We were bound for Kuching, the capital town of the province of Sarawak
in Borneo, where Mr Brooke, who went out in 1839 in his yacht the
"Royalist," had, by his judgment and intrepidity, established a thriving
community, of which he had been appointed the chief or rajah. The
captain and supercargo had mapped out our future course. This was to be
along the north coast of Borneo, through the Sooloo archipelago, across
the sea of Celebes to the coast of Papua, and thence through the Banda
sea to Timor, whence we were to return home along the southern coast of
Java. It took two days to get up to Kuching, the capital of the
province of Sarawak, after we had entered the mouth of the river on the
banks of which it stands. On either side were hills covered with
jungle, with here and there clearings where the peaceably-disposed
natives had established themselves.
Mr Blyth and I had an opportunity, in company with a gentleman who was
making a shooting expedition, of taking a trip into the interior. I
wish that I could describe the magnificent vegetation, the gigantic
trees, and the curious animals we saw. One of the most curious was the
mias. What is a mias? will be asked. It is the native name of the
far-famed ourang-outang, the principal wild inhabitants of this region.
We were proceeding through the forest, with our guns, when one of our
Dyak companions came running up to tell us that he had seen a mias, and
that if we made haste we might be in time to shoot it.
We hurried on, the Dyak leading the way, until we entered a thick
jungle. He pointed to a tree far above our heads. Upon looking up we
saw a great hairy body and a huge black face gazing down upon us, as if
wondering what strange creatures we could be. Mr Blyth and our friend
fired; whether they had hit the mias we could not tell, but it began to
move away among the higher branches at a rapid rate. Led by the Dyak we
followed, when again we caught sight of it on the branch of a tree,
where it remained for a minute or more. By this time we were joined by
several other Dyaks, whose shouts appeared to frighten the
ourang-outang, which tried to get along the edge of the forest by some
lower trees, keeping, however, beyond the reach of our rifles. The
Dyaks, flourishing their weapons, rushed on ahead of us hoping to have
the honour of killing the monster. We had lost sight of them for a few
seconds, when we heard fearful shrieks and shouts, and running forward,
we saw that the mias had either voluntarily descended the tree, or had
fallen to the ground, and had rushed at one of the natives, who, unable
to escape, was standing with his spear ready to defend himself. We were
afraid in attempting to kill the mias that we might shoot the native,
when, just as the creature was about to seize the man with its mouth and
formidable claws, our friend fired and the animal fell, shot through the
heart.
On measuring the mias, from the top of its head to its heel, we found
that it was four feet two inches long, while its outstretched arms
measured seven feet three inches across. Its head and body were of the
size of a man's, the legs being very short in proportion. This mias was
of the larger species, many being under four feet high, and some of the
females not more than three feet six inches.
We saw a frog, with large web feet and inflated body, fly from the top
of a tall tree. It was about four inches long, the back and limbs of a
shining black hue, with yellow beneath. Our friend had promised us a
rich treat at supper, and he produced a fruit which he told us was the
Durian. It was of the size of a large cocoa-nut, the husk of a green
colour, and covered all over with short stout spines. It grows on a
lofty tree, somewhat resembling the elm. It falls immediately it is
ripe; but the outer rind is so tough that it is never broken by the
fall. There are marks which show where it may be divided into five
portions; these are of a satin whiteness, and each one is filled with an
oval mass of cream-coloured pulp, in which are two or three seeds about
the size of chestnuts. This pulp is the eatable part. Its consistency
is that of a rich custard. As to describing its taste, that is more
than I can do. It is not acid, nor is it sweet, nor juicy, but yet, as
we ate it, we agreed that none of these qualities were wanting, and that
it was the most delicious fruit we had ever met with. The Mangosteen,
which comes to perfection in Borneo, is another splendid fruit of a
sub-acid flavour, better known than the Durian. But I must not stop to
give long descriptions either of the animals or fruits we met with.
Blyth and I had to return, as we could not long be absent from the brig.
Often had the now smiling plantations through which we passed been
plundered by blood-thirsty pirates, and the heads of their inhabitants
carried off. A visitor on board gave us dreadful accounts of the
atrocities committed by the pirates in the seas through which we were to
sail.
"We will show them that they had better not attack us," observed Captain
Haiselden, pointing to our guns. "The `Lily' is a match for all their
fleets put together."
"Not if the `Lily' is caught at anchor or in a calm; you may then find
that they are too much for her," was the answer. "These prahus often
carry sixty men or more, with guns and small arms, and you would find it
no easy matter, were you to be attacked, to beat them off."
"They'll not stop us; but we will keep a bright look-out for them,"
answered Captain Haiselden.
We had a fine breeze as we ran along the coast of Borneo, and although
we saw in the distance not a few long suspicious-looking prahus, we
sailed too fast for them to overtake us. We saw one of these crafts
lately captured, which had been brought to Kuching. She was about
ninety feet in length, and of proportionate beam. In the bow she
carried a long twelve-pounder gun, and six swivels on each broadside,
besides which she had thirty or forty rifles or muskets on board, and
other small arms, swords, pistols, and pikes. She pulled eighty oars in
two tiers, and had had a crew of a hundred men. Over the rowers,
extending the whole length of the vessel, was a light flat roof composed
of fine strips of bamboo covered with matting, which, notwithstanding
its lightness, was very strong. This deck served as a platform, on
which the fighting men stand to fire their muskets or hurl their spears,
while the rowers below them sit cross-legged on a shelf projecting
outwards from the bends of the vessel.
The Dyak piratical vessels are called "Bang Kongs." Although they are a
hundred feet in length by ten in beam, they draw but little water, and
are both light and faster than the Malay prahus. They have long
overhanging stems and sterns, are propelled by eighty paddles, and are
as swift as any craft afloat. Some mount a few small swivels, and each
carries a certain number of Malays armed with muskets, besides which
they have their regular crew of Dyaks, whose weapons are spears. From
drawing so little water they are much dreaded, as they can run up the
shallowest river, when their savage crews, landing, commit most horrible
atrocities on the inhabitants living near the banks.
We had left Sarawak about three days, when it fell almost calm; still
the vessel was making some way through the water. I was stationed
forward to keep a look-out. As I turned my eyes around the horizon
ahead I fancied that I could distinguish what appeared just like a small
number of black dots rising above it. Before I sang out, however,
asking the boatswain, who had come on the forecastle to take my place, I
ran aloft, with a spy-glass slung to my back, to satisfy myself whether
I was right or not. Reaching the fore-topmast cross-trees, I took a
steady look in the direction I had seen the dots I was convinced that
they were prahus, though whether large or small I could not be certain,
pulling towards the coast of Borneo. I counted six altogether. On my
return I went aft to report what I had seen to the captain.
"We will keep away a little, and pass astern of them. They may possibly
not have seen us, or if they have, they'll think it prudent not to come
nearer."
The first mate on hearing my report also went aloft, and on his return
corroborated it. I confess that I felt somewhat uneasy at the sight of
these vessels. They might be peaceable traders, but they might be
pirates, who, should they find us becalmed, might try to obtain a rich
booty such as our vessel would afford them.
I was surprised that my uncle and the captain took the matter so coolly.
I watched the strangers until they were no longer to be seen from the
deck. After some time we again hauled up and stood on our course to the
eastward. Later in the day, on going aloft, I again caught sight of the
prahus, as I believed them to be, but as they were very low in the
water, they were scarcely visible to any but a sharp pair of eyes, such
as I possessed.
In the afternoon I was taking a turn on deck with Mr Blyth, the captain
and first mate being below, and the third mate in charge of the brig,
when I observed a small cloud coming up on the port bow.
"There's wind in that cloud, I'm sure," I said to my companion. "I'll
point it out to the mate, for he doesn't seem to see it." I did so.
"That's all you know about the matter, youngster," he answered in a
scornful tone.
"We shall be taken aback if we don't shorten sail, and I don't know what
will happen," I remarked to Blyth, when I rejoined him. "I have a good
mind to run down and tell the first mate."
Scarcely had I said this, and was about to spring down the
companion-hatch, when Mr Ling sang out--
"Ready, about ship!"
The helm was put down, the yards were being braced round, and the brig's
head brought to the wind, when, as I looked up, I saw every sail aback.
At that moment I heard the voice of the captain, who had just come on
deck, shouting, "All hands shorten sail and save ship," but the order
was given too late. The squall I had seen coming up just then struck
her, and in one moment, with a fearful crash, the main-mast fell. I
should have been crushed had I not by tumbling head first down the
hatchway avoided it; the next instant the foremast followed, and the
bob-stays giving way, dragged the bowsprit on board. The moment the
crash was heard the first mate sprang up the companion-ladder shooting
me with his head on deck again. I looked round expecting to see many of
the crew killed. My eye first fell on Mr Blyth, who was holding on by
a stanchion, and apparently uninjured. The second mate, too, excepting
a blow on the shoulder, had escaped, while of the crew, though they
looked very much astonished, not a man was seriously hurt. Several of
them, indeed, who had been below, had only rushed up on hearing the
crash of the falling masts. They were gazing with open eyes on the
utterly dismantled state of the brig, lately so taunt and trim, waiting
for the captain's orders what to do. But what had become of him? He
was nowhere to be seen. At first I feared that he had been knocked
overboard, but as I looked about I caught sight of a man's legs sticking
out from under a mass of sails and rigging. Knowing that it must be the
captain, I ran to drag him out, calling on Blyth to assist me.
We soon got him free, but he did not move; we feared that he was dead.
At Blyth's suggestion, with the help of two of the men, we carried him
below and placed him on his bed.
Greatly to our relief he in a short time began to show signs of life.
"He will soon come round," said Blyth; "I will watch him, so do you go
on deck, Harry, where I am sure you will be wanted, and tell the first
mate how he is getting on."