The Mate of the Lily | Page 8

to the government office to receive the
reward given for every animal killed, just as payment was made in
former years in England for the head of each wolf put out of existence.
The animal had been caught in a pit covered over with sticks and leaves,
the usual mode in which they are trapped. We kept a sharp look-out,
with our pistols ready to shoot a tiger should one attack us. We heard
several roars, and a huge beast crossed the road in front of us. After this
we did not feel altogether comfortable, expecting every moment that it
would spring out from the jungle and carry off one or both of us.
We returned to the city, however, without an actual encounter. I cannot
stop further to describe this interesting place. In a few days we sailed
for George Town on the eastern side of the island of Penang, the seat of
Government of the British possessions in the Straits of Malacca,
Penang is larger than Singapore, a considerable portion being rocky,
and those most industrious of mortals, the Chinese, form the chief part
of the population. After discharging the cargo we had brought from
England for this place, we again sailed, steering through the straits of
Singapore for the eastward.
CHAPTER TWO.
We were bound for Kuching, the capital town of the province of
Sarawak in Borneo, where Mr Brooke, who went out in 1839 in his
yacht the "Royalist," had, by his judgment and intrepidity, established a
thriving community, of which he had been appointed the chief or rajah.
The captain and supercargo had mapped out our future course. This
was to be along the north coast of Borneo, through the Sooloo
archipelago, across the sea of Celebes to the coast of Papua, and thence
through the Banda sea to Timor, whence we were to return home along
the southern coast of Java. It took two days to get up to Kuching, the

capital of the province of Sarawak, after we had entered the mouth of
the river on the banks of which it stands. On either side were hills
covered with jungle, with here and there clearings where the
peaceably-disposed natives had established themselves.
Mr Blyth and I had an opportunity, in company with a gentleman who
was making a shooting expedition, of taking a trip into the interior. I
wish that I could describe the magnificent vegetation, the gigantic trees,
and the curious animals we saw. One of the most curious was the mias.
What is a mias? will be asked. It is the native name of the far-famed
ourang-outang, the principal wild inhabitants of this region. We were
proceeding through the forest, with our guns, when one of our Dyak
companions came running up to tell us that he had seen a mias, and that
if we made haste we might be in time to shoot it.
We hurried on, the Dyak leading the way, until we entered a thick
jungle. He pointed to a tree far above our heads. Upon looking up we
saw a great hairy body and a huge black face gazing down upon us, as
if wondering what strange creatures we could be. Mr Blyth and our
friend fired; whether they had hit the mias we could not tell, but it
began to move away among the higher branches at a rapid rate. Led by
the Dyak we followed, when again we caught sight of it on the branch
of a tree, where it remained for a minute or more. By this time we were
joined by several other Dyaks, whose shouts appeared to frighten the
ourang-outang, which tried to get along the edge of the forest by some
lower trees, keeping, however, beyond the reach of our rifles. The
Dyaks, flourishing their weapons, rushed on ahead of us hoping to have
the honour of killing the monster. We had lost sight of them for a few
seconds, when we heard fearful shrieks and shouts, and running
forward, we saw that the mias had either voluntarily descended the tree,
or had fallen to the ground, and had rushed at one of the natives, who,
unable to escape, was standing with his spear ready to defend himself.
We were afraid in attempting to kill the mias that we might shoot the
native, when, just as the creature was about to seize the man with its
mouth and formidable claws, our friend fired and the animal fell, shot
through the heart.

On measuring the mias, from the top of its head to its heel, we found
that it was four feet two inches long, while its outstretched arms
measured seven feet three inches across. Its head and body were of the
size of a man's, the legs being very short in proportion. This