Life in the forests of the Far East (vol. 1 of 2)

by Sir Spenser St. John

We did not attempt to sail, as heavy clouds were driving across the horizon, promising unsettled weather; and, in the afternoon, so heavy a squall arose, that our anchor could not hold, and we began drifting towards the shore. We hauled in the chain, but when it was nearly all on board, we were not ten feet from the coral reefs opposite Gantisan. With extreme difficulty, on account of the breaking waves, we got the smaller anchor into our boat, and sent it out fifty yards ahead, and hauling in that merely saved us from striking, as it came home as well as the larger one. For two hours we continued sending out one anchor after the other, but it did not keep us clear of the danger, as during one heavy puff our pinnace struck the coral, and we thought she would soon go to pieces; but this blast was followed by a momentary lull, during which we managed to haul out a hundred yards, and let go both anchors; and, veering out as much chain as we could, we felt comparatively safe. The storm broke on us again with great violence, but our anchors held.

For three days this dirty weather continued, blowing steadily from the south-west, and we had some difficulty in procuring supplies of rice for our men. In fact, the village had but little in store, as all communication with the Dusuns had been put a stop to on account of the cholera. It was, therefore, fortunate we had not delayed our expedition till August, for we certainly would have been turned back, as all the paths were now pamali or interdicted.

On the fifth day, the wind appearing to moderate, we set sail from Gantisan, intending to pass through the broad channel, between Gaya and Sapanggar Islands; but, when we opened the sea, the waves were breaking in white foam, and so heavy a swell came in that our pinnace could not beat against the wind: we, therefore, ran into a small harbour on the north of Gaya Island, and anchored in thirteen fathoms. In the evening we landed, but, finding the jungle tangled, did not penetrate far; and, leaving Mr. Low to botanize, I strolled along the beach to the rocky sandstone point.

I came there upon certain stones which appeared to me very curious. On the surface of some were marks, as if huge cups, three feet in diameter, were let into the rock and then filled up with a different kind of sandstone. One only did I see which was detached from the surrounding rock; it was round, with an edge two inches thick, raised three inches above the inner surface.

This little harbour is plentifully supplied with water, as several small rivulets fall into it from the surrounding high land. We could observe the waves breaking on the sands and rocks at the mouth of the Ananam, as the wind drove the sea through the narrow and dangerous passage between Gaya Island and the mainland. At night very heavy rain came on, and the wind moderated.

In the morning, though there was a heavy swell, the wind was moderate, and many fishing-boats were seen scattered over the surface of the bay. We hailed one, and the fishermen coming alongside with a large number for sale, we purchased all he had. Among them were several fish which frequent the coral rocks; one was small, slightly streaked with red, with very prickly fins, which the natives are careful to chop off before attempting to handle them, as, if wounded by one, the effect is as if poison had been injected into the flesh. There are also many others, whose fins are equally to be avoided.

Some of the fish brought alongside were as beautiful as those celebrated in the Arabian tale, where “the fisherman, looking into the lake, saw in it fish of different colours—white, and red, and blue, and yellow;” indeed, they could not have been more beautiful than ours. In fact, all that are caught on coral reefs are remarkable for the great variety of their colours; but I must particularly describe one which bore the palm from all its splendid companions. It was about ten inches in length, and had for the basis of its colours an emerald green, with a head of a lighter shade of the same hue, which was banded longitudinally with stripes of rosy pink, and lines of the same beautiful tint were placed at intervals of an eighth of an inch transversely across its whole body, the scales on which were very small. The two pectoral fins were rosy pink in the centre, surrounded by a broad band of ultramarine. The short dorsal and ventral fins, which were continued to the tail, were of the same colours, the pink being inside. The tail was ultramarine outside, and the centre part of the fin of gamboge yellow: it had no anal fins. There was another extremely beautiful one of a pea-green colour: it appeared to be of the same genus as the former.

The one streaked with red, with the poisonous fins, had firm flesh, and was rather pleasant to the taste; but in general their flavour and quality by no means equalled the brilliancy of their appearance. We placed the lovely emerald fish in a bucket of sea-water, but it soon turned on its back, and showed unmistakable signs of exhaustion. It seemed a sin to dine off so beautiful a creature. However, I suffered for it during the evening: I thought I was seized with cholera, and could scarcely get rid of the pains in the stomach; but Mr. Low did not feel any ill effects, so the fish may be harmless.

Next morning, there being a slight land breeze at early dawn, we stood out to sea, notwithstanding the heavy swell, as the leaves of our mountain collection were beginning to fade from their long confinement on board, though we had brought proper boxes in which to plant them. We soon got clear of the harbour; but no sooner did we begin to shape our course down the coast, and get to the leeward of Gaya Island, than the breeze failed us, and the roll of the China seas appeared to be forcing us on the rocky point not half a mile off. We manned our boat, and attempted to tow the pinnace off shore, but our efforts would have been in vain had not the ebb tide gradually swept us beyond the island, and thus restored to us the faint land breeze. Presently it died away, but we were now beyond immediate danger; and though the heavy swell continued, there were no waves. As the sun was warm and brilliant, we felt sure that in the afternoon we should have a fine sea breeze; so that we were proportionably annoyed when our head man came to tell us they had forgotten to replenish their casks at Gaya Island, and were now without water. We sent the boat away, as it was impossible to foretell how many days we might be at sea; but before they returned, heavy clouds began to show on the western horizon, threatening bad weather.

I never saw a more singular sight, as the long line of black cloud gradually gathered above the sea, leaving a clear space below it, and waterspouts began to form. I counted at one time seventeen, either perfect or commencing. I carefully watched the whole process: the cloud appears to dip a little, and the sea below is agitated and covered with foam; gradually a pillar begins to descend from on high with a gyrating motion, and a corresponding pillar rises from the sea. Sometimes they meet, and the whole object is completed; at others, they do not, and the water falls back into the ocean with great disturbance. I have watched them trying again and again to meet: sometimes the wind drives the cloud-pillar to an acute angle, and prevents the junction; at others, vain efforts, as vainly repeated, are made by sea and cloud. I have heard so many stories of danger to ships from these waterspouts that I always felt rather nervous when passing them in a very small vessel. Our boat being still away, we took advantage of the commencement of the sea breeze to run under one of the islets to the south of Gaya and anchor there. Between the larger island and the point of Api Api on the mainland I once attempted to pass, but we grounded on a coral reef; however, there is a passage, but a difficult one to those accustomed to the coast.