COLLECTING AROUND SIMUJAN. 385 



We waited until the tide was half out, and then, after selecting 

 a good place, the boats drew close together, the word was given, 

 and with a ringing cheer the extract was quickly dipped up and. 

 thrown into the stream. As I looked at the small quantity of tuba- 

 water and the volume of water in the creek I must confess to en- 

 tertaining doubts of the result. 



Ha-^ing performed the act of faith, we began at once to look for 

 fish. The stream absorbed the tuba-water as though it had been 

 so much dirty soap-suds, and not a trace of it was to be seen five 

 minutes after. We di'ifted slowly do^\'n to where there were cuiwes 

 and quiet eddies in the stream, and each man looked for what he 

 considered the most likely place for a fish to rise. Presently we 

 saw two little fellows floating helplessly at the surface, and the man 

 nearest them kindly took them in out of the wet. 



Each man had a small dip-net and a " grains " with two or 

 three prongs. The spear-head was set in the end of a bamboo 

 handle so that it would come out when a fish was struck, and of 

 course the spear-head, was made fast to the handle by a stout line. 

 Mr. Eug Quee had pro\ided me with a spear, which I was very anx- 

 ious to use. 



Just as our boats reached a wide bend in the stream, a large fish 

 showed its slimy, black back at the surface, just out of our reach. 

 My first thought was that it was a porpoise, it was so large and 

 black. Presently it appeared again and floated for a moment with 

 its back out of water. It was certainly four feet long. ]VIi-. Eng 

 Quee and one of his Malays threw their spears at it but missed. 

 Then I skipped to the bow of my boat, and finding myself within 

 reach of the fish drove my spear into its side. It gave a lunge for- 

 ward, almost throwing me overboard and upsetting the boat, and 

 then — Oh ! my soul ! the line snapped ! Dowti went the huge fish, 

 and we never saw him again. I hoped that some one of the party 

 would see him and take him in, but was disappointed. 



Fifteen minutes later, another big fish of the same kind came 

 up, was speared by two Malays, and after a gallant struggle was 

 secured. It was a little over tliree feet long, scaleless, with a 

 broad, flat head, somewhat like that of a catfish, a thin body, small 

 dorsal fin and the anal fin very broad and long. Its color was 

 blackish-brown, with three light bands along the middle of the 

 side. Altogether nine large specimens of this species (Wallago 

 leerii) were taken during the day. 



The tide was still running out when we arrived at the mouth of 

 25 



