IN BORNEAN FORESTS [chap, i 



Westward, and not far off, rose the high mountains Gading and Poe, 

 and nearer still were the little islands Satang and Sampadien. 

 Beyond, the coast-line terminates with the bold outline of Tanjong 

 Datu, the frontier of the dominions of Rajah Brooke. 1 



The crests of Mattang command the land, which we rapidly- 

 approached, whilst the outlines of new hills and new mountains 

 appeared in the background as the morning mists faded away. 

 Santubong from the sea looks quite inaccessible ; but few bare 

 patches of rock were to be seen on its flanks, for it is almost every- 

 where clothed with dense vegetation. Huge trees rose from the 

 fissures in its rocky sides, and on the enormous branches spreading 

 out from their gigantic trunks lianas climbed up everywhere and 

 hung down in thick festoons of verdure. Before us lay a narrow, 

 sandy beach, covered beyond the water-line with tall casuarinas. 



The Sarawak river is about 450 yards wide at its mouth, but at 

 low tide it has a depth of hardly more than nineteen feet on the 

 bar. Once inside the river, the few huts of the Malay fishermen 

 forming the village of Santubong are visible on the mountain side. 

 The Santubong entrance to the river is preferable with fine 

 weather, whilst with bad weather it is easier to enter by the Mara- 

 tabas channel, where there is greater depth and good anchorage 

 for big ships. 



Within the river mouth the scenery is at first highly picturesque, 

 but after passing some hills covered with dense forest this is the 

 case no longer. Both banks are covered down to the water's edge 

 with the vegetation peculiar to these tropical estuaries. Most con- 

 spicuous are the mangroves (Rhizophora), with bright, shining leaves 

 of an intense green, which reflect the sun's rays on their polished 

 surfaces. Large tracts are entirely covered with the Nipa palm, 

 whose enormous leaves are very like those of the coconut . Beautiful 

 as they are, they become extremely monotonous after a time, 

 packed closely together and without variation either in appearance 

 or height. More elegant are the Nibong palms (Oncosfterma filarnen- 

 tosa), also very abundant, with straight and slender stems, crowned 

 with a tuft of delicate fronds finely divided and drooping in graceful 

 curves. 



The navigation on the Sarawak river is not dangerous for small 

 ships ; there are only two rocks to be avoided near the left bank 

 about two and a half miles below the city. From this point the 

 country, hitherto flat, gradually rises. Malay huts, parti}/ hidden 

 by trees, also begin to appear ; but although we are very near Kuching, 

 the capital of Sarawak, distant seventeen miles from Santubong, 

 the course of the river is so tortuous that no signs of the town can 



1 The following words, Tanjong (cape), Pulo (island), Gunong (mountain), 

 Bukit (hill), Sungei (river) and Danau (lake), should be noted as Malay geo- 

 graphical terms which of necessity will often occur in these pages. 



2 



