The Orang Kaya Upit and his party listened to this story with great interest, and evidently envied Japer the glorious chance he had had. I changed the conversation, and then they told stories of the wrongs they suffered at the hands of the people of the capital. To-night they were full of stories. Old Japer is a store-house of information; he is so well acquainted with the countries between Sarawak and Brunei. He has a thorough faith in ghosts and spirits, and tells of many an adventure with them; of the Antus who caused the death of the wax-hunters, by pushing them off the meñgiris or tapang-tree. When the unfortunate men, from inefficient preparations, as their companions not keeping up a great fire under the trees to stupefy the bees, are so stung as to let go their hold, the natural explanation is never taken; they fly to their superstitions.
Japer’s nephew saw one of these tapang ghosts, and managed to keep his eye upon him and prevent him pushing him off; he came down without accident, but without any wax. I suggested that he invented the ghost to excuse his timidity, which Japer thought probable. To-day we passed one of these lofty trees, bearing above twenty bees’-nests, among them four old ones white with wax. As the country is full of tapangs, in which alone do the bees build their nests, the stories of the great amount of wax formerly procured in this district may be true. Why do the honey-bees generally build on one particular tree? Its being the finest in the forest is no good reason; perhaps there is something enticing in the bark. I say “generally,” because, though I have never seen their nests on other trees, yet I have often come across them in the crevices of rocks.
If travelling has its pleasures, it has also its disagreeables: mosquitoes near the sea, leeches by thousands in the jungle, and swarms of sand-flies on the banks of the rivers. The fire being nearly out, there is no smoke to drive these last nuisances away, and they compel me to close my journal for the night, and retire under the shelter of a Scotch plaid.
I have so often mentioned the omen-birds, that I will describe the one which is most considered by the Seribas Dayaks: body, a bright red; wings, black, chequered with white; head, black at top, with a beak and throat light blue; the tail long, a mixture of black, white, and brown; about the size of a blackbird; the beak is slightly hooked. It is a scarce bird, and is called by the natives Burong Papaw. The bird is before me while describing it. I dare say a naturalist would notice more peculiarities.
5th.—Though I don’t do very much work, yet I was so tired this evening that I fell asleep without writing in the day’s journal; but, waking up at nine a.m., I will briefly notice the day’s occurrences. We got away at quarter-past six, and, after ascending half a mile, found ourselves at the mouth of the Salidong, or Salindong, which is but a small stream on the right hank. A limestone cliff marks the entrance, and probably gives the name to the branch, lindong, to overshadow. Opposite to it was a Kayan resting-place, where we found marks which proved that one party had returned. In the hut was picked up a woman’s jacket, with a small net, left behind in the hurry of departure, so it is probable they captured her while fishing on the banks of some rivulet.
Though certain they had obtained captives, opinions were divided on the subject of heads. I could find no traces, and old Japer agreed with me that it was uncertain; but it would only be accidentally that we could have discovered indications. They had left a mark, however, to show their countrymen that they had been up the Salindong: it was a long pole, ornamented with three tufts pointing up that stream. The three tufts were supposed by many to show that they had obtained three heads or captives; it might mean either. There were evidently two parties out, and it is more than probable that there is one ahead of us; but we should have little to fear from the crew of one tamui, even if they took us by surprise. However, the men are taking every precaution; the muskets are nightly inspected, discharged if suspected of being damp, and kept ready at hand to be used at a moment’s notice. I have little fear but that the heavy volley we could pour into an enemy would drive them off without trouble.
Our course to-day has been principally through a limestone district, though occasionally there is sandstone, as at the mouth of the Tuan River. The general dip is to the E.N.E.; sometimes very steep, varying from 21° to 53° and 56°. Though we worked to 3.45 p.m., staying only an hour and a half for breakfast, we made comparatively but little progress—not, perhaps, more than six miles, as last night’s rain raised a sort of fresh, which was hard to contend against amid the limestone rocks and steep banks. In fact, the last half mile took us nearly two hours to accomplish: the limestone rocks were excessively steep, and the river, being confined to a narrow bed, rushed like a mill-sluice in many places. Now we found the use of our long towing-ropes. After vainly endeavouring to pole along, we all but two got out, and, crawling on to a tolerably even spot, passed the tow rope round a tree, for fear the rush of waters should be too great for our strength, and then hauled. At one place it took our whole united crews to get my garei past a deep though dangerous rapid.
After two hours’ severe work, we managed to reach a spot which the men considered we might safely bring up under; it is a point about forty feet in height, that promises shelter in case of a heavy fresh, and we may have that to-morrow, as the rain is pouring now. The advance of the last half mile was entirely the men’s doing, as at the mouth of the Tuan, by mismanagement, we got across the stream and came broadside on to a sunken rock, which nearly upset us. After this I had no desire to face the rush of waters ahead with tired men, and proposed stopping at the Tuan, but they said it was not safe. I thought it the perfection of a resting-place; rocks rising on either side, crowned by noble trees, whose branches met above, forming a most beautiful and extensive bower. Of course I was very unwilling to stop, when my followers wished to go on: so I let them have their own way; but they said afterwards, had they known what work was before them to get over the next half mile, they would almost have run the risk of staying at the spot I pointed out. It did, indeed, strain our muscles to make the advance.
We had a very narrow escape, also, from the stupidity of Orang Kaya Upit. At one of the worst rapids that we were attempting to pole up, he got across our bows; and, in trying to avoid running his frail sampir under water, we let go our hold, and were swept back by the current at an awful pace. The rebound of the waters from the rocks prevented our going on them, and saved us from the smash most expected. The Orang Kaya and his Muruts were very unpopular after this, and my men showed great unwillingness to aid them; but, as they had assisted us in our heavy work to get my garei past the rapid, I insisted upon doing the same for them. To insure the execution of the order, I took the end of the long towing-rope myself, and passed it round a tree, and put my Malays on a grassy, but rocky point, which was completely free from brushwood. There was no difficulty in hauling this light sampir up; but the two Muruts left in it were clumsy, and, just as it was clear of the rapid and approached the bank, nearly got their boat across the stream; though it was swept against the rocks, it was too elastic to receive much damage.
