Chapter II: Preface

"FOUR YOUNG EXPLORERS" is the third volume of the third series of the "All-Over-the-World Library." When the young millionaire and his three companions of about his own age, with a chosen list of near and dear friends, had made the voyage "Half Round the World," the volume with this title left them all at Sarawak in the island of Borneo. The four young explorers, as they became, were permitted to spend three weeks there hunting, fishing, and ascending some of the rivers, while the rest of the party proceeded in the Guardian-Mother to Siam. The younger members of the ship's company believed they had seen enough of temples, palaces, and fine gardens in the great cities of the East, and desired to live a wilder life for a brief period.

They were provided with a steam-launch, prepared for long trips; and they ascended the Sarawak, the Sadong, and the Simujan Rivers, and had all the hunting, fishing, and exploring they desired. They visited the villages of the Sea and Hill Dyaks, and learned what they could of their manners and customs, penetrating the island from the sea to the mountains. They studied the flora and the fauna of the forests, and were exceedingly interested in their occupation for about a week, when they came to the conclusion that "too much of a good thing" became wearisome; and, more from the love of adventure than for any other reason, they decided to proceed to Bangkok, and to make the voyage of nine hundred miles in the Blanchita, as they had named the steam-launch, which voyage was accomplished without accident.

After the young explorers had looked over the capital of Siam, the Guardian-Mother and her consort made the voyage to Saigon, the capital of French Cochin-China, where the visit of the tourists was a general frolic, with "lots of fun," as the young people expressed it; and then, crossing the China Sea, made the port of Manila, the capital of the Philippine Islands, where they explored the city, and made a trip up the Pasig to the Lake of the Bay. From this city they made the voyage to Hong-Kong, listening to a very long lecture on the way in explanation of the history, manners, and customs, and the peculiarities of the people of China. They were still within the tropics, and devoted themselves to the business of sight-seeing with the same vigor and interest as before. But most of them had read so much about China, as nearly every American has, that many of the sights soon began to seem like an old story to them.

Passing out of the Torrid Zone, the two steamers proceeded to the north, obtaining a long view of Formosa, and hearing a lecture about it. Their next port of call was Shang-hai, reached by ascending the Woo-Sung. From this port they made an excursion up the Yang-tsze-Chiang, which was an exceedingly interesting trip to them. The ships then made the voyage to Tien-tsin, from which they ascended by river in the steam-launch to a point thirteen miles from Pekin, going from there to the capital by the various modes of conveyance in use in China. They visited the sights of the great city under the guidance of a mandarin, educated at Yale College. Some of the party made the trip to the loop-wall, near Pekin. Returning to Tien-tsin, with the diplomatic mandarin, who had accepted an invitation to go to Japan in the Guardian-Mother, they sailed for that interesting country, where the next volume of the series will take them.

It may be necessary to say that the Guardian-Mother, now eighteen months from New York, and half round the world, reached Tien-tsin May 25, 1893; and therefore nothing relating to the late war between China and Japan is to be found in this volume. Possibly the four young explorers would have found more sights to see, and more adventures to enjoy, if they had struck either of the belligerent nations during the war; but the ship sailed for the United States before hostilities were begun.

Of course the writer has been compelled to consult many volumes in writing this book; and he takes great pleasure in mentioning among them the very interesting and valuable work of Mr. W. T. Hornaday, the accomplished traveller and scientist, "Two Years in the Jungle." This book contains all that one need know about Borneo, to say nothing of the writer's trip in India among the elephants. His researches in regard to the orang-outang appear to have exhausted the subject; though I do not believe he has found the "missing link," if he is looking for it. Professor Legge contributed several articles to "Chambers's Encyclopædia," which contain the most interesting and valuable matter about China to be derived from any work; for he lived for years in that country, travelled extensively, and learned the language. I am under great obligations to these authors.

The author is under renewed obligations to his readers, young and old, who have been his constant friends during more than forty years, for the favor with which they have received a whole library of his books, and for the kind words they have spoken to him, both verbally and by letter.

WILLIAM T. ADAMS.

DORCHESTER, MASS.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.
PAGE
THE BORNEO HUNTERS AND EXPLORERS 1

CHAPTER II.
A VOYAGE UP THE SARAWAK RIVER 10

CHAPTER III.
SOMETHING ABOUT BORNEO AND ITS PEOPLE 19

CHAPTER IV.
A SPECULATION IN CROCODILES 29

CHAPTER V.
A HUNDRED AND EIGHT FEET OF CROCODILE 39

CHAPTER VI.
THE VOYAGE UP THE SADONG TO SIMUJAN 48

CHAPTER VII.
A SPIRITED BATTLE WITH ORANG-OUTANGS 58

CHAPTER VIII.
A PERFORMANCE OF VERY AGILE GIBBONS 67

CHAPTER IX.
A VISIT TO A DYAK LONG-HOUSE 77

CHAPTER X.
THE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE DYAKS 87

CHAPTER XI.
STEAMBOATING THROUGH A GREAT FOREST 96

CHAPTER XII.
A FORMIDABLE OBSTRUCTION REMOVED 106

CHAPTER XIII.
THE CAPTAIN'S ASTOUNDING PROPOSITION 115

CHAPTER XIV.
DOWN THE SIMUJAN AND UP THE SARAWAK 125

CHAPTER XV.
ON THE VOYAGE TO POINT CAMBODIA 134

CHAPTER XVI.
AN EXCITING RACE IN THE CHINA SEA 143

CHAPTER XVII.
THE END OF THE VOYAGE TO BANGKOK 153

CHAPTER XVIII.
LOUIS'S DOUBLE-DINNER ARGUMENT 163

CHAPTER XIX.
A HASTY GLANCE AT BANGKOK 172

CHAPTER XX.
A VIEW OF COCHIN-CHINA AND SIAM 181

CHAPTER XXI.
ON THE VOYAGE TO SAIGON 191

CHAPTER XXII.
IN THE DOMINIONS OF THE FRENCH 201

CHAPTER XXIII.
A LIVELY EVENING AT THE HOTEL 211

CHAPTER XXIV.
TONQUIN AND SIGHTS IN CHOLON 221

CHAPTER XXV.
SEVERAL HILARIOUS FROLICS 231

CHAPTER XXVI.
THE VOYAGE ACROSS THE CHINA SEA 241

CHAPTER XXVII.
SOME ACCOUNT OF THE PHILIPPINES 250

CHAPTER XXVIII.
THE DESCRIPTION OF AN EARTHQUAKY CITY 260

CHAPTER XXIX.
GOING ON SHORE IN MANILA 270

CHAPTER XXX.
EXCURSIONS ON SHORE AND UP THE PASIG 280

CHAPTER XXXI.
HALF A LECTURE ON CHINESE SUBJECTS 290

CHAPTER XXXII.
THE CONTINUATION OF THE LECTURE 300

CHAPTER XXXIII.
THE CONCLUSION OF THE LECTURE 310

CHAPTER XXXIV.
SIGHT-SEEING IN HONG-KONG AND CANTON 321

CHAPTER XXXV.
SHANG-HAI AND THE YANG-TSZE-CHIANG 332

CHAPTER XXXVI.
THE WALLS AND TEMPLES OF PEKIN 342

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

"YOUR FIRST SHOT, LOUIS," SAID SCOTT _Frontispiece_

PAGE

"WHAT HAVE YOU GOT THERE, MR. BELGRAVE?" 41

"YOU ARE NEAR ENOUGH, CAPTAIN" 99

THE BOAT ROSE GRACEFULLY ON THE BILLOWS 132

"BUT WHERE IS FELIX?" DEMANDED MRS. BLOSSOM, 161

SHE MADE A VIGOROUS LEAP INTO THE FORE-SHEETS, 267

NATIVES PREPARING TOBACCO IN MANILA 285

TEMPLE AND GARDEN IN CHINA 329

FOUR YOUNG EXPLORERS