CHAPTER XXXIX. 



A PLEASURE TRIP UP THE SARAWAK. 



The Fif^fiy. — Mr. A. H. Everett. — The Chinese Gold-washings at Ban. — Caves 

 and Crevices near Pakii. — Walk to Tegora. — The Cinnabar Mines of the 

 Borneo Company. — Romantic Boat Ride down the Staat. — Trip to Serambo 

 Mountain. — Dyak Bridges. — Village of Peninjau. — The Rajah's Cottage. — 

 Magnificent View. — Return to Kuching. — Fare well to Borneo. — Singapore 

 once more. — End of the Expedition. — Retrospect.— Conclusion. 



I RETUBNED to Sarawak (Kuching) on the sixth of December, and 

 during the fortnight I spent in packiag up my collection and wait- 

 ing for the steamer, mv good friend, Mr. Oliver St. John, Inspector 

 of Public Works, treated me to a glorious trij) up the Sarawak 

 Kiver. I say " treated me," for without him as a guide, philosopher, 

 and friend, I should not have gone, and, when I reflect now upon 

 the trouble he took and the miles he walked solely on my account, 

 I feel quite as if I had ■wTonged him. 



I had collected until I was tired and sick of specimens, and that 

 trip was made solely for pleasure. IMr. Crocker placed the gov- 

 ernment steam launch Firejiy at our disposal for the trip, and one 

 bright afternoon at two o'clock we started up the river with the 

 jurning of the tide. A bend of the stream soon hid the town fi'om 

 our view, and after getting clear of the stragghng Malay kampong, 

 we were ready to drink in the successive scenes of the new pano- 

 rama which began to unroll before us. 



Scene first, five miles long — banks low, uncultivated, covered 

 with monotonous mangroves. 



Scene second — the banks have risen and asserted themselves ; 

 they are clear of old jungle and covered with gi-een paddy fields for 

 a quarter of a mile back from the river, where they meet the forest 

 primeval. Here and there are neat-looking houses, nestling in 

 clumps of banana and cocoanut trees, suiTounded by neatly-kept 

 vegetable gardens. From the general look of care and thrift, we 

 are led to hazard the opinion that fields, houses, and gardens belong 



