The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1895-05-25


LEkMG@~ezAT D OF b Orn.e o, the
largest of all the
islands, was. in 1849, reclaimed from
oiracy and barbarism and erected into
IN independent state by the famous Sir
James Brooke, it's first civilized ruler.
Here, in the village of Rejang, an i'm
portant seaport at the mouth of the
liver bearing the same name, I stayed
cor several months, during which be-
came acquainted with an American
family named Dyett, the only one Of
chat nationality in the place, believe.
This family consisted of the father and
enthusiastically pleasant, well-in-
formed people-and two children, a
handsome boy of Is, named Walter,
and his sister, Adela, a lovely little
thing of four years, born ON the island.
Like myself, Mr.. Dyett. though en-
gagged in mercantile life, was something
Of hunter, and, quite naturally, Wal
ter, already an expert shot, possessed
similar tastes.
Although the more formidable beasts
Of prey, such as lions, tigers and pam
theirs, do not exist in Sarawak nor in
any other part Of Borneo, there are two
or three small species of the cat family;
and almost everywhere on the island
may be found great abundance of
both four-footed and feathered game,
while serpents, from the huge boa down
to the tiny diamond snake, are more
than pleasantly plentiful.
AS might be expected in this equator
ial region, the 'four-handed folk are
represented by many varieties Of apes
and monkeys, Borneo and it's westward
lying neighbour the great island of
hnin ;,,1< tbo
tries in which that hideous caricature
# humanity, the orang-outang, is
und. 1t is not surprising, then, that
IF. Dyett, Walter and I spent good
deal Of time in outdoor sports.
The Rejang river is navigable for
nearly one hundred and fifty miles from
its mouth, as Mr.. Dyett owned a small
steam yacht, his whole household, in
Guiding wife and daughter, frequently
made long trips up the stream and
camped out in some favorite spot for
days at time, the yacht serving as
magazine of supplies and a safe place
OF refuge in case Of prolonged or too
violent rains
BY special invitation I accompanied
the party on one of these outings, on
which occasion we steamed eighty miles
or so up the river and finally encamped
IN a lovely spot on it's southern bank
Here we found wealth and beauty
Of flora impossible adequately to de-
scribe in a sketch like this. On all sides
was to be seen an amazing variety Of
gorgeous flowers, blooming shrubs and
wild fruit and forest trees, amid which
fitted innumerable parrots and other
birds of brilliant plumage, while, over
head, frisked and chartered monkeys,
seemingly great enough in numbers
and diversified enough in kind to stock
all the menaSerieS in the world. But
other creatures, more fearfully beauti-
full and infinitely more hurtful, were
here.
On the morning after our arrival, my
host and decided to stroll out and pick
up for the larder a couple Of those di-
mtnutive and remarkably beautiful deer
called "pelandok" by the Malay natives,
while Walter just then preferred to
stay near the double tent in which were
his mother, little sister and two Chinese
servants, and amuse himself by rifle
practice at the small but exceedingly
toothsome squirrels playing about in
+he tops Of adjacent trees.
While searching for the particular
same required, we came across nu-
| merous droves of wild pigs, and saw at
least dozen sun-bears, a harmless
| fruit-a notwithstanding animal,
| nearly as dark-furred as our North
| crescent-shaI ed sp,- o: All almost
| orange-hued yellow.
Resisting for the present every tempt
alton offered by the beautiful pheasants
and other choice birds constantly rising
before us, we went on and on without
firing shot, but being determined first
to secure, if possible a pair of the shy
and delicate creatures we were specially
seeking.
At last, out from a grove Of Towering
acacias started five Of the tiny deer;
each of us dropped one as they sped
away and, after Sitting it open and
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