Banks, E., 1978. Mammals from Borneo. Brunei Museum Journal 4 (2): 165-227, pls. 1-14
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| Location: |
Asia - South East Asia - Borneo |
| Subject: |
Distribution - Hunting |
| Species: |
Sumatran Rhino |
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I once went Rhinoceros hunting. After a day and a half by outboard motor from Trusan town we left the river and marched inland. The first hill was Bukit Tamunan, a monument to liars. In the old days anyone who told a whopper had a pile of stones erected in his 'honour' and passers by added to it - this one was 3000 feet high. We came to a village long house and arrived next night at the home of our Rhino hunting guide. He was no tea-totaller and next morning he said his real home was another days walk further on. That was no tea-total house either and the following morning the gloom was great, there were no Rhinos, I had one eye bunged up and two flat feet.
From there we set off into unexplored territory, myself and twelve Muruts. Their carrying powers only let them take enough rice for twelve days and when we finished that, there would be no more. The second day out we ran into a party of Muruts working gum resin, ruining their futures by cutting down the gum trees. I heard the Old Man telling them to hide their unlicensed guns - muzzle loaders some of them - and laughed heartily at this, being far too fond of shooting myself to stop anyone else doing so. It did not dawn on me that my followers shared dinner and breakfast with these damn gum-gatherers. A week later I knew all about it. The next day we climbed to over 4000 feet, passing an old Rhino wallow and a pushed over tree where one had fed. The jungle became so thick we could see no more than five yards in thick cloud and dismal rain. Eventually we had to come down off the top for better conditions. The Old Man had now shaved his head and started to wear a hair net. Next day was even worse, the jungle was just a mass of thorny rotans, the trail cutter was done up in half an hour and had to be replaced - I had never seen anything like it before. The Rhinos did not mind and there were several wallows about. Another day of this sort of thing and we were lost, hill streams and deep gullies got in the way, coughs and fevers began to appear and the whisky to disappear. And then at midday we came out on a scrub covered ridge 5000 feet high with stunted trees, huge pitcher plants and many ground orchids in bloom.
They even got me up a tree to look at Labuan Island. All round was a flattish, sandy plain with lots of open spaces through which ran the Maga River. The guide went off on some do of his own and did not come back that night. It seemed odd to me but 1 was too glad to see him again next morning to ask any silly questions. 1 spent the day wandering about this Paya Maga, climbing trees to see the surrounding country and looking for a Rhino but the fact is I found no trace of this or any other game - the place was deserted. When 1 got back to camp I found the carriers were full of something besides a lot of cat-fish, the 1,ast thing one would expect to find up here. Then they told me they had only one day's rice lef t - those damn gum-gatherers had eaten the rest. We were now in a proper mess, five days walk back and one days food. The only thing to do was to go down the other side of the mountain. Next morning we left behind all the pots and pans and the collecting gear and took off with our last belly-full. An hour later the boys bolted back to the camp and started sharing out the things among themselves. I am not a he-man but I must have given a good imitation of a bailiff turning out the non-paying tenants and we were soon on our way again. At first we crossed a wide, flat plain, another Bah country, then up the hills and a long descent away from the moss and the thorns, very cold and wet, then up again higher still until we camped foodless for the night. By now some were giving up and could go no further. To my surprise the three Malays were going strong, enjoyed telling off the Muruts : in fact they took over from them. Only the guide was any good now.
He was a startling old character named Tai Langub and seemed likely to he the last survivor. The District Officer had said they were nearly all tea-totallers except him and had laughed at my bottles of whiskey. They saved us now. We filled up the Muruts with the stuff - the Malays would have no truck with it - and set off next day, wet and cold and foodless. Sometimes I went on ahead and fired off the gun, when they came running hoping to find a pig. Once I walked into a wasp's nest which so quickened my own progress that I left it for the others to find for themselves, a cause of much indignation. In the evening we came to a hunter's path and quarrelled which way it went. Fortunately we did not follow 'heel' next day, reached a village, shot a deer and filled up on rice wine - all honour to the Muruts for sticking it out.
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Mammals from Borneo
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