Klouwang and its caves, west coast of Atchin; travelling notes of M.L.H. Wallon, civil engineer of mines. .F.A. Hervey
M.L.H. Wallon, a French civil engineer of mines, and D.F.A. Hervey published their travelling notes on the island of Klouwang (Kluang) and its swallow caves off the west coast of Atchin (Aceh), Sumatra, in 1881, originally appearing in the Annales de l’Extreme Orient in August 1879. The account records a brief but vivid visit during which the authors explored the island’s geology, its extensive cave systems, and the local economy of swiftlet nest collection.
Summary
The narrative opens with the authors’ approach to the port of Klouwang from seawards, describing the narrow passage between a volcanic island and the mainland breakers, the mushroom-shaped isle to the right, and the village hidden in a valley at the foot of Mount Timbega (copper) (pp. 153–154). Upon landing, Wallon provides a geological survey of the island, identifying its composition as chiefly trachyte crossed by bands of quartz and porphyry, with masses of selenite and melaphyre covered by lava overflows (p. 155). He also notes the trade in holothurion (sea-cucumber, Malay “tripang”), found among the coral rocks at the shore.
The central focus of the article is the exploration of the island’s cave systems. Wallon describes a magnificent cavern inhabited by millions of swallows, with bamboo scaffolding of remarkable lightness and boldness enabling the Atchinese to collect nests (p. 156). A submarine communication between the cavern and the sea allows light to penetrate at the waterline, illuminating fish below. A second, larger cavern is reached via a steep rock face, revealing a vast grotto with a black unfathomable gulf at its base, stalactites of pearl-grey, and a floor of pebbles and water-brought soil (pp. 156–157). The authors penetrated the labyrinthine passages by torchlight until their supplies were exhausted, unable to complete the full exploration (p. 158).
Key Findings
- The island of Klouwang is composed chiefly of trachyte, crossed by numerous bands of quartz and porphyry, with selenite and melaphyre masses covered by lava overflows (p. 155).
- The main swallow cave is an immense subterranean canal, 15–20 metres high and 10–12 metres wide, containing bamboo scaffolding for nest collection (p. 156).
- A submarine communication exists between the cavern and the sea, allowing a gleam of light to penetrate at the waterline (p. 156).
- A second, larger cavern features a black unfathomable gulf at a depth of approximately 30 metres, with stalactites and a floor of pebbles and water-brought soil (p. 157).
- The cavern floor is composed of light, dry soil formed from swallow excrement, in which insects breed in great numbers (p. 157).
- The holothurion (sea-cucumber) trade is noted as an important local commercial activity, with the product preserved and highly valued by the Chinese (p. 155).
Conclusion
Wallon’s account is primarily a descriptive travel narrative rather than a systematic geological or ethnographic study, but its most significant scholarly contribution lies in the footnote identifying the cavern floor’s position above sea level as evidence of the ascending movement of the Malay landmass—a conclusion he states is corroborated by observations at other points on the East and West coasts of Sumatra (p. 158).
Context
- The article was originally published in the Annales de l’Extreme Orient (August 1879) before being translated and reprinted in the Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, Vol. 8 (1881), reflecting the Society’s interest in French colonial scientific observations of the Malay world.
- Wallon’s role as a civil engineer of mines (ingénieur des mines) situates this account within the broader French colonial geological surveying of Indochina and the Malay Peninsula during the 1870s.