useful
articles in other places. They had learned in Singapore and Batavia how
to deal with Chinese traders, and they seldom gave even more than
one-third or one-half of what was demanded. After diligent search Achang
found a certain Dyak tool he wanted,--a sort of axe, which Lane, the
carpenter's assistant, ridiculed without mercy.

The young men visited the English Mission, where they were kindly
received, and went to the school. The American missionaries are also
active in Borneo, and one of them has made a vocabulary of the Dyak
language.

It was decided to start down the river the next morning on the way to
the Sadong and Simujan Rivers, the latter being a branch of the former.
In the early morning, as the hands were casting off the fasts, two
Malays came alongside in a sampan, and asked to be towed to the Sadong.
Achang had some talk with them, and made the request of the captain for
them. He learned that they were engaged in the business of catching
crocodiles for the reward.

"They don't shoot crocodiles, and they have no rifles," added Achang.

"How do they get them then?" asked Louis.

"They fish for them."

"What, with a hook and line?" demanded Captain Scott.

"With a line, but have no fish-hook," replied the Bornean. "You must see
them catch one."

"All right," replied the captain; "we will tow them down the river."

After the yacht had been moving about an hour, they came to a colony of
saurians apparently, for several of them were in sight at once. Achang
directed the reptile-hunters to catch one of them, and they paddled
their sampan towards a large one. The Blanchita kept near enough to
enable all hands to witness the operation, which the Bornean described
to them as the Malays made their preparations, for they had all their
fishing-gear in their boat.

The line they used was a rattan about forty feet long. At the "business
end," as Scott called it, they attached a float to keep it on the top of
the water. The steamer just crawled along on the river in order not to
disturb the game, though the reptiles were accustomed to the sight of
vessels.

"Now you see that stick the hunter has in his hand," said Achang, though
each of them had one. "'Most a foot long, like a new moon."

"Crescent-shaped," added Louis.

"Called an _alir_ in Malay. Made of green wood, very tough, pointed at
the ends; they fasten the rattan line to the middle of the stick."

Some tough green bark, braided together,