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laying them back across each other; so that in a few minutes he had formed a compact mass of foliage; which entirely concealed him from our sight。 He was evidently going to pass the night here; and would probably get away early the next morning; if not wounded too severely。 I therefore fired again several times; in hopes of making him leave his nest; but; though I felt sure I had hit him; as at each shot he moved a little; he would not go away。 At length he raised himself up; so that half his body was visible; and then gradually sank down; his head alone remaining on the edge of the nest。 I now felt sure he was dead; and tried to persuade the Chinaman and his companion to cut down the tree; but it was a very large one; and they had been at work all day; and nothing would induce them to attempt it。 The next morning; at daybreak; I came to the place; and found that the Mias was evidently dead; as his head was visible in exactly the same position as before。 I now offered four Chinamen a day's wages each to cut the tree down at once; as a few hours of sunshine would cause decomposition on the surface of the skin; but; after looking at it and trying it; they determined that it was very big and very hard; and would not attempt it。 Had I doubled my offer; they would probably have accepted it; as it would not have been more than two or three hours' work; and had I been on a short visit only; I would have done so; but as I was a resident; and intended remaining several months longer; it would not have answered to begin paying too exorbitantly; or I should have got nothing done in the future at a lower rate。
For some weeks after; a cloud of flies could be seen all day; hovering over the body of the dead Mias; but in about a month all was quiet; and the body was evidently drying up under the influence of a vertical sun alternating with tropical rains。 Two or three months later two Malays; on the offer of a dollar; climbed the tree and let down the dried remains。 The skin was almost entirely enclosing the skeleton; and inside were millions of the pupa…cases of flies and other insects; with thousands of two or three species of small necrophagous beetles。 The skull had been much shattered by balls; but the skeleton was perfect; except one small wristbone; which had probably dropped out and been carried away by a lizard。
Three days after I had shot this one and lost it; Charles found three small Orangs feeding together。 We had a long chase after them; and had a good opportunity of seeing how they make their way from tree to tree by always choosing those limbs whose branches are intermingled with those of some other tree; and then grasping several of the small twigs together before they venture to swing themselves across。 Yet they do this so quickly and certainly; that they make way among the trees at the rate of full five or six miles an hour; as we had continually to run to keep up with them。 One of these we shot and killed; but it remained high up in the fork of a tree; and; as young animals are of comparatively little interest; I did not have the tree cut down to get it。
At this time I had the misfortune to slip among some fallen trees; and hurt my ankle; and; not being careful enough at first; it became a severe inflamed ulcer; which would not heal; and kept me a prisoner in the house the whole of July and part of August。 When I could get out again; I determined to take a trip up a branch of the Simunjon River to Semabang; where there was said to be a large Dyak house; a mountain with abundance of fruit; and plenty of Orangs and fine birds。 As the river was very narrow; and I was obliged to go in a very small boat with little luggage; I only took with me a Chinese boy as a servant。 I carried a cask of medicated arrack to put Mias skins in; and stores and ammunition for a fortnight。 After a few miles; the stream became very narrow and winding; and the whole country on each side was flooded。 On the banks were an abundance of monkeysthe common Macacus cynomolgus; a black Semnopithecus; and the extraordinary long…nosed monkey (Nasalis larvatus); which is as large as a three…year old child; has a very long tail; and a fleshy nose longer than that of the biggest…nosed man。 The further we went on the narrower and more winding the stream became; fallen trees sometimes blocked up our passage; and sometimes tangled branches and creepers met completely across it; and had to be cut away before we could get on。 It took us two days to reach Semabang; and we hardly saw a bit of dry land all the way。 In the latter part of the journey I could touch the bushes on each side for miles; and we were often delayed by the screw…pines (Pandanus); which grow abundantly in the water; falling across the stream。 In other places dense rafts of floating grass completely filled up the channel; making our journey a constant succession of difficulties。
Near the landing…place we found a fine house; 250 feet long; raised high above the ground on posts; with a wide verandah and still wider platform of bamboo in front of it。 Almost all the people; however; were away on some excursion after edible birds'… nests or bees'…wax; and there only remained in the house two or three old men and women with a lot of children。 The mountain or hill was close by; covered with a complete forest of fruit…trees; among which the Durian and Mangusteen were very abundant; but the fruit was not yet quite ripe; except a little here and there。 I spent a week at this place; going out everyday in various directions about the mountain; accompanied by a Malay; who had stayed with me while the other boatmen returned。 For three days we found no Orangs; but shot a deer and several monkeys。 On the fourth day; however; we found a Mias feeding on a very lofty Durian tree; and succeeded in killing it; after eight shots。 Unfortunately it remained in the tree; hanging by its hands; and we were obliged to leave it and return home; as it was several miles off。 As I felt pretty sure it would fall during the night; I returned to the place early the next morning; and found it on the ground beneath the tree。 To my astonishment and pleasure; it appeared to be a different kind from any I had yet seen; for although a full…grown male; by its fully developed teeth and very large canines; it had no sign of the lateral protuberance on the face; and was about one…tenth smaller in all its dimensions than the other adult males。 The upper incisors; however; appeared to be broader than in the larger species; a character distinguishing the Simia morio of Professor Owen; which he had described from the cranium of a female specimen。 As it was too far to carry the animal home; I set to work and skinned the body on the spot; leaving the head; hands; and feet attached; to be finished at home。 This specimen is now in the British Museum。
At the end of a week; finding no more Orangs; I returned home; and; taking in a few fresh stores; and this time accompanied by Charles; went up another branch of the river; very similar in character; to a place called Menyille; where there were several small Dyak houses and one large one。 Here the landing place was a bridge of rickety poles; over a considerable distance of water; and I though