90 BORNEO— THE ORANG-UTAN. [chap. iv. 



east, north-east, and north-west coasts, but appears to 

 be chiefly confined to the low and swampy forests. It 

 seems, at first sight, very inexplicable that the Mias 

 should be quite unknown in the Sarawak valley, while it 

 is abundant in Sambas, on the west, and Sadong, on the 

 east. But when we know the habits and mode of life of 

 the animal, we see a sufficient reason for this apparent 

 anomaly in the physical features of the Sarawak district. 

 In the Sadong, where I observed it, the Mias is only found 

 when the country is low level and swampy, and at the 

 same time covered with a lofty virgin forest. From 

 these swamps rise many isolated mountains, on some of 

 which the Dyaks have settled, and covered with planta- 

 tions of fruit trees. These are a great attraction to the 

 Mias, which comes to feed on the unripe fruits, but always 

 retires to the swamp at night. Where the country becomes 

 slightly elevated, and the soil dry, the Mias is no longer 

 to be found. For example, in all the lower part of the 

 Sadong valley it abounds, but as soon as we ascend above 

 the limits of the tides, where the country, though still flat, 

 is high enough to be dry, it disappears. Now the Sarawak 

 valley has this peculiarity — the lower portion though 

 swampy is not covered with continuous lofty forest, but is 

 principally occupied by the Nipa palm ; and near the town 

 of Sarawak where the country becomes dry, it is greatly 

 undulated in many parts, and covered with small patches 



