Produced by Annie R. McGuire
[Illustration]
THE BOY TRAVELLERS IN THE FAR EAST
_PART THIRD_
* * * * *
ADVENTURES OF TWO YOUTHS IN A JOURNEY
TO
CEYLON AND INDIA
WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF BORNEO, THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS
AND BURMAH
BY
THOMAS W. KNOX
AUTHOR OF
"THE YOUNG NIMRODS" "CAMP-FIRE AND COTTON-FIELD" "OVERLAND THROUGH ASIA"
"UNDERGROUND" "JOHN" "HOW TO TRAVEL" ETC.
Illustrated
NEW YORK
HARPER & BROTHERS, FRANKLIN SQUARE
1882
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1881, by
HARPER & BROTHERS,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
* * * * *
_All rights reserved._
PREFACE
This volume completes the series of "The Boy Travellers in the Far
East." It attempts to describe Ceylon and India, together with Borneo,
the Philippine Islands, and Burmah, in the same manner that the
preceding volumes gave an account of Japan, China, Siam, Java,
Cochin-China, Cambodia, and the Malay Archipelago.
Frank and Fred have continued their journey under the guidance of Doctor
Bronson, and the plan of their travels is identical with that previously
followed. The words of the last preface may be repeated in this: "The
incidents of the narrative were mainly the experiences of the author at
a recent date; and the descriptions of countries, cities, temples,
people, manners, and customs are nearly all from his personal
observations and notes. He has endeavored to give a faithful account of
Ceylon, India, Burmah, and the Philippine Islands as they appear to-day,
and trusts that the only fiction of the book is in the names of the
individuals who tell the story."
As in the foregoing volumes, the narrative has been interrupted
occasionally, in order to introduce matters of general interest to
juvenile readers. The author hopes that the chapters on meteors,
sea-serpents, and outrigger boats will meet the same welcome that was
accorded to the episode of a whaling voyage, in the first volume, and
the digressions concerning naval architecture, submarine explorations,
and the adventures of Marco Polo, in the second.
The publishers have kindly allowed the use of illustrations that have
appeared in previous publications, in addition to those specially
prepared for this volume. The author has consulted the works of previous
travellers in the Far East to supplement his own information, and is
under obligations to several of them. As in the last volume, he is
specially indebted to Mr. Frank Vincent, Jr., author of "The Land of the
White Elephant," for his descriptions of Burmah, and for the use of
several of the engravings relative to that country. Other authorities
have been generally credited in the text of the work, or in foot-notes
to the pages where quotations are made.
In their departure from Bombay, Frank and Fred have left the Far East
behind them; but, as they are yet a long way from home, they can hardly
be said to have finished their travels. It is quite possible that they
may be heard from again, in the company of their good friend, the
Doctor, and may allow us, as they have heretofore, to glance at their
letters to friends at home.
T. W. K.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I. DEPARTURE FROM JAVA.--VOYAGE TO BORNEO. 15
CHAPTER II. AN EXCURSION IN BORNEO.--STORY OF RAJAH BROOKE. 24
CHAPTER III. ARRIVAL AT MANILLA.--FIRST DAY ON SHORE. 37
CHAPTER IV. AN EVENING PROMENADE.--VILLAGE LIFE NEAR MANILLA. 48
CHAPTER V. AN EXCURSION TO THE INTERIOR.--BUFFALOES AND
AGRICULTURE. 58
CHAPTER VI. HUNTING IN LUZON.--CROCODILES AND GREAT SNAKES. 71
CHAPTER VII. HUNTING THE DEER AND WILD BOAR.--RESULTS OF THE
CHASE. 83
CHAPTER VIII. SHOOTING BATS AND IGUANAS.--VISITING THE HOT
SPRINGS. 94
CHAPTER IX. AN EXCURSION AMONG THE MOUNTAINS.--RETURN TO
MANILLA.--AN EARTHQUAKE. 104
CHAPTER X. FROM MANILLA TO SINGAPORE, AND UP THE STRAITS OF
MALACCA.--A DAY AT PULO PENANG. 121
CHAPTER XI. SHOOTING-STARS AND THEIR CHARACTER.--A REMARKABLE
VOYAGE. 133
CHAPTER XII. FIRST DAY IN BURMAH.--THE GOLDEN PAGODA. 145
CHAPTER XIII. A VOYAGE UP THE IRRAWADDY.--SCENES ON THE GREAT
RIVER. 156
CHAPTER XIV. UP THE IRRAWADDY.--MANDALAY.--AUDIENCE WITH THE
KING OF BURMAH. 170
CHAPTER XV. LEAVING BURMAH.--CAPTURING A SEA-SNAKE.--STORIES
OF THE SEA-SERPENT. 182
CHAPTER XVI. ARRIVAL IN CEYLON.--CINGALESE BOATS.--PRECIOUS
STONES OF THE EAST. 195
CHAPTER XVII. SIGHTS IN POINT DE GALLE.--OVERLAND TO COLOMBO. 207
CHAPTER XVIII. SIGHTS IN COLOMBO.--RAILWAY JOURNEY TO KANDY. 219
CHAPTER XIX. AROUND KANDY.--BOTANICAL GARDENS AND COFFEE
PLANTATIONS.--ADVENTURES WITH SNAKES. 230
CHAPTER XX. TRAVELLING IN CEYLON.--ENCOUNTER WITH A
BUFFALO.--FROM KANDY TO NEWERA-ELLIA. 245
CHAPTER XXI. SCENERY AT NEWERA-ELLIA.--ASCENT OF ADAM'S PEAK. 257
CHAPTER XXII. FROM CEYLON TO INDIA.--A MARINE ENTERTAINMENT.--THE
STORY OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 269
CHAPTER XXIII. SIGHTS IN PONDICHERRY.--THE FRENCH EAST
INDIES.--VOYAGE TO MADRAS. 282
CHAPTER XXIV. SIGHTS AND SCENES IN MADRAS.--THE INDIAN FAMINE. 293
CHAPTER XXV. FROM MADRAS TO CALCUTTA.--THE TEMPLE AND CAR OF
JUGGERNAUT. 306
CHAPTER XXVI. SIGHTS AND SCENES IN CALCUTTA. 322
CHAPTER XXVII. CALCUTTA, CONTINUED.--DEPARTURE FOR BENARES. 337
CHAPTER XXVIII. NORTHWARD BY RAIL.--OPIUM CULTURE.--ARRIVAL AT
BENARES. 348
CHAPTER XXIX. SIGHTS IN BENARES.--THE MONKEY
TEMPLE.--SARNATH.--BUDDHISM. 359
CHAPTER XXX. BENARES TO LUCKNOW.--SIGHTS IN THE CAPITAL OF
OUDE.--THE RELIEF OF LUCKNOW. 373
CHAPTER XXXI. LUCKNOW TO CAWNPORE AND AGRA.--TAJ MAHAL AND
FUTTEHPOOR SIKRA. 390
CHAPTER XXXII. IN AND AROUND DELHI.--DEPARTURE FOR SIMLA AND THE
HIMALAYAS. 406
CHAPTER XXXIII. FROM UMBALLAH TO SIMLA.--EXCURSION AMONG THE
HIMALAYAS. 419
CHAPTER XXXIV. HUNTING-SCENES IN INDIA.--PURSUIT OF THE TIGER ON
FOOT AND WITH ELEPHANTS. 431
CHAPTER XXXV. FROM SIMLA TO ALLAHABAD AND BOMBAY.--A GREAT
HINDOO FESTIVAL.--CASTES. 443
CHAPTER XXXVI. A SHORT HISTORY OF INDIA.--THE SEPOY
MUTINY.--PRESENT CONDITION OF THE ARMY IN
INDIA. 457
CHAPTER XXXVII. BOMBAY.--THE TOWERS OF SILENCE.--CAVES OF
ELEPHANTA.--FAREWELL TO INDIA. 469
ILLUSTRATIONS.
An Indian Scene. _Frontispiece_
Map. _To face page_ 15
Outward Bound. 15
Chinese Horse-shoeing. 17
The British Isles and Borneo Compared. 19
Ascending the River. 20
A Fruit-store in Sarawak. 21
A Dyak Youth. 23
Scene on the River. 24
Leaf Butterfly in Flight and Repose. 26
A Floating Island. 28
Bridge of Bamboo in Borneo. 30
Remarkable Beetles in Borneo. 31
American Missionary Station in Borneo. 35
Sunset in the China Sea. 36
Map of the Philippine Islands. 37
Scene on Manilla Bay. 38
Coast Scene in the Philippine Islands. 40
Barge and House on the Pasig. 41
Old Bridge at Manilla. 43
A Manilla Dandy. 43
A Native Girl in Manilla. 44
Native Amusements. 45
Spanish Galleons on their Way over the Pacific. 46
Mouth of the Bay of Manilla. 47
View of Manilla from the Binondo Suburb. 48
A Creole in European Dress. 50
Spanish Metis. 50
Chinese Metis. 51
Spanish Metis of the Wealthy Class. 52
Palm-tree in the Botanical Garden. 53
Life in the Water. 55
Horns of the Buffalo. 56
Native House in the Suburbs of Manilla. 57
A Group of Natives of Manilla. 58
View on the River Pasig. 60
Scene on the Shore. 62
A Bamboo Fishing-raft. 63
A Stampede of Buffaloes. 64
Shooting a Buffalo. 66
A Native Plough in Luzon. 67
A Buffalo Yoke. 68
Native Wooden Plough and Yoke for Oxen. 68
The Comb Harrow. 69
Tagal Indians Cleaning Rice. 70
Cascade near Jala-Jala. 72
The House at Jala-Jala. 73
Stacking Rice in the Philippine Islands. 74
The Philippine Locust. 75
A Native Woman Seized by a Crocodile. 77
A Huge Captive. 78
A Wild Boar Attacked by a Boa-constrictor. 80
Fight with a Great Snake. 81
A Stag-hunt in Luzon with Horses and Dogs. 82
A Howling Monkey. 84
Deer in a Tropical Forest. 85
Pond Scene in Luzon. 86
A Pavava. 88
Skull of Babirusa. 90
Frank's Prize--a Butterfly. 92
Fred's Prize--the Mud-laff. 93
Indians Hunting Turtles' Eggs. 96
How a Bat Sleeps. 98
The Iguana. 98
Paul P. de la Gironiere. 99
The Girl with the Long Hair. 100
A Primitive Loom in the Philippine Islands. 102
The Banana. 103
An Alcalde and his Constable. 105
An Avenue of Palm-trees. 106
A Village Clock. 108
A Volcano in Repose. 109
Indians of the Interior. 110
Travelling through the Forest in Luzon. 111
Street Scene during an Earthquake. 112
Destruction of Messina in 1783. 115
Italian Peasants Ingulfed by Crevasses. 116
A Submarine Eruption. 117
United States War-steamer "Wateree,"
Stranded at Arica in 1868. 119
On the Way to Singapore. 121
Bay on the Coast of Sumatra. 123
Coast Scene in the Straits of Malacca. 124
Palm-trees in Pulo Penang. 127
A Suburban Cottage. 128
A Penang Butterfly. 129
Humming-birds. 130
A Travelling Blacksmith. 131
First View of the Meteor. 133
Explosion of the Meteor. 134
The Santa Rosa Aerolite. 136
Melbourne Aerolite. 137
Structure of the Texas Aerolite. 138
River-boats in Burmah. 140
Out on the Waters. 140
A Wreck at Sea. 141
A Flying-fish. 142
Landing on the Beach. 144
Creek Leading from the Rangoon River. 146
Great Shoay Dagon, or Golden Pagoda. 148
Statue of Buddha in the Golden Pagoda. 150
A Burmese Woman. 152
A Burmese Judge and his Attendants. 153
Burmese River Scene. 154
Native Fort Captured by British Troops. 155
Native Boat on the Irrawaddy. 157
Native House near the River. 158
Malay "Sampan," or River-boat. 159
A Burmese Temple. 161
A Composite Crew. 164
An Eastern Water-fall. 165
Monastery at Prome. 166
Mrs. Judson Visiting her Husband in Prison. 168
Mrs. Judson Teaching a Class of Native
Converts. 169
Barracks on the Frontier. 170
View of Mandalay, Capital of the Kingdom of
Ava, or Burmah. 172
Boat Drawn by a Bullock. 173
The Royal Palace at Mandalay. 177
Copy of an Old Burmese Painting. 178
Mountain Gorge on the Upper Part of the River. 180
Coast of the Andaman Islands. 183
Sea-snake of the Indian Ocean and Fox-shark. 185
Restored Fossil Reptiles of New Jersey. 188
Cuttle-fish Attacking a Chinese Junk. 189
Captain Lawrence de Ferry's Sea-serpent. 190
Head of Captain M'Quhae's Serpent. 192
Captain M'Quhae's Sea-serpent. 193
Outrigger Boat from Ladrone Islands. 196
Double Canoe, Friendly Islands. 197
Double Canoe, Society Islands. 197
Feejee Island Canoe. 198
American Modification of a Savage Boat. 200
Scene on the Coast of Ceylon. 202
Ruins of a Portuguese Church. 203
A Young Native at Breakfast. 204
View of the Coast near Galle Harbor. 206
A Street in Point de Galle. 207
An Army of Ants on the Move. 208
Entrance to the Cinnamon Gardens. 210
Donkey and Pack-saddle. 213
Gathering Cocoa-nuts. 214
A Young Cocoa-palm. 215
Nests of the Toddy-bird. 215
Residence of a Wealthy Foreigner. 217
Scene on the Coast near Colombo. 218
A Business Street in the "Black Town". 220
Moorish Merchants of Ceylon. 221
A Suburban Scene. 222
A Group of Tamil Coolies. 223
Cingalese Men. 224
Cingalese Women. 225
A Cheap Comb. 226
Cashew-nut. 226
A Coolie at Prayers. 227
The Wild Forest. 228
Young Palms in the Botanic Garden. 231
India-rubber-tree. 232
Residence of a Coffee-planter. 233
View on a Coffee Estate. 234
Plantation Laborers. 236
Shed on a Coffee Plantation. 237
Pleasures of a Morning Walk. 238
Fight between a Hawk and a Snake. 240
Fight between a Black Snake and a Rattle-snake. 241
The Lotos Flower. 243
The Last of the Giants. 247
Tank Scene in Ceylon. 248
Elephants at Home. 249
Tying up an Elephant. 250
Elephants under a Banyan-tree. 251
A Native Treed by a Buffalo Cow and Calf. 252
A Dangerous Predicament. 253
Native House and Children. 255
A Tropical Fern. 257
Waiting for the Races. 259
Scorpion. 261
Centipede. 261
A View in the Foot-hills. 262
Natives of the Forest. 263
Temple on Adam's Peak. 265
Tropical Growth near Ratnapoora. 266
A Morning Caller. 267
Evening Visitors. 268
Temple and Trees at Tuticorin. 269
A Fashionable "Hackery". 272
Eastern Mode of Feeding Oxen. 273
Part of a Hindoo Pagoda. 275
Robinson Crusoe. 277
The Shipwreck. 277
Landing of Robinson Crusoe. 277
Crusoe's Equipment. 278
Crusoe and his Gun. 278
Crusoe and his Pets. 279
Crusoe's Castle. 279
Arrival of Friday. 280
Portrait of the Hero. 280
A Sail! a Sail! 281
Going Ashore. 282
Natives in the Surf. 283
Scene near Pondicherry. 284
House in the European Quarter. 286
An Indian Woman. 287
An Indian Man. 287
A Serpent-charmer. 288
Masullah-boats in the Surf at Madras. 290
A Catamaran. 291
Hindoo Native of Madras. 292
Western Entrance of Fort George. 293
Governor's Residence, Fort George. 294
Hump-backed Cow. 295
Madras Dhobies, or Washermen. 296
A Madras Bungalow. 297
A Pankhâ-wallah. 299
Native Merchant of Madras. 301
A Madras Palkee. 304
Inhabitants of Pooree. 307
Plan of the Temple of Juggernaut. 309
Jaganath and his Brother and Sister. 310
A Hindoo Devotee. 312
The Car of Juggernaut. 314
A Tropical Morning at Sea. 316
Bayou in Saugur Island. 317
Diamond Harbor. 319
Scene on the Hoogly. 320
River Scene below Calcutta. 322
Bumboat on the Hoogly. 324
Landing-place at Calcutta. 325
Street Scene in Calcutta. 326
A Native Nurse. 328
The Maidan, or Esplanade, of Calcutta. 331
A Collision. 332
An Unpleasant Occurrence. 333
Harbor of Calcutta. 335
The Burning Ghaut at Calcutta. 338
Parasitical Vines on a Tree. 339
The Cotton-tree. 340
Bengalee Water-carriers. 342
Native Woman of Bengal. 344
Part of Black Town, Calcutta. 345
Railway Travelling in India. 350
Coolies Going to the Poppy-fields. 351
Shop of an Opium Merchant. 353
Coolies Cooking. 354
Scene on the River. 355
Boatmen Ashore. 356
Cooking Breakfast. 357
A Window in Benares. 360
Part of the Water Front of Benares. 362
Temple at Manikarnika. 364
Mosque of Aurengzebe the Great. 366
A Street near the Great Mosque. 367
An Elephant Ride. 369
Buddhist Tower at Sarnath. 370
Carving on the Tower at Sarnath. 371
Water-bearing Ox at Benares. 372
A Jeweller of Benares. 373
A Pious Pilgrim. 375
Religious Beggars at Benares. 376
The Imambara at Lucknow. 378
The Martiniere. 380
Dyers at Lucknow. 381
The Residency at Lucknow. 383
Merchants of Lucknow. 386
An Old Sikh. 387
Low-caste Inhabitants of Cawnpore. 391
The Memorial Well at Cawnpore. 392
View of the Taj Mahal from the Garden. 395
Gate-way of Garden, Taj Mahal. 396
Front View of the Taj Mahal. 397
The Princess of Shah Jehan. 398
Gate-way of Secundra Garden. 400
Tomb of the Emperor Akbar at Agra. 402
Entrance to the Great Mosque of Durgah. 403
The Panch Mahal. 405
Scene on the Chandni Chowk, Delhi. 407
Merchants of Delhi. 409
The Dewan-i-khas, Delhi. 411
Jamma Musjid, or Great Mosque. 413
The Kuttub Minar. 415
The Iron Pillar. 416
Trees in the Court-yard of the Mosque. 417
The Dawk Garry. 419
Horseback-ride in the Himalayas. 420
A Bareilly Dandy. 421
A Ton-Jon. 422
View of the Himalayas. 423
Gathering Tea-leaves in India. 425
A Model Cook. 426
Climbing-plant in the Himalayas. 427
Door of a Temple, and Praying-machines. 428
Saddle-oxen in the Himalayas. 429
A Thibetan Dog. 430
Tiger-hunting from Mychan, or Shooting-box. 433
An Awkward Predicament. 435
Procession of Tiger-hunters on Foot. 436
A Grapple with a Tiger. 438
A Narrow Escape. 439
A Wild Boar Attacking a Panther. 441
Hindoo Fakirs Cutting themselves with Knives. 444
A Pilgrim Carrying Religious Relics. 446
Moslem School at Allahabad. 448
Hindoo Robbers in Prison. 450
Thugs Awaiting Trial at Allahabad. 451
Vestibule of the Great Temple at Ellora. 453
Interior of Temple Hewn from the Rock. 455
Mural Sculptures at Ellora. 456
Railway Viaduct in the Mountains. 457
Hindoo Girl of High Caste. 459
A Native Prince of India, with his Sons. 462
Reception of Travellers. 464
Trial of a Mutineer. 466
English Officers in India. 467
Bombay and its Environs. 470
A Parsee Merchant. 471
Parsee School Children. 473
A Parsee Tower of Silence, near Teheran. 475
A Bunder-boat. 476
The Caves of Elephanta. 478
Cotton Market at Bombay. 479
Serpents Dancing to Music. 481
Farewell to India. 483
[Illustration: _Map to accompany "The Boy Travellers in the Far East"_]
CHAPTER I.
DEPARTURE FROM JAVA.--VOYAGE TO BORNEO.
The conference over the route to be followed from Batavia was long and
animated. Frank and Fred each proposed at least a dozen plans, but as
fast as a scheme was suggested it was overthrown in consequence of
unforeseen difficulties.
While they were in the midst of their discussion, Doctor Bronson left
the room, and soon returned with a newspaper in his hand. The boys
looked up, and by the smile on his face they at once understood that he
held the solution of the puzzle. So they pushed aside the maps, and
waited for him to speak.
"We start to-morrow morning," said the Doctor, "and must send our heavy
baggage away in an hour."
"All right," responded the boys, cheerily; "we can be ready in half that
time if necessary," Fred added, as he rose from the table, and was
followed by Frank.
True to their promise, they were back again in less than half an hour,
and declared that all was ready. The Doctor had been occupied with his
trunks while the boys were preparing their effects, and as he had more
to attend to than they, he was not quite as prompt. But before the end
of the hour he joined them, and then the porter of the hotel was
summoned to take away the baggage and see it safely on board the
steamer.
"Now we shall know where we're going," said Frank, "and I suppose the
Doctor's newspaper has something to do with our movements."
"Quite correct," the Doctor responded; "it has very much to do with
them."
Then he opened the sheet, which was nothing more nor less than a paper
printed at Batavia, in the Dutch language. He directed their attention
to an advertisement, and they were not long in spelling it out and
divining its meaning. It was to the effect that a steamer was to sail
early the next day for Borneo and the Philippine Islands. The Doctor
explained that he was fortunate enough to find the captain of this
vessel in the office of the hotel, and had arranged for them to take
passage on her to Sarawak and Manilla.
"I understand," said Frank, "Sarawak is in Borneo, and Manilla is the
capital of the Philippine Islands. We shall visit both those places."
"Yes," replied Doctor Bronson, "the steamer goes first to Sarawak, where
she has a lot of cargo to leave, and perhaps some to take, and then she
proceeds to Manilla. If you study the map you will see that Sarawak is
almost on a direct line from Batavia to Manilla."
They looked at the map, and found it as the Doctor had stated. Fred
wished to learn something about Borneo, but the Doctor suggested they
would have plenty of time for that on the voyage, and they had better
devote the evening to a farewell drive through Batavia. The boys at once
assented to the proposal, and as soon as a carriage could be called they
were off.
[Illustration: CHINESE HORSE SHOEING.]
Their drive led them along the broad avenues of Batavia, and close to
the banks of one of the canals where a number of boys were enjoying an
afternoon bath. Then they passed through a part of the Chinese quarter
where Frank and Fred were greatly amused at the operation of shoeing a
horse. The unhappy beast was tied between a couple of upright posts, and
partially suspended from a horizontal beam, so that he had very little
chance to kick or struggle. Evidently he had given up all idea of
resistance, as he stood with his eyes half closed, and presented a
general appearance of resignation.
Our friends returned to the hotel in good season for dinner, which
contained the inevitable curry to which the boys had become accustomed
during their sojourn in the tropics. Frank asked if they would bid
good-bye to curry in leaving Java; he was assured that the article was
destined to figure on their bill of fare for an indefinite period, as
the countries they were to visit were inhabited by eaters of curry no
less than were Siam and Java.
They went early to bed, and by daylight on the following morning were up
and ready for departure.
[Illustration: OUTWARD BOUND.]
They rode in a carriage to the "boom," or pier, where a small boat was
waiting to take them to the steamer. They went out by the same canal
that they entered on their arrival, and by seven o'clock they were on
board the _Osprey_, that was to be their home for several days. The
captain was there ahead of them, and before eight o'clock they were
outward bound, and leaving behind them the Island of Java, with its
dense population and its wealth of natural products.
They watched the receding coast as long as it was in sight. Gradually it
faded to a mere line on the horizon, and then disappeared altogether;
but hardly had it vanished before they were in sight of Sumatra. All day
they were within a few miles of its shores, and the boys longed greatly
to make an exploration of this little-known region. They were obliged to
be content with what they had learned of Sumatra on their journey to the
southward, and recalled with pleasure the stories told them by their
fellow-passenger on the steamer between Singapore and Batavia.
The adventures of our young friends, Frank Bassett and Fred Bronson, up
to the time of their departure from Java, have been told in previous
volumes.[1]
[1] "The Boy Travellers in the Far East.--Parts I. and II. Adventures of
Two Youths in a Journey to Japan, China, Siam, and Java, with
Descriptions of Cochin-China, Cambodia, Sumatra, and the Malay
Archipelago. By Thomas W. Knox. Published by Harper & Brothers, New
York, 1880-'81."
At the end of the first day the _Osprey_ bore away to the eastward, near
the island of Banca, famous for its mines of tin; and on the following
morning the coast of Borneo was in sight. The boys declared their
inability to discover any difference between Borneo and Sumatra when
seen from the deck of a ship, as the general appearance of the land was
the same.
"Very naturally that is the case," said the Doctor. "Both islands are
tropical, and have the same characteristics in the way of mountains and
valleys, and nearly all the trees of one are to be found on the other.
The animal products are nearly alike, though the naturalists have found
certain things in Borneo that do not exist in Sumatra, and _vice versa_.
Now, tell me, please, which is the larger island of the two?"
"Borneo is the larger," Fred answered; "it is about 850 miles long by
650 broad in its widest part, and is estimated to contain nearly 300,000
square miles. Sumatra is 200 miles longer than Borneo, but only 250
wide, and its area is thought to be not far from 160,000 square miles."
"Quite right," responded the Doctor; "and now it's Frank's turn. What
are the populations of the islands?"
"The book we have just been reading," was the reply, "says that Sumatra
has between three and four millions of inhabitants, while Borneo has
less than 3,000,000; therefore, Borneo must be very thinly peopled."
"To give you an idea of the density of the population, we will make a
comparison. The Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland," Doctor Bronson
continued, "has more than 30,000,000 of inhabitants, with an area no
larger than that of Sumatra, and far less than that of Borneo. Mr.
Wallace, in his 'Malay Archipelago,' says the whole of the British
Islands might be set down in Borneo, and would be surrounded by a sea of
forests. Here is a map in which Borneo and the British Isles have been
drawn to the same scale, and you see that Mr. Wallace's statement is
entirely correct."
[Illustration: THE BRITISH ISLES AND BORNEO COMPARED.]
Several minutes were passed in the examination of the map, and the
youths confessed their surprise at the information it gave them. They
had no idea Borneo was so large, or, as Fred expressed it, that Great
Britain was so small. The Doctor set them laughing with the story of the
American who visited England and said he liked the country very much,
but was afraid to go out in the evening through fear that he would walk
off into the sea.
It was a voyage of little more than two days from Batavia to Sarawak,
the port in Borneo to which the _Osprey_ was bound. The time was passed
by our friends in conversation concerning the curious land they were
about to visit, and certain features of its history. About noon of the
third day from Singapore they were off the entrance of the Sarawak
River, and, as the steamer was small, and of light draught, they were
not delayed in passing the bar. Several native craft were on the stream,
but they did not see a single foreign-rigged vessel until they entered
the river and were well on their way to the town.
[Illustration: ASCENDING THE RIVER.]
Here is what Frank wrote in his note-book:
"The town of Sarawak is about eighteen miles from the sea, and the
voyage up from the bar reminded us of the voyage from the mouth of the
Menam to Bangkok. The banks are lined with tropical trees of all kinds,
and sometimes the foliage is so dense that it would be next to
impossible to go through it without a hatchet. The houses are built over
the water in many instances, and they have platforms in front where you
can land from small boats just as you land at a wharf from a ship. By
this arrangement the people are under no expense for drainage, as the
water carries everything away as soon as it is thrown overboard. But the
Doctor says the river abounds in snakes, just as the Menam does; and
they come into the houses without waiting to be invited.
"The town contains about 25,000 inhabitants. They are mostly Malays and
Chinese; the former have come from other parts of the archipelago, and
the latter from the southern provinces of China, like their countrymen
in Siam. The original inhabitants of the country do not get along very
well with the Chinese and Malays, and the most of them prefer to live
farther in the interior. There is nothing very remarkable about the
place, and you can see the most of it without going on shore, as it
stands on the bank of the river, and none of the houses are very far
from the water. We went ashore in a small boat rowed by Malays, and they
made it go very fast with their strong arms at the oars: these Malays
are excellent sailors and boatmen, and are preferred to any other
nationality of the East, with the exception of the Chinese. Some of the
ship captains say they would rather have a Malay crew than a Chinese
one, as the Malays are less likely to become scared in a storm, and
forget how to do their work.
[Illustration: A FRUIT-STORE IN SARAWAK.]
"We took a walk through the principal street of Sarawak, and saw lots of
men who were doing nothing, and evidently didn't wish to be employed.
The most of the hard work is performed by the Chinese, and our
observation is that they are the most industrious people of the Far
East, and the best at a trade. The commerce here, apart from that which
the English control, is mostly in Chinese hands, so the Doctor tells us,
and some of their merchants have made large fortunes. They trade in
anything they can buy and sell, and are satisfied with small profits
when they cannot get large ones, and some of their shops manage to get
along with very few goods. We passed a fruit-store, where there were two
or three boxes of oranges visible near the door, and a large bunch of
bananas was hung outside for a sign, or perhaps to allow them to get
ripe in the open air. One old fellow was smoking on the front step with
his cat behind him, and three others were inside talking something we
could not understand. They all appeared to belong to the establishment,
but the whole stock of fruit, as far as we could see, wasn't worth ten
dollars.
"The houses are not very substantial, and the Doctor said that an
ordinary building in Sarawak ought not to cost over fifty dollars, while
a cheap one, sufficient for protection against the weather, could be
built for five or ten. There are a few substantial buildings; one is
called the Government House, and is where the governor and his officials
live; and there is an English Protestant church and mission. There is a
considerable population of Mohammedans here, and they have a mosque
where they go to worship every Friday. Friday, you know, is the Moslem
Sunday, and on that day the faithful followers of Mohammed are unwilling
to do any hard work; Fred says it must be Sunday all the time for a good
many of them, if we are to judge by their perpetual idleness. But there
isn't much inducement for a man to work here, when a very little will
support him. He does not need any thick clothes where there is no
winter, and if it were not for the rules of politeness some of them
wouldn't wear any clothes at all.
"We should have been surprised to see the English flag flying over the
place if we had not already learned something about the history of
Sarawak. The town was formerly known as Kuching, and to this day some of
the natives call it by that name. The river was the resort of the Malay
pirates, who used to plunder all the coast and make it impossible for
the natives to live there. The natives are called Dyaks; they seem to
belong to both the Mongolian and Malay races, as they have the oblique
eyes of the former, with the complexion and hair of the latter. They are
said to be an honest and inoffensive people, and for this reason they
were robbed by the Malays in former times, and are now cheated by both
Malays and Chinese. They have a good deal of ingenuity about them, and
some of their work would do credit to civilized people.
"We saw a party of them climbing a tree just back of the town to get
some cocoa-nuts; it was straight as an arrow, and about two feet in
diameter, and hadn't a branch for at least forty feet. How do you
suppose they did it?
"They made some pegs of pieces from a bamboo pole; then they drove one
of them into the tree about three feet from the ground, and another the
same distance higher up. Next they took a long pole, also of bamboo,
rested one end of it on the ground, and lashed it firmly to the two
pegs. Then a man stood on the lowest peg and drove another in at about
the level of his face, and as soon as it was driven he lashed the pole
to it. So he went on and on, and when the pole gave out another was
passed up and lashed in the same way as the first. It took them about
fifteen minutes to make a very nice ladder--one side being the tree, and
the other the bamboo pole; and as soon as they had got to the lower
branches of the tree, the nuts came tumbling to the ground, and the man
scrambled down after them. The whole thing appeared very easy and
simple, but it would take an American some time to accomplish it.
[Illustration: A DYAK YOUTH.]
"The Dyaks are very fond of ornaments, and where they can afford it they
cover their necks with beads and brass wire, and decorate their arms
with large rings of brass or silver. Most of them wear gay-colored
handkerchiefs on their heads, and it is easy to distinguish them from
the foreign Malays by this mark alone. We saw one Dyak youth of ten or
twelve years, who had an intelligent face and bright, flashing eyes; he
belonged to one of the hill tribes, and had come down from his home in
the mountains with his father to see the strangers on the coast. His
hair floated over his shoulders in great masses, and his ears had rings
in them that looked as though they weighed a pound. His only clothing,
apart from the rings and beads and handkerchief, was a strip of cotton
cloth around his waist; and he carried a spear to indicate that he
belonged to one of the best families of the country."