Their attention was soon diverted by the beauty of their surroundings. The morning light was gilding the skies and the edges of the wood, and gave the river under the reflection of this golden flood the appearance of a stream of liquid gold. The aurora, rising from the east, at first an insignificant stripe of the softest rose color, had gradually covered the whole firmament with a lovely tint, which grew more intense as the god of day approached nearer to the horizon. Nature assumed a calm splendor which, although occurring daily in these regions, is yet so rarely enjoyed by civilized and reflecting beings. Not a breath of air was felt, not a leaf rustled; only the soft murmur of the river was heard, as if offering up an exalted and grateful morning prayer. The vaulted heavens became gradually clad in glittering purple. A moment more and in the midst of this splendor a clearly defined spot was distinguished in the east. This gradually grew larger until it reached the size of a fiery ball and mounted above the horizon—the glorious sun! Not only the tops of the trees were now gilt by its rays; its radiance penetrated between the leaves and branches, dispersing the darkness of the night and diffusing light and life in the most sombre corners of the wood. In glowing colors the sky depicted these wonders of wonders and spoke to man in that impressive language which can only be heard and understood in the midst of a tropical forest. As the sun rose higher the purple diminished. Its rays gradually bathed everything in a clear white light, while the heavenly vault arrayed itself in the purest azure, the hue of infinite space. Amid the perfect calm which generally accompanies the first hours of the day in tropical climates, there appeared in the blue sky a phenomenon which, though not rare in Borneo, is nevertheless not of daily occurrence. Just above their heads our adventurers saw a band of the minutest feathery clouds, extending from south to north and delineating every curve of the river. It was as if a gigantic map unrolled itself in the heavens, upon which the stream was vividly depicted as if painted on a blue ground; the silver hue increasing in intensity as the purple disappeared. In this reflection the banks of the Kapoeas were distinctly defined; every soengei was indicated, even the lakes and marshes along the banks of the river were plainly visible. The river decreased in width toward the north and increased toward the south, until next to the horizon it reached the border of the forest and became lost in ethereal space. Nothing could be more perfect than this hydrographic drawing, one corner of which might have truly recorded in large characters, “Scale of natural size,” while the other corner might have borne the imprint, “Deus sculpsit.” Our travellers were lost in deep admiration. “Gloriously beautiful,” Schlickeisen avowed, adding enthusiastically, “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth His handiwork.”