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Show 1 14 MR. D. D. DALY ON THE CAVES CONTAINING [FeD* ' » British North-Borneo Company will give access to the Batu Timbang, Senobang, Ulu Sembakong, and Obang Obang Caves, which are all situated to the south of the Kinabatangan River, and then the real output of the caves will be ascertained, and the harvests of birds'-nests, collected, as in Java, under European supervision in proper seasons, will be enhanced in value. No. 7. THE OBANG OBANG CAVES are situated on the Melikop River, a tributary of the Kinabatangan River, East Coast, about the centre of British North Borneo, and connecting the east and west coasts by the palaeozoic zone of insular limestone mountains. The aneroid, at the mouths of the caves, gave a reading of one thousand eight hundred and ten feet above sea-level. The last half-hour's walk was over limestone boulders, and the air was strongly impregnated with the odour of Bats' guano. The first cave is the most valuable, but it can only be entered by experts in climbing. The entrance is a small hole, about four feet by four, which is closed with a wooden grating, for the purpose of attracting attention to the spot. Every two months this doorway is opened, and the climbers let themselves down into the caves by means of rattans, and gather all nests, both large and small. The " take " or collection varies much in different seasons, this principal cave yielding from eighty to two hundred and fifty white nests, worth $16 a cattv, per season. One season lasts onlv two months, making six seasons in the year, the same periods of seasons are also observed at the Senobang cavern, Ulu Penuneah. This is quite different from the duration of the seasons at Gomanton, Batu Timbang (river Quarmote), Madai, and Sigalong Caves, where there are only two or, at most, three seasons in the twelve mouths. The Tungaras agree that by collecting frequently they procure white nests in first-rate order, though some of the nests fetch a higher price from the Sulu traders than those of Batu Timbang. I noticed a great scarcity of Swifts ; this may be attributed to these frequent takings of nests, which prevent the birds from breeding, whereas in the other caves of North Borneo where the collections are less frequent, an immense number of birds are found. On the other hand, where there are only two collections per annum, and especially during the rainy season, many of the nests are found to be half rotten, particularly that part of the nests that adheres to the wall, and full of feathers and containing eggs, from having been left too long on the walls before collection. The "Obang Obang" range, which contains the caves of that name, runs about north and south and is half a mile in length. There are seven entrances ("lobang") from the top of°the hill, and thev are all close together. Five of the caves do not contain any nests, no Swifts, but only Bats, inhabiting them. The first I have already alluded to, and the last was the only one |