FROM SARAWAK TO THE SADOXG. 349 



before my arrival, the orangs had retired to the depth of the forest, 

 and no one could give me the least information as to where they 

 had gone, or how I could manage to find them. Three or four 

 were killed annually on the Sadong or its tributaries, and I decided 

 to visit that locality in search of others. Mr. Crocker, the resi- 

 dent of Sarawak proper, very kindly offered me the government 

 house on the Sadong as a residence and base of operations during 

 my stay in that region, an offer which I was very glad to accept. 

 In addition to this he also offered me a passage in the government 

 schooner Gertrude, then about to make a trip to Sadong for a 

 cargo of coal. 



One day about sunset, we dropped do^vn the river vpith the ebb- 

 ing tide and, catching a light breeze at the river mouth, stood out 

 to sea. All the next day we moved quietly along, and at sunset 

 stood in and came to anchor at the mouth of the Sadong, to wait 

 for the flowing tide to carry us up. Late that night I was dimly 

 conscious of the fact that something was done about the anchor, 

 and it seemed to me that the very next minute our vessel brouefht 

 up with a loud " bump " and a violent jerk. " Run aground ! " I 

 said to myself, and went on deck to see what the trouble was. It 

 was gray dawn of another day, a mist was slowly rising from the 

 river, and the cocks were crowing loudly among the weather-beaten 

 attap roofs that lined the river banks. We were at anchor in the 

 mouth of the Simujan River, where it enters the Sadong, about 

 twenty miles up. Along the left bank of the stream wei'e about 

 thirty Malay houses, nestling among the cocoanut-trees, forming 

 the Malay kampong, while on the opposite side about half as many 

 dwellings and shops built close up to the edge of the bank made 

 up the Chinese kampong. As is the rule throughout Sarawak, the 

 Chinese own neai'ly all the shops and do nearly all the trading. 

 ^Miat the Malays do for a living I never could imagine. 



The government house stands a hundred yards above the con- 

 fluence of the two rivers, and I was surprised at finding it so well- 

 built, roomy, and comfortable. It was built to accommodate such 

 of the government ofiicers as might have occasion to visit this local- 

 ity in the discharge of their duties. As usual the house stands on 

 posts six feet high, and the space underneath is quite well adapted 

 to such work as skinning and skeletonizing animals. It contains 

 two suites of rooms, and a latticed verandah in front of each sleep- 

 ing apartment, which is a capital place for keeping pet monkeys 

 and orang-utans. 



