STEAMBOATING THROUGH A GREAT FOREST
Although there was a wall of green on each side of the boat, and the
river was not more than sixty feet wide, the explorers found that
everything close to the earth was under water. If the dense jungle had
not prevented, they might have sailed inland, they knew not how many
miles. As the stream became narrower the current increased in force. The
trees were full of monkeys, and hundreds of them appeared to be in sight
all the time. They were of the most common kind to be found in Borneo,
and the yacht created no excitement among them. They were so tame that
any number of them could have been brought down by the hunters.
"The water is not so dirty as it has been everywhere below," said
Captain Scott, as the Blanchita stemmed the current without any
difficulty, where paddling a sampan must have been a laborious
occupation. "It is tolerably clear along here, and we might take our
morning bath very comfortably."
"We might if a big crocodile did not break his way through the bushes to
pay us a visit," replied Louis.
"After the experience of this morning, I am not disposed to try it
again, and I shall take my bath in a wash-bowl with a sponge, though I
am very fond of swimming. But, Louis, don't you think we have had about
enough of hunting in Borneo?"
"Enough! Why, we have not yet been a week on the island," replied Louis,
not a little astonished at the captain's question. "I have enjoyed
myself very well so far, and I certainly do not wish to leave till we
have killed at least one good-sized orang."
"It is rather stupid hunting here, for about all the country is under
water," added Scott. "There seems to be nothing but monkeys here; and
they are very small game, even if we were disposed to shoot them."
"But there are some lakes up the river, Mr. Eng told me; and I think we
shall get out of this tangle very soon; and when we come to higher
ground we will go on shore, and try our luck on foot."
The captain talked as though he had some scheme in his head which he was
not yet prepared to unfold to his companions. But what could he do?
Nothing had been said on board of the ship about coming back to Sarawak
for the hunters, and to give up hunting and exploring would be simply to
return to Kuching, and idle away the time for the next two weeks. Louis
did not like this idea at all; and yet it seemed to be the alternative
which Scott must have in his mind.
"Mias!" shouted Achang, when the conversation had proceeded so far.
"Where is your mias?" demanded Louis; for most of the party had come to
calling the orang by his Malay name.
The Bornean pointed into the forest, the trees of which were growing in
the water, though there was an undergrowth of screw-pines, which had
been abundant all along the river. They were not pines as the explorers
understood the word at home. The plant is a bush or small tree with half
a dozen or more branches angling upward from the trunk, and twisting a
little towards it, from which feature it takes its name. It has long,
lanceolated leaves, and therefore is not at all like the American pine.
"Stop her, Lane!" called the captain in a tone that "meant business."
"Back her!"
The last order was given because there was an opening through the
screw-pines which afforded a full view of the taller trees about twenty
rods farther from the stream. The captain then took the wheel from Lane,
rang the gong to go ahead; and, putting the helm hard-a-starboard, the
boat came about, headed into the opening. Looking forward, there seemed
but very few trees or bushes compared with the number along the flowing
stream.
"Do you see the mias, Louis?" asked Scott.
"I do; and he is in a very favorable position. He is a big one, and must
be a male," replied Louis, who stood at the stem with a repeating-rifle
in his hand.
"Do you see him, Flix?"
"I do; and he has a green nest in the same tree with him."
[Illustration: "YOU ARE NEAR ENOUGH, CAPTAIN."
_Page 99._]
By this time all the party had taken their rifles. The boat moved very
slowly. A seaman sounded the depth with a boathook, and reported eight
feet. As she approached the orang, the brute showed his teeth, and
uttered several successive growls, as though he understood that danger
was near; but he did not attempt to escape.
"I wonder can the blackguard swim," said Felix, who had his rifle ready
to fire.
"I have read that he is a poor swimmer," replied Louis.
"How does he get about here where the water is eight feet deep?"
"He is not as agile as the gibbon; but he can make his way from one tree
to another in the same manner, and his road is through the trees, and
not on the ground."
"Here I am, and I can't go any farther," said the captain, as he rang to
stop her. "I can't get the boat through this clump of bushes."
"You are near enough, Captain; let her rest where she is," replied
Louis, as he aimed his rifle at the orang, which was sitting on a branch
holding on with both hands.
Louis fired, and the creature fell with a loud splash into the water at
the foot of the tree. But he was not dead, and was struggling to escape.
He was evidently wounded very badly, and when the hunter saw his
opportunity he fired again. The orang had grasped a screw-pine, and he
held on, but he struggled no more. The captain had ordered the sampan
to be brought alongside, and two men were at the paddles. Louis and
Felix joined them, and they paddled towards the _game_.
"I think he is dead though he still holds on at the bush," said Louis.
"We shall soon find out," added Clingman, as he threw a slip-noose over
his head. "Heave ahead now!" he continued, as Clinch grasped the line
with him, and they pulled together.
The orang did not make any movement, and it was certain that he was
dead. When they had drawn him within a few feet of the sampan, the line
was made fast, and the men paddled to the steamer. A purchase was rigged
to the top of one of the stanchions, and the dead animal was hoisted
into the sampan.
"Now, Lane, measure him," said the captain.
The body was laid out at full length in the bottom of the boat; and the
carpenter took his length on a boathook, which he notched to indicate
the height of the animal. He was directed to take several other
measurements; in fact, Louis kept him at work for over an hour, with
another hand to assist him in spreading out the limbs. The captain
became quite impatient; for he was less a scientist than the young
millionaire, though he had a taste for natural history.
"Have you finished, Louis?" asked Scott as the former returned to the
yacht.
"All done; but Lane must sum up the results," replied Louis.
"What good will all those measurements do you?" demanded the captain
rather contemptuously.
"They will not put any money in my pocket, but I want to know the size
of the game I have killed," answered Louis, somewhat nettled by the
manner of Scott. "When a man has caught a fish he wants to know what his
prize weighs."
"All right; but I want to get a little farther into the woods here, and
I can get around the bushes ahead of her," replied the captain, who had
been studying up a course by which he could go a considerable distance
farther inland.
He backed the boat, and then went ahead very slowly, with Clingman
feeling of the bottom with the boathook. It was novel sailing through
the forest in a steam-launch, and all hands enjoyed it. The screw-pines
were rather scattered, and the forest of large trees was quite open.
After the boat had gone about half a mile, as the captain judged,
Clingman made a report.
"By the mark, one," said he, as the depth is given with the lead, in
fathoms.
"Six feet; we are shoaling," added Captain Scott. "Try it again."
"Five feet," returned the seaman.
The steamer continued on her course, with Scott at the wheel, for some
time longer. The dry land could be seen through the trees at no great
distance ahead. The boat continued on her course for a quarter of an
hour, when Clingman call out a depth which caused the captain to ring
the gong to stop her. The last report was three feet, and the keel was
evidently grinding through the soft mud. Then he rang to back her; and
when she had increased her depth to four feet, he struck the gong to
stop her.
"Dinner is ready, gentlemen," said Pitts.
"We must attend to that before we do anything more," added the captain.
"Keep a sharp lookout ahead, Clingman."
The party went into the after cabin, and the novelty of dining on board
of a steamer in the woods was sufficiently inspiring to add a big
interest to the occasion.
"What have you got for dinner, Pitts?" asked Felix, as he entered the
cabin. "Have you got any stewed crocodiles?"
"Not a croc, Mr. McGavonty," replied the cook.
"Any boiled orang-outang?"
"Not an orang. The captain bought six dozens of eggs at the village
where we stopped yesterday, and I have ham and eggs for dinner, which I
hope will suit you," replied Pitts.
"The best thing in the world for me. Whisper! Are they crocodiles'
eggs?"
"Not a bit of it, sir."
The principal dish proved to be very satisfactory to the boys, whose
appetites had been sharpened by the exercise of the forenoon. The
cuisine had been very good along the rivers, for Pitts had generally
been the caterer as well as the cook and steward. Chickens and eggs had
been plentiful enough, and at the town he had obtained some fish. There
was no fresh beef or mutton. They had a barrel of excellent salt beef
from the stores of the ship; and Pitts made a splendid hash, which
suited all hands better than almost anything else.
While they were at dinner the steward brought in Lane's report of the
measurements of the orang Louis had shot. It was given to the Captain at
the head of the table; and he read it off: "Height, 4 feet, 5-1/4
inches; arms spread out full length, from end to end of longest fingers,
7 feet, 10 inches; length of arm, 3 feet, 3 inches; length of hand,
10-1/2 inches; length of foot, 12-1/4 inches; round the waist, 4 feet, 2
inches. Four men estimated on the weight, and the average is 185
pounds.'"
"Big mias," said Achang.
"Do you think you can skin and stuff him, Achang?" asked Louis.
"Know I can; have done it with naturalist."
"Then you may go to work on it as soon as you please, and I will give
you five dollars for the job," added Louis. "Take your time, and do it
well."
"Where I work? Sampan no good."
"I can make a place in the waist," said the captain; "besides, I want
the small boat, for we can see higher land farther in, and I wish to go
ashore there; we may find some shooting."
The boxes and barrels were moved farther forward and aft, and a workshop
made for the Bornean. The sampan was cleaned out when the hands had
finished their dinner, and the "Big Four," embarked in it. They did
their own paddling, for there was not room enough for any more in the
boat without crowding. Each of them carried a rifle. It was but a short
distance, and the party were soon on the dry land.
Louis had hardly put his feet on the shore when he levelled his gun and
fired. A moment later Felix followed his example; and each of them had
brought down a deer. They rushed forward to secure their game; and then
the other two hunters discharged their rifles, and a couple of wild pigs
rolled over on the ground. It was plain that they had struck a spot
where hunters seldom came. If there was any more game near, the report
of the guns had driven it off.
"That was pretty well for a five minutes' hunt," said Louis when he and
Felix had dragged the two deer to the water. "I think we had better stay
here over night, and hunt on high ground to-morrow."
"That wouldn't do, Louis, and I should not dare to keep the Blanchita
here over night," replied Captain Scott.
"Why not?"
"The water is high and low up here by turns, and I am afraid I should
find the yacht on the bottom in the morning," replied Scott. "Then we
could not get her out of the woods, and might have to stay here a week
or two, waiting for water to float her. No, no; I won't take the risk."
The game was dragged to the shore, and loaded into the sampan; for the
appalling picture the captain had made of low water induced them all to
hurry on board of the yacht.