JOUEXEY OX THE SEMBROXG RIVEE. 9 



Ou the 30th October we struck our Kuala Kahang^ camp 

 and started for Hulu Sembrong\ Soon after Jeavmg Kuala Kahang- 

 the river narrows up very rapidly and after passing Kuala Harus, 

 daas, is only about fifteen yards wide. For some miles above 

 this point the river is split up into a number of small channels, 

 that which we followed being- only a few yards wide, and 

 much overhung' vv^ith jung-le, so that progress was slow. After 

 passing' the point where the B'hai separates from the Sembrong* 

 the latter becomes deeper and wider again, being' as much as 

 thirty or forty yards in width. Here I noticed a number of a 

 nibong'-like palm which the jakuns called " Bayas" fOncosperma 

 horrida.) About here too the Rotan S'ntawa, which is so common 

 on the low^er reaches of the river, gives place to another species, 

 viz., Rotan Sabut (Calamus hi/strix), which is larg-er leaved, 

 exceedingly thorny and of less value than Rotan S'ntawa. 



The next halt was at Kampong' S'lieh, a small Jakun settle- 

 ment with about twenty to thirty inhabitants. They had been 

 at this place only a few months, some having come from Tan- 

 jong P'nting and some from Hulu Sembrong. They had made 

 a large clearing planted with tapioca, sugarcane, and pine- 

 apples and a small quantity of tobacco, apparently in a flourish- 

 ing condition. A tiger, or tigers, had visited this village a few 

 days before our arrival and carried off several dogs. 



On the following day (31st October) the journey up stream 

 was continued. Very soon the river ag-ain split up into innumer- 

 able narrow channels flowing through thick swampy jungle 

 scarcely raised above the level of the river. In many places 

 there was only just sufficient room for the boats to pass between 

 the overhanging foliage, and a sharp look out had to be kept for 

 the ever ready " onak," as the long projecing well armed shoots 

 of the rotan are called. The large buff-breasted, orange-billed 

 Kingfisher (Pelargopsis MalaccensisJ here usurps the place of 

 the Black-capped Kingfisher (Halcyon pileata) which holds sway 

 over the finny denizens of the lower waters, while the little 

 Kingfisher (Alcedo ispida), the same species which occurs in 

 England, lives apparently on the best of terms with both. 



At one place it was necessary to cut through a newly fallen 

 tree which lay across the river. 



