284 EXPLORATION OF THE GATES OF BORNEO. 



showing the increase within his memory. Numerous facts could 

 be adduced pointing in the same direction. 



Page 279. — " No animals habitually use caves.''' — Wild pigs are 

 said by the natives to retire into caves to die. This may explain 

 why their remains are not uncommon in such situations. I have 

 seen traces of a bear in a cave, but as a rule none of the larger 

 animals enter the caverns. The latter, however, are not without 

 a varied Fauna of their own. "Besides the infinite hosts of swifts 

 (Collocalia) and bats of many species which throng their recesses, 

 owls, and occasionally hawks, are met with. Several kinds of 

 snakes, lizards (Varanidce and Geclcotidce), fish, and Crustacea 

 also occur, as well as spiders, crickets, and myriapoda {Julidce. 

 Geopliilus ? Polydesmus?). The recent guano often swarms with 

 a, slender yellow Bulimus. 



Page 281. — " JSfo tradition is extant." — It has been suggested 

 that these superficial human remains are the remains of the 

 Chinese who perished in the insurrection in Sarawak (1857) 

 Apart from the decayed condition of the bones, this idea is inad- 

 missible for many reasons. It is sufficient to mention the general 

 identity of the remains at iN"iah in Brunei territory (where there 

 is no reason to suppose any Chinese were ever located) with those 

 of Ahup in Sarawak. 



Page 281. — " A r 6> tribe makes habitual use of caves.'' — A very wild 

 tribe of Punans, called by the natives Rock Punans, who inhabit 

 the great Tibang Mountain at the source of the Rejang River, are 

 popularly reported to live in caves, being so uncivilised as not yet 

 to have learnt to construct artificial shelters. The head of the 

 Rejang has never been visited by a European, so that this report 

 is probably incorrect. Mr. Hugh B. Low, whose knowledge of 

 the tribes of north-west Borneo is unequalled, writes in answer to 

 my inquiries as follows :— " I do not know of any tribe that buries 

 its dead in caves. Tama Nipa, of Tatau, was buried in a caye, 

 but this was to secure him from his Dyak neighbours. The Orang 

 Kaya Sahgieng expressed a dying wish that he might be buried 

 in Lubang Danau in Ba Koiat, but it was only in order that he 

 might gain an additional claim to the cave in question, the owner- 

 ship of which was disputed. The ' tailed men ' between Mandai 

 and Melawi are said to live in caves." 



