112 BRITISH NORTH BORNEO. [chap. 



about 1000 feet in height, whence the view was even grander. 

 The country here was quite different from that in the neighbour- 

 hood of Sandakan and Marudu Bay. Instead of the dense, inter- 

 minable forest, a vast extent of park-like country lay before us, 

 with wide stretches of clearing. On the farther side of the hill we 

 descended into a marshy plain, intersected by sluggish, muddy 

 streams of no great size. Here, struggling almost to our waists in 

 mud and water, we lost our way, and our party separated, two 

 eventually gaining the coast on buffalos and two in canoes. On 

 comparing notes, we came to the conclusion that the former were 

 the preferable means of conveyance. They seemed to go indiffer- 

 ently through either mud or water. The canoes, even in a 

 Bajau's hands, were not equally amphibious. 



Next morning it was blowing fresh from the south-west, and as 

 we rolled heavily at our anchorage, we decided on shifting round into 

 Usukan Bay, which was within a mile of us, and afforded perfect 

 shelter. On the following afternoon the Datu came off to us here, 

 accompanied by several very unprepossessing retainers, and the 

 matter of the two heads was settled. In the evening we sailed for 

 Gaya Bay, having said good-bye to Mr. Gueritz, who intended to 

 make the return voyage to Kudat in a native prau. We afterwards 

 heard that he had been picked up by H.M.S. Magpie, at that time 

 engaged in a survey of the coast. It was fortunate for him, for he 

 had encountered very bad weather and run short of food. 



Gaya is beautifully situated under the western side of Ivina 

 Balu, whose height here appears increased by its presenting only 

 its lesser diameter to the view. At the time of our visit the settle- 

 ment had only been in existence for nine months, and consisted of 

 a couple of rows of attap huts, a resident's house perched half way 

 up a steep hill at the back, and a little barrack and battery of 

 three guns. The police department numbered ten men of Dyak 

 and Malay nationality. The settlers had not been idle; for a 

 beautifully -made pier ran out a distance of over three hundred 

 yards from the shore, solidly constructed of the trunks of the 



