2 JOUENEY ON THE SEMBEONG EIVEE. 



In a steep of jungle near the sea, I found a fine tree of a 

 wild durian (Durio) loaded with its beautiful crimson fruit, and 

 on the river-bank a small bed of the reed (Phragmites roxhurghi). 

 The only Mammal I saw was a Wau-Wau or Ungka of the. black 

 variety with white hands (Bijlohates alhimanus, Vig. and Horsf.) 



The river near its mouth describes almost a complete circle, 

 forming' a peninsula of several miles diameter which is connected 

 with the mainland by a neck barely quarter of a mile across ; so, 

 having' procured a large boat or skuchi and loaded it up with our 

 bag-gage we sent it off early in the afternoon to meet 

 us some hours later at the other side of this neck, when after 

 cooking and eating' our evening meal on the river bank we pro- 

 ceeded up stream. A halt was made from midnight till 3 a.m., 

 on account of the tide which was then running down very strong, 

 and we reached Kuala Sembrong at 10 a.m., on the 17th October. 



The river up to this point is broad and deep, and the banks 

 in many places are lined with dense beds of " Rasau," a slender 

 almost unbranched pandan with small leaves, which grows to a 

 height of 15 or 20 feet. 



For Pome miles from the Kuala the water of the river was 

 phosphorescent where disturbed by the paddles. In the bushes 

 along the banks were swarms of the small "fire-fly" (a small 

 yellow beetle ) which abounds in mangrove swamps and which 

 extinguishes and relights its tiny lamp with such regularity that 

 a swarm of them often have the appearance of concerted action, 

 all the individuals composing it exting'uishing and relighting 

 their lamps at the same moment as if actuated by clock-work. 



The little Malayan hornbill (Anthracoceros convexus) is 

 common in this district, and we noticed several Rhinoceros horn- 

 bills {Buceros rhinoceros). The former always goes in flocks of 

 from three or four up to as many as eight or ten, the latter usually 

 in pairs. 



The country from Kuala Indau up to Kuala Sembrong is 

 perfectly flat and covered with dense uninhabited jungle, of 

 which perhaps the most striking feature is the abundance of 

 rotans of various species, the most conspicuous along the river 

 banks being " Rotan S'ntawa." 



On the 19th October, leaving the bird collector and one 

 plant collector with the bulk of the bag-gage at the police station 

 at Kuala Sembrong and taking- sufficient provisions for three 



