The morning call., 1890-12-07
JUNGLE NOTES
In SUMATRA.
An Island With Eccentric Species
of Bird, Beast and Tree.
An Early Morning Ride on the Creek in a
Dugout sampan : The Startling Cry Of
"Croccdiler'-A Comical Incident.

IA T has been my fortune to spend some Two
E2 years on the island of Sumatra, so little
~ known generally to Englishmen, and
containing SO many strange and eccentric
species of bird, beast and tree. Unfortu-
nately. am not scientific man, and MY
occupation, that of tobacco overseer, did
not leave Inc much leisure for observation,
but some odd experiences in natural history
came under my notice.
One of these was crocodile duel ON the
Batu Bara River Our estate was situated q
long way up one Of the tributary creeks
and about every month one or other of the
overseers, or assistants" had to go down
TO the kwala or mouth of the river to re-
C eve from the Singapore steamer the cash
with which the coolies subsistence money
was paid. i used to embark early in the
morning in a little dugout sampan, pad
died by couple of JavaneSe, and descend
the creek, which wound its tortuous way
for some miles between lofty walls of the
denseSt possible jungle, and suddenly opened
out into the broad, swirling, muddy river,
with its border of rustling nipa palms,
spriDging from the waters edge like vast
ferns. Here and there were few Malay
habitations, where two or three women in
blue jackets and brick-red saropgs, like
dingy parrots, came out to stare euriously al
the tuan (sahib). Then manproves would
rerlace the nipas, and at length our destina-
ton was reached, huddle of atap huts on
the left bank of the river, with crowd OF
sampanS beached in front of them, two or
three small junks at anchor, and beyond q
bright white sandy beach and the shallow
muddy sea. insignificant as it looked, how
ever, very considerable trade is carried on
from this port; its staple product being a
species of cookie, which Is found in vast
quantities in the sand of the beach. and
when rather "high" is considered by
Malays and Chinese as great a delcacy as
pheasant with rice among certain Euro
peanS.
ON THIS PARTICULAR OCCASION,
After waiting nearly all night in lighter,
moored soiPe half-mi!e from the shore. the
steamer at length arrived. and delivered the
box of dollars. Now, $4,000 in one box weigh
about two hundredweight; and when it was
balanced in our sampan, and myself and the
TWO paddlerS were aboard, there was barely
two inches freeboard. As soon rs there was
strong tide making, we pushed off, and
went rapidly up the river. | Was very
droWsy, and was nearly asleep, when a cry
of " Crocodile" brought me to sitting posi-
tlon; and about fifty Yards ahead | saw a
mass OF foam and spray surrounding some
black object, which in a few seconds was
apparent as two immense crocodles in
deadly combat. The bowman let his paddle
go IN his fright, and we were drifting right
down upon the struggling monsters touch
liuui uOu WOUiu nave Sullk us, Nflen tne
Steersmau by desperate efforts managed to
alter our course so that we cleared them by
q few feet only. An ugly sight it was the
huge jaws with their hooked ivory tusks in
terl0cked, the fore claws deeply anchored in
each others sides, the stiff, armor-clad
bodies writing like lizards and the hide
Gus stony green eyes seeming to start from
their sockets. 1t was not a moment for ac-
cnrate estimate, but L am sure that either
OF them must have been considerably
longer than our SampaE-viz.: sixteen feet
Just as we passed, lone of them succeeded for
the moment in forcing his antagonist under
water. and as he did so struck such a blow
on the water with his tail that it sounded
like the report Of duck-gun, and COM
pletely drenched US with spray, so that /
thought Tor the instant we were swamped.
Inc strong current, however, carried us
quickly clear, and for ten minutes we
watched them rolling over and over in a
cloud OF loan. now deeply redeemed, until
they suddenly sank, and we saw them no
more The mems nerves were so shaken
that they saw imaginary crocodiles in every
log, and finally upset the canoe about mile
from home, luckily
IN ONLY TWO FEET OF WATER.
once witnessed a very comical incident
On an estate in the Langkat district. was
experimenting the cutting of planting
road through dense swamp jungle, when
heard great hubbub compounded of
shouting and laughing of men and chatter
ing of monkeys. On arriving Mt the spot l
found crowd of coolies, Chinese Killings
and Malays looking up into a lofty damar
tree, In the branches of which about a
dozen OF the common black macaoue mon
Keys were leaping about in state of great
excitement, while one of their number, who
appeared in some way to be fixed to the
trunk OF the tree. was uttcrlng the
most doleful outcries. What had happened
10 MIN was at once apparent. He had
espled the entrance to tempting-iookiBg
cavity, which he rightly judged to contain
eggs or nestlings, and at once inserted an
exploring paw. Unluckily for him the nest
was that Of hornbil, and the lady of the
house being at home, the woud-be burglar
was, in most unpleasant sense drought
up before the beak." None of the other
monkeys, who had by this time increased to
about twenty, attempted to 90 to his assist
ance, but contented themselves with raising
a chorus of yells, which, joined to those of
The Delighted coolies, were perfectly deaf
ening. suddenly there was rushing sound
overhead. and the male bird returned.
Taking in the situation at once he made
straight for the tree. and Selling the prisoner
by the hind leg in his huge mandibles, gave
such hearty tug at it that the next instant
bird and monkey came headlong down; but
while the former let go his hold and flew
up, the latter fell with a sounding thump on
the road and there lay. A Chinaman, on
monkey stew intent. laid hold of him, but
the animal, recovering himself. made his
teeth meet In his captor's leg, who there
upon added his howlS to the general uproar.
The male bird sat on guard outside the nest
Tor about an hour, when the monkeys, hay
ing exhausted their stock of abuse, gradu-
ally dispersed, and the original cause of the
riot went to pot" the same evening.
THESE HoRNBLLs
Are very remarkable birds. I can't imagine
any system OF natural selection which could
have tpVpIOnp1 tbnsa
beaks. Was 1t because those with the largest
heaks could best defend their families
against monkeys and snakes? But what
size OF beak did they start with? If they
were SO prosecuted race would not their
enemies have eXterminated them before
they had time to develop their weapons ?
on can't, suppose, allow much less than
5cOO years tor the process, and IL they had
to begin again with beak but the size If a
WIS the monkeys alone would wipe them
out in ten years.
The most common species of hornbill is
the ''rhinoceros bird" This uncouth fowl
is about the size of a small turkey of a
soot-black color. with white bars across the
under side Of the tail. The beak is as much
as "a INCHES e IS. in length by 2A inches-deep
like another beak reversed, is the casque or
helmet. Both beak aud helmet, though
strong, are very thin and light, being made
up in series of air-cells of thin horn. The
whole appearance of tho bird is most weird
and uncanny; but in spite of his looks he is
harmless individual enough, devoted, as
has been seen. to his mate and family
Che, Malays say that they pair for life).
Unfortunately. he has by no means the same
tenderness for the families of others, and
should he chance upon the nest of some
smaller bird, has no scruple about taking
the whole brood in successive gulps like SO
many pills. The flight of these birds is
strong but slow, and the peculiar rushing
lance. Their cry, which they utter only
when, flying, is startlingly like the braylpg