I searched their baskets, and found that they had not only hidden some more beans, but had stolen some of my cloth, though I could not fix on the man. I determined to punish them, so told them to go back and fetch the things they had left in the forest; or, on my return, I would submit the case to the Sultan, whether they had not forfeited wages by their unfair abandonment of their sickly companions. They started off, but their cowardly hearts failed them, and before night they came back.
The ravages of the bears were distressing. They destroyed a Deane’s pistol-case, tore open my box of books, and ruined them; reduced the cloth to shreds, and tumbled it into the mud, where the white ants afterwards finished the spoiling; opened the tin boxes containing the sugar and biscuits, and of course devoured them; so that I have nothing left but coffee and arrack. After Musa had cooked a meal, a very frugal one, he went off with a party to fetch the garei, hoping to find a little sago left, but was disappointed.
In the evening caught a few fish, but they were not much among so many. About seven, a most satisfactory savour rose to my nostrils. I found that Ahtan, having discovered a jar of pork fat, was preparing some cakes. I divided them, but he said, “No; you, sir, have the larger body, therefore should have the larger share.” I am not much given to emotions, but I never felt so thankful as when, stretched in the old Kayan hut, I watched them preparing an evening meal, and thought of all the dangers we had gone through without a single accident. True, we had lost guns, and goods, and ruined instruments of some value; but what of that?—there was no one the worse for his exertions. What was hunger now we were so near home?
17th.—Started early; and, as we have had no rain for two days, the river was quiet, and we only reached an island about fifteen miles from the Madalam. It shows the difference, however, between ascending and descending a river. About two a.m., our garei being well ahead, we saw before us a herd of wild cattle, quietly picking at a few blades of grass on a broad pebbly flat. I landed with a couple of men, to get between them and the jungle. I was within twenty yards of the nearest, a piebald, and was crawling through the tangled bushes to get a sight of him, whom I could hear browsing near me, when there arose a shout, then a rush, and the cattle were off dashing close to me, but perfectly concealed by the matted brushwood. It was the crew of one of the newly-arrived boats that, regardless of the warnings of their companions, had thus lost us a chance of a good dinner. I felt that, if my gun had been charged with shot, I could almost have peppered them. Shortly after I shot a pig through the back as he was crossing the river; but as all my men were Mahomedans, it was not worth while tracing him in the jungle. He bled so profusely in the water that he could not have run far.
About five, we were passing down a rapid at a great pace, when one of the men touched me and pointed. I looked up, and there was a magnificent bull, three parts grown, standing within fifteen yards of me. To put up my gun and let fly was the work of a moment; but, before we had dashed on many yards, the beast, which had fallen on his forehead, was up and away. After a little time, we managed to stop the garei; and, landing, found traces of the beast’s blood. My feet were so painfully wounded that I could not manage to follow it, but left it to my men. A couple came up with him, as he stood with his legs well stretched out, bleeding profusely. He took no notice of them, even when they were within spearing distance; but all their nerve was gone, and they were afraid to thrust their weapons into him. They waited till the whole mob of hunters arrived, when the bull apparently recovering himself, dashed away into the jungle.
Having secured the boats under the islands, I divided a tablespoonful of beans each, with a little pork fat to those who would take it. Musa told me that most of the men wanted to stay behind and follow the wounded Tambadau; but that, if I wished to go on, there were five volunteers who would pull straight to Brunei, now about a hundred miles off by river. To this I agreed.
18th.—I get away at daylight in a sampir with five men. Ahtan with an attack of fever and ague. The reaction was too much for him, so I stopped at an island about five miles from the Madalam to cook. I now produced my secret store of beans, and the cupful of rice that I had treasured up since it was given us on the 12th. The beans I gave to the men, and the rice I had boiled into a thin sort of gruel for Ahtan. I thought his feverish symptoms arose principally from over fatigue and hunger. In fact, after he had swallowed a strong dose of quinine, and taken half the gruel, he felt much better; the rest of it I gave to the men, as I wanted to give them sufficient strength to pull to Pengkalan Jawa. I would not take anything myself, as I did nothing but sit all day. I reserved my powers for the food I knew the Chinese trader there would quickly prepare for us.
As we approached the more frequented parts of the river, we met some Muruts, who told us that the report of my death had brought forty steamers to the capital to revenge it, and that if I did not turn up the place was to be burnt. I knew this was one of the usual stories that arise from very little, but still I was anxious to get home; but with all our exertions we did not reach the Chinese trader’s house till 7 p.m. He received us most hospitably, produced tea, sugar-candy, biscuit, and dried fish, to stay our appetites, while a proper meal was prepared. In about an hour this appeared, and we managed to consume a very large fowl each, with an amount of rice that even startled the Baba. Before leaving at midnight, I made arrangements that a plentiful meal should be provided for the garei’s crew.
19th.—After pulling about fourteen hours, we reached Brunei by 2 p.m., to find the people beginning to wonder at our absence. The forty steamers proved to be Captain Cresswell, of the Surprise, who had visited the capital about ten days before with Mr. Low. The latter was beginning to be uneasy about my absence, and was preparing a party to come and search for me.
20th.—My boats now arrived, having failed to get the Tambadau. They said they followed him by the blood till mid-day, when they lost his traces among those of a herd which he had joined. I suspect they did not follow him very far.