FLOEA OF BOENEO. 131 



also occasionally occur, as in the year 1877, when the great Sriang lagoon in the 



Fig. 49. — Navigable Streams aitd Chief Routes of Exploeees in Boeneo. 



Scale 1 : 12,000,000. 



Koute by water or 

 the river banks. 



Land 

 routes. 



180 MUes. 



Kapuas basin was completely dried up. In the Kutei district Bock traversed 

 forests killed by the heat, and destitute alike of vegetation and animal life. 



Flora. 



But these are rare exceptions, and on the whole Borneo may be described as 

 one vast forest, so dense and contiguous that, according to one obserA'er, apes might 

 pass from one extremity of the island to another by swinging from branch to branch. 

 The forest growths are interrupted only in some few districts by tracts covered 

 with the herbaceous alang plant. 



Although differing little from that of the other large islands, the Bornean 

 flora comprises a few peculiar forms, especially trees yielding good timber, gums, 



