xi] A LARGE "MAYAS TJAPING" 



the native system of cutting down every tree of such a nature. 

 Nearly the whole extent of country I could see around Marop from 

 the hills was in this condition ; or else covered with secondary 

 jungle, which had grown where the primeval forest had been 

 destroyed. This is usually invaded by a large fern (Pteris arach- 

 noidea, Kauff.) called rassam by the Malays, which produces long 

 tough stalks, and, being also semi-scandent, so binds together the 

 underwood as to render it practically impenetrable, and where it 

 abounds one is obliged to cut a passage through the jungle with the 

 parang. Large areas of the country are also covered with the com- 

 mon lalang grass, and with thickets of " onkodok " (the common 

 Melastoma). Such are in Borneo the " bad lands " for the botanist. 



The bits of primeval forest which I had noticed on my way up 

 to Marop from the landing place on the river had evidently never 

 been turned into rice fields on account of their sterility, the soil 

 being entirely formed of white crystalline sand. The trees there 

 were small and somewhat stunted, but many species I found to be 

 peculiar and not growing in other places in the neighbourhood. 

 Although formed bv different species, I believe that the areas 

 covered by this kind of forest correspond to those of the mattang 

 mentioned in previous chapters, and I am disposed to regard them 

 as ancient islands, as it were, left high and dry, on which the vegeta- 

 tion has continued unchanged since the time when they were sur- 

 rounded by the sea. This hypothesis would account for the special 

 character of the forest in such localities, so different from that of 

 the country all round. 1 



On returning one day from my daily morning excursion 

 to the forest in search of new plants for my herbarium, I 

 had sat down to skin the baby Mayas brought to me with the 

 first one I had prepared. I had tried to keep it alive, but it had a 

 broken arm, and had been badly shaken, so that my care was of no 

 avail, and it died. Whilst I was thus engaged, Atzon, my best 

 Chinese hunter, came in with a magnificent specimen of the Mayas 

 Tj aping tied to a pole and carried by two men, who, however, 

 had been obliged to get help on the way from the Dyaks, the weight 

 being too much for them. Entire, I do not believe that the creature 

 weighed less than 16 stone. Following my directions, the 

 viscera had been properly extracted without damaging either skin 

 or bone ; a large part of the bigger muscles had also been removed, 

 and it was thus in excellent condition. It was also quite fresh, 

 having been killed in the gloaming of the previous evening whilst 

 asleep with its head on its hand on a big branch. It showed only 



1 The " mattangs " appear to me to have a certain analogy with the 

 " campos " of Brazil, which might also be considered ancient islands which 

 have been surrounded with alluvial lands of recent formation. 



147 



