Four Young Explorers; Or, Sight-Seeing in the Tropics

by Oliver Optic

  CHAPTER I

  THE BORNEO HUNTERS AND EXPLORERS

  The Guardian-Mother, attended by the Blanche, had conveyed the tourists,in their voyage all over the world, to Sarawak, the capital of arajahship on the north-western coast of the island of Borneo. The townis situated on both sides of a river of the same name, about eighteenmiles from its mouths.

  The steamer on which was the pleasant home of the millionaire ateighteen, who was accompanied by his mother and a considerable party,all of whom have been duly presented to the reader in the former volumesof the series, lay in the middle of the river. The black smoke waspouring out of her smokestack, and the hissing steam indicated that thevessel was all ready to go down the river to the China Sea. Her anchorhad been hove up, and the pilot was in the pilot-house waiting for thecommander to strike the gong in the engine-room to start the screw.

  Just astern of the Guardian-Mother was a very trim and beautifulsteam-launch, fifty feet in length. The most prominent persons on boardof her were the quartette of American boys, known on board of thesteamer in which they had sailed half round the world as the "Big Four."Of this number Louis Belgrave, the young millionaire, was the mostimportant individual in the estimation of his companions, though happilynot in his own.

  Like a great many other young men of eighteen, which was the age ofthree of them, while the fourth was hardly sixteen, they were fond ofadventure,--of hunting, fishing, and sporting in general. They had goneover a large portion of Europe, visited the countries on the shores ofthe Mediterranean, crossed India, and called at some of the ports ofBurma, the Malay peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Celebes, and had reachedSarawak in their explorations.

  They had visited many of the great cities of the world, and seen thetemples, monuments, palaces, and notable structures of all kinds theycontain; but they had become tired of this description of sight-seeing.When the island of Borneo was marked on the map as one of the localitiesto be visited, the "Big Four" had a meeting in the boudoir, as one ofthe apartments of the Guardian-Mother was called, and voted that theyhad had enough of temples, monuments, and great cities for the present.

  They agreed that exploring a part of Borneo, with the incidentalhunting, fishing, and study of natural history, would suit them better.Louis Belgrave was appointed a committee of one to petition thecommander to allow them three weeks in the island for this purpose.Captain Ringgold suggested to Louis that it was rather selfish to leavethe rest of the party on the steamer, stuck in the mud of the Sarawak,while they were on the rivers and in the woods enjoying themselves.

  But the representative of the "Big Four" protested that they did notmean anything of the sort. They did not care a straw for the temples andother sights of Siam, Cambodia, and French Cochin-China; and while theywere exploring Borneo and shooting orang-outangs, the Guardian-Mothershould proceed to Bangkok and Saigon, and the rest of the tourists couldenjoy themselves to the full in seeing the wonders of Farther India.

  It required a great deal of discussion to induce the commander, and thenthe mothers of two of the explorers, to assent to this plan; but theobjections were finally overcome by the logic and the eloquence ofLouis. The Blanche, the consort of the Guardian-Mother, having on boardthe owner, known as General Noury, his wife and his father-in-law, hadnothing to do with this difficult question; but the general had asteam-launch, which he was kind enough to grant for the use of theexplorers.

  The third engineer of the ship was to go with the quartette, in chargeof the engine; five of the youngest of the seamen were selected to makethe venture safer than it might otherwise have been. Achang Bakir, anative Bornean, who had been picked up off the Nicobar Islands, afterthe wreck of the dhow of which he had been in command, was to be theguide and interpreter.

  The youngsters and their assistants had taken their places on board ofthe "Blanchita," as Louis had christened the craft, and she was toaccompany the two large steamers down the river. But the farewells hadall been spoken, the hugging and kissing disposed of, and the tears hadeven been wiped away. The mothers had become in some degree reconciledto the separation of three weeks.

  The Guardian-Mother started her screw, and began to move very slowlydown the river, amid the cheers and salutations of the officers,soldiers, and citizens of the town. The Blanche followed her, and bothsteamers fired salutes in honor of the spectators to their departure.The Blanchita secured a position on the starboard of theGuardian-Mother, and for three hours kept up a communication with theirfriends by signals and shouts.

  Off the mouth of the Moritabas, one of the outlets of the stream, thesteamers stopped their screws, and the "Big Four" went alongside of theGuardian-Mother; the adieux were repeated, and then the ships laid thecourse for their destination. Both of the latter kept up an incessantscreaming with their steam whistles, and the party on board of themwaved their handkerchiefs, to which the "Big Four," assisted by thesailors, responded in like manner, while the engineer gave whistle forwhistle in feeble response.

  When the whistles ceased, and the signals could no longer be seen, theBlanchita came about, and headed for the Peak of Santubong on thetriangular island formed by the two passes of the Sarawak River. Theexplorers watched the ships till they could no longer be seen, and thenheaded up the river.

  "Faix, the bridges betune oursels and civiloization are all broke down!"exclaimed Felix McGavonty, who sometimes used his Milesian dialect inorder, as he put it, not to lose his mother's brogue.

  "Not so bad as that, Felix; for there is considerable civilization lyingaround loose in Borneo," replied Louis Belgrave.

  "Not much of it here is found," added Achang Bakir, the Bornean.

  "Is found here," interposed Morris Woolridge, who had been giving thenative lessons in English, for he mixed with it the German idiom.

  "Rajah Brooke has civilized the region which he governs, and the Dutchhave done the same in portions of their territory. Professor Giroud gaveus the lecture on Borneo, and we shall have occasion to review some ofit," added Louis. "But I think we had better give some attention to theorganization of our party for the trip up the Sarawak River."

  "I move, Mr. Chairman, that we have the same organization we had onboard of the Maud," interposed Felix, dropping his brogue. "That meansthat Mr. Scott shall be captain, and Morris mate, while Louis and myselfshall be the deck-hands."

  "Mr. Chairman, I move an amendment to the motion, to the effect thatLouis shall be captain, while I serve as deck-hand," said Scott.

  "I hope the amendment will be voted down, and that the original motionwill prevail," Louis objected. "Captain Scott, in command of the Maud,on a voyage of two thousand miles, proved himself to be an able andskilful commander, as well as a prudent and successful leader in severaldifficult situations. He is the right person for the position. Question!Those in favor of the amendment of Mr. Scott will signify it by raisingthe right hand."

  Scott voted for his own motion, and he was the only one.

  "Contrary minded, by the same sign," continued Louis, raising his righthand, Felix and Morris voting the same. "The amendment is lost. Thequestion is now on the original motion of Felix. Those in favor of itsadoption will signify it."

  Three hands appeared, the motion was carried, and the chairman informedScott and Morris that they were chosen captain and mate. Scott wasoutvoted, and he made no further objection. Of the five seamen on boardhe appointed Pitts cook and steward, in which capacity he had served onboard of the Maud. The starboard is the captain's watch; though thesecond mate, when there is one, takes his place for duty, and the portis the mate's watch.

  "I select Clingman for the first of my watch," continued Scott. "Yourchoice next, Morris."

  "Wales," said the mate.

  "Lane for the starboard," added Scott.

  "Hobson's choice," laughed Morris, as he took the last man. "Clinch forthe port; the last, but by no means the least."

  "I fancy the watches will have an easy time of it; for I suppose weshall not do much running up and down these rivers, an
d through darkforests, in the night," suggested Louis.

  "If we lie up in the night, I shall divide them both intoquarter-watches, and have one man on duty all the time; for we may beboarded by a huge crocodile or a boa-constrictor if we are not on thelookout. But Achang is a pilot for these rivers. Isn't that so, CaptainBakir?"

  "I have been up and down all the rivers in this part of the island,though I was not shipped as a pilot then," replied Achang, who had beenthe captain of a dhow, and on board the ship he had been called by hisfirst name or the other with the title.

  "All right; we shall use you for pilot or interpreter as occasion mayrequire; and I suppose you can tell us all we want to know about thecountry and the people," added the captain.

  Clinch, one of the ablest seamen on board, was steering the launch, andScott kept the run of the courses; but as long as the craft had threefeet of water under her, she was all right. The conversation took placein the cabin, as the explorers called the after part of the steamer,though no such apartment had been built there.

  A frame constructed of brass rods, properly braced, extended the entirelength of the launch. A stanchion at the bow and another at the stern,with five on each side set in the rail, supported a rod the wholedistance around the craft. Another extended from the bow to the sternstanchion, directly over the keel, about six inches higher than those atthe sides. Ten rods led from the central down to the side rods, like therafters of a house.

  Over the whole, of this structure above was extended a single piece ofpainted canvas, serving as a roof, and keeping out both sun and rain. Itwas laced very taut to the rods, and had slope enough to make the waterrun off. On the sides were curtains, which could be hauled down tight.The launch had been used by the rajah on the Ganges, and when closed inthe interior was like "a bug in a rug."

  Thus closed in, the standing-room was called the cabin. It wassurrounded by wide cushioned seats, which made very good beds at night.Between these divans was a table where the meals of the explorers wereto be served. Under the seats were many lockers for all sorts ofarticles, the bedding, and the arms and ammunition.

  Just forward of the cabin were the engine and boiler, with bunkers oneach side for the coal. In the middle of the craft was abundant space.The forward part of the boat was provided with cushioned divans, wherepassengers could sit by day or sleep at night; and this space wasappropriated to the sailors. In the centre of it was the wheel. Next toit was the galley, with a stove large enough to cook for a dozenpersons, and all needed utensils.

  The ship's company had looked the craft over with great interest, andall of them were well pleased with the arrangements. The launch had beenput into the water and fitted up for use the day before. The party fromboth ships had visited her, and almost wished they were to go to theinterior of the country in her.

  The Blanchita continued on her course up the river. Pitts was at work inthe galley; and as soon as the launch was made fast off the "go-down,"or business building of the town, dinner was served to the seamen, andlater to the denizens of the cabin. The afternoon was spent in examiningthe place, and in obtaining such supplies as were needed; for the boatwas to sail on her voyage up the river early the next morning.

  With the assistance of Achang, a small sampan, a kind of skiff, waspurchased; for the Bornean declared that it would be needed in thehunting excursions of the party, for much of the country was floodedwith water, a foot or two in depth.