x v] LOST IN THE FOREST 



rock without any attempt at a nest. We came to anchor near 

 the westernmost extremity of Borneo, in a small cove, which 

 my Malays called Telok Saruban, or Serban. 



Here we found a spring of excellent water, and used it at once to 

 cook our rice. After our very frugal breakfast, I started to climb the 

 small mountain which rose at our backs. Naturally, in such out-of- 

 the-way and uninhabited places, there were no paths. The place, 

 and, indeed, the whole coast as far as Santubong, had a bad name 

 for being the habitual resort, during the fair season, of theprahusof 

 the Lanuns and Balagnini, the boldest and most dreaded pirates of 

 the whole archipelago, and Telok Serban was their favourite 

 anchorage. 



We commenced our ascent amidst great detached blocks of 

 granite scattered over the slopes of the mountain, which is entirely 

 covered by primeval forest from base to summit. We marked the 

 trees from time to time with parang cuts, and left other signs of our 

 passage on the way, in order to be able to find the path on our return. 

 Before long we were overtaken by a storm with violent rain and wind, 

 but we continued our climb in spite of it, and reached the summit, 

 which, according to the indications of my aneroid, I determined to 

 be at an elevation of 1,640 feet. 



Scarcely a plant was in blossom. On the west slope, which is 

 Dutch territory — for the boundary line between Sarawak and the 

 Dutch possessions follows the ridge of the mountain — the trees were 

 scanty and dwarfish, and more or less deprived of leaves, I believe 

 on account of the strong south-west winds which for several months 

 in the year sweep this slope. On the eastern slope — that up which 

 we had come — the trees were thicker and more clothed. On the 

 summit I found nothing to reward me for the fatigue of the climb. 



On descending we followed the marks we had left in coming up ; 

 but, at a certain spot, where the colossal masses of granite were 

 heaped up one on the other so as to form caves and grottoes, we 

 lost our direction in following the tortuous path between the masses. 

 We wandered about for nearly an hour and a half without being able 

 to get out of this strange labyrinth, or to find the path leading down 

 to the sea. I was beginning to fear that we should be obliged to 

 pass the night in the jungle, for it was near sunset, and after that com- 

 plete darkness follows fast, when the happy inspiration occurred to 

 us of retracing our steps up the mountain instead of continuing vainly 

 to search an outlet below. We managed thus to emerge from the 

 labyrinth of granite blocks, and then in another direction, and 

 following Kap, the small Dyak dog I always took with me on 

 excursions, we again directed our steps towards the sea. It was 

 interesting to see how this intelligent beast, constantly turning to 

 look back at us, appeared plainly to wish to show us the right way 

 to be followed. Had it been able to talk it could not have made 



225 Q 



