52 



SOR^TEO^THE ORA^fO-UTAK [chap, ir 



drying up iindcr the iufiuence of a vertical sun alternating 

 with tt'opicsd ruins. Two or tlu*ee imtiitbs later t\vo 

 Malays, oii the oiler of a dollar, climbed the tree, aad 

 let do\vn the dried rciuains. The skin was almost entire, 

 enclosing the skeleton, and iu.side were inillious of the 

 pupa-cases of flies and other insects, with tlioiisauds of two 

 or three species of small necropha'^ous Ijeetles. The skull 

 had been much shattered by bulls, but the skeleton was 

 perfect, except one small wriist-bonc, which h^d probably 

 dropped out and been carried away by a lizard. 



Three days after I had shot this one and lost it, Charlea 

 found three small Oraugs feeding together. Wo had a 

 long chase after them, and had a ^^ood opportunity of 

 seeing how they make their way from tree to tree, by 

 always choosing those limbs whose bmnches are inter- 

 mingled with those of some other tree, and then grasping 

 seveial of the small twigs together before they venture 

 to swing themselves across. Yet tliey do this so quickly 

 and certainly, that they make way among the trees at the 

 rate of full" five or six miles an hour, as we had continually 

 to nm to keep up with theuL One of these we shot and 

 killed, but it remained high up in the fork of a tree ; and, 

 as youug animals are of comparatively little interest, I did 

 not have the tree cut down to get it. 



At this time I had the inisibrtune to slip auiong some 

 fallen trees, and hurt my ankle, and, not being careful 

 enough at tirst, it became a sever© inliamed ulcer, which 

 would not heal, and kept me a prisoner in the house the 

 whole of July and part of August. Wheu I could get out 

 again, T determined to take atrip up a branch of the tjimilu- 

 jou liiver to Semabang, where tliere was said to be a large 

 Dyak house, a mouutuin with abuuduuce of fruit, and 

 plenty of Orangs and tine birds. As the river was very 

 narrow, and 1 was obliged to go in a very sninll boat with 

 little luggage, I only took with me a Giiinese boy as a 

 servant. I carried a cask of medicated arrack to put ilias 

 skins in, and stores and ammunition for a fortuiglit. 

 After a few miles, the stream became very narrow and 

 wind big, and the whole coun try on e^ich side was ilooded. 

 On the banks were abimdance of moukeys, — the comraou 

 Macacus cynoraolgus, a black Semnopithecus, and the 



