1896.] di-ii [Furness. 



already tied up to the shore, and the brown-skinned men in their scarlet 

 waist-cloths were bustling about gathering fire-wood and building cranes, 

 whereon to hang their little pots of rice. Soon a row of fires started and 

 the short twilight of the tropics deepened into darlv, and the dancing 

 tires cast giant shadows on the gray-green leaves of the wild sugar-cane 

 and lit up the intent faces of the natives with their glistening eyes and 

 brass-studded teeth as they squatted beside the fires and stirred their pots 

 of rice. When the evening meal was ended and they had smoked their 

 long cigarettes of Java tobacco, rolled in a piece of dried wild banana 

 leaf, the moon came up and the embers of the fire were scattered. To be- 

 come more intimate with them we entered into contests in broad jumping, 

 high jumping and tugs of war, and, alas for me, I was indiscreet enough 

 to turn a hand spring for them and also walked on my hands. (Ever after 

 I was introduced by Tamabulan to his friends with a complimentary re- 

 mark that I could walk on my hands and turn over, and be it on muddy 

 bank or hard floor I was always obliged to repeat the performance. ) Then 

 the chief retired to his boat for the night, and it was a general signal for 

 the breaking up of the entertainment. Grass mats were brought out from 

 the boats and spread on the sand, whereon the men flung themselves 

 for the night in the soft light of the tropical moon, and were soon lulled 

 to sleep by the constant drone and chirp of nocturnal insects. Early 

 the next morning we awoke and saw, by the light of the setting moon, 

 the men shaking out their mats and making preparations for starting off 

 again. We were soon under way once more, and between waking and 

 sleeping we were conscious of the click of the paddles and an occasional 

 shout from Tamabulan ordering his men to paddle faster. 



To give in detail all the long days of our trip up the river, and our visits 

 to the different houses, would be wearisome to you, as, even now and 

 then, I must confess, it somewhat was to us. I will abbreviate by say- 

 ing that there were many hard times. Three men died, of a disease 

 prevalent even here, the Grippe, which then seemed to be epidemic on 

 the Baram river. Unfortunately these deaths were attributed to our 

 presence, and a council was held and we were requested to return, 

 but having already come so far, we begged to be allowed to go 

 on. We distributed tobacco and medicine and held large clinics in 

 our boat for the treatment of an inflammatory disease of the eyes, 

 which was probably due to constant bathing in the muddy river and 

 to not closing the eyes when under the water. The rains descended 

 and the floods came, and for five days we were tied up to the bank, unable 

 to proceed on account of the force of the current and the immense logs 

 which were constantly floating down stream. Then the birds, who are 

 the guides and guardians of these people, were harangued and threat- 

 ened, and, at one time, an attempt was made to fool them. The whole 

 party pulled up to the bank and disembarked with their spears and 

 parangs, and made quite a circuit through the jungle, so as to make the 

 birds think that they were not going home but were on an ordinary 



