3i6 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[October i, 1882. 



myself cnmfortable, but had aa incessant crowd round 

 about iiif. My lirst thought was to change my wet 

 cloth, s tor dry, and the usual curiosity existed to see 

 if 1 was white all ovrr. Having finished my toilet I 

 was glad to get my dinner, as we do not stop in the 

 middle of the day for a meal when on the march. 

 I noticed some of the guides explaining the whole of 

 tliis business and looking very wise over it. I 

 thought the fact of my having dinner might in- 

 iuce them to go and do likewise, but not so. First 

 my watch, India-rubber sheet, rug, and, last but 

 Jot least, my revolver, were all objects of great curi- 

 osity to them, and the List thing I remember be- 

 fore going oil to sleep was a lively discussion among 

 the guides as to what my aneroid was. Prior to 

 going to sleep I had a small talk with them about 

 growing rice, and tried to explain to them the sys- 

 tem of irrigation which they would find more suit- 

 able than their present hill paddy which necessitates 

 their constantly changing their land and home for 

 other localities. They appeared much interested, and 

 stated if they were once shewn it would be quite 

 sufficient. Next morning I obtained two of the baud 

 to shew us the road to the plain of Tambunan, but 

 could not get them to come farther than the out- 

 skirts, as they are not on friendly terms with the 

 inhabitants. We, however, came across a native be- 

 longing to the place who shewed us the rest of the way 

 and who informed me that Mr. Witti, the exploring 

 officer, and his party, were resting there, having been 

 visiting the country to the south. I was much struck 

 ■with this fine plain after having seen nothing but jungle 

 and scrub for the last few clays. It reminded me 

 much of what Kandy must have been in its early days, 

 and I hope before long to see it a thriving little 

 town. Mr. Witti introduced me to the chief, who 

 provided my men and myself with accommodation, and 

 in the evening we witnessed a ceremony of friendship, 

 which consisted of a stone being put up and a goat 

 slaughtered in commemoration of our being the first 

 Europeans who had ever visited them and to many 

 the first white man they had seen. The men and 

 children, notwithstanding there is a nice river close by, 

 were very dirty, but the women appeared very neat. 

 As is the custom in Borneo, they do all the work and 

 the men the fighting and the drinking. Their dress 

 consisted of a short petticoat, generally made from the 

 cotton they grow themselves, with coils of wire round 

 their hips, which looks rather nice. In the case of 

 young girls who have had no child, they wear a strip 

 ofclol^h across their breasts. Their agricultural duties 

 appear to agree with them, and one could not wish 

 to see a more healthy lot. On first sight the village 

 appe-irs from the houses to be thickly populated, but 

 on inspection many of these houses have nothing but 

 one big cask in them made from the bark of the 

 sago tree, in which their paddy is stored. The place 

 swarmed with pigs and dogs, who appear to do all 

 the scavenging. 1 decided during the day to alter my 

 previously arranged plan and join Mr. Witti and his party; 

 80 I handed over to him all my trade goods, consisting 

 of beads, cloth and looking-glasses, and sent my men 

 back to Pappar. Mr. Witti 1 should mention is the 

 exploring officer of the Company and has seen more 

 of the inland portions of North Borneo than any 

 other officer. His reports and survey of the country 

 he has been through are very interesting, and one 

 can only understand properly the difficulties and 

 hardships experienced by him by taking a small journey 

 one's self. Un the following day we walked over to 

 another village to attend a feast, whicli was held in 

 a large house. Along the usual verandah there were 

 about 30 pigs, all waiting to be slaughtcced. This is 

 performed in rather a strange manner : a small in- 

 cision being made in the chest, and then a stick 

 inserted which destroys the bmgs, and the pigs bleed 



inwardly. We partook of some hard-boiled eggs and 

 rice toddy and then returned. There appear to be 

 several little villages on this plain, and strange to 

 say many of them are on very bad terms with each 

 other. Only parts of it appear to be cultivated : 

 those that are very flat are irrigated, but no signs 

 of terracing are seen ; neither do the people appear 

 to have any tools. A fine mountain range I see to 

 the N. E. is, I am informed, called Madii : this I 

 hope to explore in a day or so. Next morning we 

 made our start, our guides as usual being late ; so we 

 went on and told them to follow. Our track led us 

 over small hills, which shewed signs of previous 

 cultivation. Towards the end of the day I obtained 

 a good view of the Todus Madii range, the highest 

 point being, I should think, about 7,00U feet. It was 

 a pretty piece of jungle, reminding me very much of 

 what the Pundaluoya Valley must have been before 

 it was felled for coffee and cinchona. In one of the 

 gardens we passed through 1 noticed tobacco growing 

 remarkably well. There appear to be two kinds 

 grown : one having the large cabbage leaf like that 

 grown in Ceylon, and other the long narrow leuf 

 closely resembhng that grown ia Sumatni. On 

 enquiry the natives told me they prefer that of the 

 former. I was shewn some of the tobacco which 

 was already cut up and ready for smoking and which 

 looked and smelt very nice. It does not appear to 

 undergo any fermenting in the curing. The leaves 

 are picked when ripe, and cut up in bundles very fine, 

 and put out to dry for a few days, and to look at 

 it one would think it was European. No attempt 

 has ever been made as yet to make cigars. We 

 came across a house towards evening and put up in 

 it for the night, and made ourselves quite at home. 

 On the following morning 1 found it rather cold, but 

 then Dusun houses are generally rather airy. Before 

 continuing our journey we were pressed to witness 

 the usual ceremony of friendship, a chicken instead 

 of a goat being decapitated. Our journey today was 

 rather difficult, one moment up a hill, and then 

 crossing a river below, and so on, but we came across 

 a solitary house in the evening, and put up for the 

 night. The practice of displaying wisps of straw on 

 the roofs of the house was pointed out to me, each 

 wisp denoting a head, but on entering I could see 

 no signs of these skulls. As our journey for the next 

 few days will take us through country totally un- 

 inhabitated, we have to stop here for a day, and 

 bring and pound some paddy, there not being sufficient 

 rice ready for our party. During the day neighbours 

 came in to see and tjlk with us. The men and 

 children are as usual very dirty, and covered with 

 sores, to which Mr. Witti willingly gave his atleuiion, 

 the white man's mi.dieine being of course an object 

 of great curiosity. The women were busily en- 

 gaged pounding rice for us the whole day, their task 

 being finished when darkness came on. The usual 

 bartering was gone through, a small quantiiy of beads, 

 cloth, etc., procuring enough rice for our journey. 

 I notice the Dusun meh very seldom have hair on 

 their face, but, if they have, are very proud of it. 



There was heavy ra n during the night, making walk- 

 ing rather difficult. From 2,900 we began to ascend, 

 guttiug into the Madii range. Dusun paths, how- 

 ever, are not very satisfactory to me, as they 

 generally are up ridges. The top was duly reached : 

 from here (4,620) I was able to get a good view 

 of the range in front of us, while away to the north 

 old Kinabalu was to be seen standing boldly out. 

 The jungle round me was fine, and the soil good. 

 From here we again descended and crossid a small 

 river, and theu made a leaf hut for the night. It 

 rained heavily, but then we must expect that at this 

 time of the year. We made the usual early start and 

 partook of uur morning meal of rice and salt at a 



