Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-04-28
Written for The EVENING STAR
AN ORANG = UTAN HUNT IN
BORNEO.
By WILLIAM T. HoRSADAY.
(Copyrighed, 1851


and gazes down upon me with an expression or
solemn but serene benignity. Some OF my visitors
declare that he "a hOrrfd, ugly little beast" but
say he Is the handsOmest Orang-utan l ever saw.
And so be Is And what a throng OF pleasant rec
elections are called up BY the sight OF this young
ster with the chocolate brown body and brick-red
hair Pictures of dark-green forests, conee-eoored
streams, haif-naksd DyaNs. Malay sampans. long
houses on posts. and orang- utans galore arise be-
fore my minds eye HOratio, In rapid succession,
like sections OF a swiftIy-mOving panorama, and
before am aware OF 1t project my double, IN an
astral state" into the land OF the head-hunter.
1t does not often happen that one who is In a
strange country In quest OF rare game has the
good luck 20 blGnder on the very spot where t is
The thiCkest; but that was precisely what nap
pened TO Us In Borneo, Everywhere else than In
the territory OF Sarawak. Orang- utanS scarce,
and hard TO IND; and even now shiyer when
think how near eCame going 20 the Dutch settle
Inent at POntianak. They are found In two cOun-
tries Only-BOrneO and Sumatra-but the former is
their true home. In Borneo they are found most
abundaDtly in Sarawak, particularly on the Sadong
and Batang Lupur Rivers and their tributaries;
but they also occur In the extreme northeastern
portion OF British North BOrneO in the territory OF
kOt, near Samarnda, and on the west coast, as
Tne orang occupies the fourth place from the
head OF the animal Kingdom, thus: man. gorilla,
chinpanzee, orang -utan- lie surpasses the Chin
panzee In actual size and fighting weight, but in
Ieectually the chimpanZee IS his superior. Ii is
very common error for even well-informed persons
10 call the Orang-utan a gorilla, and then second
that motion by locating HIM In Africa. Let me
give your mistaken nelghbor two simple facts TO
remember, which, II borne In mind, viii do away
with all confusion OF ideas IN this point hereafter
The 0Fang-utan Is a brown-skInned, red-haired
animal, found only in BOrneO and Sumatra,-the
country OF the brOwn-Sktnned Malay race. The
gorilla and chimpanZee are black-skinned and
SnOstly) olack-haired animals. found only in
Equatorial Africa.-the country Of the black race,
from the west coast TO the great lakes.
Prof. Henry A. Wards great natural history es-
Enlistment wanted q number OF nrst-class skins
Gkpl-fOnS w an er-
prising American museums that demanded them,
and when It was found that money could not buy
them, for the reason that there were none 10 buy,
was told TO 90 and collect some; and all the way
from Rochester TO SaTawak / wrestled with the
question Are there any left?" Mind you, there
was at that time 10 late information on The sub
Ject, and was actually afraid the animals had
been nearly all killed on
/ landed IN Borneo fully determined to get at
and that would constitute success. For time
waded swamps, climbed mountains and searched
forests wholly In vain As TO orang-utanS, no one
seemed TO know anything except what was
ancient history, and was at my wits end TO know
where TO go. After ALL the most difficult thing
about hunting is 10 ind out where the game is,
and get within striking distance OF II. That once
accomplished II Is easy enough TO do the killing.
mindeI Dyaks padded their canoe down from the
Interior, and chance led them 10 my door. They
said they saw "mlas" torang-utan) on their
way down, and others had occasionally been seen
In the forest along the head-waterS OF the river,
and along the shore of the lake by which their VII
day We were on our way up there.
How shall describe the events OF our firSt day In
the orang-utan countryi I think had better
not describe them at ALL for IL Is only the few who
have lived two years In doubtful anxiety concern
ing their own fortunes that would have any char
1ty for my superlativeS.
We killed three orang-utans and solved the
problem or the trip,
AS we approached the sources OF the River simu-
Jan, branch OF the SacOng, we found the nests
of orang utan5 in tn tops OF the low trees along
the stream. IL should De mentioned here that the
whole OF the great island OF Borneo is one vast
land along both sides OF the river was entirely
submerged for an unknown distance back and
when the trees stood 80 thickly that We could not
go amongst them with a boat we had to wade
after our game. Along the margin OF the stream
Forming thorny fringe at the descending edge OF
the forest, there grew In 10 feet OF water thick
hedge OF screw pines apparently planted there for
the express purpose OF keeping US In mid-stream,
and preventing an approach 10 the trees innab-
tied by our game. That living abatls caused us
endless trouble and left many very painful i'm
pressiOns on our palms.
our plan OF campaign was the only one open to
US under the circumstances and / shudder TO
think how fruitless all efforts might have been
selves In the trees nearest The river not only within
sight, but also within rire shot. For hunting pur-
poses bad Malay sampan, or dug-out canoe,
which might well De taken as a model for such
purposes. 10 was about IL feet long, 81 feet
VIDE amidahips, pointed at both ends, TO go
enough TO be perfectly steady. Just below the
edge it was Gocked over with strips OF nibong
palm, and on this comfortable deck placed my
ammunition box for a seat and arranged my rife,
cartridges. and field-glass within easy reach
Three stout and active young Malays furnished
Tie motive power at the paddles, ana all eyes
watched Keenly for 'fnias-"
Ny Malay boys entered into the spirit OF the
chase quite as heartily myself and indeed with
out this Ouoyant esprit dU corps amongst ones
followers one cannot reasonably expect 10 accom-
plsn much pity any one who has TO drag his
men along by the hair OF their heads. II was an
understood tnins With Us that II We ever caught
sight OF a mias and then allowed him 10 get away
we were disgraced forever; consequently we
worked together as one man.
With the decks cleared for action we would
paddle silently along the stream, closely Scrutlniz-
Ing tae tee sS,p on every SIDE scanning every
dOuotfu!-lOoktng object with the glass.
The moment an orang was sighted the boat was
brought TO stand-still, In order TO give me a
chance for q shot with my small Maynard rifle IL
was my business % either Kill the animal or else
wound him 50 badly ne could not get out or sight
while We were getting the boat through the tangie
OF screw pines. The moment the shot was fred
the Nalays would give shout and ram the sharp
POINTED sanpan into the pines. seconds were
precious then, and The instant the boat stopped an
hands began hacking on stems, and pulling and
pushing furiously 10 get the boat through Once
amongst the trees the boats career was soon run
and the instant It's further progress arrested
by some fallen tree, out sprung the Malays one
and keep him in sight. TWAS my part 10 follow
with the r1te, and with a well-dlrected shot send
the water with a tremendous splash.
We never could decide which was the worst
getting through the screw pines or wadin9
amongst the Jree-trunks 10 water up to our arm
pits, through a submerged chaos OF gnarled sur
face roots, trailing vines, fallen limbs, and decay
ing trunks. IL was slow work. and although yeyy
exciting, We always kept very cool about IL
In every hunt that proves successful there fs
always one day, and sometimes two, which in the
memory OF the hunter, stands out conspicuousIy
and alone. as marking some particular event The
great day OF our Ordng-utan hunt was the one ON
which we killed the RaJah Padang. "the father OF
all the MAS" IL eyea surpasseS the day we killed
three oraDgs and captured fourth alive and this
a true and yeracious record OF its events, copied
from my Journal IN the rough. For sufficient rea-
sons am obliged 10 suppress the name OF the
day. for 10 would take Philadelphia LAWYER 10
keep track OF the days OF the week IN such coun-
try as Borneo, and Will wager that even one OF
those famous gentlemen could not do it II he had
. gun.
SSept Ia-Up at grey dawn and padded along
up until we reached the bit Of bare ground where
we halted before fer coffee. But alas! Tue water
ground Is covered half Knee deep. II was disgust
Iag. We built q little platform OF poles above the
water, spread layer OF mud over IL, and built a
nre upon IL. The men boiled their rice while All
kee tmy cOokl made coffee for Eng Quee and me.
While we were here a Chinese trader came along
IN his boat on his way down, and stopped 10 ask
for some gunpowder, which we gave him.
This has been nne clear day. About 10 O'Clock
we saw tree top shaking hundred yards back
from the river, and We knew there must he a large
heavyoodied animal In the tree lower down. for a
common monkey could not have caused the whole
top 20 sway as that did We looked for a rlias.
and soon saw one. 1t was not best 10 fire then so
We found good place where the pines grew rather
tninly and began making our way In. We got the
boat Ii Tor good hundred yards, which was more
than expected, and then were within reach OF
sona gr9ano. oat we went. neck deep, OF course.