 by the Malays, who employ it internally and externally 

 for all ailments. They are as fond of cajuput-oil as cats 

 are of Valeriana. 



Early in the afternoon the prahus landed us at Marta- 

 pura, which is renowned for its diamonds and once was 

 the seat of a powerful sultanate. The fields, which have 

 been known for a long time, cover a large area, and the 

 diamonds found in gravel, though mostly small and yel- 

 low, include some which are pronounced to be the finest 

 known to the trade. There is always water beneath the 

 surface, and natives in bands of twenty occupy themselves 

 in searching for the precious stones, digging holes that 

 serve besides as self-filling basins in which the gravel is 

 panned. The government does not work the fields. 

 In a factory owned by Arabs the diamonds are cut 

 by primitive but evidently very efficient methods, since 

 South African diamonds are sent here for treatment, 

 because the work can be done much cheaper than in 

 Amsterdam. 



The controleur, Mr. J. C. Vergouwen, said that there 

 were 700 Dayaks in his district. He was able to further 

 my plans materially by calling a Malay official who was 

 about to start in the same direction for the purpose of 

 vaccinating the natives some distance up country. The 



