13 
house which can be Uficd as a rest house, Watet' and a bathing place are con- 
veniently near and rongli shelters have been erected by the men who visit the 
caves to collect the nests. 
In dry weather the journey from Gomantong Pangkalan to the caves is very 
attractive. The path is good, in .some places it couid almost be called a road, 
although there are some soft patches here and there. It leads through the heavy 
virgin forest of the Gomantong Forest Reserve. This reserve would form an 
admirable "nature reserve On the present occasion tracks of elephant, tembadau, 
rusa and pig were seen. A pair of orang-utans were resting in a tree not far from 
the path and birds were abundant. 
The I'iver journey between Pintasan and Gomantong Pangkalan is about 
eight and half miles in a straight line but very appreciably more wlien the course 
of the stream is followed. 
In any consideration of the line of communication between Bandakan and 
Gomantong Hill the qocstion immediately arises as to why such a roundabout 
route is followed and an obvious, more dh-ect, way of approach ignored. 
It may be that visitors to the caves are so few that it has not been considered 
worth while to make special arrangements and that, at the moment, it saves 
trouble, although not time, to travel by way of Bilit where experienced natives and 
boats are available. 
In the event of any future active administration of the caves, involving more 
fretjuent official visits such an argument would fall and the feasibility of making 
a i>ermanent approach to Gomantong via the Sapagaya river must never be forgott-en. 
It is said that a launch can get to tlie timber workings on the Sapagaya river 
at high tide : a rentis to Gonmntong Hill is then necessary. 
This short route to the caves is comparatively well known. As long ago as 
188(5, a wTiter in the "British North Borneo Hearld" (IV, \h 94) recorded making 
the return journey in one day. At 11.80 a.m. we started to walk back ( i. f. from 
the caves) to the landing on the Sapagaya liiver and arrived there at 4.30 p.m. 
We were a long time in getting down to the river to the steam launch as the 
river was low and some fallen trees blocked the path of the caves. However, we 
got off by H p.m. and amved comfortably at Handakan about 11.30. " The same 
writer recommends future visitors to the caves to take at least three days for the 
excursion ! 
From the above remarks it will be seen that under the most favom'able 
circumstances the return journey to the caves via Bilit takes at least four days, but 
this is a minimum expenditure of time not normally to be attained. Six days is 
more probable and even longer quite possible. From enquiries, admittedly rather 
BU|>erficiab I was told that the chief objection to the Sapagaya route is that the 
country between the Sapagaya River and Gomantong is flooded at certain seasons. 
Whatever the conditions are in that limited area it seems incredible that they 
do not apply in equal force to the country between Bilit and Gomantong. The 
map suggests no special adverse conditions and in the event of visits to the caves 
becoming frequent it is a sine qua non that the Sapagaya path should be reopened. 
