rP THE VALLEY TO SUKA RAJAIl. 



whole cliain ; and the distance fi'om its moutli at 

 tliis place to the opening at its opposite end must be 

 at least five miles in an air line, Wliile the Bativea 

 were in the water^ and each held a blading torch, I 

 ordered them to range themselves a few feet apait in 

 a long line. Tlie light reflected from the changing 

 surface of the flowing stream beneath, and the wide 

 irregular rocks and stalactites above, and the dark 

 half-naked bodies of the natives themselves, made it 

 appear as if I had come into the abode of evil de- 

 mons ; and this delusion became complete when one 

 shouted, and the rest joining in prolonged their cry 

 into a wild yell that echoed and reechoed again and 

 again, coming back to us like the answering, remorse- 

 ful shriek of hundreds of evil spiiits that were impriji- 

 oned forever deep within the bowels of the mountain. 



In the inner pai*t of the larger cave I was dii'ected 

 to look up in a certain direction, when soon a long, 

 narrow band of yellow light gleamed fi'om an open- 

 ing, and, darting into the cave, partially lighted up 

 some of the long stalactites that hung from the roof. 

 Then came two blight flames ^vaving to and fro, 

 which showed me the forms of two natives who had 

 climbed up some other chamber, and had come out 

 through an aperture far above us into the apartment 

 where we were standing. 



The Resident wa8 travelling to inspect the eoflfee- 

 gardens, and would go back up the valley to Suka 

 Bajah, the "Eajah^s Delight,''^ a large coflee-garden 

 in the ravine that leads up into the old crater of the 

 Sago. I therefore hired coolies to haul my bendy 

 over the mountain to Fort Van der Capellen, and 



30 



