BORNEO 135 



are said to be descended from a pair of these 

 animals which were presented by the East India 

 Company to the Sultan of Sulu. Timbadau 

 (wild cattle) resembling the hsine in Burma, 

 but having dark glossy skins, are in some places 

 fairly numerous, and Malay bears and honey- 

 bears, sambur, mouse-deer, and a curious-looking 

 wild pig resembling the babiroussa, are abundant. 

 A small kind of rhinoceros and a small but 

 beautifully marked leopard, known as the 

 Borneo tiger, are also to be found. The leopard 

 is, however, very rare, and the rhinoceros is 

 hunted so eagerly by native hunters for the 

 sake of the horn, which fetches a high price in 

 China, that there is a danger of the animals 

 being exterminated. Orang-outang, or mias, 

 though rare, are also to be found in parts of North 

 Borneo ; and the theory that there are two 

 species is still held. I saw one skull which must 

 have formed part of a very formidable animal. 

 Alligators are numerous and attain an enormous 

 size. They are frequently man-eaters, and are 

 naturally much dreaded. I w?s, however, in- 

 formed that when an alligator has made itself too 

 great a nuisance, the natives organise a hunt ; 

 and, when the alligator has been hunted and 

 driven until he is panic-stricken, an expert 

 swimmer dives into the water, gets below the 

 alligator, and stabs it in the soft part of the 

 belly. The fixed fee for this exploit was said 

 to be five dollars. I had no opportunity of 

 witnessing the performance of this feat, but 

 officers serving in the country informed me that 

 the thing was done. The alligator or crocodile 



