A VISIT TO THE BIRDS’ NEST CAVES. 49 
travelled continuously thirteen and a half hours by launch, boat, 
and walking. Elopura was visible with a glass, and not more 
than twenty miles off in a direct line. Sandakan Bay extended 
to within twelve miles of where we stood, and the beautiful 
islands of Pulo Buy and Balhalla, covered with all the most 
lovely tropical vegetation, fit abode for fairies, stood out in the 
shining sea. On the highest point the Malays have built a 
house, into which we were invited, and we examined a quantity 
of very fine white nests, gathered from a small opening close by; 
which is, however, 110 fathoms deep, and connects with Simud 
Putih, our resting-place of the night before. We then commenced 
the descent by another track, and found it much easier work than 
going up. About 200 feet below the summit we reached a large 
opening looking exactly like a railway-tunnel; lighting our 
candles, and attaching them to the lower part of the staves each 
of us carried, we entered the gloomy portal and soon lost 
daylight, the path becoming steeper and more and more slippery 
the further we descended. About 500 ft. from the entrance it got 
unpleasantly warm, and the atmosphere stifling, the guano 
deposited giving out a most disagreeable smell. We were here 
shown a small beam of light from the funnel at the top of the 
rock, exactly 696 ft. above us. 
Owing to the guano, our footing became very precarious, and 
we had to balance ourselves on poles laid on the surface. How 
deep this guano is is not known; a long spear, used by the 
natives for nest-gathering, does not touch the bottom when 
thrust in up to the hilt. Just when matters were getting 
unbearable, the cave turned to the left and commenced to ascend; 
we were very glad to find that Simud Putih had been reached, 
and we shortly emerged again into the daylight, very much 
dazzled. All the roof of the dark parts of the cave was occupied 
by the birds, who keep up an intermittent twittering, sounding, 
from the immense quantity of birds assembled, like the surf 
breaking on a rocky shore. We saw the nest-gatherers getting 
in their crop; they had extended their flexible rattan ladders 
over some horrible-looking gulfs and fixed them against the sides: 
two men take their station on these; one carries a light four- 
prong spear, about 15 ft. long; just below the prongs a lighted 
candle is fixed; holding on to the ladder with one hand, the 
spear is managed with the other, and the nest transfixed; a 
