IN BORNEAN FORESTS [chap, xii 



from the lanko. There was thus no time to skin the ape, and I 

 therefore had to content myself with its head, which I had cut off. 

 The creature was a large male, perfectly adult, with the physiognomy 

 of the Mayas Kassa, but with longer hair ; in shape and propor- 

 tions it resembled the Mayas Tj aping, but had no cheek-expan- 

 sions. The head was more like that of the large female which 

 Atzon had brought me a few days before, and which I had preserved 

 in spirits. 



We resumed our march once more, not expecting, indeed, to meet 

 with any more orangs, of which we had seen so many. But at a 

 short distance from the lanko we came upon two more. I caught 

 sight of the first quite near on a small tree. I fired twice, but did not 

 succeed in killing it. As I was reloading, the second Mayas suddenly 

 appeared, not twenty paces from where I stood, and only about 

 fifteen feet from the ground. It was moving rapidly, catching the 

 branches in front with one hand as it let go behind those it held 

 with the foot, and alternating thus with hands and feet. The jungle 

 was young and very thick, with dense underwood, so that when I 

 had finished reloading my gun both orangs had disappeared, even 

 the first one, which I felt sure I had hit. But " Kap," a small dog I 

 had with me, had followed the latter, and enabled me to come up 

 with it. As I did so the huge beast turned, and it fell dead to a bullet 

 in the chest. It was a female of large size with very long hair, and 

 I should particularly have liked the skin, but I had to abandon both 

 it and the skeleton, and content myself with the head alone. 



It was quite dark when we reached the lanko, loaded with 

 orang-utans, drenched to the skin, completely tired out, and 

 famished. 



Wishing to preserve the spoils we had secured, it was quite im- 

 possible to continue to hunt for Mayas. So early next morning, 

 May ist, I returned to Marop, which we reached at noon. Our speci- 

 mens were happily in good condition, and even the foetus had not 

 suffered. The better to preserve the latter I had kept it under 

 cool running water near the lanko during the night. As soon as I 

 reached the Kunsi's house I placed it in spirits. The skins and heads 

 were also packed as soon as possible in jars containing a strong 

 solution of salt in alcohol. 



The first week in May was employed in finishing the drying 

 process of the Mayas' skins, in arranging and making a catalogue 

 of my collections, and in completing the preparations for my trip 

 to the Kapuas lakes. 



1 68 



