JOURN-EY OX THK SK>[RROy«r RIVER. 5 



The loveiy dragon fly whi^h in one light leflect* the most 

 brilliant peacock blue and in another the brightest of greens, was 

 very common on this part of the river. 



The next morning before returning to Kuala Sembrong 

 I saw a Jakun go through the process of producing fire by 

 means of a ' darak,' or fire stick. He took a piece of bamboo, 

 about 15 inches long and -J an inch in diameter, into one end of 

 which he fixed, by means of rotan lashing, a small piece of hard 

 wood 2 or 3 inches long and of the same diameter as the bamboo. 

 He then made a small nick in another piece of wood of the same 

 kind as that fixed in the bamboo (in this case an old parang- 

 handle was used), which he held firm with his foot and placing 

 the point of wood which was fixed in the bamboo into this nick 

 he twirled the bamboo rapidly between his hands like a drill 

 until the fine dust ground away by the friction was ignited by 

 the heat produced. This tinder was then blown into a flame 

 with some dry leaves. 



I reached Kuala Sembrong al)0ut 1 p.m., and Mr. Lake 

 arrived from Sungei Mas a few hours later, having explored the 

 L'makan and Mas rivers. 



On the latter river are two villages, in one of which Mr. Lake 

 noticed a large tom-tom. consisting of a hollow cylinder of wood, 

 a foot in diameter and about 3 feet long, the ends of which 

 were covered with black monkey skin, also several smaller ones.' 

 He also saw some Genggongs, a kind of Jew's harp, made of the 

 wood of the ' Lankap ' palm, (Arenga ohtusifoliaj and a few 

 apparently disused sumpitans of very inferior workmanship. 

 There was also at this place a forge similar to the L'makan 

 one and bliongs and spear heads are made. 



In these villages were several lepers, the disease having 

 been brought, it was said, from the Jakuns of the Rumpeu river 

 in Pahang'. 



The following' day (22nd Oct.) Mr. Lake went off in a small 

 jalor to explore the Linggor river, while I remained at Kuala 

 Sembrong in the hope of getting' some observations for magnetic 

 variation, "but owing to clouds was unable to do so. 



Our bird collector Marie having shot a large hornbill, 

 ' hornbill steak' was added to our bill of fare for the day and 

 made a very welcome variation in the daily routine of rice, salt- 

 fish and curry. The flesh of the hornbill, which is almost 



