74 
NORTH BORNEO. 
first the Kadyans were afraid to enter into the dark subterranean passage, which seemed the 
only way to reach the space beyond, being afraid of “ hantus ” and snakes, but on doing so 
we emerged into a most beautiful tropical garden. Beyond this, and for some considerable 
distance, this scenery continued, but was occasionally interrupted by masses of fallen rock, 
under which passages led, the crevices being so small that at times we could hardly squeeze 
through them. Here, at the end, a huge reut in the cliff ran at right angles to the main 
fissure ; the end of this rent we were unable to see in the darkness, and a stone tossed in 
might be heard falling some distance into the bowels of the hill, disturbing in its course 
numbers of large horseshoe-nosed bats, which disappeared into the vaults beneath our feet 
and into the fissures beyond. Small Swifts ( Collocalict lincliii) flew about in this gloomy 
palace of theirs and into the vaults below the rocks on which we stood. Their nests might 
be seen in dozens adhering to the rocky sides of the cavern, each containing two shining 
white eggs, which were plainly visible some distance off in the gloom. Over our heads fine 
Papilios disported themselves in the bright sunlight, and a large Owl ( Ketujya ketupa), 
disturbed by our visit, slowly flapped to the further end of the chasm. Orchids and fantas¬ 
tically twisted creepers, ferns, and palms added beauty to the scene; and I stood long in 
this fairyland enjoying this beautiful sight. We passed once more through the dark 
subterrranean passages and out as it were into the world beyond: at our feet lay stretched 
a sea of everlasting green, the roof of a tropical forest; beyond this the blue sea, with its 
distant horizon broken by the island of Labuan. 
We collected several specimens of a handsome though well-known Swift ( Dendroclie - 
lidon comat a), with its plumage of bronze-brown and dark glossy blue. I also accidentally 
secured in my butterfly-net another of those extraordinary leaf-mimicking insects, Trigon- 
opteryx obligua (see illustration, page 50, fig. 1). This, unlike the grasshopper mentioned 
as obtained by me in Malacca, bore a close resemblance to a green leaf. Numbers of 
curiously formed spiders were plentiful on this river, and were known to the natives as the 
“ Manga sisir,” or Comb Spider, the body of this insect resembling slightly the comb worn 
by some native women. 
I used often to make the Kadyans row the prahu to some pretty spot on the river, and 
while they were bird-collecting would amuse myself sketching the river scenery. On one 
of these occasions a small Kingfisher ( Ceyx dillwynni ) kept settling close to me; so thinking 
by its actions that its nest must be in the vicinity, I commenced to look for it, and after a 
short search discovered a small hole in a bank, which contained two white eggs nearly 
hatched. The hole was swarming with red ants; how the Kingfisher put up with these 
unwelcome visitors I am unable to imagine. 
In the evenings we were visited by the local Kadyans, who came to chat with then 
Labuan friends. One or two of these men were formerly Muruts, but have been converted 
to Islam, and now call themselves Kadyans. They sometimes talk of the old times when 
they used to go head-hunting. One of then anecdotes will serve as a good example of how 
this custom is generally carried on. Some years ago one of these men was a member of a 
large expedition, amounting to quite a hundred Muruts. After they had been away from 
their villages some weeks, hovering on the outskirts of the enemy’s country, sending spies 
