Ch. XIV.] DEIVING AWAY AN ECLIPSE. 221 



Dyak population, kindly proposed that I should accompany 

 him, a proposal with which Mr. Houghton most courteously 

 complied. 



We left Sarawak at midnight on the 24th September in 

 two long boats, or pfahus, of the kind usual upon the river, 

 propelled by short and broad paddles at either end, while 

 the central part was strewn with mats, upon which the siugle 

 occupant could recline under the protecting shelter of an attap 

 covering of dried palm-leaves, which could be extended or 

 shortened at pleasure. It was the night of the total ecHpse 

 of the moon ; and during the whole evening a monotonous 

 noise of gongs and tom-toms, accompanied by shoutings, 

 had been going on, becoming more and more uproarious as 

 the eclipse approached totality. In this the Chiaese popula- 

 tion were assisted by the Malays, with whom an excuse for 

 beatiag the tom-tom is always eagerly seized ; and the mys- 

 terious gloom of the unclouded sky was indeed sufficient to 

 attract the attention and arouse the superstitious fears of 

 the untutored population. As the earth's shadow began to 

 show signs of clearing off, the beatings of gongs and tom- 

 toms became however less and less vehement ; and a Httle 

 before midnight the moon shone out in unclouded serenity, 

 and Chinese and Malays alike retired from their task with 

 easy consciences and renewed confidence in the stability of 

 moonshine. 



The peculiar and almost mysterious gloom which had 

 pervaded the air all the evening had certainly a depressing 

 effect ; and with the voyage in prospect, I was no less glad 

 than the natives to see the moon appear once more, although 

 the eclipse was succeeded by a sharp thunderstorm, in the 

 midst of which we started in our two boats. Owing to the 

 rapids which abound in the higher part of the river, it was 



