The only objection I had was that it might
have taken me for the dinner.
CHAPTER 14
Visit to the Birds'-nest Caves of Gomanton.
My stay in British North Borneo - Visit to a Tobacco Estate (Batu
Puteh) - Start for the Birds'-nest Caves - News of the Local
Chief's Death - Applicants for the Panglima-ship - We Visit the late
Chief's House-Widows in white - The Hadji "who longed to be King" -
Extraordinary Grove of Banyan-trees - Pigs, Crocodiles and Monkeys -
Astonishing Swimming Performance of a Monkey - Water Birds Feeding
on the Carcase of a Stag - The Hadji and his Men pray at a Native
Grave-shrine - An Elephant charges past us - Arrival at the Caves
- The Entrance - A Cave of enormous Height, description of the
Interior - Return to the Village - Visit to the Upper Caves -
Beautiful Climbing Plants - We reach the Largest Cave of all:
its Extreme Grandeur - "White" Nests and "Black" Nests secured -
Distinctions between the two kinds of Swallows by whom the Nests are
made - Millions of small Bats: an Astonishing Sight - Methods of
Securing the Nests described - Perilous Climbing Feats - Report
of numerous Large Snakes - Cave-coffins, and their (traditional)
rich contents - Dangers of the Descent - All's well that ends well.
I had just returned down the river with Richardson from
Tangkulap. Tangkulap is a journey of several days up the Kinabatangan
River in British North Borneo. Richardson was the magistrate for this
district, and his rule extended over practically the whole of this
river, Tangkulap being his headquarters. Only three or four white men
had ever been up the river as far as Tangkulap, it being a very lonely
spot in the midst of dense forests, with no other white man living
anywhere near. I had stayed with him for two months, making large
natural history collections and seeing a great deal of both native
and animal life. We had then returned down the river in Richardson's
"gobang" (canoe) to Batu Puteh, a large tobacco estate, and the
only one on this river. Here we were the guests of Paul Brietag, the
manager, a most hospitable German. He and his three German, French,
and Dutch assistants were the only other white men on the whole of
this great river.
While here, Richardson and I determined to visit the wonderful
Gomanton birds'-nest caves, from which great quantities of edible
birds' nests are annually taken. Very few Europeans had ever visited
them, though they are considered among the wonders of the world.
We left Batu Puteh in Richardson's canoe early one morning, and,
although we had a strong stream with us going down, we did not reach
Bilit till evening. Bilit is a large village made up of Malays,
Orang Sungei, and Sulus.
