ume filled the air, cool and fresh after the heavy
rain, for many yards around.

This residency, the smallest in Sarawak, is now in charge of a
Eurasian, or half-caste. Up till two years since, however, it was
under the supervision of a European resident, and to the latter was
due the trim-looking garden with its gravel walks and gardenia
hedges--now, alas, fast falling into decay in the care of the
half-caste, who, like most of his race, cares but little for anything
but filthy lucre. The village of Sadong consists of a Malay population
of about 400 souls, and is situated on the banks of the Simunjan, a
tributary of the Sadong river, which meets it at this point. Coal is
found in large quantities near here, and Government has opened out a
small mine for the use of its vessels and those of the Borneo Company.
The coal wharf is situated about half a mile up the Simunjan stream,
whence a tramway, three miles long, leads up to the shaft from the
landing-place. The coal is conveyed to Kuching weekly, in a small
sailing vessel.

We visited the mines the day after our arrival, paddling up stream in
two small Malay canoes to the wharf--a paddle that proved disastrous
to L., who was capsized when close to the landing-stage. The tide was
running strong, and, as L. could not swim, things for a moment looked
serious; but help was at hand, in the shape of an old Malay fisherman
in a canoe moored mid-stream, who pulled him out, none the worse for
his ducking. Our walk through the jungle was very picturesque, the
forest being alive with butterflies of every description, including
the _Brookeana_, a beautifully-marked green-and-black butterfly, but
rarely met with. It was along this tramway that Mr. Wallace shot the
orang-utan mentioned in an earlier part of this chapter.

The Sadong mines are superintended by a European overseer, who lives
in a small hut on the side of the mountain, and who showed us over the
place. He told us that the amount turned out per diem was only ten
tons, but the working of the whole place is still in a very primitive
state. The tramway was constructed of wooden rails, and the coal cars
drawn by an old grey pony. In the hands of a properly organised
company the mines would undoubtedly pay, as there is any quantity of
coal, and the facilities for shipping are great. Moreover Singapore,
which is the coaling station for all vessels bound to and from China,
is but two days distant by steamer.

We remained a