IN BORNEAN FORESTS [chap. 



At 10 o'clock that night we left the Rejang, and at 3 p.m. on the 

 following day, August 5th, we anchored about two miles off the 

 mouth of the Muka river. With a fair breeze behind us we soon 

 reached the shore in the ship's launch. The river forms a great 

 bend at its mouth, beyond which is the town ; and to avoid the 

 long way round by water we landed and crossed on foot the narrow 

 neck which intervened between us and the fort. 



Muka is the second town of Sarawak, and we found its population 

 composed of Malays and Mellanaos, almost all of whom were occupied 

 in the preparation of sago. The houses are built on piles along the 

 river, in the usual Malay fashion, and the low marshy ground all round 

 is infested with swarms of mosquitoes, rendering life well-nigh in- 

 supportable ; while the air reeked with a horrible stench, due to the 

 fermenting feculum of sago, for the manufacture of which the Borneo 

 company had a large establishment. We passed an otherwise 

 pleasant evening with the manager, a gentleman of Dutch ex- 

 traction, but born at Malacca. 



We had, however, to hurry off to the gunboat, which was to sail 

 during the night, and was some distance from the shore. It was 

 already nine o'clock when we started in the launch ; but though the 

 moon was above the horizon it did not give much light, and near the 

 mouth of the river we had the narrowest shave of a capsize, our boat 

 crashing into a kilong — one of the wooden frames used to support the 

 huge fish -traps of the Mellanaos. These are enormous bi-conical 

 wicker baskets, open at one end, like our eel-traps, and constructed 

 in such a manner that fish can enter easily, but cannot escape. These 

 kilongs are sunk in convenient spots when the tide is rising, with 

 their opening turned towards the current, which leads the fish in. 

 Not only did we lose the best part of our moonlight by delaying our 

 start, but we got out of the river just as the inflowing tide met the 

 descending current, causing a heavy sea on the bar, which was not 

 quite reassuring for some of our party. For a moment we hesitated, 

 some thinking that it was more prudent to turn back. Happily, the 

 exhortations of the more courageous prevailed, and, having got over 

 the flurry of waters about the bar, we found a calmer sea beyond, and 

 were soon safe on board the gunboat. A large barge, however, 

 which was loaded with firewood for the use of the steamer, was unable 

 to get through the surf on the bar, and had to turn back. We took 

 in a supply of fuel at Bintulu next day however, and I left here the 

 men and supplies that were to go with me on my projected excur- 

 sion inland, 



We steamed along in full view of the coast, which got higher and 

 bolder as we proceeded, and was highly picturesque, and at 9 a.m. 

 on August 8th we anchored in Victoria Harbour, Labuan. This 

 island lies about fifteen miles off the mouth of the Bruni river, in a 

 N.N.E. direction, and is nearly triangular in shape, with an area of 



244 



