23 chapters
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23 chapters
PREFACE.
PREFACE.
This record of a time spent among the less well-known portions of Malaysia may be interesting to those whom the goddess of travel has wooed in vain, as perchance to some of those “birds of passage” to whom the islands and continents of the world are as well known as the church-spires and mile-stones of their own land. In the islands of the Malay archipelago—the Gardens of the Sun—Nature is ever beautiful, and man, although often strikingly primitive, is hospitable to the stranger, and not often
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THE GARDENS OF THE SUN. CHAPTER I. EASTWARD, HO!
THE GARDENS OF THE SUN. CHAPTER I. EASTWARD, HO!
Port Said was our first stopping place; and, after a fortnight afloat, we were glad to see the lighthouse, like a yellow speck on the horizon. We went ashore, and saw the town, which stands close to the sea-beach, and by the entrance to the canal, with which it is contemporaneous. Behind, as far as one can see, stretches the arid desert itself. The old Arab town of square, flat-topped houses, is nearly a mile away to the right. The new town consists mainly of shops and hotels, with the exception
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CHAPTER II. SINGAPORE.
CHAPTER II. SINGAPORE.
All the principal stores and shops are either in “the Square” or its vicinity, and here you can procure home comforts of nearly every description, together with the latest books and home papers. You will procure the latest news at Little’s Store, and will see many things there to interest you. Sale & Co.’s, and Katz’s Stores, are also well worth a visit, and few of the Chinese shops will compare well with that of the late Hon. C. Whampoa, C.M.G. , who was a most influential trader in the
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CHAPTER III. VISIT TO JAHORE—GUNONG PULOI.
CHAPTER III. VISIT TO JAHORE—GUNONG PULOI.
Our solitary Chinese boatman dipped his oars with the same easy swing as at starting; and about nine o’clock he finished a stiff pull of nine or ten miles by running our boat into the little creek at Kanka Kaladi, he having kept ahead of the Malays, who paddled the other boat, all the way. On our arrival, all the Chinese who live here were abed; so we hauled our craft up to a boat-house at the head of the creek, and got all our things into the loft overhead, and having spread our rugs, and light
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CHAPTER IV. RIVER AND FOREST TRAVEL.
CHAPTER IV. RIVER AND FOREST TRAVEL.
Epiphytal orchids are essentially heat-lovers—like palms they are children of the sun. One may often travel a long way in the islands where these plants are most abundant without catching a glimpse of them; and this is especially true of Phalænopsis grandiflora , which is of all orchids perhaps the least obtrusive in its native habitats. This trait is, however, the unobtrusiveness of high birth, they do not care to touch the ground, but rather prefer a sphere of their own high up in the trees ov
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CHAPTER V. KINA BALU, OR CHINESE WIDOW MOUNTAIN.
CHAPTER V. KINA BALU, OR CHINESE WIDOW MOUNTAIN.
We now found out the value of the man “Musa,” whom we had engaged to superintend our men. He was an old man, but still powerful and active, and he possessed the secret of persuasion to the utmost degree. Under his direction the men were all loaded equally, and to their individual satisfaction, and we set off towards Tamparulie. We saw a pretty white-flowered cucurbit growing over bushes here and there, and bearing spindle-shaped fruits of a scarlet colour and about two inches long. Here and ther
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CHAPTER VI. LABUAN ISLAND.
CHAPTER VI. LABUAN ISLAND.
In 1876 the opium farmer paid £2,687 10 s. for the exclusive right of importing, preparing, selling, or exporting opium in the island. Tobacco produced £750; spirits, £300; fishmarket, £550; pawnbroking, £112 10 s. ; licences to sell arms and ammunition, £65. A duty of ten per cent. is payable on the value of all timber cut on crown lands, except by the Coal Company, who, as already stated, have the right, free. The estimated acreage of the colony is 19,350 acres, of which 1,738 acres are suppos
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Pŭngutib sagala remah deripada hikayat Indra Laksana, dan Indra Mahadewa dan Dewa Indra.
Pŭngutib sagala remah deripada hikayat Indra Laksana, dan Indra Mahadewa dan Dewa Indra.
“Adapun Indra Mahadewa sŭtlah iya datang kamahligie itu, maka lalu iya dudok dŭkat tuan pŭtri sŭraya tŭrsŭnyum katanya, ‘ya adinda tuan nyawa kakŭnda, apatah bichari tuan skarang ini, kŭrna kakŭnda ini akau pŭrgi mŭnchari saudara kakŭnda? Dan jikalau tuan akan pŭrgi bŭrsama sama dŭngan kakŭnda, maka baiklah tuan mŭnyurohkan orang bŭrsimpan simpan, skarang ini juga kakŭnda ini akan bŭrjalan.’ Sŭtlah tuan pŭtri Seganda Ratna mŭnŭng ar kata Indra Mahadewa itu, maka tuan pŭtri itupon tundok, maka e
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CHAPTER VIII. A CITY OF LAKE DWELLINGS.
CHAPTER VIII. A CITY OF LAKE DWELLINGS.
He seemed interested in hearing of the great mountain, and asked several questions. He appeared astonished to hear it was so cold there; and inquired as to the tobacco and rice crops. He also expressed his regret that being now old and infirm, he could not undertake a journey to the mountain himself, of which, he observed, he had heard several accounts derived from natives who had accompanied Mr. Low and Mr. St. John. On leaving the Sultan’s, we visited a foundry situated near the house of the m
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CHAPTER IX. A VOYAGE TO SULU.
CHAPTER IX. A VOYAGE TO SULU.
At daybreak I was awoke by the rattling of the chains as the anchor was weighed, and in a few minutes afterwards Sandakan was behind us as we steamed away to the Sulu Archipelago. We reached Meimbong on the evening of the 10th, and anchored just off the traders’ houses, which, as is usual here, are built on piles far enough out from the shore for vessels to anchor at the little jetty before the doors. Sulu is about thirty-six hours steaming from Sandakan, but in this case we were longer. We reac
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CHAPTER X. A ROYAL PIG-HUNT.
CHAPTER X. A ROYAL PIG-HUNT.
Thanking him for his invitation to us to visit him at the Istana, which he had again repeated, we bade him adieu, and returned towards Meimbong, well pleased with our day’s adventures. The Sultan and his suite rode towards the Istana, but his son, before alluded to, accompanied us with a posse of his young followers. When we reached the arable plain near the market-place, we came upon another group of hunters, and nothing would please the young rascal but that I and Mr. Cowie should try some of
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CHAPTER XI. THE SULTAN’S ISTANA AND THE “HILL OF TEARS.”
CHAPTER XI. THE SULTAN’S ISTANA AND THE “HILL OF TEARS.”
The ladies of the court, debarred by etiquette from seeing us publicly, had taken advantage of the darkness to obtain a peep at us. Barefooted, they had moved more silently than mice on the platform in the next room, and had satisfied their curiosity by stealing to the opening one after another, and looking down on us to their hearts’ content. After this we got an hour or two of rest, and awoke at daybreak, when everybody was astir. We found our breakfast ready, and our ponies were saddled and a
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CHAPTER XII. A ROYAL VISIT.
CHAPTER XII. A ROYAL VISIT.
He left just at sundown, appearing very pleased with his visit, and he expressed his intention of again coming on board in the morning, bringing the Sultana with him. The houses on the wharf were crowded towards night with Sulus from all the neighbouring islets, and when the lamps were alight presented a very animated sight to a stranger. The common Sulus are rather intrusive, and the native boatswain would have had much trouble to have kept the ship clear of them had it not been for the dogs on
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CHAPTER XIII. KINA BALU, viâ TAMPASSUK.
CHAPTER XIII. KINA BALU, viâ TAMPASSUK.
August 1st. —We were all astir by daybreak this morning; and, after having had our customary cup of coffee and dry toast, we set our followers to work to spread out the wet rice on mats in the sun, and to rearrange all our stores. Some of the men were sent to cut down “nebong” palms, the young tops of which form a delicious vegetable when boiled, and others were employed in cleaning our arms, cutting fire-wood, and other necessary work. While this was going on, I took my gun, and went out on a s
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CHAPTER XIV.
CHAPTER XIV.
Owing to the rain yesterday our descent was far from pleasant, and falls were not infrequent, in fact on both occasions I have found descending this mountain very troublesome and dangerous owing to the wretched paths one has to follow. I carried a sago sheath basket behind me, fitted with bark straps for the shoulders, and it was lucky I did so, for I had one or two nasty falls backwards , and it saved my head more than once from contact with the slippery stones. Our guides have at last gone on
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CHAPTER XV. TROPICAL FRUITS.
CHAPTER XV. TROPICAL FRUITS.
It is said that the best of whisky is that made by blending several good kinds together, and Nature seems to have blended four or five good flavours together when she made the durian. “A macédoine of fruits,” says a modern author, “when well made and judiciously flavoured, is a delicious sweetmeat. The grape, the peach, the apricot, and the pine, meet in welcome harmony; the pear, the apple, and the cherry, and their friendly companionship, and all these opposing elements of flavour are blended
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CHAPTER XVI. NOTES ON TROPICAL TRAVEL.
CHAPTER XVI. NOTES ON TROPICAL TRAVEL.
Cooking should be well understood by all who propose to “rough it” in a wild land, and it may be defined as the art of preparing food so that it is—1, nutritious; 2, tasty; 3, nice to the eye. Two cook-pots are necessary—one large enough to boil a fowl when cut up, and the other for rice. A frying-pan and a few pounds of flour render you independent of the baker, and with oatmeal oat-cakes may be indulged in. Put a few currants in your boiled rice now and then for a change. Most Madras, and some
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APPENDIX.
APPENDIX.
Of palms a beautiful species of areca, having gracefully arched leaves and vermilion-coloured sheaths, was introduced alive, as also a very attractive dwarf species of pinanga ( P. Veitchii , H. Wend.), the bifurcate fans of which are purple below and glaucous-green above, blotched with brown. Aroids are plentiful in the shady Bornean forests, the species in some cases being extremely local in their distribution. Of the new genera discovered two have very pretty spathes, and if they can be succe
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LIST OF FERNS COLLECTED IN BORNEO.
LIST OF FERNS COLLECTED IN BORNEO.
It will be seen that altogether Mr. Burbidge has added above fifty species to the fern-flora of the island. His exploration quite bears out the idea that we previously entertained, that the fern-flora of the island is very rich, and that there is still a plentiful harvest to await the exploration of the interior. The added species which are not new are nearly all already known in Java and the Philippine Islands, frequently in both. By J. G. Baker , F.R.S., F.L.S. The Sulu Archipelago is a group
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REPORT ON BURBIDGE’S FERNS OF THE SULU ARCHIPELAGO.
REPORT ON BURBIDGE’S FERNS OF THE SULU ARCHIPELAGO.
By R. Bowdler Sharpe, F.L.S., F.Z.S. , etc. Senior Assistant, Department of Zoology, British Museum. PROC. ZOOL. SOC. 1879. Part II. [ Received March 18, 1879. ] The present collection was formed by Mr. F. W. Burbidge during a short stay in the Sulu Islands, a most interesting locality to the ornithologist, and one of which very little is known. In my paper on Dr. Steere’s collections from the Philippines, I noticed the four species of birds as yet recorded from the Sulu Islands, 1 and I ought t
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A CONTRIBUTION TO THE AVIFAUNA OF THE SULU ISLANDS.
A CONTRIBUTION TO THE AVIFAUNA OF THE SULU ISLANDS.
Mr. Burbidge left England on a botanical expedition, to collect living plants; and his success in this department of natural history is well known. His chief attention having been devoted to plants, it only remains to thank him for the intelligent way in which he devoted his scanty leisure time to forming the present collection of birds. The following I believe to be a correct list of Sulu birds as at present known; and I have included the few species mentioned by Peale as procured in Mangsi by
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ON COLLECTIONS OF BIRDS FROM KINA BALU MOUNTAIN IN NORTH-WESTERN BORNEO.
ON COLLECTIONS OF BIRDS FROM KINA BALU MOUNTAIN IN NORTH-WESTERN BORNEO.
Butastur indicus (Gm.), Sharpe, Cat. B. i. p. 297. Poliornis indica (Gm.), Salvad. Ucc. Born. p. 9. A specimen in nearly full plumage, collected by Mr. Burbidge. 2. Bubo orientalis. Bubo orientalis (Horsf.), Sharpe, Cat. B. ii. p. 39. B. sumatranus (Raffl.), Salvad. Ucc. Born. p. 19. A fine adult specimen in Mr. Treacher’s collection, agreeing with the diagnosis given by me ( l.c. ), and measuring 13 inches in the wing. 3. Megalæma versicolor. Megalæma versicolor (Raffl.), Marsh. Mon. Capit. pl.
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Abbreviations
Abbreviations
Overview of abbreviations used....
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