ch. xiv.] End of Expedition. 303 



track being almost impassable for buffaloes. The differ- 

 ence in the time occupied by the two routes is in part 

 accounted for in this way. Thus when I and Mr. Veitch 

 went bj r the Tawaran we saved four or five days in going 

 by chartering a passage for ourselves by a trading steamer 

 which landed us at Gaya Bay the next morning after 

 leaving Labuan. On our reaching Labuan. poor Smith, 

 who had been ill in the boat for two or three days, had to 

 go to the hospital with a very bad attack of fever, doubt- 

 less contracted during our walk from Ghinambaur to 

 the Tampassuk. He fortunately recovered in a week's 

 time, but evidently had felt the effects of a difficult 

 mountain journe}'. All our friends in Labuan were glad 

 to see us back again, and the mails from home which had 

 arrived during my absence were of the most cheering 

 land. Notwithstanding our rough passage I found my 

 plants and seeds in good condition, and I am glad to 

 know that the practical results of this journey were more 

 encouraging than I had expected, and many of the plants 

 and seeds obtained ultimately reached Chelsea alive. 

 Having at this time been over a year in Borneo, I had 

 learned a good deal of the language, and had also found 

 much to admire in the Malays and aboriginals, so that I 

 felt in a way loath to leave a land which had been fraught 

 with so many novelties and adventures to me. 



