xx] THE BANTENG 



in my hunt after orang-utans, but it was loaded with big shot. 

 Not to lose time I dropped a bullet into one barrel without remov- 

 ing the shot, and jumped ashore, followed by two of my smartest 

 Kayans. But the place where I alighted was soft mud, and without 

 the help of my two companions I should have stuck there. We 

 scrambled up, however, and to approach the animals without 

 being seen by them made a long detour, and I managed to get 

 within twenty'-five yards of the herd. A fine large bull, entirely 

 black with white feet, showed its side, and as I fired the creature 

 fell, but rose again at once and started at a rush for the jungle, 

 followed by four others, evidently cows or calves, that were feeding 

 with it. We then showed ourselves, but one of the herd, which 

 had been grazing at a distance from the others, on perceiving me 

 at once lowered its head and charged. At ten yards off I fired 

 my second barrel, which, unfortunately, was only loaded with 

 shot. The creature came down on its knees and rolled over. I 

 thought I had got him, but he was up again in an instant, and 

 made for the jungle like the others. My Kayans, thinking that 

 it must be blinded or at least badly wounded, having received the 

 contents of my barrel full in the front part of the head, followed 

 its spoor for a while, but were unable to come up with it, and we 

 reluctantly had to abandon the chase. 



The wild cattle of Borneo, or " banteng," as the natives call it 

 (Bos sondaicus), is, after the rhinoceros, which is only found in the 

 interior, the largest of the indigenous Bornean mammals, the 

 elephant having been beyond doubt introduced by man on the 

 island. I once heard that the carcase of a rhinoceros had been 

 seen in the Sarawak, carried down by the current, but I have 

 never seen any portion of one got in Borneo. Elephants are 

 found in the north-east portion of the island, but Mr. St. 

 John (Op. cit. i. p. 95) writes that it is believed that they 

 are the descendants of some which were presented by the 

 Hon. East India Company to the Sultan of Sulu about 150 

 years ago, and which at his request were landed at Tanjong 

 Unsang. They are now said to be numerous in that district, 

 doing much damage to the plantations. 



The banteng is also called by the natives tambadao, or tam- 

 madao and appears to be more frequent in North Borneo than 

 elsewhere, especially on the Limbang and the Barram. Mr. St. 

 John (Op. cit. i. p. 283) writes that in Kimanis Bay, in British North 

 Borneo, herds of banteng are met with which are of smaller size than 

 the wild cattle found on the banks of the two rivers just mentioned. 

 I was told that the banteng has a special predilection for young 

 bamboo shoots, and thus prefers keeping in the jungle or /secondary 

 forest, where that plant abounds, whilst it is rarely met with in the 

 primeval forest. The country we were then crossing appeared to 



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