AMONG THE ORANG-UTANS. 359 



dreds — if not even thousands, in some instances, and resting quietly 

 on the leaves kept up an incessant and rapid scintillation, each 

 insect flashing about a hundred and twenty times per minute. For 

 three or four miles we passed m about eveiy hundred j'ai'ds a tree- 

 top literally fiUed with brilliant flashes of white light, which, in the 

 darkness, shone with novel and beautiful effect. 



It gives one quite a feeling of awe to paddle along a narrow 

 river between two dark walls of forest in thick darkness. At such 

 times the most garrulous boatmen are quiet, the traveller's mind is 

 filled with romantic thoughts, and the only sounds which break the 

 sombre stillness are the measured dip of the paddles, the swish of 

 the eddies they make, the chirp of the tree-frogs and the occasional 

 twitter of a night-bird. 



Having made several miles after sunset, we tied up to some 

 bushes, ate a frugal dinner, and lay down in our boats to sleep. 

 The mosquitoes were troublesome to the men who had no netting, 

 but being provided with adequate protection I fared better. But 

 my boat leaked from being overloaded, and I slept in water the 

 greater part of the night. 



At break of day we were off again, and soon passed the mouth 

 of the southern branch of the Simujan. A few mUes farther on we 

 halted at a small bit of cleared ground, built a fire over the water 

 on a pole platform which we covered with mud, and cooked break- 

 fast. Before starting again we cleared the deck for action on !Mr. 

 Eng Quee's boat, and made ready for aggressive warfare on the 

 monkey tribe. The kadjangs were rolled up, the supports taken 

 down and stored away below. This " sampan *' of Eng Quee's was 

 the best shooting-boat I ever used, and, outside of Borneo, I shall 

 never see its Hke again. It was a simple dug-out, about fifteen feet 

 long by three and a half feet broad in the middle, pointed at both 

 ends, and just deep enough to be steady. Just below the edge it 

 was completely decked over with strips of nibong palm, and on this, 

 amidships, I placed my am munition -box for a seat, arranged rifle 

 and double gun, cartridges and field-glass within easy reach. 

 Leaving my boat to follow we again set out. 



We were now some distance above tidal influence, and the river 

 had narrowed to twenty yards, but it was still very deep and flowed 

 swiftly. The water was much cleaner than below, and was indeed 

 moderately clear. The banks on both sides were entirely sub- 

 merged for an unknown distance back from the stream, miles per- 

 haps, but the forest was composed almost entii'ely of trees. The 



