“25th.—The morning was cold and raw; but cleared up as the sun rose. At 7 we started, and at a quarter past 10 reached the mouth of the Ugong Passer and thence into the Riam. Thus it took us 11¼ hours, with a strong ebb tide, to pull the distance. We had ascended the river from the junction of the Ugong Passer. Mr. Murrayʼs plan of the river will show the distance as taken of each reach, together with its bearing. The ebb tide lasted us some distance up the Riam; but the flood making, we entered a small creek, called Tarusongong, scarce wide enough for the boat to get through, and entirely overarched with the Nepa palm. The general direction of the creek was N.W., and we emerged from it into the Boyur river; and pulling through several reaches, got into the Quop,[4] and thence, after a while, into the Morotaba; from the Morotaba into the Sarāwak river, reaching the schooner at sunset, all well and happy. Thus ended our first cruise into the interior of Borneo.”
[1] The old name for the town of Sarāwak.
[2] Aloes wood, Lignum aloes.
[3] The Malay name for the betel, the aromatic leaves of which are chewed along with the pinang or areca nut, a little pure lime, and various spices.
[4] The banks of the Boyur and Quop are Nepa palm.
CHAPTER III.
Second Cruise: up the River Lundu.—The Sibnowan Dyaks—Their Town of Tungong.—Their Physical Proportions, and Words of their Language.—Their Customs.—Skull-trophies.—Religious Ceremonies and Opinions.—Their Ornaments.—Appearance of both Sexes.—Dress and Morals.—Missionary Prospects of Conversion, and Elevation in the Social Scale.—Government, Laws, and Punishments.—Dances.—Iron Manufacturing.—Chinese Settlement.—Excursion continued.
“Aug. 30th.—Our flotilla, constituted as before, quitted Sarāwak with the ebb tide, and reached Santobong, at the mouth of the river, soon after the flood had made. We waited for the turn of the tide; and in wandering along the sand, I had a shot at a wild hog, but unluckily missed. I likewise saw a deer, very like a red deer, and nearly as large. The hog I fired at was a dirty white, with a black head, very unlike in this particular to any wild hogs I have hitherto seen either in India or Europe; but several young pigs, likewise seen, were black.