vi] THE LANKO 



the fire to cook rice, the Tuan-ku and I followed the crest of the 

 mountain to see whether we could get higher. We found a pathway 

 evidently traced by wild animals. The Singhi Dyaks occasionally, 

 though rarely, ascend the mountain in search of very slender rotangs 

 which grow nowhere else in these parts, and which they apply to 

 various uses. We also found them abundant here, and collected a 

 quantity; the Malays call them " rotang rawat," i.e. brass- 

 wire rotangs, or "rotang tikus," i.e. mouse rotangs, to denote their 

 diminutive size. Some of them when cleaned are hardly more than 

 one-fifteenth of an inch in diameter, the stoutest being one-fifth of an 

 inch. They belong to a variety of Calamus javensis, or a very 

 closely allied species. 



After walking for about half an hour we reached another peak ; 

 but through the trees we could make out that we were not, even then, 

 on the highest point of Mattang. I did not collect any plants, but 

 noted that the most abundant tree about the summit was a Casua- 

 rina which is very like one which grows also in the plain. But it 

 was getting late, so we returned to where we had left our men work- 

 ing at the lanko. We took back with us a good bundle of 

 rotangs, the best existing binding material the forest affords. 



The " lanko " or " langko " are temporary huts which the 

 Dyaks put up in the forest when required. In a country like Borneo, 

 where the necessary materials abound, this is easily done. Such 

 huts are a necessity to those obliged to pass a night in the forest 

 in a climate so damp and rainy, where it would be impossible to 

 sleep on the ground sub Jove, if only on account of the innumerable 

 insect pests. To construct a lanko two small tree-trunks of 

 requisite length are cut down and placed parallel to each other on 

 the ground at a distance which varies with the size of the hut re- 

 quired. The use of these trunks is to raise the flooring from the 

 ground. This flooring is formed by laying a number of sticks trans- 

 versely across the two trunks. Over this a slanting roof is con- 

 structed formed by a frame of forked branches stuck in the ground 

 and cross poles, over which leaves, preferably those of a palm, are 

 placed to form a covering. 



Our lanko was soon ready ; and as the weather was fine and 

 it did not look like rain, we merely covered it with leafy branches, 

 having no better material handy ; while to render our bed less 

 hard we spread over the stick flooring some sheets of smooth bark. 

 There are many trees in these forests with smooth and even bark 

 which can be detached with ease and forms excellent flooring. The 

 night was less cool than I should have expected, but I have lost the 

 note I made of the minimum temperature we experienced. Towards 

 dawn it was, however, considerably less than that to which my men 

 were accustomed, and had the effect of making them rise before the 

 sun. We were therefore able to begin the descent in good time. 



7T " 



