Ch. Xni.] AEEIVAL AT SARAWAK. 203 



difficulties and intricacies of this navigation, and the leads- 

 man sometimes called seven fathoms although only about 

 a boat's length from the bank. It was here that the 

 " Samarang " touched the rocks and was thrown on her 

 beam-ends, only recovering her position after incredible 

 labour and considerable time had been spent upon this ap- 

 parently hopeless task. 



Near Sarawak is the straggling village of Tarnuh-puti 

 (white earth), a brick-making place ; and it was not a little 

 amusing to see the groups of men, women, and children 

 squatting on their hams, or gathered together in knots, 

 discussing the unusual sight of a large ship so high up the 

 river, — women with the sarong fastened under the breasts, 

 the children for the most part unencumbered with any 

 clothing whatever, their round and open eyes expressing not 

 a little bewilderment. The weather was cool, and the useful 

 sarong was turned into a cloak, a hood, a comforter, or what 

 not, as occasion required or caprice suggested ; and the 

 groups of curious faces, and swarthy forms, would each have 

 well repaid the trouble of a separate photograph. 



Immediately afterwards Sarawak appears in sight, the 

 Malay houses extend along the river's banks for a con- 

 siderable distance j and opposite these houses we cast anchor 

 in 10 fathoms' water, although there was but just width for 

 the ship to swing. An immense collection of drift is brought 

 down by the muddy waters ; and when the tide turned we 

 were surrounded by a quantity of broken trunks, old logs, 

 long leaves, and sometimes whole trees of the Nipa pahn, 

 seeds of screw-pines (Pandanus), and dShris of aU kinds, 

 which oscillated backwards and forwards aU day, and often 

 caused some inconvenience by getting entangled in the 

 tackle of the ship. • 



