Life in the Forests of the Far East (Volume 1); Or, Travels in Northern Borneo (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1863. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XI. THE PHYSICAL AND POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE DISTRICTS LYING BETWEEN GAYA BAY AND THE TAMPASUK RIVER; WITH A GEOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF MALUDU BAY AND THE NORTH-EAST COAST OF BORNEO The coast line, as viewed from the sea, presents the following appearance: Gaya Island and the shDres of Gaya and Sapangar Bays are hilly, and this continues to within a mile of the mouth of the Mengkabong; the land then becomes flat, with the exception of the Tambalan hill, as far as the mouth of the Sulaman creek or river. High land then commences, which continues for a short distance beyond the Abai, when it again becomes low, and presents the same appearance for many miles beyond the Tampasuk river, the coast being fringed with casuarinas. I have inserted this chapter, though, in fact, it contains but a summary of the geographical information collected during our two expeditions to Kina Balu, and some previous coasting voyages. It necessarily involves repetition, but I hope will prove useful to geographers who may be desirous to have the subject presented to them in one view, and it will help to elucidate the map of these districts. To render it more complete, I have added a geographical description of Maludu Bay and the north-east coast of Borneo. The mouths of the rivers Ananam, Kabatuan, Mengkabong, Tawaran, Sulaman, Abai, and Tampasuk are all shallow, and unfit for European vessels; the deepest having but nine feet at low water, and with the exception of the Ananam, Kabatuan, and Abai, are much exposed during both monsoons, and are rendered dangerous by the numerous sandbanks that lie off their mouths. The Ananam in Gaya Bay, and the Kabatuan in Sapangar Bay, are only suited for native craft. The Abai has more water, and its mouth being sheltered, small ...