As soon as they had landed their treasure at the kotta the Walloon kindled a couple of fires with which to make his observations. Schlickeisen however did not remain with him. He went his way, leaving his friend to pursue his experiments. Three hours afterwards when the other Europeans sought the Walloon they found him still busy with his coal. “Look!” said he, “you could not find better coal than this in any of the mines of Liege or Hainault.” The Walloon seemed mad with delight and his companions stared at him in utter astonishment. “But of what practical use is your great discovery?” asks Johannes. “Do not the Dayaks use coal?” observed Wienersdorf. “No! the use of batoe kasientoe, as they call coals, is considered unclean. In some places it is forbidden to touch coal or to approach a coal fire. Whence this superstition springs I don’t know; but the Dayaks have a legend which relates how Mahatara in a moment of wrath buried whole forests in the earth and turned them into stone. This may account for their horror of coal.” Is coal distributed all over Borneo? In our present ignorance of the resources of the island such a question is difficult to answer. But as far as we know, we may safely say, yes; for wherever the Dutch are established numerous and valuable coal veins have been developed. The coal debate might have lasted all night but for Harimaoung Boekit who now approached to join his friends. He held in his hands a tarodjok—a small pair of scales to which he drew Johannes’ attention. “Well, Amai, did you weigh it?” “Yes,” responded the Poenan grinning,—“it weighs just one ‘boea kajoe.’” “And what may that be worth?” This question was too difficult for the Poenan to answer. He scratched his head and looked at the company one by one. At last, addressing his future brother-in-law, he asked him: “If one thaël costs thirty reals, what is the value of a boea kajoe?” Wienersdorf stared, his face looking so blank that his companions could not refrain from bursting out into laughter. He had not the remotest idea of what his interrogator wished to know. Harimaoung pointed to the scales, in one of which there was a fine metallic powder of a dark yellow hue, greatly resembling dirty copper filings, while the opposite scale contained a small brass plate representing a weight. Even now Wienersdorf did not know what was required of him and he consequently shrugged his shoulders. “People coming from Bandjermasin always boast of knowing more than others,” said the Poenan, “and now this blockhead cannot tell the value of one boea kadjoe when a thaël costs thirty reals.” “But what costs thirty reals? What? Which?” asked the Swiss, somewhat offended. “What! This boelau oerei (gold dust).” “Aha! this is gold dust, is it? and you wish me to tell its value. Well, I don’t know.” “You don’t know! Oh, my poor sister, what an idiot of a husband she will have.” Johannes burst out laughing and was joined by La Cueille and Schlickeisen.