HISTORY OF 8ANTUBONG, SARAWAK. 29 
up, but also a channel is often undergoing a change in shape, 
on the one side encroaching on the land and on the other side 
its banks correspondingly extending waterwards. In this way 
the curvature of the stream is entirely altered. At the present 
time the channel in the south-east part of the island is under- 
going this change, the western bank of the river being absorbed 
whilst the opposite shore is proceeding westwards. When 
such a process is in operation an examination of the banks of 
the stream will show on the side which is being eaten away 
a fairly solid and perpendicular mud bank whilst on the other 
side where the bank is encroaching on the water we have a 
gently sloping stretch of almost liquid mud. Further the 
vegetation of the two sides of such a river will also give indica- 
tion of the process: for in the solid mud of the losing side we 
find the Tengah (Ceriops candolleana) the yellow-flowered 
Temu (Brugwiera gymnorhiza) and the Burus (Brugaiera sp.) 
(which latter will only grow in firm mud) and in the semi- 
liquid bank of the gaining side are to be found the two Bakos 
(Rhizophora nucronata and R. conjugata) and the red flower- 
ed putut (Bruguwiera eriopetala ?). 
In any mangrove swamp the same differentiation of 
locality amongst the Rhizophoracee may be verified though 
the respective associations of particular plants and localities 
are not absolute. 
As the mangrove swamp passing landwards gradually gives 
place to dry land the vegetation becomes entirely different 
from: that just described. An early stage in the change is 
the replacement of the mangrove trees by the Nipah palm 
and this is the stage reached at the southern extremity of 
Santubong island. Further up the river the Pedada (Son- 
neratia acida) the Jeruju (Acanthus ebacteatus) and other 
precursors of dry land appear, but these are not found on 
Santubong. 
CONCLUSION. 
In concluding this short and necessarily imperfect account 
of the island’s history we would call attention to a fact wherein 
lies the justification for our paper, namely that these and other 
R. A. Soc., No. 51, 1908. 
