GOVERNMENT 279 



neighbourhood of Bruni. The Sea Dayaks had 

 obtained no footing in the river, and the Klemantans, 

 who dwelt in the lower reaches, had proved quite 

 incapable of withstanding their formidable neigh- 

 bours. The latter had driven them out of the more 

 desirable parts of the river, had made many slaves, 

 and had appropriated many of the valuable caves 

 in which they had gathered the edible nests of the 

 swift. But considerable numbers of the Klemantans 

 remained in the lower reaches and in some of the 

 tributary rivers. The upper waters of the Baram 

 were occupied mainly by Kenyah communities ; 

 and about the watershed in which the Baram, the 

 Rejang, and the Batang Kayan have their sources 

 (a mountainous highland, geographically the very 

 centre of the island, known as Usun Apo), were 

 the Madangs, a powerful subtribe of the Kenyahs, 

 whose reputation as warriors was second to none. 

 In 1883 a fort was built at Marudi (now officially 

 known as Claudetown), a spot on the river-bank 

 some sixty miles from the sea, the first spot at 

 which in ascending the river a high bank suitable 

 for a settlement is encountered. Here Mr. Claude 

 de Crespigny, assisted by two junior officers, a 

 squad of some thirty rangers, and a few native 

 police, began the task of introducing law and order 

 into these 10,000 square miles of dense jungles, 

 rushing rivers, and high mountains, the scene for 

 unknown ages of the hard perpetual struggle of 

 savage man with nature, and of the fierce conflict 

 of man with man. At first the interior tribes 

 remained aloof, and the little outpost of civilisation 

 was frequently threatened by them with extermina- 

 tion. But after some few years the Kayans of the 

 lower villages became reconciled to the new state of 

 afTairs, recognised the authority of the Rajah and of 

 the Resident, and consented to pay the small annual 

 door-tax amounting to two dollars per family or door. 

 VOL. II T * 



