August 4th.—Again a beautiful sunrise. We pulled from under the lee of the island about six o’clock, and stood out on our course, with a slight breeze. Off the mouth of the Menkabong river we came upon a tiny fleet of native boats, the owners of which were fishing with hook and line. We found out that they were some of Pangeran Rau’s people, a chief who holds the country around Qualla Menkabong, and at whose house I had stayed on a former journey into the interior. We were glad to purchase some freshly-caught fish from these people, which we afterwards enjoyed for breakfast. Fried in a little pure oil, and sprinkled with a little oatmeal, they were very nice. Palm-tops boiled formed a delicate vegetable accompaniment to them.
We are five days out to-day; and as our bread, which we of course brought with us, is beginning to turn mouldy, my “boy” has dipped each of the remaining little loaves in water, and is busy baking it afresh on a tin plate over the embers. Treated in this way, our old bread is really very nice; indeed, not a bad substitute for hot rolls.
One of our men had a line out astern all the morning as usual, but never perceived a nibble until about 1.30 P.M., when there was a sudden commotion, owing to his being nearly jerked out of the boat by a large fish, which had taken his bait. The fish was fairly hooked, but the men had a good deal of trouble to haul him in. He was a splendid capture, fully fifty pounds or more in weight; and it took two men all their time to lift him into the boat, even after a spear had been driven through him. We all admired him very much as he lay on deck; indeed, half a hundred weight of good fresh fish would be welcome anywhere. It was of a variety, called “Linko” by the Malays, and in general appearance reminded one of a fine salmon.
A little later in the day another kind, about half the size of the last, was caught, this being called “Tingerie.” We reached the mouth of the Abai about 5.30 P.M., and tried hard to make the mouth of the Tampassuk ere dark, in which we failed; and after being tossed about for an hour in vainly endeavouring to get over the bar, our men were glad to pull back to a little island, near Qualla Abai, where we could land to cook, and anchor for the night. It was a lovely, moonlight night, and very quiet in our snug little anchorage. We dined and slept on board, and so escaped the myriads of mosquitoes on the grassy shore.
August 5th.—Awoke at sunrise, the air being deliriously fresh and cool, and the sky clear. We were glad to get a very good view of Kina Balu this morning, the long rocky ridge standing out first purple, and then blue, against the sky, while fleecy masses of silvery clouds were ever changing their position on its rugged sides.
After a delicious bath in a little fresh-water pool near the shore, and breakfast, we pulled to the Qualla Tampassuk, and found a strong current coming over the bar. Our men pulled over, however, all right; and then came a good five hours’ pull up the river before we reached the old quarters of Rajah Muda, now occupied by Mr. Pretyman, who had come to live here a month or two ago, and for whom we had brought on the mails from Labuan. The whole distance from the bar is only about five miles; but the river winds much: and, as it was the wet season, a deal of water coming from the ranges inland had swelled the river beyond its usual limits, and the men had to pull against a heavy stream.
The vegetation of the banks is luxuriant; and after pulling a mile or two, native dwellings, and cultivated patches of bananas, cocoa-nut trees, tapioca, maize, and other products appear. We reached Mr. Pretyman’s residence about 1.30 P.M., and found him and his people tolerably well in health and spirits. He was surprised and pleased at our unexpected visit, and promptly ordered his men to kill a fine young bullock for ourselves and men. After luncheon we crossed the river and walked to the top of the adjacent coast-hills, from whence a good view of the winding stream and surrounding country is obtainable. These bare grassy hills rise out of the plain, which serves as pasturage for a few buffaloes, and here and there patches are irrigated for rice culture. I made a small collection of the herbaceous plants, annuals, and grasses of the hill we ascended; and on the top we found a round-headed tree, which bore edible fruits, remarkably like walnuts in form and flavour.
In descending, we came across plants of a very lovely gardenia, forming bushes, varying from a foot to two feet in height, and bearing large white flowers in the axils of its glossy leaves. A gentle spring-like shower was falling in the last rays of sunlight, and the perfume of this dainty flower was most balmy and delicious, quite unlike the odour of any other plant I ever saw. On my return from the mountain I was careful to secure plants of this species, and they reached London quite safely three months afterwards. As it was now dusk we returned to dinner, and spent a very pleasant evening, talking over home news, and our plans for reaching Kina Balu.
August 6th.—We were up at sunrise and set to work in packing our stores into suitable parcels for each man to carry, and we hired two buffaloes so as to be able to carry an extra supply of rice. These details took time, and it was fully noon ere we bade our host farewell and were fairly started on our journey. Our guide and buffalo driver was an intelligent Malay, named Abdul Rathman, who knew the country well. Our first stopping place was to have been Ghinambaur, but as we were late in starting we failed to reach that village before dark, and had to stay at some Dusun huts by the way. At first our way lay through the plain, and here the roads, or rather tracks, through the tall coarse grass were frequently knee deep in mud and water; then we crossed some low hills of red sandstone which were nearly destitute of herbage, owing to the earth being washed off the rock by heavy rains. In places the tracks over these hills were more like drains than anything, and during a heavy shower the water rushes down these water-worn runnels carrying every atom of soil or pulverised rock into the plains below, so that these last consist of a rich alluvial deposit, well adapted for rice and tapioca culture.
