364 TWO TEAKS IN THE JUNGLE. 



liad been in gi-eat doubt as to its whereabouts and abundance, you 

 can perhaps forgive a httle honest enthusiasm over the results of 

 our first day's work. 



A nai-row and tortuous channel led for about a mile through a 

 wide tract of pines, from which we finally emerged on the open 

 lake. It was a shallow body of clear water, about five miles long 

 by two miles at the widest part. The whole western half of the lake 

 is filled with Pandanus, which also chokes it at its southern ex- 

 tremity. On the east they ai'e happily absent, and the water is open 

 quite up to the edge of the forest. 



About two miles from the outlet of the lake, up the western 

 side, is a conical mountain, called Gunong Popook, about nine 

 hundi-ed feet high, the end of a chain of low mountains extending 

 westward from the lake. 



It was nearly sunset when we reached the open waters of the 

 lake and made for a Dyak house at the foot of Gunong PopooL 

 We landed and walked fifty yards over " batangs " (saplings), 

 passed some huge bowlders of reddish porphjTy and just bej'ond 

 them came to a small Dyak village, or long-house. We cUmbed 

 the ladder and were greeted very cordially by a pleasant-faced 

 young man, named Hakka, his wife Noonsong, and another woman 

 who spread clean mats for us to sit upon. The betel box was 

 brought out, and we all sat down for a chat. We asked if we might 

 be allowed to stay there that night and perhaps a Uttle longer. Of 

 coui'se we could stay there ! Why not ? Any stranger was wel- 

 come to stay ; and who ever heard of a Dyak refusing shelter to a 

 white man and the best the village afforded ? They would be glad 

 if we would honor them with a visit two months long. 



Very true ; a Dyak was never known to refuse hospitaHty to 

 a friend, and aid when needed, in which my simple-minded 

 savage without any religion whatever is about five thousand per 

 cent, better than the canting, hypocritical Hindoo, who would pre- 

 fer to have you sleep out in the rain rather than have your pres- 

 ence desecrate his mud sanctuaiy or even his verandah. The Dyak 

 is the man for me. 



We were informed that the whole of the open haU was at our 

 disposal, and in a very short time we had taken formal possession. 

 Our three dead orangs we hung high up in the trees near the house 

 to get them beyond the reach of the lean and hungi-y dogs, or 

 rather animated dog-skeletons, which roamed about. The Dyaks 

 were really glad to see us, for to them our visit was quite an event, 



