Outboard Engines, Speed Boats and Long Boats

Foochow girls in the past did not dream of handsome princes arriving on horses. They dreamt of handsome and rich young men who came with their speedboats (hp 25 outboard engines) to carry them up the Rajang River to see a movie in Sibu and returning them to their home after the first show at 9 p.m.

It must have been quite frightening to drive a speed boat at night but according to an expert, in those days it was quite safe as there were few logs and the spot light from the speed boat was really good.

The most elegant outboard engines came from Ling Hak Choon and Heng Ang with horse power ranging from 15 HP to 80 HP.

The earlier brands were Eagle, Gale, Evinrude, Johnson. Later many Japanese brands came into the market.

Because the Rajang was such a significant line of communication, the government departments all had their outboard engines and speed boats and long boats. The higher the officer, the bigger his outboard engine.

Long boats could be as long as 72 feet. They were not as romantic as the speedboats as they were mainly for family and official uses.

The Medical Department was famous for their very long boats which acted as mobile clinics in most cases. The officers practically lived in them. A long boat like theirs would have a boat man, a jaga ruan, a cook and an orderly.

While young ladies were dreaming of their handsome men coming to fetch them in their speedboats I was more serious about my future career. Would I be a nurse? Would I be a teacher?

My family then could not really afford to send me overseas to study economics or law  or accountancy.

So I gave nursing a try. When I was asked to temporarily help Miss Mona Pengelly as a translator of the Methodist Mobile Clinic along the Igan and the Rajang I was only too happy to go with her. The work was both adventurous and meaningful. She was a nurse with a lot of experience (she even treated a sick pig) and she delivered so many babies in the villages without many facilities. I translated for her when she met with Foochows and Ibans and I enjoyed all the long boat trips.

Life was not too risky on the river because the long boat was sturdy, we had a roof over us and the boat man was really trustworthy. We reached every destination in good faith.

One night we slept in a longhouse living room with a python curled above us on a beam. The Iban owner of the bilik said they would not chase the reptile away because it could be the reincarnation of an ancestor. I probably did not sleep a wink but towards morning I did fall asleep as I did not hear the cock crow.