MY LIMBANG JOURNAL--_Continued_.
Commence the return Journey--Kayan Embassy--Indian
Corn--Confidence of the People--Ophthalmia--Old Jar--Gratitude
rarely shown--Anecdote--Warning to Amateur Doctors--Bezoar
Stones--Arrangements at Si Lopong’s--A Nightcap--Desertion
of our Guides--Murut Music--Start for the Adang--Warned
of Difficulties--Abundance of Rice--Cross the Adang
Mountains--Active Girls--The Anœctochilus--Attack of
Fever--Arrangements in case of its continuance--Loss of
Chamber to Revolver--Reach the Adang--Legend--Construct four
Rafts--Pleasant Movement--Trying Position of one of the Men--The
first Rapid passed--Difficulties at the second--Bold Swimmer--A
Whirlpool--Danger of Drowning--Our Raft tested--Abandoned--The
rest wrecked--Pass the Umur--Reach the Limbang--Construct
fresh Rafts--Uneasy Anticipations--Heavy Fresh--Fine Specimen
of a Raft--Push off--Dangers and Troubles--The Rafts
ungovernable--The Roaring of Waters--Overhanging Cliffs--The
Cataract--Awe of the Men--Shoot the Cataract--Narrow Escape--Its
Height--The Men recover their Voice--Ineffectual Attempts
to stop the Raft--Caught in a Whirlpool--Safety--Arrival
of the other Rafts--Dangers ahead--Walk--Abandon the
Rafts--State of Provisions--Nearly all consumed--Ahtan’s
Secret Store--Rocks--Advance over the Kalio Hills--Sparing the
Food--Exhausting climbing--“Jog on”--Feed on the Cabbages of the
Bengkala Palm--Almost a Mutiny--Facing the Difficulty--Reach
the Summit of the Paya Paya, or “very difficult” Hills--Night
on the Summit--Our Tent--The last Fowl--Molu--The greatest
Difficulties passed--Country more open--Follow the Banks of the
River--Distress of the Men--Improvidence--Curious Sounds in the
old Forest--Cry of the Argus Pheasant--of the Jelatuk--Rending
of a Mighty Tree--Danger from Decaying Trees--Cock-fights among
the Argus Pheasants.
_27th._--Returned by a new path, and a shorter one, to Tabari’s
house. Again Lawi was so covered with clouds that nothing but his base
could be seen: it appeared about fifteen miles off in a S.W. direction.
I hear that the Limbang rises in that mountain. There are houses at its
base, two of which were lately attacked by the Kayans and destroyed.
Just before my arrival the Kayans sent over six men to inquire whether
the Muruts of the upper Trusan would submit to them and pay tribute;
if they would do so all attacks should cease. It is very probable that
these men came over as spies, to find out the easiest way of reaching
the upper country. I missed them by a couple of days.
We stopped to breakfast about half a mile before we reached Tabari’s
village, at a house that was literally overflowing with Indian corn.
We should have laid in a stock but that they asked absurd prices.
Everywhere the people of the country were busy planting, and we
continually came upon parties working in the fields. They showed no
fear whatever, the news having spread very rapidly through the country
that our objects were friendly. From Tabari’s we followed the old path
to Ballang Palo’s, where we rested the night. In passing through this
village, I had given a man afflicted with sore eyes a little sulphate
of zinc: he already had found, or fancied he found, some benefit from
the medicine, and in remembrance brought me a jar of arrack, containing
about three quarts, which he insisted I must drink. The old jar was
a curious specimen of former Chinese work, which had most probably
been with the Muruts for many generations. It was blue, with numerous
figures of dragons upon it.
As the sulphate of zinc had once acted well, I found numerous customers
for it, a great many being troubled with sore eyes, perhaps from
crowding over their smoky fires during the cold nights. I mention the
circumstance of the poor fellow bringing the arrack, as, how grateful
soever they may be in their hearts for a kindness, they seldom show
it. I have not known half a dozen instances during my whole residence
in the East. It is not always quite safe to administer medicine,
particularly when the amateur doctor promises that a cure will result
from his exertions, as the following story will show. A Bukar Dayak had
a son, who fell ill of the small-pox, and a native doctor offered his
services, assuring the father he could cure his child; unfortunately
for him, however, notwithstanding all the medicine he administered, the
child died, when the father, accusing him of having wilfully caused the
death of his son, drew his sword and killed him on the spot. As this
event took place while the Bukar tribe was still under the authority of
the Sultan of Brunei, a fine only was inflicted for this summary act
of vengeance. We sat up rather late, but as we had no man with us, who
could freely converse in their language, the Orang Kaya Upit having
stayed behind on a trading speculation, we could only drink together,
and look very solemn. I have noticed the very few marketable articles
these people have for sale, but one of them brought me to-day a very
large bezoar stone, an inch and a half in length, and two and a half in
circumference. They say they procure them from the monkeys, whom they
kill to seek for this stone, and while some affirm they find them in
the head, others declare they take them from the bladder. The ones I
have seen are of a clear brown, highly polished, and not heavier than a
similar piece of very light wood.
_28th._--On to Si Lopong’s. I found that even Murut arrack is
a very bad assistant to exertion. I stayed this night at the house
preparatory to a start in the morning. We are in great hopes that some
of the Muruts will walk with us as far as the spot where we intend
to construct rafts, and thus give us a good stock of provisions to
commence operations upon; but nothing could be arranged on account
of Si Lopong’s absence. In the evening he came home, and immediately
brought out two basins of arrack, one of which he handed to me, and
said we must drink in remembrance of our friendship. Having complied
with his desire, I began to enter into our business, but before I could
utter a dozen words he lay back on his mat and was fast asleep. He had
arrived drunk, as no doubt, at every village, he had been feasted; and
the last bowl of arrack was the night-cap. Seeing that it was hopeless
to attempt to wake him, I put off our conversation till the morning.
The men I had left behind I found tolerably recovered, and all were
ready for a start; that is, if anybody could be found to carry the
baggage. Most of the guides had given up their intention to return:
Si Nuri intended to spend a month or two with his first wife; Kadayan
was kept by his family, and Luñgenong would not start without the
Orang Kaya Upit; so that unless I wait here some time, we must trust
entirely to ourselves. The way to the Adang is not very difficult to
find. Waking during the night, I heard some sounds almost as musical as
those produced by a bagpipe; it came from a Murut near at hand, who was
perhaps serenading his mistress. I examined the instrument he used, and
it was very simple to produce so many notes. Two thin bamboos, about
twelve inches long, were fastened very neatly side by side; in one
was cut four holes like those in a flute, while the other had a long
piece of grass inserted in the lower end. A slight incision was then
cut across both towards the upper portion. The performer thrust this
instrument rather deep into his mouth and blew, and then, with the aid
of tongue, fingers, and moving the grass, produced some very agreeable
and wild tunes. I watched him for some time as he sat by the side of a
flickering fire, but being tired, it at last lulled me to sleep.
_29th._--Si Lopong is naturally very unwilling to start without
his relation, the Orang Kaya Upit; he says that he cannot be many days,
as he has only to wait for the return of the party of Main Muruts, who
have gone to fetch him some slaves. This settles the question, and I
start without guides. Unfortunately, the Orang Kaya has with him the
hunting dogs I purchased at Tabari’s. Our intention is to walk to the
Adang River, and construct rafts on which to float down the stream. The
Muruts have always warned us that it is too full of cataracts, rapids,
and huge rocks, to be descended by rafts, and that, if they fail us,
the country is impassable; but my men are eager to try the easy method
of returning, and I am desirous of following the course of the Limbang.
6 p. m.--We got away at 9 a.m. I explained to my men that I would not
allow our guides to bring slaves into our party; that all the shame of
the transaction would fall on me; and that if the Orang Kaya attempted
it, I would take away his boat, and let him find his way home overland.
There was rice of ours sufficient for a month’s consumption, and I
strongly advised the men to remember how they had suffered in their
former land journey. They all promised to take twelve or fourteen days’
provisions, and I took eighteen days’, dividing it among all the men,
each to carry a day’s rice for me.
We found the Adang range a very stiff climb, and before we reached
the top I had to relieve Musa of his double barrel, he was carrying
so heavy a load. At the stream we met two hunters, and endeavoured
to persuade them to lend us a hand for one day, but we could not
bribe them. It is astonishing what habit will do. A young girl, not
above thirteen, came part of the way with us to assist in carrying a
relation’s burden, and she walked up that steep mountain, comparatively
with the most perfect ease. I here found some of those beautiful
Anœctochilus which Mr. Low wanted. I collected about a dozen, all I
could see, and put them into a tin pepper-box, with holes in the top,
to try whether they would keep. They are the most breathtaking plants I
have ever seen, with leaves through which lines of gold, or white, or
bright red run, forming a lovely pattern. I have been shown some of the
very plants I collected, now growing luxuriantly in England, and they
are the most delicate looking ornaments for a hot-house.
After much exertion, we got about half way down the western face of the
Adang range, the rain pouring heavily; so at five p.m. we came to a
stop and pitched our tents.
_30th._--The rain still continued, but we pushed on by the old
path till we came to a small stream, called the Batu Loba, where
we found some freshly constructed huts. After bathing, I felt very
feverish, and taking a dose of quinine, a large basin of rice-water,
and wrapping myself up in all the dry clothing I had, I burst into a
profuse perspiration. It was not a very agreeable night for me. I lay
in my tent alone: the men, except Musa, who watched over me, preferring
the hunters’ huts, as the floor was there dry, and they had no time to
make a raised floor in the tent for themselves, as they did for me.
The rain was coming down in torrents, which presently increased to
a terrific thunderstorm. The wind did not affect us much, we were
too low, in a hollow; but I thought if this really be fever, what a
prospect for me in this forest. I called Musa, and made every necessary
arrangement in case I should be delirious in the morning: that two or
three men should stay with me, and the rest go back to the houses;
that if I grew worse, the Muruts might be engaged to carry me to their
village; and that when I recovered, we should go home by the Trusan,
abandoning the boats, instruments, and everything.
I need scarcely say how joyful we all were, when in the morning I got
up without any fever, and only a little weakened by the slight attack.
I thought at the time that it might be from over-fatigue, as I had not
only carried all my instruments and arms, but had assisted others. Some
one during the night must have been amusing himself with my revolver,
as shortly after starting, on withdrawing it from its cover, I found
the chamber gone, rendering the weapon useless till our arrival at the
boats, where I had left a spare one; so I gave up the carbine, and took
to my double-barrel.
_October 1st._--Continued by the old path to the Adang; hitting
it, however, a little to the northward of the point where we previously
crossed it. Here we prepared to make the rafts on which we intend to
continue our journey. We found plenty of material--light wood, bamboos,
and rattans, &c.; so we encamped on a pebbly bank, the men hoping to
be soon joined by the Muruts. During our walk to-day, while following
the ridge of the Batu Put hills, we observed on its summit two large
boulders, one some twenty-five feet in length. They appeared to be
granite, but I could not break off a piece. They bear that rather
immodest name from the following legend:--That a famous chief of yore,
disdaining to make his nuptial-couch on the grass, fetched up these
huge stones to sleep on; and they point to some marks as the impression
made by his bride’s limbs, which, without much stretch of fancy, might
be taken for the mould of a foot and leg.
_2nd._--Occupied in making rafts. The rain last night produced a
flood: the river rose about five feet, not many inches below the tent,
and is in a capital condition for a start; but making the rafts has
occupied more time than I expected, and we cannot set out to-night.
The Orang Kaya Upit has not made his appearance: I only regret the rice
we left at Si Lopong’s--he may come to-night; but I have never expected
him to follow so soon. It has been showery all the afternoon, and I
fear a wet night. We have made four rafts: old Japer commands one with
three men, Minudin with three more, Lamit and three, then Musa, with
three Malays, a boy, Ahtan, and myself. Ours is a very strong raft of
bamboo; the others appear but very shaky affairs, the men being too
lazy to work well at them.
_5th._--Started early; at first all went smoothly enough. The
river was sufficiently deep, though it had fallen. We began to
congratulate ourselves on the charming sensation of gliding down the
stream, with only the occasional trouble of pushing the raft from the
bank. The first notice we had that all was not to be smooth water was
seeing in a long reach a rock in the centre, with a dashing, breaking
fall on either side; and on this rock was one of our men standing, the
very picture of despair. Three rafts had passed, and his only chance
was to jump on to ours. We came rushing towards him at a tremendous
pace, trying to keep as near the rock as possible to give him a better
chance, and in doing so, caught it, which threw the raft right across
the stream: it rose to an angle of 45°, and we all thought it was going
over, when the broad surface presented to the water raised it up, and
it slipped past the rock. The man, after having assisted in moving it,
stood still, and we had nearly passed him; I yelled at him, which
brought him to a sense of his danger: he made a bold spring, and just
succeeded in reaching the raft. Had he remained where he was, he must
have sprung into the boiling surge, hoping that we could pick him up if
he reached the smoother water.
On arriving at the next difficult rapid, it was proposed to take out
the baggage, and then pass the rafts down, as the first had already
been buried in the water, and everything was wet through. This was
tiresome work. It is always difficult to pack and unpack during the
day’s journey; but after an hour’s hard work, we had passed all the
things down to the bottom of the rapid, except a large tambok, or
basket three feet high, made from the covering of the sago-palm stem.
This the owner thought he would take with him on the raft; but just as
he started, a wave struck it, and it rolled into the water, and went
dancing down the stream: it was full of valuables of mine and the man’s
clothing. The bold fellow sprang after, but too late to reach it before
it sank; he, however, dived till he fished it up.
Our pride in our rafts was fast leaving us when, about an hour
afterwards, we saw one of the smaller ones rushing round at a frantic
pace in a whirlpool, and three men trying to save one of their
companions, whose head we could occasionally see bobbing up: we were
on them in a minute; our strong raft went headlong against the rock,
creaked to the force of the waters, but did not break up, and we were
enabled to push the man near enough to the shore to be seized by his
companions: our raft was too long to be mastered by the whirlpool: we
just saw one man holding on to the fellow’s long hair, as we were swept
out of sight.
Our raft had bravely carried us through dangers that, one after the
other, had destroyed its companions, so that at four p.m. I very much
regretted finding it stuck firm on a great rapid that appeared a mile
in length. I proposed that we should encamp opposite, and trust to the
night’s rain to enable us to float it over; but the men said we had
better push on to the Limbang and build new rafts there; so we walked
till five, when, catching up our wrecked companions, we pitched our
tents: there was very little cheerfulness in the party that night. We
had passed through a country of nothing but low forest, with a few
hills scattered about. Our course was nearly west south-west.
_4th._--We had heavy rain during the night, which made the
river rise a fathom; so that had we stuck to our raft, we might have
advanced in her. The course of the river continued winding to the
west-south-west, passed the Umur on the right bank. Had some difficulty
in finding a ford: after five hours’ walking, reached the Limbang. I
had but a partial view of the junction; I thought it only the end of
an island, though a clear view shortly after showed, by the augmented
volume of water, that we were on the main river: walked forward for
an hour and a half, till we found sufficient light wood to make our
rafts: then pitching our tents, the men set to work preparing them, and
after doing my best to make our tent comfortable, I am now inditing
this journal. The men this afternoon evidently think that matters are
looking a little serious, and have worked away with a will till dark.
Convinced that bamboos make bad rafts, strong but not sufficiently
buoyant, they are using only light woods;[8] and remembering the severe
blows they received in the tributary, they are preparing for worse in
the main stream. We are now beginning to remember the warnings of the
Muruts, that you cannot descend the stream in rafts at any time, and in
boats only in fine weather; and the addition, that if the rafts fail
now, the country is composed of such steep mountains that it would be
impossible to cross them. I hear these not very cheerful discussions
going on around me; but the sanguine portion of my retainers point to
the beautiful smooth stream, whose banks we have followed for several
miles.
_5th._--There was much rain last night, with thunder and
lightning; and the river rose a fathom, and is continuing to rise,
concealing any signs of rapids in the long reach before us. The men
are determined that this time the rafts shall be strong enough: ours
is a model, twenty-two feet long by six in breadth, composed of a
double layer of trees, the lower nine large ones, the upper a dozen
smaller trees; on this is a raised platform, on which we have stowed
our provisions and goods. We have all got on it to try its buoyancy,
and find that it is not an inch out of water, but that is immaterial.
I have just been round to look at the different rafts. Though not
so good as ours, they are all tolerably strong; and the men having
breakfasted, I have given the orders to put off; and now, at mid-day,
we are starting.
Our course was at first very pleasant. The river was broad, deep, and
sufficiently rapid; but, after a few reaches, this changed, and bluff
points began to invade the stream. Now we were hurled against a rock,
or pressed against the bank; the next moment we were in a whirlpool,
flying about, and with difficulty getting out of it. These whirlpools
were so deep, that with our longest poles, and they were four fathoms,
we could not reach the bottom. At one very large one, we continued
going in a circle for above ten minutes, when we saw a companion raft
coming down upon us. We shouted to the men to try and sheer off, but it
was of no use, and it crashed into us; however, the damage was all for
them. Our heavy raft merely sank a foot, and was driven near enough to
the bank to enable us to get out of this whirlpool, leaving our friends
to repair damages while taking the successive turns from which they had
driven us. I soon began to find that our rafts were unmanageable, and
that we must allow the stream to carry us whither it pleased.
After moving on at a good pace for about a couple of hours, we heard
a roaring in the distance, and I called to the men to stop the raft
if possible, and send ahead to see what was the cause of this sound;
but they thought they could pass the rapid which was before us, and
concluded that it produced the roar we heard. I was of a very different
opinion. This one was bad enough; but in turning the point, how shall I
describe the scene that was presented to me? The almost perpendicular
hills closed in on the river, their lofty trees meeting in an arch
overhead, and the waters dashing through the narrow space, tumbling
over huge rocks, raised waves like those of an angry sea on a rocky
shore; but the worst spot was where the cliffs appeared to have fallen
across the stream, damming it to half its width by a huge tree-crowned
rock, and forming two foaming cascades.
We had been told that the cataract was nine fathoms deep. To stop the
raft was impossible: the pace was too great; and, as we approached this
formidable danger, the men burst into a prayer, which, though they
shouted at the tops of their voices, could scarcely be heard in the
roar. I spoke not, but clutched the side of the raft with one hand and
Ahtan with the other, for fear we should be swept off. As we came to
the edge of the cataract, it looked so deep that the men were awed into
silence, and my only thought was, Can we ever rise out of that abyss?
Down we went. We felt a slight shock, the raft trembled, and in another
moment we were buried in the recoiling waves. We rose again, our bows
forced up into the air, and the stern completely hidden as I glanced
round to look if the men were there, and then over the second tier of
rocks, which were not so serious, as there was a deep pool beyond; and
though we were again buried beneath the waters, yet we touched no rock.
At the first cataract we but grazed the bottom. Had we struck, our raft
must have been dashed to pieces; as it was, the centre trunk was driven
from its place--I was about to say, like an arrow from a bow; but how
far it went I cannot say; it left no trace behind it.
I have attempted since to estimate the length of these falls; but,
after allowing for the exaggeration natural to remembrance of one’s own
adventures, I cannot think they were less than three and two fathoms,
but probably more. However, we passed so rapidly that it was impossible
to judge correctly. On we went, over a small cataract; and then the
men gave vent to their feelings in a frantic yell, which they had
been unable to utter after the great danger. As we cleared the point,
we heard shouts from the bank; and, looking up, saw four of our men
calling upon us to stop, as there were worse dangers ahead.
As this reach was tolerably smooth, one of the men sprang into the
stream with a long rattan in his hand, hoping to reach the shore, but
it was dragged from him before he was half way. Then Musa, choosing a
better spot, plunged in; he reached the shore, but, before he could
land, the rattan was torn from his grasp, and we were swept away. I saw
Musa, breathless, trying to free himself from the waves that dashed him
against the rocks, and in another moment we were out of sight.
Our two skilled men were gone; but we managed to keep the raft
straight, and presently we were caught in a whirlpool. This was our
best chance; one of the men sprang into the water, and was soon ashore.
The rattan was twisted round a tree just as the stream caught us. This
was a trying moment. The rattan began to part as the great strain came
upon it; so I ordered the last man to make straight for the shore, and
draw the raft out of the strength of the stream. The men really exerted
themselves; and, in almost less time than it takes me to write this
down, we were moored comfortably under the bank.
Presently one of the other rafts came round the point; they tried to
join me, but were swept to the other side, where they brought up; the
next followed, and was also secured; the fourth soon came round the
point, but with only old Japer upon it. I trembled for him, but the
old fellow was used to danger, and cleverly brought himself under the
opposite rocks, and threw a rattan on shore. This, however, was torn
out of the hand of a stupid man who ought to have twisted it round a
stump or a rock; nevertheless, an active fellow sprang from one of the
already secured rafts into Japer’s, and twisted a strong rattan round
one of the trunks. Now all were interested, and rushed to help to
prevent the great stream carrying away the rafts.
I was very pleased to see Musa join me. He presently went ahead; and,
after an hour’s absence, returned, telling me he had found a spot where
we could secure ourselves for the night; but that the men requested
that I and Ahtan, as the non-swimmers, would walk to the night’s
resting-place. We found the way very difficult; and, after half an
hour’s hard work, reached the rafts. I now heard that three of the
most active of the party had gone ahead to examine. We had brought up
the rafts in a kind of bay, with the rocks below stretching across the
river, forming formidable rapids. At six p.m. the scouts returned,
bringing the unpleasant news that the river for about two miles was
one succession of rapids; in fact, as far as they had seen it, it was a
continued sheet of white foam, from the innumerable rocks which studded
the stream. To proceed in the rafts was quite impossible, so we made up
our minds to walk.
Now I thought matters began to look sombre, particularly as Ahtan came
to tell me that he had been to several of the men for my rice, and had
found that they had only a day’s provisions left. Upon this I called
the men up, and ascertained that three men had still six days’ rice,
three had four days’, four had two days’, and the rest only provisions
for one day; and, what was very serious for me and Ahtan, all our rice
had been consumed, except sufficient for two days.
It was useless to reproach the men, so I called Ahtan on one side, and
proposed to him that we should in future take thin rice-water, and
trust to the cabbage-palm for our chief support. To this he readily
agreed, and then added in a whisper that he had about two cupfuls of
tapioca flour. I persuaded him that this should be kept, in case one of
us fell ill. I must confess that, being excessively hungry, I was not
sorry to find that he had cooked a fowl--the last but one--and boiled
a lot of rice, before he discovered how short we were. We divided the
food into two portions, and dined heartily.
Rocks, sandstone, dipping to the north-east, at an angle of 18°. It
was in the great cataract, to-day, that my journal was wetted. As we
were twice buried in the recoiling waves, nothing but a single change
escaped being soaked. We made great fires to dry our clothes, but the
continuous rain prevented our completely succeeding.
_6th._--I was up at dawn. There was not much cooking; but Ahtan
having saved a little cold rice, we breakfasted off that, and then
started. We found the Muruts were correct in their account of the
country. The walking was very difficult indeed, either along the sides
of precipitous hills or up the face of them, where our hands came into
as much play as our feet. I kept the men at it till five p.m., making
but little advance over this very difficult country. We were evidently
crossing the Kalio hills which I had noticed on our left in our walk
from Madihit, and then estimated at 5,500 feet; but my barometer was
now out of order.
We encamped on the summit of one of the mountains; and, having found a
little water, we cooked. I noticed that none of the men followed our
example of sparing the food, but eat as if they had been at home; so
that but half have any rice left. I had for a week preserved a small
glass of brandy; and, believing it impossible to feel more exhausted,
I drank it, for the last climb had been such as to render a farther
advance impossible for any of us.
_7th._--To-day the walking was worse than ever--so steep that my
heart almost failed me, but knowing how everybody looked to me, I did
not give way. How continually those lines came to my memory, and how
often I found myself repeating them--
“Jog on, jog on the footpath way,
And merrily hent the stile-a;
A merry heart goes all the day,
Your sad tires in a mile-a.”
We kept on till twelve, when we stopped at a stream to breakfast on
the cabbages of the bengkala palm; exceedingly delicious, but not
satisfying; it was like living on sugar and water. Here the old Pablat
man said he must stay behind, as he had an attack of elephantiasis. I
left his son-in-law with him, and pushed on.
We followed the torrent’s course for some time over broken rocks, when
the man we had constituted our guide turned to the left towards a
mountain that looked nearly perpendicular. There was almost a mutiny;
even Musa declared that they could not face it--they must try the bank
of the river. I represented to them that the Muruts had warned us that
it was impossible to follow that course; but they kept repeating they
would like to try, so I gave way, and we continued for half an hour,
till we reached the Limbang. Here the banks were perpendicular, and we
all sat down for half an hour, looking gloomily at the foaming stream.
But this being of no use, I rose and told the guide that we must go
back to the spot he had before chosen. The men feeling rather ashamed
of themselves, got up with more alacrity, and we faced the difficulty,
commencing the ascent at two p.m., but did not reach the summit till
six p.m., and yet we worked as hard as we possibly could, hoping to get
down to the banks of a running stream. These were evidently the Paya
Paya, or the “very difficult” hills. For several hundred yards we moved
up a narrow spur, about five feet broad generally, but occasionally
narrowing to a single foot, so steep that we had to place our rifles
and guns before us as far as we could reach, and then pull ourselves up
to them.
The sun went down before we stopped for the night. There was no water,
but there was a prospect of heavy rain, and strong puffs of wind, as
black clouds were gathering to the north-east. It was seven o’clock
before I got my tent pitched on a ridge not three feet broad; and then,
there being nothing to eat or drink, we lay down and slept on our
weariness. Fortunately for me, I had managed to dry my Scotch plaid
during our stay for breakfast; and, wrapping myself up in that best of
all companions, I did not feel the cutting winds. I awoke for a few
minutes in the middle of the night, to find that the cold had driven
the men to light a fire; but before I could distinctly distinguish any
one I was off to sleep again, and did not wake till the sun shone on
my face. Yesterday satisfied me that I was in excellent condition to
endure fatigue, as, though I had not drunk any water since breakfast, I
felt no thirst.
_8th._--Being excessively hungry, I determined to have the
remaining fowl, a mere chicken, for breakfast. I thought we deserved
it, having had nothing to eat for dinner, so it was killed before we
started. An hour’s walk brought us to the end of the mountain ridge,
and gave us a fine view of the country. There was Molu with its highest
peak bearing west by south, proving that the western peak, under which
we were last February, is not the loftiest.
It appeared to me that we had clearly passed the greatest difficulties
as regards country; it was now more open, the hills drawing back
farther from the banks of the river, which wound at our feet some
three thousand feet below. I now knew from the bearings that we were
north of our boats; they lay as nearly as possible between us and Molu.
I therefore proposed to the men that we should abandon the main stream
and push due west, straight for the Madihit; but they had no faith in
compasses, and seeing a mountain range nearly as high as the one we
were on between us and what I affirmed to be the Madihit, they said
they preferred keeping to the banks of the Limbang, which now appeared
to be less difficult.
We did not long continue admiring this extensive prospect; our thoughts
referred to water and something to eat, so we commenced the descent,
which was nearly as steep as yesterday’s ascent; but going down hill,
though trying to the knees, does not take away the breath. We did not,
however, reach a stream till nearly two, when we stopped for breakfast.
Ahtan, smiling at the thought of a fowl, got the breakfast ready in a
very short time. The men proposed that we should spend the night here,
but I declined, insisting that we should reach the Limbang. It poured
with rain, but it was necessary we should exert ourselves. I pushed on
with Ahtan and two others.
When I was gone, one of the men lay down in the path and burst out
crying, saying he should never see his mother again; a companion threw
himself down too, but the rest of the party followed me. These two I
rather pitied, as this was their second day without rice; but they
and their two friends were the most improvident of the lot. One day
they began to cook without orders; the rice was just wetted, but they
were told to move on, and not cook till we all stopped. They therefore
wrapped up their breakfast, and moved on. Presently I saw a packet,
and picking it up, found that they had thrown away the rice, saying it
was too much trouble to carry it; another party, on its being handed
to them, quickly appropriated it. Another day they cooked three times,
throwing away what was left. It was disgusting to see such waste of
food; but they suffered for it. At five p.m. I reached the main stream,
and feared I should have to encamp without tents, as I could hear
nothing of the party. One of the men volunteered to go back to search
for them, and at sunset they were all collected.
I know of no sounds more curious than those which are sometimes heard
in the old forest. Last night we frequently noticed the cries of the
Argus pheasant, both male and female. In the deep silence one is
startled by the thrice-repeated “Tu-wau,” in a clear and sonorous
tone, and that is the crow of the cock. The cry of the female is
similar, but more quickly repeated; but both are very pleasing to hear.
Occasionally, also, we could distinguish the clear and distinct note
of the Jelatuk bird, which a stranger might mistake for the echo of a
stroke from an axe.
There is another sound, only heard in the oldest forest, and that is
as if a mighty tree were rent in twain. I often asked the cause, and
was assured it was the camphor tree splitting asunder, on account of
the accumulation of camphor in some particular part--an explanation
which was not satisfactory. During heavy squalls we have often been
put in fear by the crash of falling timber; but our men were very
particular in not pitching the tents near half-rotten trees. The Argus
pheasant is found in many places we have passed during this expedition,
and occasionally in the jungle we have come across open spots strewed
with the feathers of the cock bird, where two have been struggling for
mastery. It would appear as if they always chose the same spots for
their fights, as the ground was free from grass and brushwood, and was
beaten hard.